This will be the reaction of most Malaysians to the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s birthday honours list today – why Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik but no Tun Samy Vellu.
Is MIC leaving Barisan Nasional?
Lim Kit Siang’s blog written by a Malay?
by Azly Rahman
[email protected]
Brave new Malaysian identity emerging?
Dear readers,
On a website I read the following honest opinion, I thought in the spirit of dialogue, dialectic, and dialogic I’d share with you wonderful bloggers:
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Lim Kit Siang’s blog written by a Malay?
There is something that is quite funny about one opposition leader blog which seems to be written by someone else and not the owner of the blog.
That blog is blog.limkitsiang.com and there are many posts by someone who calls himself by the name of Dr. Azly Rahman.
Whether that person do exists or is a pseudonym of Lim Kit Siang, nobody can tell.
The latest posting by Dr. Azly Rahman titled “All Malaysians have special rights” gives the following excerpts: Continue reading “Lim Kit Siang’s blog written by a Malay?”
Please help Malaysia!
Letters
by KKLow
I am one of your supporter and touched by Gobi/ Theresa Kok/ Lim Kit Siang talk prior to election recently on the party ‘s fight for Malaysian right to improve standrad of living for all Malaysian and first class citizenship…., i also watch all the youtube regarding DAP and was impressed.
We hope the promises to the rakyat can come true such as:
1) fight for lower toll rate (especially LDP) we pay to stuck in traffic jam everyday – status – not yet done.
2) and the hottest issue now – petrol price hike – status – worsen with Abdullah annoucement…even with the rebate or incentives still we need to pay an increase of appx 30% petrol hike…
3) food price increase without any control – with petrol price increase …well….food price will soar and squeeze our standard of living
4) with the poor standard of living – social ills especially ah long/ robbery cases will be frequent and tough to fight… Continue reading “Please help Malaysia!”
Indonesia’s Battle for Religious Pluralism Continues
By Farish A. Noor
Over the past months Indonesia has witnessed, once again, mass demonstrations and mobilisation on its streets. Throughout the month of May, the campuses of the country spilled open and large demonstrations were organised in almost every major city across the Indonesian archipelago to raise awareness about the rising costs of living and in particular the rising cost of oil and gas; in a country that was once a major oil producer but which – over the past five years – has been reduced to being a net oil and gas importer.
While the students of Indonesia’s universities and colleges have taken to the streets to protest on matters that are related to the political economy of the country, other groups have also taken to the streets in protest over issues that have less to do with the material well being of the nation. Since April, Indonesia has also witnessed a string of demonstrations led and organised by right-wing communitarian religious parties and organisations such as the Fron Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders’ Front, FPI) on matters that have little to do with the economic welfare and future of the country.
One such protest came in late April when the FPI, along with several other allied right-wing conservative Islamist groups, protested over the ruling that the Ahmadiya Muslim minority community was allowed to exist in the country as long as they did not openly declare themselves to be Muslims. For more than a century the Ahmadis have been living in Indonesia and historians will point to the fact that the founding fathers of Indonesia’s nationalist and anti-colonial movement were educated and drawn from the Ahmadi community as well. Continue reading “Indonesia’s Battle for Religious Pluralism Continues”
PM should seek Parliament approval on June 23 for hefty oil price increases
Ipoh’s protest :
KL’s protest :
Some hundred people, including DAP MP for Ipoh Barat, M. Kulasegaran, Perak State Assembly Speaker Sivakumar, Perak DAP State Excos Su Keong Siong, A. Sivanesan and Chen Fook Chye and DAP Perak Assembly members Leong Mee Meng (Jalong), Lim Pek Har (Menglembu), Ong Boon Piow (Tebing Tinggi) and Siva Subramanian (Buntong), together with representatives from trade unions and NGOs, gathered outside the Perak Federal Building this morning to fire the first salvo of protest on behalf of Malaysians at the hefty and unconscionable increase of oil prices yesterday.
The half-hour protest went off smoothly, with Kula, Su, Sivanesan, Chen and myself speaking briefly on the protest.
In Kuala Lumpur, a similar protest, attended by five DAP Federal Territory MPs (Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, Fong Kui Lun, Tan Kok Wai, Teresa Kok, Lim Lip Eng), Manogaran (MP – Teluk Intan) and Selangor DAP State Assemblywoman Jenice Lee Ying Ha (Teratai), was held at the Pudu Market, Jalan Pasar.
Excerpts of my remarks at the Ipoh Protest this morning:
The sudden hefty oil price increases – 40.6 per cent and 63.3 per cent increase in pump petrol price and diesel price respectively – creating a seven-hour nation-wide chaos is an outrage as it is most unconscionable, unjustifiable and deplorable reflecting poorly on good governance in Malaysia especially after ministerial undertaking that there would be no changes until August.
The introduction of annual cash rebate of RM625 to those who own cars of 2,000 cc and below, and pick-up trucks and jeeps of 2,500 cc and below, and cash rebate of RM150 a year for owners of motor-cycles of 250 cc and below, as well as road tax discounts, will not be able to fully cushion the low and middle-income Malaysians from the inflationary spiral which would be unleashed by the greatest hike in oil prices in the nation’s history.
Equally of concern will be the deterioration of the public safety index, with the expected worsening of the crime situation which has already become an endemic problem causing Malaysians, tourists and investors to fear for their personal safety, their loved ones and the safety of property as well! Continue reading “PM should seek Parliament approval on June 23 for hefty oil price increases”
Protest at unconscionable oil price increases
Ipoh, Perak
- Venue : Perak Office of Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
at Federal Building (opposite Dewan Bandaraya Ipoh ), Green Town, Ipoh - Date : Thursday, 5th June 2008
- Time : 11am
Kuala Lumpur
- Venue : Jalan Pasar, Pudu (indirectly opposite RHB and Am Bank)
- Date : Thursday, 5th June 2008
- Time : 11.30am
A really hefty price increase!
Fuel hike: 78 sen more to RM2.70 per litre
Malaysiakini
Jun 4, 08 4:55pm
The government has just announced that petrol price will go up by 78 sen at midnight – a 40.6 percent jump from RM1.92 per litre to RM2.70.
The price of diesel will go up RM1, or 63.3 percent – from RM1.58 per litre to RM2.58.
Continue reading “A really hefty price increase!”
Should I cross over for those millions?
by Azly Rahman
[email protected]
http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
That is a two million ringgit question.
How much does one get for ‘crossing over’ these days? I do not know. But if there are millions of ringgit involved, this nation will continue to rot as corrupt politicians continue switching allegiances, getting appointments to good positions, and making horror decisions for you and your children.
We must destroy this culture and heal anew.
We were convinced things will be better after the elections. We were sure that the revolution was going to benefit the masses and no party hopping would occur.
We are wrong. Things are getting more complex, in a complex time of rising prices.
This is my template letter to anyone on the verge of party hopping for money:
Dear sir/madam,
Don’t make this mistake.
Don’t do it if it’s for two million ringgit. Stay to be free, and speak up against internal party corruption.
You will die satisfied that you have not sold your soul to any other party in whose ideology you actually do not subscribe to. These ‘party jumpers’ have no clear intention, just clear benefits for themselves. Continue reading “Should I cross over for those millions?”
Questions for Parliament (2nd meeting) late June
Among the questions I have submitted for the second meeting of the 12th Parliament beginning on 23rd June 2008 are:
1. To ask the Prime Minister why a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the long-standing problem of illegal immigrants of Sabah has not been established as all government efforts to deal with it has proved to be ineffective and unsatisfactory.
2. To ask the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to promote the Bangsa Malaysia objective of Vision 2020 in the face of worsening racial polarisation with greater communal clamour for “ketuanan Melayu” and “kedaulatan Melayu”.
3. To ask the Prime Minister whether he proposes to introduce Prime Minister’s Question Time with regular personal appears in Parliament to answer questions, to set good example of parliamentary responsibility for all Cabinet Ministers?
4. To ask the Prime Minister to list and give particulars of five projects undertaken by Petronas which had caused the greatest losses in its history and what remedial action had been taken in each case.
5. To ask the Prime Minister to list the proposals for electoral reform which had been submitted by the Election Commission after the March 2008 general election and the outcome of each proposal. Continue reading “Questions for Parliament (2nd meeting) late June”
Abdullah’s “goodies” on Sabah/Sarawak grouses – satisfied?
May 31, 2008 20:32 PM
Fed Devt Dept Scrapped, Cabinet Committee On Illegal Immigrants Formed – Abdullah
KOTA KINABALU, May 31 (Bernama) — The 17-year wait by state government leaders to scrap the Sabah Federal Development Department ended Saturday when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the good news.
Following the abolition with immediate effect, Sabah State Development Office would handle the Prime Minister’s special allocations and monitor implementation and progress of federal government projects.
Abdullah, who met state government leaders and senior state government officials, also announced the formation of a cabinet committee on illegal immigrants to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to discuss and solve the perennial illegal immigrants’ problem in the state.
The committee, comprising several Sabah leaders, would seek solutions to the problem, particularly foreigners holding the “IMM13” a document in lieu of passport issued by the Immigration Department to Filipino refugees which permits them to remain in Sabah, he told a media conference.
The prime minister also announced a RM1 billion allocation from the prime minister’s special allocation to be distributed according to development requirements in Sabah and the appointment of Sabah-born Professor Datuk Kamaruzaman Ampong as the new vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sabah would take effect on June 18. Continue reading “Abdullah’s “goodies” on Sabah/Sarawak grouses – satisfied?”
Good news for BMC controversy
During the debate on the last ministry – Home Ministry – on the 2007 Supplementary estimates in Parliament late yesterday evening, DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching and I questioned police conduct in the Bandar Makhota Cheras (BMC) “thug and police violence” following public protest at the rebuilding of the barricade by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga.on Tuesday night.
I had earlier met the Works Minister, Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed at the MPs’ lounge and I asked why his Ministry could not resolve the long-standing BMC access road issue.
Mohd Zin said he has a formula to resolve the issue which he would be bringing to the Cabinet today.
I understand there is good news for the long-suffering residents over the BMC controversy.
Sabah – Cinderella after March 8 “political tsunami”
All eyes are on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as Santa Claus with “goodies” for Sabah in his visit to the State tomorrow.
As reported by the Star yesterday, among the “goodies” for Sabah expected from the Prime Minister are announcements:
• Abolishing the controversial Department of Federal Development Sabah (JPPS) set up when the state was ruled under the then-opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) in 1991 and to channel federal development funds through the Sabah Development Office;
• More federal funding for projects in the state.
• A high-powered Cabinet panel to work on the framework of a long-term solution to Sabah’s complex migrant problem; and
• Immediate standardization of the prices of subsidized goods nationwide.
What about 20% oil royalty for Sabah?
Lets wait until tomorrow to see what are the goodies Abdullah has in store for the people of Sabah. The March 8 political tsunami in Peninsular Malaysia has a Cinderella-effect on the people of Sabah in transforming them from among the most marginalized to “king-maker” holding in their hands the very survival of the Barisan Nasional federal power.
Hence the “goodies” in Sabah tomorrow!
Ordeal of foreign spouses in Malaysia
Letters
by B.R.
It is almost unimaginable the daily trauma that is faced by them, some of them are born overseas but were unable to get registered at the Malaysian high commission or embassy within the stipulated time. They are faced with daily trauma, which includes inability to attend local schools, universities, long waits at immigration to get a visa, when in actual fact they are Malaysians.
I, for one, am a spouse of a Malaysian citizen and 15 years down the line, I am accorded worse treatment than an illegal for at least illegals, after a while, do get amnesty, not spouses. There are many of us here, for 12-20 years still on a dependent pass or on an employment pass and still waiting for years and even decades, not for citizenship but for a mere Permanent Resident status.
Foreign spouses find life in Malaysia really difficult because of inadequate measures for good governance. The laws, if any, are so grey that it varies in interpretation from immigration officer to officer.
Many of us even have to resort to merely doing volunteer service, though it is a necessity to be an income earner. Some of us lucky ones manage to get an employment pass on the spouse visa but not many employers are prepared to employ a foreign spouse due to the tedious paperwork. Only employers with a paid up capital of over RM200K can employ us. Many even exploit us and pay some measly sum as token salary. When we wish to change jobs, there is a cooling off period to cool our heels for six months. Life in Malaysia is near traumatic for us and here’s more.. Continue reading “Ordeal of foreign spouses in Malaysia”
“All we want is just that road”
DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching failed in her attempt this morning to adjourn Parliament to debate as a definite matter of urgent public importance “the thug and police violence” against residents of Bandar Makhota Cheras (BMC) following the rebuilding of the barricade by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga.
I spoke briefly at the gathering of BMC residents outside Parliament House this morning, where a long-standing BMC resident, “Mas”, recounted how she fractured her left arm during the “rampage” by thugs on Tuesday night when she and her two young children merely wanted to show support and solidarity for the cause to open the road for public use. (See YouTube)
Another group of BMC residents, together with DAP MPs including Nie Ching, Fong Kui Lun M. Kulasegaran and Lim Lip Eng (also present were Selangor State Exco members Ronnie Liu and Ean Yong Hian Wah) held a media conference at the Parliament lobby to condemn the violence perpetrated against the defenceless public, including press representatives as three were assaulted by the “samsengs” in the Tuesday night rampage.
This outrage must be placed on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting tomorrow for it raises the question whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has the political will to deliver his various promises of reform, whether judiciary, the battle against corruption or the police.
Was the Royal Police Commission, which was established when Abdullah first became Prime Minister more than four years ago, a complete waste of time and money when its recommendation to create an efficient, incorruptible and professional world-class police service proves to be such a mirage as highlighted by the “thug and police violence” at the BMC on Tuesday?
The Perils of Assimilationist Politics
By Farish A Noor
A quick look at the troubles in the predominantly Muslim-Malay provinces of Southern Thailand – which has been a troubled spot for the past four years at least – would point to a fundamental flaw in the line of thinking of the powers-that-be in Bangkok. Having disregarded the historical factors that make the four provinces of Patani, Jala, Satun and Narathiwat unique compared to the rest of the country, successive governments in Thailand have tried to make the Malay-Muslims of the south think of themselves as Thais, who are an ethnically different people with a language, culture, religion and history of their own.
Since the late 19th century following the conquest of Patani, Jala, Satun and Narathiwat by the Thais, and compounded by the Anglo-Siamese treaty of 1909, the four provinces have experienced what can only be described as a policy of cultural assimilation. During the 1930s and 40s Thai leaders like Phibun Songkram have tried to force Thai culture and cultural norms on the Malays by any means possible: From forcing them to speak Thai to adapting Thai dress and manners as their own.
Needless to say, this has alienated the Malay-Muslims even further, and has only helped to fuel the resentment they feel against the Thai political elite. Over the past four years this resentment has boiled over to the point of violence, leading to the needless and senseless slaughter of innocent Malays and Thais all over the south. Continue reading “The Perils of Assimilationist Politics”
Bandar Makhota Cheras violence and police connivance – public inquiry warranted
The use of thugs to assault residents of Bandar Makhota Cheras protesting against the barricade put up by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga and the connivance of the police not only in its “hands-off” policy during the rampage by the thugs, but in going on a rampage of its own when some 20 police personnel armed assaulted an innocent bystander, Chang Jiun Haur, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
An independent public inquiry into the spate of physical violence against the protesting public by thugs and police personnel is fully warranted.
DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching will be raising the issue in Parliament tomorrow.
RCI for Sabah illegal immigrants crisis – Sabahan support
INQUIRY A NECESSITY
New Sabah Times
28th May, 2008
KOTA KINABALU: A Parliamentary Select Committee on illegal immigrants is no substitute for the Royal Commission of Inquiry, said UPKO secretary-general, Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.
“Our call for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants is actually to address a very specific issue and that is, to determine the truth behind the Project IC, which is also the mother of all illegal immigrants-related problems in Sabah.
“There is no compromise in this matter. A Royal Commission of Inquiry is no longer an option but a necessity. That is if the government is serious in putting things right on the award of citizenship in this country,” he stressed.
He said this in a statement issued here yesterday, in support of the statement by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, who called for a concerted effort to act on illegal immigrants.
He argued that just like the setting up of a Royal Commission on the Lingam video clip, which was to address the concern on the independence of the judiciary in the country, the call for the setting up of RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah is equally, if not more important as it involves the security and sovereignty of this country.
To better illustrate his concern on the illegal immigrants issue, he cited the recent news report where the Prime Minister’s Department disclosed in Parliament through a written reply to a question from the Sepangar MP, Datuk Eric Majimbun, that during the period 2002 to 2008, there was a 12% increase in the Sabah population, that is an increase of 333,500 from 2,730,100 to 3,063,600. Continue reading “RCI for Sabah illegal immigrants crisis – Sabahan support”
Extension of Suu Kyi’s detention – Malaysia should lead ASEAN condemnation
During the committee stage debate of the Foreign Ministry in Parliament this morning, I called on the Malaysian government to lead the ASEAN condemnation of the Myanmar military junta for the extension of detention of Burmese Opposition Leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi has been incarcerated for more than 13 years in the past 18 years, with the present five-year detention going back to the Depayin Massacre in May 2003.
At the time, the Malaysian Foreign Minister was in the forefront in publicly calling for her immediate release and the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had even warned that Myanmar might be suspended or expelled from ASEAN if the military junta continued to defy regional and international opinion.
The Myanmese military junta now appeared to have the upper hand, with no condemnation or protest from Malaysia or ASEAN for the extension of Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention, making a complete mockery of the ASEAN Charter and ASEAN’s “constructive engagement” policy with Myanmar to initiate democratization and national reconciliation in Burma, the reason given by Malaysia for spearheading Myanmar’s entry into ASEAN in 1997.
Together with the sham referendum on May 10 and May 24, held when the country was hard hit by the cyclone Nargis disaster, claiming over 100,000 dead, some 250,000 missing and over two million victims, just to legitimize the undemocratic regime of the Myanmar military junta, Malaysia and ASEAN should lead instead of straggling behind international pressure to demand greater democratic change in Burma.
All Malaysians have special rights
by Dr. Azly Rahman
“Therefore, the rakyat must unite and never raise issues regarding Malay rights and special privileges because it is quid pro quo in gratitude for the giving in of citizenship (beri-paksa kerakyatan) to 2.7 million non-Malays into the Tanah Melayu federation….Thus, it is not appropriate for these other ethnic groups to have citizenship, only (later) to seek equality and privileges,” said Tengku Faris, who read from a 11-page prepared text.
As a Malaysian who believes in a social contract based on the notion that ‘all Malaysians are created equal’, I do not understand the ‘royal statement’. I have a view on this.
If it comes from the Biro Tatanegara (BTN), I can understand the confusion. But this is from a royal house.
This statement was valid 50 years ago, before Independence. This is an outdated statement that is not appreciated by the children of those who have laboured for this nation.
I believe we should look forward to institutionalising ‘special rights for all Malaysians’. The word ‘special’ is in itself special. Culturally it can either denote an enabling condition or a disabling one.
In the study of religion, one is bestowed a special place for living life well or for doing good deeds. In educational studies, ‘special education’ caters for the needs of those with a disabling physical, emotional or cognitive condition.
In all these, ‘special rights’ are accorded based on merit. One works hard to get special offers and into special places.
In the doctrine of the ‘divine rights of kings’, one’s special right is the birthright. Louis XVI of revolutionary France, Shah Jehan of Taj Mahal fame, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Shah Reza Pahlavi of Revolutionary Iran, King Bumiphol Adulyadev, and the sultans of Melaka were ‘special people’ who designed institutions that installed individuals based on rights sanctioned through a ‘mandate of heaven’.
Such people use specialised language to differentiate who is special and who is not. Court language is archaic, terse, meant to instill fear and to institutionalise special-ness.
The language of the street or market is fluid, accommodating, meant to instill open-ness and institutionalise creativity at its best and further development of the ‘underclass’ at its worst.
This continuum of language, power, and ideology is characteristic of histories of nations. In Malay history, istana language is enshrined in the hikayat and in Tun Seri Lanang’s Sejarah Melayu. Street language used in Malay folklore and in bawdy poems, pantun and stories of Sang Kancil.
Class consciousness, many a sociologist would say, dictates the special-ness of people across time and space. Historical-materialism necessitates the development of the specialised use and abuse of language. One can do a lot of things with words. Words can be deployed to create a sustainable and profitable master-slave relationship. Continue reading “All Malaysians have special rights”
On “egg-shell” reputation and Parliament as “kangaroo court”
Seven years ago in December 2001, when Fong Po Kuan, as first-termer DAP MP for Batu Gajah, was suspended for six months without pay for publicly criticising the Speaker, I was in Europe.
I issued an immediate statement in London on Dec. 11, 2001 before the motion to penalise Po Kuan was debated and another statement on my return to Malaysia.
These two statements of December 2001 are reproduced below after the Malaysiakini report “Speaker warns Kit Siang over blog posting”: Continue reading “On “egg-shell” reputation and Parliament as “kangaroo court””