Posted on

Brickendonbury the answer to end the slaughter of Malaysian football?

“Another bashing” (Sunday Star) and “ANOTHER HUMILIATION” (New Sunday Times) — screaming headlines for Malaysia’s 5-0 thrashing by Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup Group C match yesterday after the earlier 1-5 thrashing by China.

But is Brickendonbury the answer to end the slaughter of Malaysian football — with the national Under-15 football squad leaving for London tonight, according to the following Bernama report yesterday: Continue reading “Brickendonbury the answer to end the slaughter of Malaysian football?”

Posted on

IGP – Admit “fear of crime” as a new threat which police must target to wipe out in battle against crime

One common thread of the three public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance on “Fight Rising Crime” held in Johor Baru last Sunday, Petaling Jaya on Wednesday and Bukit Mertajam this morning is the palpable fear of crime which have gripped Malaysians in the hot spots of crime in the country.

Fifteen years ago, there was crime but “the fear of crime” had not surfaced in the country.

Today, in Johor Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Klang, Penang, Ipoh, the “fear of crime” have come into the lives of Malaysians making them ever fearful about their own safety and those of their loved ones in the streets, public places and even when at home, gravely degrading the quality of life of Malaysians.

Up to now, the Police have only admitted to the problem of crime but not the “fear of crime” haunting and hounding the lives of Malaysians in the hot-spots of crime. If the police is not even prepared to admit that “the fear of crime” is as real and big as the problem of crime in the hot spots of crime in the country — inter-related but separate problems – how can the police successfully reduce and wipe out the “fear of crime”?

As a first step to effectively fight crime and the fear of crime, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan should openly admit that the “fear of crime” is a new threat which the police must target to wipe out in the battle against crime, with regular monitoring of the success of police performance on two separate measures – to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Continue reading “IGP – Admit “fear of crime” as a new threat which police must target to wipe out in battle against crime”

Posted on

UPU appeal result – another disappointment

Email from a candidate who failed in his UPU appeal for placement in one of the public universities. How would you advise our disappointed young Malaysian?

The UPU rayuan result were out and i was expecting some good news after the 1st application where i got rejected, i checked the result this afternoon and was again dissapointed to see “Dukacita dimaklumkan bahawa anda TIDAK BERJAYA dalam Permohonan Rayuan Kemasukan ke IPTA Sesi Akademik 2007/2008”, the same thing i got at 1st where the only different thing is the additional Rayuan word there.

I’m a STPM student with CGPA 2.4 and KK marks of 7/10 (since i don’t have an excellent result, i have already chosen non popular/critical courses and even selected Sabah uni in 3 of my 8 choices, 1st, 3rd and 5th respectively) Since there are some friends who got grades lower than me got their courses (some even get 2 Ds and managed to get an offer) at the 1st application, i thought there will be a chance or at least some for me.

Failing for the 2nd time made me think whether the selection was done at random or something else where lower grades individual get the same equal chances regardless of grades. The selection were based on a person’s luck or the management at the iptas just randomly select from a pool of applicants, after this incident i suppose either 1 or both were actually the reason why there are a batch of misfortunes like myself besides discrimination in the so called abolished quota system and etc. Continue reading “UPU appeal result – another disappointment”

Posted on

Why with pay increase, police cannot assure public they are and feel safer in homes and communities

Another shocking crime report in today’s newspapers — “Man dies in bid to foil car theft” (The Star), how a factory worker Tan Chee Wai, 31, was stabbed to death near his home in Taman Seri Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at 7 am yesterday to prevent four men from stealing a car.

In Johor Baru, a woman was slashed in the early hours of Thursday morning when she was robbed at a petrol kiosk to refill fuel.

The day before in Johor Baru, a Nanyang Siang Pau woman reporter who had told the Johor State Chief Police Officer the previous day that the crime situation in the town was so bad that she dared not come out at night was herself injured when she was a victim of an attempt snatch theft.

Nobody is safe from crime or spared from the fear of crime, particularly in the hot spots of crime in Johor Baru, Klang Valley, Penang and Ipoh — despite the recent increases in police pay and personnel as well as a lot of P.R. by top police officers.

Even the police are not safe in the privacy of their homes, as illustrated by the case of L/Kpl Redzuan Mat Nor, 41, from the Batu Arang police station, who was badly injured when he put up a fight when three robbers broke into his house in Taman Pelangi, Rawang last Saturday. Redzuan was slashed with a parang.

The question all Malaysians are entitled to demand an answer is why the Police cannot give clear-cut assurances that with recent pay increases, the people can be and feel safer in their homes and communities and the public can get better services from the police, with victims or witnesses to crimes treated better by the police? Continue reading “Why with pay increase, police cannot assure public they are and feel safer in homes and communities”

Posted on

Missing RM1.3 billion for the Penang Second Bridge.

by Richard Teo

History has an uncanny way of repeating itself. During Mahathir’s tenure as PM the construction of the North-South Expressway in 1984 was awarded to UEM (owned and controlled by UMNO) on the basis of a design-build-finance and operate concept.

Although the lowest tender bid was $3.2 billion, UEM was awarded the contract. Prior to completion,construction costs escalated to a phenomenal $6 billion. The escalated cost which normally would be borne by the turnkey contractor was underwritten by a govt soft loan.

This effectively meant that a competitive bid for a project which would cost $3.2 billion ended costing $6 billion. Presumably,the toll collection period had to be extended from an initial 15 years to 30 years to accomodate the doubling of the project cost.

The burden for the extra cost was shifted to the road users who now have to content and endure the paying of road toll for an extra 15 years (1988-2018). Later, in exchange for changing the increase in toll rate from every year to every three years, the concession period was further extended for another 12 years(2018-2030).

Had the contract awarded to the lowest bid at $3.2 billion was accepted, the govt would have saved $2.8 billion (or a shorter toll collection peiod of 15 years).

However, with its questionable practice of awarding the contract to a dubious company closely associated wih the ruling UMNO party, the ordinary citizen is bogged down with an additional period of 27 years to pay for the usage of the North-South Expressway.

Come 2007 and the cycle is about to repeat itself again with the award for the construction of the Penang second bridge. There was no tender for the project and it was speculated the bridge would cost RM2.3 billion. However, even before it got started, NST June 24th reported that the bridge would now cost RM3 billion. Continue reading “Missing RM1.3 billion for the Penang Second Bridge.”

Posted on

Abdullah should intervene to “Free Nat Now” so that 50th Merdeka anniversary will not start off infamously

The Prime Minister and Internal Security Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must intervene to free Nathaniel Tan immediately to ensure that his administration does not start the slide down the slippery slope of repression to mark Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka anniversary — openly violating his pledges of an open, democratic, accountable and good governance when he was appointed to the highest office of the land 44 months ago.

The secretive circumstances in the first seven hours of arrest of Nathaniel Tan, an aide of Anwar Ibrahim and information bureau staff of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, where his friends, relatives and supporters had to go on a “wild goose chase” to locate his whereabouts with the police initially disclaiming knowledge and refusing to give information about his detention, is a scandal which speaks of a police which has yet to fully accept that the first principle of policing in a democratic system must be policing for the people and not policing to serve the government leaders of the day.

The irregular and illegal circumstances of Tan’s arrest, with the police spiriting him away for seven hours without proper accounting, raises the question as to the actual motives behind the police action.

Is Tan’s arrest the beginning of a clampdown on dissent and criticism particularly in the blogosphere?

Had Tan become a pawn in a trade-off among the powers-that-be in the political and police establishments to close ranks and protect their vested interests in the face of more and more specific and detailed allegations and increasing expose in the public domain of corruption, malpractices and abuses of power involving both the top political and police establishments? Continue reading “Abdullah should intervene to “Free Nat Now” so that 50th Merdeka anniversary will not start off infamously”

Posted on

Caucus public hearing in BM – let IGP declare police have no objection to media coverage

The Police should make clear that they are fully responsive to the people’s concerns about crime and the fear of crime by sending representatives to the third Parliamentary Caucus public hearing in Bukit Mertajam (at Jit Sin Chinese Independent Secondary School ) at 10 am on Sunday and declaring no police objections whatsoever to media coverage.

The Malaysian people cannot be blamed for concluding that the reason the second public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance on “Fight Rising Crime” in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday became a “closed session” which did not allow media reporting, which was a departure from the first public hearing in Johor Baru last Sunday, was because of police pressure.

This is not conducive to the police regaining full public confidence in its mission to fight and reduce crime and the fear of crime.

The Police should welcome opportunities such as the public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance to allow the people to speak their minds and adopt an open and positive attitude to public criticisms about the failings and failures of the police in its task to reduce crime and the fear of crime.

These criticisms are made not because the people are anti-police and want to indulge in police bashing, but because the people, like the Royal Police Commission which was formed by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in one of his early initiatives when appointed to the highest office in the land 44 months ago, want to have a world-class police service which is efficient and professional enough to make the streets, public places and the privacy of homes safe and secure for citizens, tourists and investors.

Malaysians want the Police to be their friends and protectors and are prepared to give the Police all assistance and support to wipe out the country’s notoriety in crime and fear of crime, which former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam admitted a few days ago is a major disincentive for foreign investment. Continue reading “Caucus public hearing in BM – let IGP declare police have no objection to media coverage”

Posted on

Apologies demanded – Noh Omar for gangsterish conduct and Hishammuddin for racist/baseless insinuation

DAP Members of Parliament will censure the Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar in Parliament unless he apologises to the Selangor DAP State Chairman Au Yong Han Wah for his loutish and gangsterish conduct at the Education Ministry in Putrajaya yesterday.

Au Yong had accompanied Lim Kim Chung and his wife from Pandamaran, Klang to submit a memorandum to the Education Minister over the punching of their Remove Class daughter, Lim Nien Nie, 13, by her teacher at the Sekolah Menengah Raja Lumu, Pandamaran on Monday.

Noh Omar had acted in a way totally unbefitting and unbecoming of a Deputy Education Minister when he lost control of himself and created a public scene by abusing Au Yong and crumbling and throwing away the memorandum, which had to be picked up by his officer.

I am shocked by Noh Omar’s public misconduct, as I had thought that he would have mended from his previous ways of acting and behaving like a gangster when he was Deputy Internal Security Minister, as he had been assigned to the task of maintaining school discipline.

How could Noh Omar wipe out the menace of school gangsterism when he continues to act and behave like a gangster, setting the worst possible example to students — totally without a proper sense of the public behaviour expected not only of a government officer, but an elected official? Continue reading “Apologies demanded – Noh Omar for gangsterish conduct and Hishammuddin for racist/baseless insinuation”

Posted on

The Photo I would Really Like to See

By Farish A. Noor

The pranksters have been at it again, though perhaps in the eyes of some, the latest joke came across as being more of a stunt. We are, of course, referring to the now-infamous doctored photo of the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that was intended to remind us of an alleged encounter in some mysterious faraway locale which others would presumably hope to forget. Notwithstanding the ruckus that was sparked by the posting of this photo on the internet, the point was made and it was a valid one: If the real photo exists somewhere out there, we would like to see it, please.

Some have raised the question: Why all the fuss over a photo, real or fake? Well, the historian will tell you that photos are of crucial importance for any form of socio-political and historical research. For a long time the documentary worth of photos was downgraded by many scholars. Yet photos do tell us much about the subjects they contain, and in photos we find empirical evidence that helps to underscore the points we wish to make.

Take a walk down memory lane and visit the National Archives if you don’t believe me: While doing research for my book on the history of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party (PAS), for instance, I was struck by the photos of the PAS general assemblies of the 1960s and 70s. For a start, the few surviving photos of the Dewan Muslimat (Women’s Wing) of PAS dating back then would show that many of the female members of PAS were quite comfortable wearing kebayas at the meetings, and some of them didn’t even wear tudungs. The sartorial shifts that took place not long after are a record of the social changes that took place in Malaysia from the 1980s onwards, which remains of historical importance.

Browsing through photos of Malaysia in the 1960s one also sees another Malaysia that may seem so alien to many of us now: Multi-racial dinner parties where Malaysians of all races and religions were happily eating, drinking and dancing the night away — tango and cha-cha being the favourite dances then. How quickly everything changed when the conservative elements of our society came to the fore in the 1980s, and the parties became decidedly tamer and duller, and the only drinks served in the wine glasses of the 1960s were fanta and pepsi…

Disappearing photos are another interesting phenomena altogether, and if any of you had been browsing through the net during the late 1990s you may have noticed an unreported event that was (and remains) of some importance: Continue reading “The Photo I would Really Like to See”

Posted on

PM speech to national unity panel

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

True to form, the PM talks on generalities such as we are all Malaysians. However what he did not say was worrying.

He did not say that Malaysians are equal and enjoy equal opportunities.

Did we hear about his views on Bangsa Malaysia? Or that Malaysians are one Bangsa Malaysia without differentiation of Malaysians into Ketuanan Melayu and ordinary Malaysians?

Did he say that there is only a Malaysian agenda and not something that Mmno wants — the Malay agenda?

If he believed in a Malaysian philosophy of a multiracial society that is multicultural and multireligious, then why after 50 years of Merdeka there is still classification of Malaysians into bumiputras and non bumiputras, quotas, racial preferences in politics, economics, culture and religion?

PM was quoted to have said the NEP has removed one of the two prongs of NEP, that there is no more identification of race with economic functions. So why did he not say that there is no more need for the NEP to continure? Continue reading “PM speech to national unity panel”

Posted on

Dear Citizen Lina…

by Farish A. Noor

Identities are funny things. They evolve, overlap and sometimes regress when we least expect it. Odder still, most of us — though we might not care to admit it — actually have several at the same time; and the dilemma faced by many of us living in this modern world is how to juggle several overlapping, criss-crossing, permanently mutating and at times contradictory identities at the same time, without having to make an appointment with the psychoanalyst.

Now the problem of living in modern postcolonial nation-states like ours is that in just too many cases the politics of identity has come to the forefront as the defining aspect of national politics as a whole. Malaysia is not unique in this respect and everywhere we look we see modern nation-states in crisis, or denial, because the citizens themselves are at odds over who and what they are. The bane of postcolonial development is the lingering doubts over nationhood, loyalty and belonging. Once the white masters in their funny pith helmets packed their bags and were shipped back home, the natives started asking the question: ‘Now who has the right to stay?’

What is doubly odd about Malaysia (and here we are unique) is the way that the postcolonial set up envisaged a rather ackward and clumsy arrangement between two legal systems; one secular and one religious, to cater to the needs of all. Furthermore as we all know this happens to be one of the very few countries in the world where the racial and religious identity of one group — the Malays — has been defined by the constitution.

That the conflation of Malay and Muslim identity is artificial and has no basis in history is embarrassingly evident for all to see. Why, we just have to hop on the first AirAsia flight to Indonesia next door to see for ourselves that the same rule does not apply for them. Indonesians seem more comfortable with the idea that in the same family there can be Muslims, Christians and Hindus living under one roof, and unlike us they dont go around crafting slogans and jinggles for the ad campaign to sell Indonesia as some multi-culti happy land of harmony that is ‘Truly Asia’. Moreover, it proves that our Indonesian friends are quite capable of living with Pluralism that doesnt have to be imported from the liberal capitals of the West. But try taking that road to multiculturalism in Malaysia and see what happens…

Well, in fact one among our number has done just that, though at a rather hefty cost to her well-being. Continue reading “Dear Citizen Lina…”

Posted on

Caucus public hearing becomes “closed session” – Police not prepared to be responsive

The absence of police officials and the need for the “public hearing” of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance on “Fight Rising Crime” in Petaling Jaya last night to become a “closed session” are clear proof that the Police is still not prepared to adopt a new paradigm of “policing for people” despite all talk of police “rebranding with a new vision and mission”.

Instead of thanking the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance for creating a meaningful forum for the police to hear the voices of the people about their concerns, fears, hopes and nightmares about crime and the fear of crime in various parts of the country, the police have adopted a far from appreciative attitude as illustrated by the absence of police officials at the public hearing in Petaling Jaya last night to hear out the people who are concerned about the law-and-order situation in the Klang Valley to attend and speak up at the three-hour session.

There is also no doubt that if the Police is prepared to fully respect and respond to the concerns of Malaysians about the law-and-order situation, there would have been no need for the Parliamentary Caucus public hearing to become a “closed session” with the media not allowed to report its proceedings.

The “Fight Rising Crime” public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance were never meant to be police-bashing exercises, and this was clearly understood by members of the public and the press as illustrated by the first public hearing of the caucus in Johor Baru last Sunday.

There is one common objective among those who attended the public hearing — to have a better-quality policing service to restore to Malaysians their most fundamental human right to be doubly free from crime and the fear of crime, so that citizens, tourists and investors can be safe and feel safe whether in the streets, public places or privacy of their residence.

During the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Malaysian Police in March this year, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that the police was being “rebranded with a new vision and mission in line with the recommendations of the Royal Police Commission”.

If so, then the Police must be guided by the strategic objective which the Royal Police Commission had spelt out for the Malaysian Police — “a world class, twenty-first century organization that is efficient, clean and trustworthy, dedicated to serving the people and the nation with integrity and respect for human rights”. Continue reading “Caucus public hearing becomes “closed session” – Police not prepared to be responsive”

Posted on

Anti-corruption record in tatters – top leaders caught in maze of corruption allegations

At the monthly assembly of the staff of ministries and agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department on July 2, 2007, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the surprise announcement of the extension of the term of service of Tan Sri Musa Hassan as Inspector-General of Police to enable Musa to “continue with his crime-fighting agenda”. Musa is to retire on Sept. 13, 2007.

Such an announcement was most unprecedented for many reasons and the circumstances indicate that it was more a statement of intent on the Prime Minister’s part than a statement of fact in that all the due process of such an extension had been completed, including conveying the decision to the Conference of Rulers which will only meet later this month.

The very fact that no one knows for how long Musa’s term as IGP had been extended although it is more than a week after Abdullah’s surprise announcement lends support to the view that the Prime Minister’s statement was one of intent rather than of fact about Musa’s extension as IGP.

The question is why was it necessary for Abdullah to act in so uncharacteristic a fashion in “jumping the gun” to rush such an announcement of his intent to extend Musa’s term as IGP when there are more than two months to go before the expiry of the tenure, and when the practice is to make the announcement of such top-level appointments or their extensions at the last minute.

There are even cases where high offices are left vacant for months like the office of Chief Judge of Malaya, which had remained vacant for more than six months, raising the question whether the country is facing a constitutional crisis in filling top judicial posts.

Was Abdullah forced to announce his intent to extend the tenure of Musa as IGP when it only expires on Sept. 16 to fob off mounting pressures against the extension of Musa’s service, and if so, what are these pressures and reasons for them?

The most critical question which calls for Abdullah’s explanation is the reason for the double standards in extending Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s tenure as Inspector-General of Police while refusing to extend Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor’s term as Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general when serious corruption allegations against both remained outstanding and unresolved?

Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum told Parliament during question time yesterday that “the Internal Security Ministry had lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) on the allegations of corruption involving Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan” about a RM2.1 million bribe to release a group of gangsters. Continue reading “Anti-corruption record in tatters – top leaders caught in maze of corruption allegations”

Posted on

Malaysia’s Shame

By Farish A. Noor

It seems as if there are some folk in Malaysia today who believe that the country cannot get enough bad publicity. Over the past few years the country’s religious authorities in particular have been at the forefront of the effort to show Malaysia and Islam in the worst light imaginable: A few years ago Malaysia made the international headlines when members of the religious morality-police vice squad raided a nightclub in the capital, arresting and detaining all the young Malaysians there who happened to be Muslims, while allowing their non-Muslim friends and companions to party the night away. Those arrested later complained to the media that they were harassed and abused, locked in cages and humiliated by the morality police themselves.

Then came the spate of other raids of peoples’ homes, including a rather embarrassing raid on the flat of an elderly American couple who were woken up in the middle of the night on the grounds that they were suspected of having Malaysian Muslims in their flat and presumably up to no good. The fact that the raid took place on the resort island of Langkawi further dampened Malaysia’s efforts to promote the country as a holiday paradise and second home for retiring couples from abroad.

Over the past three years the country has witnessed angry public demonstrations by conservative Muslims over the issue of freedom of religion; sparked off by the case of Lina Joy, a Malay-Muslim who had converted to Christianity only to be told that her conversion would not be recognised unless she put herself through the religious court system first, thereby incriminating herself in the process.

The latest case involves Massosai Revathi, a Malaysian citizen whose parents had converted to Islam but who was brought up by her Hindu grandmother and who had lived most of her life as a Hindu. Revathi is therefore one of the unfortunate cases of Malaysian citizens whose complex identity was bound to get her into trouble with the religious authorities in Malaysia, and it finally did. Following her marriage to her Hindu husband according to Hindu rites, they had a child who was also brought up a Hindu. Revathi was later called in by the religious authorities and told in no uncertain terms that she was legally a Muslim and had therefore committed a crime in the eyes of Islamic law and Muslim jurists: She was then sent to one of the country’s ‘Faith Rehabilitation Centres’ so that she could be ‘persuaded’ to return to Islam. Continue reading “Malaysia’s Shame”

Posted on

Paradigm shift – from “Policing for government” to “Policing for People”

Yesterday, when commenting on the series of “Fight Rising Crime” public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Najib Abd Aziz said that the public must understand that the police cannot solve crimes on their own as cases involve members of the public themselves.

He said public co-operation was sometimes disappointing with many people preferring to “look the other way”.

Najib is right when he said that policing cannot be left to the police alone but must be a multi-faceted task by all relevant agencies and involve the co-operation of all stakeholders, in particular members of the public.

True, the maintenance of law-and-order and a low-crime society is not just a police problem but requires a holistic approach involving socio-economic, educational and even religious factors and problems such as migrant population, illegal immigrants and the drug menace.

However, the police must bear the greatest responsibility for effective policing because of their specific mission.

The police must undergo a paradigm shift from “Policing for Government” to “Policing for People” and accept public perceptions as of paramount importance in the evaluation of police performance in fighting crime and the fear of crime.

The first thing the Malaysian police must do is to come out of their denial syndrome claiming that law and order is under control and take full cognizance of pubic perceptions that the crime situation in the country, particularly in many black areas of crime, have gone from bad to worse.

At the first public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Johor Baru on Sunday, the over-capacity crowd of over 600 people were asked three questions:

  • Whether they were satisfied with the police actions and measures which had been taken over the past month in Johor Baru as a result of the public outcry over a spate of brutal robbery-abduction-gang rape crimes;
  • Whether they agreed with the Police that the crime situation in JB had been brought under control; and
  • Whether they agreed with the Police that JB had become a safe city.

Not a hand went up for the “yes” vote for all three instances, as there was an unanimous show of hands to give a thunderous “no” to all three propositions — i.e. not satisfied with what the Police had done in JB in the past month despite stepped-up police activities, did not agree that the crime situation had been brought under control and did not agree that JB had become a safe city to the residents, visitors and investors.

The police may not like or agree with the three answers, but they must accept that it is the people in any area which must have the final say whether the crime situation is under control and has become safe – and they must go back to the drawing board to revise their policing strategy taking into account public perceptions which disagree with police conclusions. Continue reading “Paradigm shift – from “Policing for government” to “Policing for People””

Posted on

Message of PM’s “I don’t know” confession – NIP fallen to bottom of his agenda

The shocking message of the “I don’t know” confession of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ten days after serious and specific allegations have been made against a senior Umno Cabinet Minister and a 632-page memorandum submitted to him is that his national integrity plan has fallen to the bottom of his agenda.

On June 29, the Chairman of the Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak) Ezam Mohd Nor submitted a 632-page document containing allegations of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation involving a senior cabinet minister, including police reports against the minister made by a chief executive officer of a public listed company in 1998, statements by the Malaysian Companies Commission, and receipts and invoices for millions of ringgit.

Ezam had said that there are several cases against this senior Umno Minister but one is clear, that he used a public company’s funds amounting to RM30 million to settle his personal debts.

Abdullah said yesterday: “I was informed about the memorandum and I will study it.” Asked who was the minister alleged to be corrupt, Abdullah said: “I don’t know”.

Is it credible that a Prime Minister who is serious about his pledge and commitment to make anti-corruption his top priority can allow ten days to pass without bothering to find out who was the senior UMNO Cabinet Minister alleged to be corrupt in the 632-page memorandum which had been submitted to him or that he had not directed his officers to prepare and read a gist of the allegations?

Or is Abdullah going to read the entire 632-page memorandum himself?

If Abdullah needs to take ten days to state publicly that he is aware that the memorandum had been submitted to him in his office, how long would he take to read it and how long more would he need to announce what he proposes to do about it? Continue reading “Message of PM’s “I don’t know” confession – NIP fallen to bottom of his agenda”

Posted on

“Policing for People” – police revolution needed

I was for a short stint a resident of JB, staying here for almost a year some 47 years ago.

JB has changed quite out of recognition in the past four to five decades, both for good and ill.

Firstly, I would not qualify to be a JB-ite, as there are people who now say that you are not a true JB-ite unless you have been a victim of snatch theft, robbery or other crime in JB.

Secondly, the haze from Indonesia forest fires are back, but in JB the people had been under a permanent haze in the past two decades with the JB air thick with the fear of crime which haunts the people, turning their waking hours into nightmares about their personal safety and those of their loved ones whether in the streets, public places or the privacy of their homes.

Why is the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance starting its series of public hearings on “Fight Rising Crime” in Johor Baru?

Firstly, JB is the capital of crime with the worst crime index and the worst fear of crime for any metropolitan area in the country.

The Police have said the crime in JB is under control and that it is a safe city to live. Whether crime in JB is under control and a safe city must be a verdict made by the people of Johor and not the Police — and this is the reason for the Parliamentary Caucus’ public hearing.

This is also why there should be a police revolution and not just police reform in the country where the concept of “Policing for People” becomes the overriding objective of the Malaysian Police in democratic Malaysia, with the people as the primary voice in determining the police role, responsibility and strategy in fighting and reducing crime in JB, Johore and Malaysia.

We cannot continue to be in denial any more about the high crime index and oppressive fear of crime in JB.

We should not need to cross the Causeway to Singapore to feel safe. If we are not ambitious enough to make JB even safer than Singapore, we have the right to demand that residents, visitors and investors should feel as safe in JB as in Singapore.

We have a right to demand that the definition that a person is not a true JB-ite unless he or she had been a victim of crime in JB becomes history and a nightmare of the past. Continue reading ““Policing for People” – police revolution needed”

Posted on

Let JB be national test case – whether can wipe ouf “fear of crime” before it spreads further

I remember when I stayed for a short stint in Johor Baru for about a year some 47 years ago, the Johor capital like other parts of the country was generally safe and secure from crime for its residents and visitors and the term ” fear of crime” never existed.

This was the position until some 20 years ago, when the law-and-order infrastructure and institutions failed to keep abreast with the rapid socio-economic developments and changes, and Johor Baru together with other metropolitan areas like Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Penang, increasingly acquired the notoriety as “hot spots” of crime where it residents are not only victims of high crime rate but live in fear of crime.

JB outranks all the other urban centres in the country as the capital of crime where the fear of crime haunting the daily lives of its residents is most palpable like a permanent haze in the JB air.

Let JB be a national test case whether it is possible to wipe out the fear of crime which is haunting the daily life of the people of JB or the fear of crime will worsen and spread to other parts of the country with the police losing the long-term war against crime. Continue reading “Let JB be national test case – whether can wipe ouf “fear of crime” before it spreads further”

Posted on

Old Copper Mine poses a Threat

by Gursharan Singh

The Mamut Copper Mine was leased to a company for thirty years to mine copper. The mining operations ceased in 1999 and later in 2003 it was returned back to the Sabah State Government. The reason for ceasing operations prior to the expiry of the concession period may be due to the exhaustion of copper or continued mining may not have been economically profitable. The company had then provided profits in millions that benefited the company owners.

I remember that environmentalists and other experts had regularly voiced their concerns in the past on the damage caused to the environment and its ill effects on the health of the people. I personally seen the pollution during my visit to KK and Mount Kinabalu in the mid eighties when I visited the State on audit of construction projects duties.

It is apparent that the State and Federal Government Authorities were aware of the damage being caused. However it is not possible to ascertain whether the relevant authorities monitored the operations to ensure that necessary measures were undertaken by the mining company to rectify the damage or taken any other remedial measures to prevent future environmental damage.

The possible millions in profits arising from the mining operations were enjoyed by the owners of the mine. In the process the ‘mining operations left behind a trail of pollutants that are unfriendly to nature and the health of people living at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah’.

The company has long left Sabah to enjoy their millions. It has left the cost of remedial and cleanup measures to be borne by the taxpayers. The Federal Government has allocated RM13.0m but this is probably the tip of the iceberg as the total cost may ultimately exceed the benefits derived by the State in the form of taxes and employment opportunities. Continue reading “Old Copper Mine poses a Threat”

Posted on

Is JB crime under control – or must people cross causeway to Singapore to feel safe?

Is JB crime under control - or must people cross causeway to Singapore to feel safe

The public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Johor Baru on Sunday at Tropical Inn at 2.30 p.m. will be an opportunity to assess whether the people of Johor Baru are satisfied with recent police actions to fight crime or whether more have to be done by the police to wipe out the high crime index and the fear of crime and end the situation where people only feel safe when they cross the causeway into Singapore.

It has been asked why the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance is holding a public hearing at the Tropical Inn in JB on Sunday on “Fight Rising Crime”, as if crime has nothing to do with human rights.

This is a great fallacy, for the fundamental right to be free from crime and to be safe and secure in the streets, public places and the privacy of the homes must rank as the first of all human rights, without which all other human rights have no meaning. The safety of its citizens must is also the acid test of effective government and good governance.

The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance want to popularize the concept that Malaysians must be restored their two most fundamenal rights, to be free from crime and the fear of crime, which were unquestioned rights of all Malaysians in the first three decades of nationhood.

In the past 10 to 15 years, law and order have started to break down in several areas in the country to the extent that some urban centres in Peninsular Malaysia acquired the notoriety as hot spots of crime, particularly JB, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Penang and Ipoh.

This trend has not been reversed or checked despite the establishment of the Royal Police Commission and its Report and 125 recommendations to create an efficient and professional world-class police service to control and reduce crime. Continue reading “Is JB crime under control – or must people cross causeway to Singapore to feel safe?”