Archive for May 5th, 2007
PM – reprimand and discipline JJ for racist remarks against Malaysian Indians in California
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should reprimand and discipline the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis for his disgraceful conduct in making racist and derogatory remarks about Malaysian Indians when he met Malaysian students in California on Monday (30th April).
During his official visit to California on Monday, Jamaludin met some of the Malaysian students studying in California especially the ones from TPM Academy twinning programme at the Belacan Grill Malaysian Restaurant, Redondo Beach, Ca.
One of the students was Sheena Moorthy, a third-year Biotech Malaysian student in CALYPOLY.
Sheena complained that during the 3½ hour session, Jamaludin passed a few racial remarks on her, being one of the two Indians present there.
Sheena has formally written to the Prime Minister to complain against Jamaludin for the “totally uncalled-for racial insults”, citing the following instances:
Incident 1 – Each student had to briefly introduce themselves. When it came to her turn, while speaking he interrupted her and asked if she knew Samy Vellu, because he knows him. She did not see any relevance in that and he mentioned it a few times for no apparent reason.
Incident 2 — He gave a speech regarding how agriculture started in Malaysia. He mentioned how the British invested in Malaysia and made farmers work. Due to the lack of work force, “buruh India” was brought in. While mentioning this, he looked at her saying “that’s how we get Indians in Malaysia”.
Incident 3 — After saying he is going to get MARA to help the Bumiputra students, he looked at her and asked “How many Indians are here?” Sheena did not keep track of number of Indian students so she mentioned that in the room there were two (pointing to another Malaysian Indian friend, who is fair skinned) and Jamaludin looked at him and asked “Oh. You are an Indian? Which means you are an upper class Indian and she is the lower class one” (pointing at her). Jamaludin went on to say that, “Oh, I am not going to help upper class Indians, I only help the lower class ones. They are the ones that need it’.
Sheena left the room feeling very insulted as the Minister had judged her based on her skin colour. Read the rest of this entry »
BN no reason to exult over Ijok – but fatal mistake to think next poll is “harvest time” for Opposition
I wish to clarify a Chinese news report today on my statement yesterday with the heading: “Kit Siang rules out polls before September”.
What I said was that until yesterday, I had completely ruled out the possibility of the next general election being held before August 31 as the hundreds of million of ringgit that will be splurged all over the country to celebrate our half-a-century of nationhood would have been planned with an eye to recreate the “feel good euphoria” which had been so successful in the 2004 general election to give the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an unprecedented victory mandate of 91% of the parliamentary seats.]
I said there had been two schools of thought among the election strategists in Umno and Barisan Nasional — whether the next general election should be held next year before end of April when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regains his civil right enfranchisement to stand for elective office or the latter part of this year.
However, as a result of the Machap and Ijok by-elections, there is a third school of thought in Umno and Barisan Nasional, favouring a general election before the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations on August 31.
It is to be seen as to which of these three schools of thought would win the ear of Abdullah, although there are increasing signs of early polls.
The next general election will be a crucial and critical one for Abdullah. It will also be a crucial and critical one for the DAP and the Opposition. Read the rest of this entry »
Next Constitution Amendment Bill – introduce Article 121(1B) to restore non-Muslim rights
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Religion on Saturday, 5 May 2007
I have been informed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers have submitted to the Government a Constitution Amendment Bill, which is to be tabled to Parliament for passage next week or in the June/July meeting of Parliament from June 18 — July 10, 2007.
The next Constitution Amendment Bill should include a new amendment of Article 121(1B) to clearly restore to non-Muslim Malaysians the Merdeka “social contract” and their constitutional right not to be adversely affected by Syariah law and courts.
Last month, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) conducted a week-long special prayers to express their anxieties, concerns and fears over growing encroachments of religious freedoms and rights in plural Malaysia, although freedom of religion is entrenched in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and the Constitution the supreme law of the land.
This is because the past two years have seen increasing incidence of disputes affecting the human, family, religious and citizenship rights of non-Muslim Malaysians, such as the Moorthy, Rayappan, Subashini, Marimuthu and Revathi cases.
The 1988 amendment of Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution was to provide to Muslims the constitutional protection for their rights to be adjudicated in syariah courts without detracting any rights from non-Muslims.
I have no doubt that if during the parliamentary debate in March 1988 on the Constitution Amendment Bill 1988 which enacted Article 121(1A), an MP had the foresight to ask whether the intention was to create injustices and family grief like the Moorthy, Rayappan and Subashini cases, or to erode and undermine the constitutional rights of non-Muslim Malaysians to seek legal redress in civil court rather than in syariah court, the answer would have been a clear “No” in both instances.
By enacting Article 121(1A), Parliament never intended to take away even one iota of the constitutional rights of non-Muslims to be fully adjudicated under civil law and not under syariah law. Read the rest of this entry »
50th Merdeka – nightmare of public health system
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Health on Saturday, 5 May 2007
Our Pathetic Healthcare System
by “Product of the System”
Once upon a long time ago, I vowed as a naive medical student to serve fellow Malaysians with my utmost sincerity.
Despite much disappointment with the mediocrity of our local university, I was determined to repay the rakyat for the subsidy they have provided me with.
It has finally dawned on me that it is practically impossible to provide optimum healthcare in a pathetic healthcare system like Malaysia’s.
Indeed, ours is a system that is flawed at its very roots, and top.
An Obsession of Vanity
The shortcomings of Malaysia’s healthcare are anything but oblivious to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Instead of putting in concrete efforts to overcome simple problems with simple solutions, the MOH has instead chosen to busy itself with efforts of vanity and exhibitionism.
Penning a rosy Piagam Pelanggan and a lofty “misi dan visi” for every single sub-department will not translate into better services.
Putting our healthcare personnel through time-wasting, brain-washing Kursus Induksi, Biro Tatanegara (BTN) and Penilaian Tahap Kecemerlangan (PTK) programs will not produce more skillful and knowledgeable staff.
Holding weekly perhimpunan pagi hospital and singing patriotic-sounding songs will not miraculously make anyone serve their fellow Malaysians with greater commitment and efficiency.
Forcing our doctors to don bacterial-laden white coats and equally lethal neck ties is the perfect example of style without substance.
Seeking and attaining MS ISO accreditation is far from reflective of the quality of services our patients are receiving.
These fanciful so-called recognitions have instead added unnecessary red tape and rigidity to a clumsy, obese system already burdened and bloated with excessive bureaucracy and paperwork.
The MOH’s misplaced obsession with ISO recognition and protocol is holding everybody back — doctors, nurses, lab technicians, radiographers and everyone else trying to fulfill their duties in a system that frustrates.
While healthcare in much of the rest of the modern world is cruising ahead, Malaysia’s is so very wedged in the medieval ages, with no signs of any prospective improvements under a greedy government more concerned about serving the interests of its cronies in the money-loaded field of medicine. Read the rest of this entry »
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