Archive for May 14th, 2007

Abdullah must not condone crude and abominable conduct of the two sexist BN MPs

Malaysians are relieved that rumours that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had fainted during a function in Teluk Batik, Lumut yesterday was untrue and in Abdullah’s own words, “I am fine, don’t worry”.

Malaysians do not want to see anything untoward happening to Abdullah and are glad that a series of tests carried out on him, including an ECG, declared him to be in good health after he had lost his balance during a presentation of keys for a housing project for the poor.

While Malaysians are relieved that there is nothing amiss with him physically and health-wise, they are also at the same time very disappointed that he is not providing the proper leadership when he could declare that he was satisfied with the performance of Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives, when public outrage at the crude, vulgar, derogatory and offensive remarks by the two sexist BN Members of Parliament, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) are roiling the country.

Abdullah seems to be less than sensitive as he should be to the gross misconduct of the two sexist BN MPs, especially at a time when it is about to be transformed into an international issue with international women leaders preparing to demonstrate support and solidarity with DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan and Malaysian women — the immediate targets and victims of the latest ‘male chauvinist” attacks by the two sexists BN MPs in Parliament last week.

I am very disappointed that at the meeting of BN elected representatives, including MPs and State Assembly members, yesterday the Prime Minister had missed the opportunity to give both the sexists BN MPs a public “dressing down” and make it clear that there is no room for “male chauvinists” and gender-insensitivity in his administration — whether Parliament and the various state legislatures, whether from the Barisan Nasional or Opposition.

Is Abdullah’s continued silence on the crude and sexist conduct of the Jasin and Kinabatangan MPs a public gesture that he finds nothing wrong or objectionable to their derogatory, sexist and offensive remarks directed against Po Kuan? Read the rest of this entry »

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“Project Mahathir” – Mahathir should appear before Integrity Select Committee

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad should appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity to throw light on the grave and protracted problem of the extraordinary increase of foreigners resulting in their numbers exceeding Sabahans in the state population.

This is particularly pertinent in view of persistent allegations that Mahathir had masterminded when he was Prime Minister what had been described as “Project Mahathir False ICs” in Sabah based on the deliberate issuance of Malaysian I/Cs to foreigners based on false statutory declarations under “Project IC” or “Project Mahathir”.

One estimate has put the foreigners in Sabah as around 1.75 million, including those in possession of the Project Mahathir ICs, as compared to 1.5 million genuine locals in Sabah.

Hundreds of thousands of false ICs are in the hands of foreigners who are proclaiming themselves not only Malaysians but also as Bumiputras with all the privileges and rights of Customary Native Rights in Sabah.

It is now public information that in the 1999 certified electoral rolls, through the new IC numbers, there were 150,000 Sabah-born registered voters who were born in 1952 through 1960 although according to the Sabah Statistics Department, the State’s population in 1951 was 334,141 and in 1960, 454,421, an increase of 120,000.

With an estimated 80 per cent in this group registered as voters, there would only be about 100,000 Sabah-born voters for this period — which would mean that about one-third of voters allegedly born in Sabah between 1952-1960 were foreigners with ICs issued fraudulently with the use of falsified Sijil Akuan under the Project False I/Cs.

These are very serious allegations which Mahathir cannot allow to stand in the public domain uncontradicted or unclarified. Read the rest of this entry »

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Raja Nazrin sets golden standard of exemplary conduct for rulers and political leaders

The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, has set a golden standard of exemplary conduct for rulers and political leaders with moderation, economy and the people’s welfare as the top considerations.

Raja Nazrin has already carved a special place in the hearts of Malaysians with his scholarship and enlightened concerns for the people and nation as testified by his keynote address last month on “Prospects and Challenges for Nation Building” on the seven steps towards successful nation-building, in particular the first principle — “Malaysians of all races, religions and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun”.

The Raja Muda of Perak has now won the love and admiration not only of the people of Perak but of all Malaysians with his exemplary modesty and rectitude — wanting only a simple royal wedding with Zara Salim Davidson and declining to accept state-allocated funds.

His advice to the Perak state government to spend the money for development projects to meet the needs of the people as well as to companies and individuals not to compete to buy advertisement space in newspapers on the occasion of his wedding but to channel the funds for charity, especially donating to places of worship, welfare bodies, old folk homes, orphanages and schools in Perak, demonstrates the sincerity and depth of the Raja Muda’s devotion and commitment to the welfare of the people.

Raja Nazrin’s commendable example should remind Malaysians of a similar advice given by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he first became Prime Minister in November 2003, telling government departments and agencies to be simple and modest and to slash elaborate ceremonies and lavish functions, especially when a Minister, the Prime Minister or the Rulers are present. Read the rest of this entry »

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Jamaludin Jarjis – stop censoring the press and be man enough to make public apology to Sheena Moorthy

The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis should stop censoring the press and be man enough to make an unqualified public apology to third-year CalyPoly Biotech Malaysian student Sheena Moorthy for his disgraceful conduct in making racist and derogatory remarks about Malaysian Indians when he met Malaysian students in Los Angeles, California a fortnight ago on 30th April.

During his official visit to California enroute to the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) Convention in Boston, Massachussets, Jamaludin had 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, who has become a cause celebre with her complaint that during the 3 ½ hour session, Jamaludin made “totally uncalled-for racial insults” when he passed a few racial remarks on her, being one of the two Indians present there.

This incident happened in front of a crowd of about 100 people including students, officials from the Malaysian Consulate, TPM, Tourism Malaysia, etc. But everyone is afraid and nobody is prepared to stand up to speak the truth.

Sheena and her sister, Dr. Sheela Moorthy, who is currently living in the USA and supporting her sister’s education at CalyPoly, are demanding a public apology from Jamaludin.

Sheena has written to complain about Jamaluddi’s racist and derogatory remarks to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and several Malaysian Ministers, including the MIC President and Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

Last Tuesday (8th May), I first raised the Sheena-Jamaludin issue in Parliament when I spoke in the debate on the Youth Societies and Youth Development Bill, citing it as one instance of Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders setting bad leadership examples to Malaysian youths on national unity and national integration. Read the rest of this entry »

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