Archive for May, 2007
Cabinet got time for Manchester United but no time for Building Bridges Inter-faith Dialogue
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is again on an international tour to preach to foreign audiences his message of inter-civilisational, inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, understanding, goodwill and peace.
Speaking two days ago at the Meiji University in Tokyo, where he was conferred an honorary doctorate, Abdullah said that dialogue between cultures and civilisations has now become another pre-condition to achieving the global goals of peace, security and prosperity.
He said dialogue could bridge the gap and generate greater understanding between cultures and civilisations especially between the West and the world of Islam.
He said: “This dialogue is essential to expose and establish the fact that Islam is a religion which espouses universalism, not exclusivity. Islam is a religion which does not make any distinction between race or culture.”
The university had specially requested Abdullah to speak on Islam and Islam Hadhari for his keynote address on “Bridging the Gap Between Cultures and Civilisations”.
It is sad and even pathetic however that the Prime Minister’s international message is being ignored locally, even by his own Cabinet. Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t ban it if you don’t get it
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman, culture, nation building on Thursday, 24 May 2007
Don’t ban it if you don’t get it
Azly Rahman
There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance. – Goethe, German philosopher
The Internal Security Ministry denied that it had seized 10 copies of the book on May 13, clarifying that it had only taken the books to check the contents. The books would be returned if they contained nothing that violated the Printing Press and Publications Act 1984.
Deputy Minister Fu Ah Kiow said news reports stating that the books were seized were incorrect and believed that the matter was being deliberately blown out of proportion to gain publicity. “It is just a very ordinary procedure, something that the officers will do if they receive reports about any publication that may be unfavourable for the public.
“They will still carry out their duties even if there is no report,” he told reporters. Fu was asked to comment on the books taken from a bookstore in Mid-Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Fu said his officers were still reading the contents.’ (The Star)
The above news report still amplified the culture of book banning we have had since independence. To be telling schoolchildren and parents that we ban books is not conveying a smart message for our smart schools. Why not tell these children to think and think freely and to read and read voraciously? Why use the schools to promote the message of active ignorance?
Active ignorance
In our history, one of the most famous books banned was of course The Malay Dilemma by a medical doctor from Titi Gajah, Kedah. The author later became Malaysia’s fourth prime minister, staying in power for 22 years. We banned Kassim Ahmad, Othman Ali, Karen Armstrong, and many work of national and international authors who proposed new line of thinking about society. We ban good movies on the Malaysian early political experience that tries to enrich our youth with a radical perspective of this nation and its narration.
We were even afraid of our respectable social scientist Dr. Lim Teck Ghee’s Asli findings on the New Economic Policy, written with such a refreshing and constructivist perspective. Through the repressive Internal Security Act, we jailed out intellectuals — without trial — people like Lim Kit Siang, Dr Syed Husin Ali, Kassim Ahmad, Dr Chandra Muzaffar, and many others who lived their lives presenting alternative viewpoints for a better Malaysian future. We have installed a government of active ignorance, interested in the advancement of poor understanding of human development. We continue to live a national life of contradiction. Read the rest of this entry »
2 sexist Malaysian MPs condemned – joint statement by ASEAN MPs
Posted by Kit in ASEAN, Gender, Parliament on Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Joint Media Statement by ASEAN MPs (and former MP) from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia in Tokyo on Tuesday, 22nd May 2007:
Sexism by two male MPs in Malaysian Parliament on May 9 an affront and outrage to all ASEAN MPs and ASEAN women — deserves fullest condemnation by all ASEAN Parliamentarians and ASEAN civil society as sexism has no place in a progressive ASEAN
We, the undersigned ASEAN MPs (and former MP) attending an international conference in Tokyo have decided to issue the following joint statement:
We are very distressed by the rank sexism in the Malaysian Parliament on May 9 when two male MPs made crude vulgar, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks at the woman MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan, which have been regarded as a shame and dishonour to Po Kuan, Malaysian Parliament, Malaysian women and Malaysia’s international reputation.
It is more than that — it is also an affront and outrage to all ASEAN MPs and ASEAN women and deserves the fullest condemnation by all ASEAN Parliamentarians and ASEAN civil society as sexism has no place in a progressive ASEAN.
In fact, it is also a global affront and outrage, which was why MPs and State Legislators attending the GlobalPOWER (Partnership of Women Elected/Appointed Representatives) 2007 Conference in Washington May 7 — 11, 2007 was the first global response to the “sexist and demeaning statements that male Members of Parliament in Malaysia made to their women colleagues”. Read the rest of this entry »
RM100 million Parliament “House of Leaks” – Is Abdullah heading a shambolic administration?
Posted by Kit in Good Governance on Wednesday, 23 May 2007
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in Tokyo yesterday that the Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for maintenance of government buildings and there should be no “finger-pointing” whenever a defect occurs.
Abdullah said: “I’ve told Samy Vellu that the PWD was responsible for matters related to maintenance, don’t quarrel among yourselves, it’s embarrassing.
“It’s alright if you want to talk it over and carry out the repairs jointly …what’s the point of quarrelling with each other to the extent of the people knowing.
“If there’s something wrong, talk to each other, cooperate and do it quietly… what’s the point of quarrelling in the newspapers, one says they’re responsible, the other says it’s your problem.
“Already people are unhappy with what has happened, who is to take responsibility and who is responsible have also become a public issue, two agencies quarrelling…this is not good.
“Whoever is responsible must have the sense of responsibility to make sure what it was responsible to do. It takes action, it carries out its responsibility.”
While the first public reaction is one of relief that the Prime Minister has finally broken his “elegant silence” on the RM100 million Parliament leaks, the latest in the litany of government building and public construction defects, Malaysians’ concern and even alarm about the effectiveness of the Abdullah premiership has not been addressedl
This is because Abdullah’s comments have only served to aggravate increasingly widespread public disquiet about the shambolic administration and the lack of effective and dynamic government leadership in the country, with many questions jostling for answer, such as: Read the rest of this entry »
Educational Discrimination of a Different Kind
Educational Discrimination of a Different Kind
by Nathan Petrus
An issue which is commonly blogged about is educational discrimination on ethnic lines.
With such volatile competition, it is no wonder that another form of educational discrimination is normally ignored by the masses…
This is none other than discrimination by educational stream.
The following quote tells all:
“At lower secondary, students who score a string of As are considered suitable for the Science stream and the rest are placed in the Arts stream.” – NST Report
‘Tis indeed a sad but true fact in our country that the Arts stream is seen as a receptacle for “second-grade students”. The world of education in Malaysia is divided into those in the Science and Arts streams, with the former being exalted far above the latter. All students who do well in the PMR are siphoned off to the Science stream, while those regarded as less academically-capable are sent to the Arts.
The notion that the Arts is less academically-rigourous than the Sciences has no basis whatsoever. To be frank, it’s a load of rubbish. Read the rest of this entry »
Two sexist BN MPs – Cabinet must step in tomorrow to reject their fake apologies
Posted by Kit in Gender, Parliament on Tuesday, 22 May 2007
The Cabinet tomorrow must step in to make clear that the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan)’s fake apologies are unacceptable and support civil society’s demand for six-month suspension as MP and community service with women groups as punishment for the duo, with parliamentary allowances for this period donated in their entirely to women organizations.
It will be a most adverse reflection on the Cabinet and government if Cabinet Ministers endorse the fake apologies by the duo, including accepting the report of the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who had clearly failed to stand up for gender respect, sensitivity and equality in her eagerness to resolve the controversy — even if it was in the form of fake, insincere and dishonest “apologies”.
If Shahrizat had not realized that she had been bamboozled by the two BN MPs with their fake apologies, she should have realized it by now in the face of very critical and even hostile public comments at her failure to do justice to repair the grave wrong done in Parliament by the sexism of the two BN MPs — bringing shame and dishonour to DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, Malaysian women, Parliament and the nation’s international reputation — as well as women in ASEAN and the world!
In the mishandling of the latest instance of sexist and male-chauvinist outbursts by the two BN MPs in Parliament, Shahrizat is becoming an even bigger issue than Mohd Said and Bung Mohtar. Read the rest of this entry »
Leaders of 5 original ASEAN nations should join call for Aung San Suu Ky’s release
The cause of democratization in Burma is a hard nut to crack and it is so easy to give way to despair as there does not seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel after years and decades of sacrifice and struggle by the people of Burma for democracy, freedom and justice, with many tempted to dismiss it as a “lost cause”.
Burma has in fact been described as the world’s longest-running civil war that has lasted nearly 60 years and sent millions fleeing into Thailand and displaced 500,000 people in Myanmar — a period that saw the tragedy of the transformation of once Asia’s rich country into a basketcase.
Developments in Myanmar can both be interpreted as signs of weakness or consolidation of the repressive, ruthless and mendacious military junta, whether it be the abrupt relocation of the national capital from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw, about 390 kilometres north of Yangon in November 2005 or the construction of four vast hydro-power dams on the Salween River which have already destroyed 232 villagers in the country’s resource-rich east, drove 82,000 people from their homes, triggering a new wave of forced labour and devastating Salween’s ecosystem.
National and international attention is now focused on the date next week, May 27, when the latest period of detention of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi ends after having spent more than 11 of the past 17 years under some form of detention.
Would the Myanmese military junta, which has ruled Myanmar in various guises since 1962, ignored international calls for her release on May 27 and extend her detention as happened last year?
Last week, 59 former heads of state and government took the unprecedented step of issuing an Open Letter to the Myanmar military junta, calling for the immediate release of the Burmese Opposition leader and the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. Read the rest of this entry »
A simple and dignified wedding celebration spoiled by the presence of the State Mufti
Posted by Kit in nation building, Religion on Tuesday, 22 May 2007
by Richard Teo
Like many Malaysians, I was particularly enthralled when the Raja Muda, Raja Nazrin Shah in a speech some time ago declared that “Malaysians of all races, religions and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun”.
For such pearls of wisdom to flow from a regal figure is extraordinary especially when we compare to the diversive speech by our erstwhile politicians in a political meeting sometime ago.
However, like many others, I feel disappointed that the simple and dignified wedding celebrations was tainted by the presence of the State Mufti, Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria who was given a prominent role in conducting the wedding ceremony.
This religious head who is Perak’s State Mufti should have been charged and imprisoned for inciting racial riot at a Catholic church. His malicious intent to cause racial disharmony was deliberate. From his pulpit he announced to his shocked congregation that a mass conversion was about to take place in a Christian church.
His infuriated Muslim congregation marched to the Catholic Church and almost cost a riot. Fortunately, an ulgy incident was averted when it was found that the conversion was for a group of Indian girls. Read the rest of this entry »
ASEAN MPs back Po Kuan – censure Mohd Said/Bung Mokhtar
Posted by Kit in ASEAN, Gender, Parliament on Monday, 21 May 2007
ASEAN Members of Parliament attending the International Conference of Japanese Diet Members and ASEAN Parliamentarians on “The International Symposium of the Way to Democratise Burma” in Tokyo today agreed at the sidelines that sexism in Parliament by two Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) are an affront and outrage to all ASEAN MPs and ASEAN women and deserve fullest condemnation by all ASEAN Parliamentarians and ASEAN civil society
ASEAN MPs are very distressed by the rank sexism in the Malaysian Parliament on May 9 when Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar made crude vulgar, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks at the woman MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan.
This was more than a shame and dishonour to Po Kuan, Malaysian Parliament, Malaysian women and Malaysia’s international reputation.
It was also an affront and outrage to all ASEAN MPs and ASEAN women and deserves the fullest condemnation by all ASEAN Parliamentarians and ASEAN civil society as sexism has no place in a progressive ASEAN.
This was why there was also global affront and outrage, with MPs and State Legislators attending the GlobalPOWER (Partnership of Women Elected/Appointed Representatives) 2007 Conference in Washington May 7 — 11, 2007 being the first global response to the “sexist and demeaning statements that male Members of Parliament in Malaysia made to their women colleagues”. Read the rest of this entry »
Of Repentance and Penitence
Posted by Kit in Gender, Parliament on Monday, 21 May 2007
Of Repentance and Penitence
by Dr. Oh Ei Sun
Sabah Times
These few weeks were indeed packed with events and commemorative days. Last week we celebrated, among other’s, Teacher’s Day, which has become a national occasion when we pay tribute to not only teachers, but indeed all those who undertake the tough and often thankless job of educating the precious minds of the country.
As the son of a teacher (my mom was a school teacher for 34 years), and as a teacher myself, Teacher’s Day is for me a day of reflection on the state and future of education, not so much for the much-vaunted national development effort, but in developing wholesome characters in millions of precious young minds. And perhaps a brief lesson in history from another part of the world could help.
In 1957, just a few weeks after Malaya attained its independence, another smaller-scale, but no less momentous event took place in the provincial town of Little Rock, the capital of the state of Arkansas in the United States. Nine young black men and women were escorted by US Army personnel to attend Little Rock Central High, a hitherto all-white school.
The past entrenched racism of the American South would be a subject for future writing. It suffices to mention here that for almost a century after the liberation of black slaves in the US, officially sanctioned racist treatments abounded primarily in the American South. The images of separate toilets for “White” and “Colored” still haunt us today. Most schools there were either exclusively white or black, with far superior teaching resources reserved for the former. Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament on fire? DR House Committee must come out of hibernation
Posted by Kit in Parliament on Sunday, 20 May 2007
The Dewan Rakyat House Committee under the chairmanship of the Speaker should come out of its hibernation and hold an emergency meeting to take ownership of the many deplorable problems of Parliament House to address and resolve them.
There is a proposal that the Public Works Department should be responsible for the maintenance of Parliament House. This seems to be a sensible proposal but the decision should first be made by the House Committee which is responsible for ensuring that MPs enjoy proper facilities to enable to function properly, before the matter is taken to the Cabinet for endorsement.
Cabinet Ministers must learn to understand the meaning of parliamentary autonomy and independence as well as the doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary.
Works Minister, Datuk Seri Samy Vellu said that the PWD had carried out a lot of repairs on the building but there was recurring damage owing to absence of maintenance.
For instance, he said, each time the clothes hangers on the toilet doors were replaced, they went missing.
This is indeed most shameful, as it is most unthinkable that such gross indiscipline and thievery should be so rife in Parliament House, which should be the heart of a national campaign to fulfill the dream of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to have “First World Infrastructure, First World Mentality” in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Chia Kwang Chye should not condone the sexism of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar
Posted by Kit in Gender, Parliament on Sunday, 20 May 2007
Gerakan Secretary-General and Deputy Information Minister, Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye, should not condone the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their incorrigible sexism in Parliament if he dare not openly castigate the duo for their dishonesty and fake apologies to bring about a dishonourable closure to the nation-wide furore over their crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in Parliament last week.
Chia said yesterday that as Mohd Said and Bung Mohtar have apologized, everybody should stop raising the issue anymore. (Guanming).
This is most shocking and shows that one of the problems of Barisan Nasional leaders when they become Ministers or Deputy Ministers is their surrender of the sense of justice and their faculties to differentiate between right from wrong.
Surely, Chia is aware of the patent dishonesty of the duo in making fake apologies which compounded the original offence they committed, and which cannot be accepted at all by right-thinking and justice-loving Malaysians.
I would urge Chia to reconsider what he said yesterday and openly withdraw his statement asking everyone to stop pursuing the issue purportedly on the ground that the apologies of the two are acceptable.
Just imagine what would have happened if it was a DAP MP who made the crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks against a woman BN MP. There is no doubt that he would have been referred immediately to the Committee of Privileges and a severe punishment of one to two years suspension without allowance would have been meted out unless a full, unconditional and acceptable apology is tendered — and I would say, rightly too! Read the rest of this entry »
Rakyat who have made Bangsa Malaysia a reality…
Posted by Kit in nation building on Sunday, 20 May 2007
by SK Chua
As a true blue Malaysian born and bred here all my 55 years, I have no doubt that this is the country for me and for my kids.
I was 17 years old and in the hometown of Pontian, Johor when the May 13 incident happened. Our parents’ only concern at that time was my elder brother’s safety in Ceras at the Technical Teachers’ Training College (fondly known as T3C).
Back then there was no email and our parents had to wait for him to call back the next day to tell us he was safe. He told us there was no problem at all at the dormitory and that all students, Malays, Indian and Chinese were like a family to one another and he could not assure us enough that whatever was happening out there was not going to affect their closeness under the same roof.
We believed him. Even in Pontian, we had neighbours and friends of different race and faith living next to each other but we never looked at one another as adversary. Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament as “House of Leaks” – heads must roll in PWD and Works Ministry, or Samy’s head should roll
Posted by Kit in culture, Parliament on Sunday, 20 May 2007
Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to explain to the Cabinet on why no request was made for allocations to repair the roof when Parliament House underwent an extensive RM90 million renovation in 2005.
Four questions immediately come to mind:
Firstly, will the reference to the Cabinet of the scandal of Parliament as “House of Leaks” end up as unsatisfactorily as last week’s reference to it of the outrage of sexism in Parliament where two Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) made crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in Parliament last week, bringing shame and dishonour to DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation’s international reputation — resulting in fake apologies which are really no apologies at all?
Secondly, why the extraordinary departure from the principle of Ministerial responsibility with PWD going over the head of the Works Minister to report directly to the Cabinet, when such a report is customarily and by convention made to the Cabinet by the Minister responsible for the department, namely Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu as Works Minister?
Has the Cabinet has lost all confidence in the capability of Samy Vellu to perform effectively as the Works Minister and to bear full and direct responsibility for PWD in Cabinet, especially as Samy Vellu’s is completing his 20 years as Works Minister in shame and ignominy with a helter-skelter of collapse of government buildings and public constructions, whether falling ceilings, cracked walls, air-conditioning breakdowns or power disruptions in spanking brand new buildings or renovations costing hundreds of millions of ringgit!
Or is Samy Vellu utterly fed up with the disgraceful performance of PWD and he is washing his hands to dissociate himself from its failings, leaving PWD to directly explain to the Cabinet on the latest scandal of Parliament as the “House of Leaks”?
Whatever the reason, the time has come for the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to terminate Samy Vellu’s long tenure as Cabinet Minister, spanning 27 years and six months, with 20 years as Works Minister short of five months. Read the rest of this entry »
Nazri vs Dompok – Nazri’s double-standards and hypocrisy
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament on Saturday, 19 May 2007
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told today that Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had reBerita Harian signed as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) because the latter was frustrated that Nazri had objected to the PSCI calling the then Director-General of Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor to appear before the Select Committee. Dompok is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Berita Harian’s report “Dompok kecewa JPN enggan temui PSCI” said:
Nazri yang menyifatkan kenyataan bekas pengerusi PSCI terhadapnya semalam sebagai pandangan peribadi berkata, Dompok sepatutnya memahami arahan Kabinet bahawa jawatankusasa seperti itu bukan berperanan sebagai badan penyiasat, sebaliknya hanya mengumpul maklumat daripada orang ramai mengenai sesuatu isu atau masalah.
“Keputusan Kabinet jelas… jawatankuasa itu hanya buat perbicaraan awam iaitu mengumpulkan maklumat, bukannya menyiasat kes yang ditimbulkan.
“Apa yang perlu mereka buat adalah iklankan dalam akhbar bila dan tempat mereka mahu buat perbicaraan awam untuk membolehkan orang ramai datang memberikan pandangan terhadap masalah atau isu.
“Jika dia (Dompok) tidak dengar cakap Kit Siang, tak jadi masalah, tetapi dia nak jadi badan penyiasat, kita tak setuju,” katanya.
Nazri owes PSCI, Parliament and Malaysians answers to three questions:
Firstly, why is he interfering with the autonomy of Parliament and the PSCI to conduct its own affairs, as if he is a Super-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, more powerful than the Select Committees, their members and Chairmen;
Secondly, from Nazri’s statement, it is clear that the Cabinet has arrogated to itself powers to direct Parliamentary Select Committees how it should function — which makes a mockery of Parliamentary independence and accountability of Cabinet to Parliament;
Thirdly, why his double-standards and hypocrisy in opposing the ACA Director-General being invited to appear before PSCI while not objecting to the earlier appearance of Customs Director-General before the committee? Read the rest of this entry »
Six reasons why fake apologies and “dishonourable closure” by two sexist BN MPs must be rejected
Posted by Kit in Gender, Parliament on Saturday, 19 May 2007
Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil yesterday accepted the apologies of the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in Parliament last week, saying that it was the “closure” her Ministry wanted.
All Malaysians also want a “closure” to the 10-day parliamentary scandal and national shame precipitated by two BN MPs who were guilty of sexual harassment of DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan with their sexist and male-chauvinist remarks, which also brought shame and dishonour to Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation’s international reputation.
However, it must be a honourable closure and not the most shameful and dishonourable closure orchestrated by Shahrizat yesterday, where both Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar went through another farce of proferring an apology which on examination was really no apology at all — a counterfeit coin or a fake apology!
Firstly, both the duo flaunted their lack of sincerity in wanting to make any apology. They pointedly refused to offer a personal apology to Po Kuan, even a fake one!
When he returned to Kota Kinabalu yesterday, Bung Mokhtar said he had been directed by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to apologise to Malaysian women, conspicuously omitting reference to Po Kuan.
Secondly, there was no remorse or contrition in making the apology, even to Malaysian women. Both tendered their apology “if women were offended” — implying that there was nothing wrong with their remarks but with women if they were offended!
Thirdly, they justified their sexist and male-chauvinist attacks at Po Kuan on the ground that they were necessary to defend the government during debates.
Mohd Said said in his prepared statement that the duo “were only defending Barisan Nasional because the Opposition had belittled, and intentionally made unfounded, baselss claims”.
He declared: “In that situation, it is the responsibility of Barisan representatives and government supporters to defend the leadership and the Government”. Read the rest of this entry »
Was May 13 naturally orchestrated?
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman, nation building on Saturday, 19 May 2007
Was May 13 naturally orchestrated?
by Azly Rahman
Perhaps it was. That would be the answer to the event that has become embalmed as a semiotic of racial conflict. Perhaps it wasn’t planned. We need more interpretations of this event. If we ban more books on this, we are afraid of holding a mirror to our history and ourselves.
If we encourage our youth to explore the roots of the bloody conflict, we will have a better generation of thinkers. No more “Ketuanan Melayu, China, India,” or whatsoever notions of self-aggrandisement –just the simple act of opening the dialogues of peace.
But was May 13 planned? I have some thoughts.
It has to happen when and because the lid of authoritarianism was lifted. It was the British lid that brought some kind of stability to the lowest of the lower class of Chinese, Indians and Malays. Read the rest of this entry »
Two sexist BN MPs – treating Malaysians as suckers with “apology” which is really no apology
Posted by Kit in Gender, Parliament on Friday, 18 May 2007
For the past fortnight, Malaysians have been treated as suckers by Cabinet Ministers — the most outrageous case being the demand by the Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for RM22 million to inspect new government buildings in Putrajaya for defects, which did not include a subsequent and lengthening list of government building mishaps, such as the spanking new RM290 million court complex in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur and now Parliament House which has become a “HOUSE OF LEAKS” barely two years after a RM100 million renovation.
Today, even the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan), are treating Malaysians as suckers with their “apology” which is really no apology over their gender-offensive male-chauvinist remarks in Parliament last week, directed at DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, but which brought shame and dishonour to Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation’s international reputation.
I had not wanted to comment on the case of the two sexist BN MPs today, but when I read Malaysiakini news reports of the alleged “apology” of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar which the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jali had described as a “closure”, I cannot contain my outrage and wrath.
This is because the so-called “apology” of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar orchestrated by Shahrizat was not only no “closure” of the abominable case of sexual harassment and gender abuse in Parliament last week, but had added “salt to the wound” of Po Kuan, as well as all women and men who want proper closure with justice done to all aggrieved parties.
After their 45-minute meeting with Shahrizat, Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar said they would like to tender their apologies, if “women were offended”.
However, they destroyed all meaning in their apologies when they defended their words used in Parliament as necessary to defend the government during debates.
They also did not issue a personal apology to Po Kuan. Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament as “House of Leaks” – why Samy Vellu did not foresee it after dramatic inspection 2 years ago?
Posted by Kit in Parliament on Friday, 18 May 2007
New Straits Times front-paged the latest scandal of Parliament as “HOUSE OF LEAKS” — barely two years after spending RM90 million to renovate Parliament House.
Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, after a dramatic 45-minute inspection yesterday, said about the condition of the roof of Parliament House:
As an architect, I can tell you it is very bad. I don’t want to hide anything from you. There is a lot of work to be done here,” he said at a press conference in the lobby of parliament.
He said the repairs would involve removing concrete slabs, waterproofing the roof and installing concealed ceiling equipment for heat protection.
“The plastic pipes will have to be replaced with class-A cast iron pipes.”
The damaged pipes had resulted in water not flowing off the roof.
Samy Vellu said there was a pile of rubbish, mainly construction waste, on the roof and this had to be removed.
He said there were leaks in five places.
“These could increase to 10 or 15 in the future if nothing is done now.”
Who is at fault? Read the rest of this entry »
Nazri – running spy network among MPs?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament on Friday, 18 May 2007
I am calling this media conference on the statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, on the reasons for the shock resignation of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI), which has been reported extensively in the media such as “Dompok influenced by Kit Siang, says Nazri” (The Sun) and “Nazri: Dompok influenced by panel deputy chairman Kit Siang” (New Straits Times),
Firstly, let me say that I fully agree with Dompok in describing Nazri’s statement as “a cheap shot”. It is a low blow and most unbecoming of one Minister to make of another, especially when it is founded on baseless rumours and hearsay. What Nazri said was just poppycock.
Nazri said my alleged “influence” over Dompok was “causing uneasiness among other members of the committee”.
NST reported:
Nazri said members of the committee had complained that Dompok was being influenced by Lim.
“I know what is going on in the committee as the BN members on it report to me. I learnt of this unhappiness from them,” he said.
Asked why they did not indicate their unhappiness to Dompok, Nazri said as disciplined BN members, they followed what the committee head instructed.
“(Dompok) is a cabinet member. They will never go against him,” he said.
Firstly, Who are these “BN members” on the PSCI who had reported to him behind its back — which is a gross breach of parliamentary privilege! This is because the PSCI and Parliamentary Select Committees are only to report to Parliament and not to any single Minister, be he the Minister in charge of Parliamentary Affairs!
Or is one of the functions of the Minister in charge of Parliamentary Affairs to run a network of spies among BN MPs in the various Select Committees?
Secondly, I challenge these BN MPs on the PSCI who have been carrying tales of half-truths and downright lies against Dompok to Nazri to come out into the open to declare themselves; prove that they are honourable men and women and not “petty characters”; and explain why they had been guilty of such unethical, unparliamentary and disgraceful conduct. Read the rest of this entry »
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