Archive for April, 2011
Sarawak – Baby steps for Change
Hello Uncle Kit,
I would like to bring a very serious issue of fear among Malaysians. Having lived in Switzerland for almost 5 years now as a single female Chinese lady, I am able to walk on the streets in Europe (any cities) at midnight ALONE without the fear that someone will attack me any second. Last week a Malaysian friend who has been living in Petaling Jaya for years came for a visit. While she was here, we walked back to my apartment from the train station on foot around 10pm. She told me, she would not have walked on her own without me. She said, on the way, there’s a man sitting on the bench along the sidewalk and she thinks he could pose a danger to her life. As a matter of fact, I hardly notice there’s a man SITTING ON THE BENCH and what more to say how can it be possible that this man could be a threat. When i mentioned this to my Mainland Chinese friend, she asked me, is the security in Malaysia so bad that my Malaysian friend is always thinking any man or human around her can be a threat? How can it be possible the security in Malaysia is worse than mainland china?
While this could be due to individual personality, then it just struck me, what have we become as Malaysian? Are we always constantly living in FEAR? I think it’s getting ridiculously extreme, the level of our fear. How could it be possible that fear is part and parcel of our society? Is this a new Malaysian culture in Bolehland? When my brother was actively speaking out on Facebook about his dissatisfaction about issues in Kuching or generally in Malaysia (not sensitive issue, like racism, but more on what could be done better by the government in terms of administration and helping the people in needs), my mother actually asked him to stop writing them, in fear of offending the government and the risk of being arrested under ISA. I cannot agree with her why we should refrain from voicing out just because the government is not able to accept any form of criticism. Growing up, we were brainwashed in our education that ‘you shall not criticise the government, you must thank Dr M, you are blessed, we are the best country in the world’, but reality sets in and we are shattered from our ‘dreams’. Read the rest of this entry »
Is Najib becoming another Pak Lah – a Prime Minister whose writ does not run in UMNO?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Saturday, 23 April 2011
The question many are asking is whether the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is becoming another Pak Lah, the fifth Prime Minister whose writ did not run in Umno although he was also Umno President ending in his ignominious exit as Umno chief and prime minister.
This question has become more pronounced after Najib’s meek and completely unacceptable stance over Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call.
Najib’s tame excuse is that the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call was made by a columnist of a local daily and was the personal opinion of the writer concerned.
Najib’s excuse might be acceptable if Utusan Melayu is not the official organ of Umno, whose columns represent the mainstream opinion and demands of the Umno leadership in government.
Najib’s meek stance is doubly unacceptable because Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call is an open challenge to his 1Malaysia policy in the past two years – tantamount to an open slap in the face of the Prime Minister’s signature concept.
Furthermore, if any Chinese newspaper had for instance called for a “1Chinese” campaign in the country, it would have been slapped with the full weight of the law, the press closed down and its editor/writer charged with sedition. Why the double standards in the case of Utusan Malaysia? Read the rest of this entry »
S’wak polls: Reality check for Pakatan
By Bridget Welsh
Apr 23, 11
The simple fact in the wake of Saturday’s polls is that Pakatan Rakyat has failed to dent the two-thirds majority in Sarawak and deliver the needed electoral gains to push Abdul Taib Mahmud from office.
Much has been made of the unfairness of the polls, the use of money and the electoral irregularities. While these issues were important, they should not be excuses that overshadow shortcomings.
The Sarawak polls serves to remind the opposition some its weaknesses and without addressing these problems, their own one-third in the Dewan Rakyat could be in jeopardy.
Unlike in Sarawak, there is no dominant Taib issue at the national level and Prime Minister Najib Razak has regained support, particularly among Malays and Indians.
Further, in many ways, the unbalanced nature of the results, with the DAP winning the lion’s share of seats, has also created a new set of hurdles and it points to a growing unevenness within the opposition itself.
In the aftermath of the polls, the opposition faces the stark reality that it needs to move from a campaign of promising “change” to actual delivery. Read the rest of this entry »
Postal votes which are never posted
By Ivy Kwek
APRIL 22 — Having acted as a coordinator for polling and counting agents for the Opposition campaign in the recently concluded Sarawak state election has made me more confused about the rationale of the electoral system in Malaysia, in particular with regard to postal voting.
Under Malaysian election laws, postal voting is mainly allowed for police personnel, members of the armed forces and Election Commission workers who are on duty on polling day. Six days before polling day, postal votes will be issued through a procedure which can be witnessed by agents from all contesting parties. The ballot papers are inserted into envelopes with an acknowledgment form attached to be ‘posted’ to the voters concerned. (*Source: Brian Moh/The Star)
Don’t be fooled by the name, though. In actual fact, only a very small number of overseas votes are sent by post. The postal votes for police personnel and members of the armed forces are dispatched by police and military officials respectively to designated police stations and army camps, whereas Election Commission workers are required to collect their own postal votes from the issuing centre.
Upon arrival at the issuing centre, the EC workers have a choice of either voting on-the-spot (a polling station a la the normal voting procedure will be set up for them), or to take the ballot papers back and return them later. The postal voting station will be open for six days until polling day.
Questions which immediately arise are: if the EC workers can come in person to collect their postal votes, why can’t they just vote on-the-spot under the normal voting procedure? Why the additional choice of issuing ballot papers in envelopes which involves more steps and makes the system more prone to abuse? Why should the EC workers be allowed to bring the ballot papers back while ordinary voters do not enjoy this privilege? Why do they need six days to return the ballot papers? Is it to wait for God’s vision of who to vote for? Read the rest of this entry »
Did you hear about the Bidayuh who voted for DAP?
By June Rubis
April 22, 2011
We were like a bad bar joke: two Bidayuhs, a Lun Bawang, an Iban, and two Malays walk into a DAP ceramah in Kuching. The crowd is mostly Chinese, and the speeches so far are all in Mandarin.
“I don’t understand what they are saying,” I complain to my fellow Bidayuh.
“Neither do we, and that is why we drink,” he replies, handing me a can of beer.
The next day is Election Day for Sarawak, and we, the motley crew representing the urban non-Chinese, cast our votes for DAP.
Times have changed for urban Sarawakians who all this while have embraced DAP as a home-grown party despite it having its origins in West Malaysia. We have seen the party struggle to grab a foothold in the state political arena for many decades.
It may be a Chinese-based party but for many of us urban voters, it represents the best possible choice for change of a state governance that we have grown weary of. Plus, you have to admit, their mascot is very cun.
Unsurprisingly, DAP has done very well in the urban areas (and 30,000 Ubah plush toys have sold out in less than two weeks), and soon everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon about how the Sarawak Chinese have rejected Barisan Nasional. Read the rest of this entry »
Challenges for BN, Pakatan after the S’wak polls
By Ong Kian Ming
Apr 22, 11
In Part 1 of my analysis on the Sarawak elections, I explained the opposition’s failure to deny the BN a two-thirds majority in terms of the insufficient and unevenly distributed non-Muslim bumiputera (NMB) vote swing against the BN.
The complexity of the changes in the level of BN support in the NMB-majority seats, and to a lesser degree, the Malay/Melanau-majority seats, were also illustrated and explained.
Here, in Part 2 of my analysis, I put forth some of the implications and challenges for each of the major parties within the BN in Sarawak as well as the opposition in light of the election results.
What will Taib do now?
The biggest campaign issue during this state election was the length of time Abdul Taib Mahmud had been in power and when he would step down as chief minister. After the election, this issue remains unresolved.
The importance of Taib’s post-election plans as a political issue occupies an even greater prominence because he is at once the BN’s as well as the opposition’s greatest asset and liability in Sarawak. Read the rest of this entry »
Sarbaini’s kin not satisfied, wants police to reveal the truth
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Crime, Human Rights on Friday, 22 April 2011
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
April 22, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — The family of dead Customs official Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed are dissatisfied with police investigations and claim his death is being covered up.
They also want to know the “real story” behind his death plunge at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office here on April 6 — the second such case in an anti-graft office.
“We know that the late Ahmad Sarbaini fell from a high place but what caused him to fall? What caused his death?” asked a family member who declined to be named.
“Because from what I understand is that if someone falls from the third floor then the person will only suffer from broken bones but will not die from it,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Police said yesterday that the Selangor Customs assistant director died from head injuries due to the fall at the MACC building in Cheras.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah told reporters that it was now up to the Attorney-General to decide on the next course of action.
But the family said the police details were sketchy. Read the rest of this entry »
On suggestion of possible DAP-SNAP merger (2)
Three days ago, I had said:
“In the 13th national general elections, we should avoid any multi-cornered contests which can only benefit the Barisan Nasional and for this reason, I would even suggest that DAP and SNAP should seriously consider a merger of the two political parties to accelerate Iban/Dayak political awakening following the 416 Sarawak general elections.”
There have been different responses, both pro and con, to the suggestion that DAP and SNAP seriously consider a merger of the two parties, which are beneficial references and guides to political workers in Sarawak and Malaysia.
Veteran journalist Terence Netto described the idea of a merger between DAP and Snap as “one of the more stimulating propositions to emerge in recent times”.
There are also critics who oppose the idea painting its prospects in the most pessimistic terms. Read the rest of this entry »
Sweet and sour aftermath of S’wak polls
The Sarawak polls are over and the attention is now on assessing its implications at both the state and national levels. Much attention has focused on predictions for the next general elections, with the range of possible dates moving from a few months to further postponement until 2013.
My own view remains that there needs to be some time before the national election machinery is in place again, given the challenges that have emerged from the Sarawak campaign and that anything held this year would be too risky for the BN.
The political terrain is now more uncertain. In this vein, this article examines the immediate political implications, the “sweet” and “sour” challenges that the BN has to face in the wake of the state polls. Tomorrow’s piece will examine the implications for Pakatan Rakyat.
The Sarawak results indicate that the BN has suffered a serious bruising and will have to make hard decisions to improve its performance in the next general election.
Taib the victor (and loser)
Read the rest of this entry »
Behind the scenes of Raja Petra’s TV3 interview
Posted by Kit in Crime, Najib Razak, Raja Petra Kamaruddin on Friday, 22 April 2011
At the PKR 11th anniversary dinner on Tuesday (April 19) in Ipoh, party vice president Chua Jui Meng alleged that Raja Petra Kamarudin had been bought. Chua said that money could do wonders as indicated by the recent Sarawak election result.
Why would the fugitive blogger and Malaysia Today editor just before the election, in the TV3 interview, cast doubts on his own sensational statutory declaration?
In his SD of June 18, 2008, Raja Petra swore he had been “reliably informed that between about 10pm on 19th October 2006 and early hours of the following day, the night Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered, three (3) other people were also present at the scene of the crime”.
In an e-mail interview with Malaysia Insider on April 15, Raja Petra insisted that he is not a turncoat. He said that he will continue to support the opposition – the Pakatan Rakyat.
Read the rest of this entry »
Longing For A Free Mind (Part 7 of 14)
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa on Friday, 22 April 2011
By M. Bakri Musa
Avoiding Being Entrapped Mentally
Once we have adapted to our new open world, we need to reflect on how was it that we were under the coconut shell in the first place. More importantly, how do we prevent ourselves from being entrapped again? Can we inoculate ourselves against such a terrible fate?
As we contemplate these issues, it is well to be reminded of two major insights of modern neuroscience. One is the remarkable plasticity of the human brain, its almost infinite capacity to adapt and learn. The other, almost as the counterpoint, is the concept of, “Use it or lose it!” That is, if we do not exercise a particular mental faculty we will lose it, and much sooner than we expect. Thus if we do not exercise our free mind and critical faculty, our mind will inevitably become captive, or “un-free” and uncritical, blindly accepting everything thrown our way; our coconut shell again engulfing us.
Read the rest of this entry »
Explain DAP-SNAP merger invite, PKR tells Kit Siang
By Clara Chooi
April 21, 2011
KUCHING, April 21 — Sarawak PKR demanded a clarification today from Lim Kit Siang for inviting SNAP to merge with DAP without prior discussion with his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners.
SNAP, a Sarawak-based opposition party, came at odds with PKR during the just concluded Sarawak polls after seat distribution talks broke down.
Warning that such a merger would affect the existing relationship between PR’s key coalition partners — PKR, DAP and PAS — Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said today that Lim, as a veteran leader in the DAP, should explain his suggestion.
“Sarawak PKR is surprised to learn that Lim Kit Siang wants a ‘merger’ of DAP and SNAP. Since we are PR partners, we would appreciate a clarification of this proposal from Lim and the DAP,” he said in a statement today.
Baru, who was one of three PKR candidates who triumphed in the just-concluded Sarawak polls, reminded Lim that SNAP had attempted to “undermine” PKR by contesting against the party and forcing multi-cornered fights.
“SNAP has also consistently been negatively critical of PKR for reasons best known only to them.
“If anything, PKR Sarawak is deeply disappointed and saddened by SNAP’s approach within PR since we have always regarded SNAP as our partners,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
MCA leadership showing itself even more irrelevant after its ignominious rejection by voters in Sarawak state elections
The MCA leadership is showing itself to be even more irrelevant after its ignominious rejection by the Sarawak voters in the Sarawak state elections on Saturday.
MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi had gone to Sarawak as Barisan Nasional paramount Chinese leader and other MCA Ministers and leaders as “heroes” and “saviours” of SUPP but they all returned as pygmies.
One of the biggest mistakes made by SUPP in the recent Sarawak state elections was to expect the MCA and Gerakan leaders to save them, when SUPP leaders should have realized that these very MCA/Gerakan leaders could not save themselves or their own political parties!
This is the reason for the recent extraordinary MCA political gyrations with the MCA President egging on SUPP to boycott the Sarawak state cabinet while a MCA Vice President called on Tan Sri Abdul Taib to quit as Sarawak Chief Minister as he has lost the support of the Chinese community in the state.
All very correct and proper – except they reek of political hypocrisy and raised a mountain of questions, such as what the four MCA Ministers and seven Deputy Ministers are doing in the Federal Cabinet; why Chua did not review MCA’s earlier unprincipled decision in 2008 to be part of government when he took over as MCA President but instead was more interested to get his son appointed as Deputy Minister and elevate his confidantes in government through the Senate backdoor; and whether the MCA leadership would dare to tell Najib to resign as PM as it is asking Taib to quit as Chief Minister?
Read the rest of this entry »
Alleged Anwar sex tape2 – Police in danger of suffering knock-out blow in public confidence which only a change of government can restore
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Police on Thursday, 21 April 2011
It is exactly one month ago that Malaysians were sprung with the alleged Anwar Ibrahim sex tape made public by a cloak-and-dagger screening at the Carcosa Sri Negara on March 21 to select media representatives.
Malaysians now know that this is Alleged Anwar Sex Tape2 as 12 years ago in 1999, a sex video linking Anwar had surfaced and was investigated by the police.
This was revealed by Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, who was then the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Division (CID) chief and who had investigated the Alleged Anwar Sex Tape1.
The Police had dismissed the Alleged Anwar Sex Tape1 as a smear and attempt at character assassination of Anwar in 1999. The Alleged Anwar Sex Tape2 is the latest attempt to smear and character-assassinate Anwar.
Zain has asked the Police to widen its investigations into the Carcosa sex video to ascertain whether there are any possible links between the two Alleged Anwar Sex Tapes separated by 12 years, viz: Read the rest of this entry »
DAP dares MCA to dissolve and call for Najib’s resignation
By Clara Chooi
April 21, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The DAP challenged MCA leaders today to dissolve their party or call on the prime minister to resign should he lose Chinese community support in the coming general election.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang charged that the MCA was being hypocritical in calling for Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s resignation due to his failure to deliver the Chinese vote last week, pointing out that the MCA itself had performed no better in Election 2008.
In the Sarawak state polls last Saturday, Barisan Nasional (BN) lost 16 seats to the opposition, most of them Chinese-majority urban seats.
In Election 2008, MCA suffered its worst ever electoral defeat when it saw its parliamentary representation cut by more than half from 31 to just 15 seats.
“Now they are asking Taib to resign on grounds that he lost the Chinese vote. Will they apply the same standard to PM (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak)?
“And why is MCA still in the Cabinet? Why was MCA’s president (Datuk Seri Dr) Chua Soi Lek so keen on securing his son (Chua Tee Yong) a deputy minister’s post?” Lim asked.
DAP publicity chief Tony Pua, who led the party’s campaign in Sarawak, agreed, saying that the MCA should “dissolve” itself for having failed in its purpose of representing the Chinese community. Read the rest of this entry »
SIASATAN VIDEO SEKS 2011 – PERSAMAAN DAN PERBEZAAN DENGAN VIDEO SEKS PERTAMA 1999
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday, 21 April 2011
(Latest Open Letter by Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, former KL CID Chief to the Inspector-General of Police)
Mat Zain Ibrahim
18hb.April 2011
Kepada;
YDH Tan Sri Haji Ismail Hj.Omar,
Ketua Polis Negara,
Polis Di-Raja Malaysia, Melalui:Email dan Dengan Tangan
Bukit Aman,
50560 Kuala Lumpur,
Email:[email protected]
YDH Tan Sri,
SIASATAN VIDEO SEKS 2011-
PERSAMAAN DAN PERBEZAAN DENGAN VIDEO SEKS PERTAMA 1999.
1. Sepertimana juga sebilangan besar rakyat,saya turut mengikuti perkembangan penyiasatan Polis berkaitan isu video seks menerusi MSM dan juga media alternatif yang akan masuk minggu ke-empat.Berdasarkan kepada komen-komen mereka yang berpeluang membuatnya,menampakkan ramai yang mempersoalkan hala tuju penyiasatan Polis. Malah ramai yang membantah secara lantang pendirian Polis yang dikatakan jelas kelihatan berat sebelah terhadap satu pihak yang bertelagah dalam isu ini.
2. Saya jemput Tan Sri merujuk kepada Surat Terbuka saya bertarikh 28 March 2011 yang kemudiannya dibahaskan diParlimen.Saya mengekalkan dan mengulangi kenyataan-kenyataan saya dalam Surat Terbuka tersebut,serta mengambil kandungannya sebagai sebahagian dan lanjutan kepada surat ini.Saya mengekalkan pendirian saya bahawa isu video lucah ini adalah merupakan pertembungan peribadi antara Rahim Thamby Chik dan Anwar Ibrahim.
3. Saya yakin Polis mampu mengambil pendirian yang professional dan berkecuali menangani siasatan ini,serta memberikan pendengaran yang adil kepada kedua- dua belah pihak,sambil memberikan mereka “gelanggang yang samarata”(level playing field),untuk membuktikan kebenaran masing-masing.
4. Bukan menjadi hasrat saya mencampuri siasatan Polis,namun begitu sebagai seorang pesara Polis yang berpeluang menangani isu-isu yang berkaitan dengan Anwar dan Rahim serta beberapa kenamaan lain ketika dalam perhidmatan,saya rasa terpanggil untuk mendedahkan maklumat-maklumat yang saya percaya dapat membantu siasatan. Read the rest of this entry »
Another alleged sex tape of Anwar in 1999, says ex-cop
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday, 21 April 2011
By Shannon Teoh
April 21, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — A retired senior police officer has said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was linked to a sex video in 1999, and is asking for an investigation to uncover any connection with similar allegations last month.
Former KL CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim wrote about his suspicions in an open letter to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar this week, saying he had investigated the first case 12 years ago.
“Several comparisons and questions arise regarding the two sex videos. I am of the opinion that the investigation into the 2011 Sex Video II must take into account the circumstances surrounding the 1999 Sex Video I.
“There is a ‘nexus’ between the two,” he wrote in the letter that was made available to The Malaysian Insider.
A mysterious “Datuk T” had first screened the video purportedly showing the opposition leader having sex with a Chinese prostitute on March 21.
Former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, Perkasa treasurer-general Datuk Shuib Lazim and businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah later took responsibility for the 21-minute recording, stating that their aim was to “show that a man who wants to be prime minister is not qualified.” Read the rest of this entry »
1 Malaysia email page changed on Pemandu website
By Shannon Teoh
April 21, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) changed details of the 1 Malaysia email project on its website between the day it was announced and yesterday, and now calls it a private sector initiative when it was previously listed as a government initiative.
“The 1Malaysia Email project is a government initiative in providing a unique and official email account and ID for the citizens of Malaysia,” the description read on Tuesday.
Since yesterday, the description of the RM50 million project read: “The 1Malaysia Email project which features the domain name of ‘myemail.my’ is a private sector initiative led by Tricubes Berhad to provide a unique and official email account and user ID for interested citizens of Malaysia.”
This came after public outcry over the project that many said was a waste of public funds forced both Pemandu and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to clarify on Tuesday that the government would not fund the platform for secure communication with the public.
As of 8am today, close to 36,000 Facebook users have joined a virtual protest against the project and both #1malaysiaemail and Tricubes are still among the top 10 Malaysian topics on microblogging site Twitter, nearly two days after the emails were first announced.
The unit, under Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala, insisted yesterday that the project is a private sector initiative despite a report by The Malaysian Insider that the government had invited bids last November for a RM50 million government services Internet solution. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP-Snap merger would break the mould
By Terence Netto
Apr 21, 11
COMMENT If a mature politics is a pattern of creative responses to society’s vast inertia and small margin for change, then the idea of a merger between DAP and Snap is one of the more stimulating propositions to emerge in recent times.
With one stroke, Alexander of Macedon solved all the mystery of the Gordian knot. A DAP-Snap merger, in one fell swoop, would break the racial mould in which Sarawak’s politics has for the last four decades been mired.
Floated by the DAP’s strategic director, Lim Kit Siang, in the immediate aftermath of his party’s redoubtable showing in the Sarawak polls last Saturday, the idea is a win-win proposition for both parties.
For the DAP, the merger would enable them to field suitable Chinese Malaysian candidates in Dayak-majority seats; as for Snap, they can commend capable Dayak candidates to stand in the urban centres in Sarawak where Chinese voters predominate and who, in the election last week, overwhelmingly preferred DAP candidates to rival, SUPP, ones.
This hypothetical cross-fielding of candidates would begin to bridge the real but unspoken gulf in Sarawak: the chasm in politics and economics that exist between the more affluent Chinese and the majority and disadvantaged Dayaks, especially the Iban.
The gulf is compounded on the one side by condescension and, on the other, by mistrust. It’s the kind of divide that politicians are loath to deal with. In sallying forth to try, Lim delivers another blow to his critics’ unfair stereotype of him as a covert racist. Read the rest of this entry »
S’wak: Why Pakatan failed to deny 2/3rd majority
I did not have time to write a prediction piece for the recently concluded Sarawak state election because I was heavily involved in the campaign this time, rather than analysing it as an outside observer.
But I did tweet and put on Facebook (and placed a few friendly wagers) that the BN would lose its two-thirds majority by failing to win at least 47 seats. I was, not for the first time and certainly not for the last time, wrong.
In this first of my two-part analysis of this election, I will quickly lay out the basis for my initial optimism and then proceed to explain, using the election results, why my prediction did not materialise.
I will pay particular attention to the very complicated voting patterns exhibited by the various non-Muslim bumiputera groups because these voters were, and will likely be, the swing voters come the next general election.
Read the rest of this entry »
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