Archive for November 25th, 2011
The hands behind Malaysia’s false spring
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Lim Teck Ghee, Najib Razak on Friday, 25 November 2011
By Dr Lim Teck Ghee | 25 November 2011
To most of the country’s independent political observers, it is very clear now. With the unveiling of the new proposed law restricting our right to peaceful assembly and protest, the Malaysian public has been taken for a ride on the promise of political liberalization and reform made by the Prime Minister on the eve of Malaysia Day this year.
What is the explanation for the apparent turnaround in Najib Razak’s initial plan unveiled on 15 September this year to abandon earlier draconian and repressive legislation and to improve our civil liberties?
Is it that there was really no enlightened plan but in fact a calculated and cynical move aimed at strangling the right to peaceful assembly – a potential game changer in the country’s political dynamics – whilst holding out crumbs of comfort that the government is being sincere about political liberalization on less important fronts?
Read the rest of this entry »
Najib at loss for words about new Myanmar Protest Bill which requires only 5 days’ notice when he describes his own Peaceful Assembly Bill as “revolutionary” but which requires 30 days’ notice
Posted by Kit in Burma, Human Rights, Najib Razak, Parliament on Friday, 25 November 2011
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak must be at a loss for words to describe the new Myanmar Protest Bill requiring its citizens to give five days’ notice to the authorities to protest peacefully when he can claim that his own Peaceful Assembly Bill is “revolutionary” but which requires 30 days notice.
Myanmar has always been regarded as the worst laggard country in ASEAN in its utter disregard and contempt for human rights and it must be very mortifying and shameful for the Malaysian government, parliamentarians and people that we now have to learn from Myanmar on how to respect human rights and fundamental constitutional liberties of our people, at least on freedom of assembly!
Does Najib want to send the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hashim to Myanmar to learn to be more respectful of the fundamental liberties at least with regard to freedom of assembly for the respective citizenry?
This is one powerful reason why the Peaceful Assembly Bill which Najib presented for second reading yesterday should be withdrawn or all Malaysian MPs would not be able to hold their heads high whether in regional or international conferences when the Myanmar Parliament could pass a bill on freedom of assembly requiring only five days’ notice to the authorities while the Malaysian government is demanding 30 days’ notice.
I thought the day will never come for me to say this – the Malaysian Prime Minister and Cabinet should learn from Myanmar at least on freedom of peaceful protest and assembly. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia can leap into World Bank top 10 list in two years, says chief secretary
Posted by Kit in Good Governance on Friday, 25 November 2011
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 25, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 — Malaysia only needs two years to break into the World Bank’s top 10 list of most competitive countries in the world, Putrajaya’s No. 1 public servant told The Malaysian Insider.
In a recent exclusive interview, Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said for the country to be a top performer the private sector needed to grow in tandem with its civil service.
“Our country can become more competitive by having the public sector 20 to 50 years ahead and bring it to today; and have the corporate sector 50 years ahead and bring it to today. Then, our country Malaysia can indeed be Number 1,” the chief secretary to the government said.
By that, he meant both government and private businesses needed to devise ways to fulfil the customer’s existing needs and anticipate future requirements before anyone else did.
And Sidek believes that Malaysians are ready to take on the challenge. Read the rest of this entry »
Antara Islam dan ‘negara Islam’
Posted by Kit in Islam, Islamic state on Friday, 25 November 2011
— by Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 25, 2011
25 NOV — Awal bulan November ini saya hadiri seminar di The Middle East Centre, Oxford bertajuk “The Sacking of Syria: Assad as Hulego”. Pembentangnya Rana Kabbani, seorang penulis dan penyiar Syria. Saya kagum dengan keberanian wanita ini. Mungkin jika di Malaysia ada pihak yang tidak mahu hadiri ucapannya sebab beliau “free hair” dan agak bergaya. Letak itu di sebelah dahulu, saya kagum dengan semangatnya mengkritik regim-regim Arab. “A very inspiring speech.”
Saya tertarik apabila salah seorang British bertanya beliau bahawa tidakkah nanti selepas kejatuhan Assad akan menyebabkan golongan “extremist” yang memperjuangkan “Islam state” akan mengambil alih. Beliau dengan bersemangatnya bertanya balas “kenapa awak kata demikian? Apakah kerana awak mendengar mereka melaungkan ‘Allahu Akbar’?!”
Seterusnya beliau berkata bahawa mereka melaungkan Allahu Akhbar adalah kerana Islam agama mereka. Tiada siapa berhak menafikan hal itu. Ia bermaksud Allah itu Maha Besar. Itu adalah slogan Muslim apabila berhadapan dengan regim yang sombong dan bongkak. Untuk siapa lagi yang hendak mereka laungkan slogan kebesaran. Tiada kaitan dengan kehendak mengujudkan “Islam state” seperti yang diidamkan oleh sesetengah gerakan. Read the rest of this entry »
I have been waiting for the revocation of the three Emergency Proclamations for the past 30 to 40 years
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Human Rights, Parliament, Police on Friday, 25 November 2011
I stand to support the motion by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to revoke the Emergency Proclamations of 1966, 1969 and 1977.
I have been waiting for the revocation for the past 30 to 40 years.
The Barisan Nasional MP for Tangga Batu Datuk Idris Haron who just spoke misled the House when he said that Barisan Nasional stands for consistency.
This is because the byword of Barisan Nasional and UMNO is not consistency, but inconsistency and hypocrisy, particularly on the issue before the House – the revocation of the Emergency Proclamations of 1966, 1969 and 1977.
On 28th and 29th June, 1979, my motion to repeal the four Proclamations of Emergency of 1964 (concerning the Indonesian Confrontation), 1966 (Sarawak political crisis), 1969 (May 13 Riots) and 1977 (Kelantan political crisis) was debated in Parliament for two days but all the Barisan Nasional MPs spoke and voted against it.
But today, all the Barisan and UMNO MPs are supporting the revocation of the Emergency Proclamations.
Who is being inconsistent? Read the rest of this entry »
Top 10 reasons to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Najib Razak on Friday, 25 November 2011
by Zan Azlee
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 25, 2011
NOV 25 — I disagree with the Peaceful Assembly Bill which is being tabled in Parliament at the moment and I know that many sane Malaysians also disagree with it.
There’s been (and will be) tons of people writing and voicing their thoughts on the matter and here’s my list of top 10 reasons why I disagree with it:
1. The right for people to assemble is the right to freedom of speech and expression. If you limit and restrict that right, then you are denying democracy.
2. Myanmar just passed a law to allow public protests. I repeat — Myanmar just passed a law to allow public protests.
3. Prime Minister Najib Razak says this new law will be “revolutionary.” Sure! It’s as revolutionary as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards! Read the rest of this entry »
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