Archive for November 26th, 2011
Peaceful Assembly Bill a test case whether Najib’s pledge on becoming Prime Minister that “the era of government knows best is over” is serious commitment or just hocus pocus, bunkum and baloney
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Najib Razak on Saturday, 26 November 2011
The Peaceful Assembly Bill is a test case whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pledge on becoming Prime Minister in April 2009 that “the era of government knows best is over”, setting the stage for a government that responds to the people’s views and concerns, or it was just hocus pocus, bunkum and baloney with the Prime Minister not meaning what he said and not prepared to “walk the talk” right from the start of his premiership.
If Najib is serious that under his administration, the era of “government knows best” is over, then he should not find any difficultly in postponing further second reading of the Peaceful Assembly Bill and refer it to a Parliamentary Select Committee to have fullest and meaningful public consultation to ensure that the new Peaceful Assembly Act is not more repressive than the regime created by Section 27 of the Police Act by bringing about an environment where all Malaysians, particularly the civil society, human right activists and the political opposition, feel more liberated instead of being more suppressed under the new legislative proposals.
The only people who are happy with the Peaceful Assembly Bill are the Police and the Home Minister, who have been armed with arbitrary powers to impose restrictive and onerous conditions reducing the constitutional rights of Malaysians to freedom of assembly an empty one.
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Government facing an economic dilemma
By Ramon Navaratnam | 25 Nov 2011
The Malaysian Insider
NOV 25 — At least two economic ministers, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, yesterday sounded greater caution on our economic outlook next year.
The European economy is weakening and the finance minister stated that government is “closely monitoring the European situation”. This shows his serious concern as to how low the European economies can go and how much we would be adversely affected.
The economic planning minister at the same time stated that “the global economic recovery is likely to stay weak and bumpy with a higher probability that things could get worse.”
We cannot therefore take it for granted that Malaysia can achieve a 5-5.5 per cent growth in our economy this year and anything near 5 per cent next year. Inflation could exceed 3.5 per cent next year and we could move towards stagflation which means stagnant economic growth and rising prices.
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Give Hishammuddin a break
Posted by Kit in Hishammuddin on Saturday, 26 November 2011
By Gomen Man | 25 Nov 2011
The Malaysian Insider
NOV 25 — Stop blaming Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for the proposed Peaceful Assembly Act. He may be the minister in charge of the police but there is a reason why Nazri Aziz and not him proposed the Bill in Parliament: his boss, the Prime Minister does not trust him.
So we can blame him for tolerating the cow head protest, for his childish opposition to Bersih 2.0, for his right wing tendencies and not being the intellectual league of his father or grandfather.
But he cannot be blamed for the new assembly act, which makes Malaysia look decidedly second best to Myanmar. In Umno circles, people are afraid of shadows and enough of Najib’s boys have been talking about the political ambitions of his cousin.
The talk has had effect and Hishammuddin does not enjoy the complete confidence of the PM. Especially after the Bersih debacle where some 50,000 people turned up despite the police advising the capital city to be shut down.
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