Archive for 2012
Does Malaysia need democracy?
— Dennis Ignatius
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 28, 2012
JUNE 28 — “Government of the people, by the people and for the people would result in a stalemate, in no government at all, in anarchy.” — Dr Mahathir Mohamad
In the Philippines recently to accept an honorary professorship by the University of Santo Thomas, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his usual provocative style, drew attention to some of the weaknesses of democracy and warned that we should not put too much stock in democracy to solve our problems.
If his goal was to highlight the difficulties inherent in a democracy, we will all do well to pay careful heed. If, however, his objective was to make the case that democracy, because of the weaknesses he highlighted, is not suitable for developing countries like Malaysia, which I suspect is his intent, then I must respectfully beg to disagree. Read the rest of this entry »
Kita gantung pembunuh, bukan gantung yang berbeza pendapat!
— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 28, 2012
28 JUN — Kita gantung yang membunuh Altantuya. Kita gantung pengedar dadah. Kita gantung yang menjual kad pengenalan. Kita gantung yang menjual rahsia tentera laut. Kita gantung yang menjual kerakyatan. Kita tak gantung orang yang berbeza pendapat dan pandangan. Hanya untuk sekali sahaja — pemimpin Umno gunalah otak kamu.
Pemimpin-pemimpin United Munafik National Organisation(Umno) bersikap macam burung ostrich yang menyorokkan kepala dalam lubang tanah. Dia ingat kalau dia tak nampak musuh pemangsa, maka musuh pemangsa atau binatang lain tidak nampak akan dia. Hendak kita ketawakan dan kritik mereka, kita serba salah, maklum sahajalah, mereka berotak burung. Kita jadi pandir jika melayan puak Umno. Tak setuju tarik kerakyatan! Tak setuju kita gantung. Tak setuju kita jel! Inilah kualiti pemimpin Umno. Hendakkah kita amanahkah negara kepada orang bermutu rendah dan selekeh otak macam ini?
Dr Mahathir sendiri yang kata memang pemimpin Umno yang sekarang ini orang-orang bodoh dan half-past six. Yang cerdik sudah masuk PAS, yang bijak sudah masuk PKR dan yang pandai dah masuk DAP. Yang tolol dan bahlul dan mengeluarkan bahan yang patut keluar dari dubur, di keluarkan ikut lubang mulut sahaja yang tinggal dalam Umno. Sebab itu Dr Mahathir kata, Umno sudah busuk sampai ke usus. Kalau kita hendak selamat, maka kita amanahkan negara kepada Pakatan Rakyat. Bukan saya cakap, Dr Mahathir yang suruh.
Mahukah kita amanahkan pentadbiran negara kepada barisan pemimpin yang tolol lagi bahlul, perasuah dan pembuli? Bagaimana negara hendak maju dalam tangan orang Umno yang tolol wa bahlul? Rosak dan punah negara kita. Read the rest of this entry »
Egypt: The 12 million losers!
Posted by Kit in Elections, General, Middle East/Africa on Wednesday, 27 June 2012
By Ali Ibrahim
Al Arabiya News
27 June 2012
Simply following the comments of activists and observers on social networking websites during the press conference held by the head of Egypt’s electoral commission, Farouk Sultan, who was forced by law to issue a lengthy legal preamble before the election result was announced, was fun in itself. These activists, in their nervous state, posted various comments claiming that Sultan’s narrative or use of certain words meant that Shafiq would be declared the winner, only to return later to post other comments claiming that the indications now suggested that Mursi would be declared victorious! Some comments accused the head of the electoral commission of being sadistic, because he did not immediately announce the election result but instead left everyone on the edge of their seats as he reviewed the work of the electoral commission and the difficult conditions it operated under.
Despite a flood of conspiracy theories, claims of voter fraud, and talk about secret understandings being reached behind closed doors, no one was sure of the name of the winning candidate until Farouk Sultan announced that Mohammed Mursi had won ahead of Ahmed Shafiq. Hence a new chapter in post-25 January Egypt has begun, and the challenges of this stage are no less difficult than the previous transitional period, which lasted for around 16 months and was full of turmoil.
There was a winner and a loser, each with a large support base who voted for them, and neither can cancel the other out. The end result was decided by a difference of less than 3 percent, or about 900 thousand votes out of a total of roughly 26 million according to the commission’s figures, including more than 800 thousand invalid votes. In the end, everyone must accept the outcome of the ballot box even if the difference is so small. Read the rest of this entry »
Scandalous! Outrageous! Najib administration not serious about bringing Teoh’s killers to justice when MACC could take three times longer than TBH RCI to conduct internal probe into RCI findings on criminal transgressions of MACC officers
Posted by Kit in Teoh Beng Hock on Wednesday, 27 June 2012
It is downright scandalous and outrageous – the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) taking three times longer than the Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to conduct its internal probe into the RCI findings on the criminal transgressions of MACC officers resulting in Teoh’s death at MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009.
And what is the outcome of such MACC internal probe? To decide on the disciplinary action to be taken against the three MACC officers whose “aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation” had “driven” Teoh “to commit suicide”!
The MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed said today that the MACC would first make its recommendations to its complaints committee before meting out appropriate disciplinary action against the trio.
The message is very simple and crystal clear – the Najib administration and the MACC are just not serious in wanting to bring Teoh’s killers to justice! Read the rest of this entry »
Hanya ‘mutu mengenal manikam’, bukannya ‘Muthu mengenal Maniam’
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 26, 2012
26 JUN — Saya bersetuju dengan Dr Mahathir bahawa kita tidak perlu mengikut jejak cara Arab Spring untuk menjatuhkan kerajaan, kerana diantara Malaysia dan negara-negara arab itu berbeza. Di negara-negara Arab itu tidak ada demokrasi dan saya bersetuju dengan Dr Mahathir itu.
Kita tidak mahu terjadinya Arab Spring disini untuk mendapatkan kuasa. Kita memilih untuk mendapatkan kuasa melalui pengiraan undi didalam pilihanraya yang diadakan secara demokratik. Tidak ada siapa yang mahukan kekecohan dalam politik ini, lebih-lebih lagi pihak pembangkang.
Kerana tidak mahu berlakunya Arab Spring itulah, rakyat mendesak kerajaan untuk membetulkan sistem pilihanraya di negara kita ini. Negara kita telah melalui pilihanraya demi pilihanraya sejak merdeka tetapi rakyat sekarang sedar bahawa sistem pilihanraya dan demokrasinya yang telah terlaksana selama ini tidak sampai ketahap yang munasabah. Ianya berat sebelah dan sentiasa memberikan kelebihan kepada BN sahaja. Read the rest of this entry »
Sand, Sensibility and Singapore Bashing
Posted by Kit in environment, Lynas, Mahathir, Singapore on Tuesday, 26 June 2012
by Koon Yew Yin
CPI
Every few months or so, the subject of selling sand to Singapore flares up in the media.
When this happens in the websites, the discussion takes on a polemical turn – with ‘patriots’ proclaiming how disloyal it is to sell sand to our neighbor; how we are selling out our national interests; etc.
The latest report out in the media states that a private company employed by the operator of the Tanjung Agas Gas and Oil Logistic Park in Pahang is being investigated for smuggling sand into Singapore (see http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/31/nation/20120531065041&sec=nation). Read the rest of this entry »
What Malaysians want in 13GE is not a revolution but a normal democracy where peaceful transition of power at national level is accepted by Najib, UMNO and all stakeholders
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Yesterday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad questioned the “clamour by some quarters to push for a revolution to topple the government when the latter was already giving a lot of priority to the people’s interests”.
In a forum entitled “Discussions with a statesman – The commitment of graduates will be a catalyst for national progress” at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Mahathir said there was no necessity for Malaysians to act outside of the law to topple the government as Malaysia had a democratic system that was much better than many countries affected by the “Arab Spring”.
Mahathir is in his classic and irresponsible self spouting perverse illogic, deliberately and mischievously couching the present phase of the democratic battle in Malaysia in misleading and tendentious context by invoking the images of bloodshed, chaos, violence and riots by referring to “a push for a revolution to topple the government”.
Only very recently, there was the monstrous lies about the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 as a “coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government” when hundreds of thousands of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender gathered peacefully in a common national cause for a clean election for a clean Malaysia, armed at most with salt and water mineral bottles to defend themselves against irresponsible police firing of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannons.
But whether on April 28 or in the run-up to the next general election, there is no “push for a revolution” in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Anti Islam: DAP tidak bodoh
by Subyky Latif
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 26, 2012
26 JUN — Jika Umno ada kejayaan besar dalam perjuangannya setakat ini ialah ia dapat menenamkan persepsi di kalangan orang Melayu yang tebal Umnonya bahawa DAP anti Islam.
Inilah yang dijaja di merata-rata oleh agen Umno sebagai usahanya menyekat kemaraan Pakatan Rakyat ke Putrajaya.
Dan antara dalih orang Melayu tidak berapa mahu PAS menggantikan Umno ialah kerana PAS berkawan dengan DAP. Ada pun momokan DAP itu anti Melayu mulai reda kerana mulai ada benih Umno — dua bekas ADUNnya — menyertai DAP.
Maka yang rancak disabut dalam perjumpaan Umno ialah DAP anti Islam.
Saya tidak berhajat untuk membela DAP, tetapi saya hendak tanya, adakah DAP itu sebagai sebuah parti politik dalam masyarakat yang ramai penduduk Islam begitu bodoh untuk menampilkan politik anti Islam? Read the rest of this entry »
Is Najib prepared to declare that those who regard Chinese and Indians as “kaum pendatang” are lunatic, anti-national, must be condemned by all patriotic Malaysians and will have no place in Malaysian politics or public service?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Monday, 25 June 2012
In trying to downplay the “pendatang” (immigrants) slur oft made against non-Malay Malaysians, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is admitting to two things:
• Firstly, the failure of his 1Malaysia Policy which he announced when he became Prime Minister 39 months ago with the objective to create a Malaysia where every Malaysian regard himself or herself as Malaysian first and race, religion, region and socio-economic status second;
• Secondly, his inability and impotence to do anything to counter and wipe out this divisive and insidious mindset which perpetuates a false, mischievous and anti-national division of Malaysians, which is particularly ludicrous when the first-generation local born of one community could call on a fourth, fifth or sixth-generation local born of another community to “balik China” or “balik India”!
In his dialogue with Chinese youths at University Malaya yesterday, Najib urged the Chinese community not to be offended by people who call them pendatang (immigrants) because such remarks are made by a handful of “lunatics” with “loose screws”.
He said those who utter such remarks intentionally say so to hurt the feelings of the Chinese community and that his administration does not share such views.
He said: “I hope we are not too hurt by one or two comments. In every community, there are always one or two individuals whose heads are not quite right.”
Najib’s answer would be most assuring if it is true that it is only “one or two lunatics” with “loose screws” who made such offensive, insidious and anti-national remarks.
However, this is not the case. Read the rest of this entry »
Who do you trust on crime?
— Justice Seeker
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 24, 2012
JUNE 24 — Who do we trust? I tell you who we should trust: Those who have a track record of telling the truth; those whose track record of performance can stand up to scrutiny.
Just think about all those people who you have trusted all through your life: your parents, siblings, classmates, colleagues, religious leaders, etc. Even when you did not agree with what they told you, you knew that it was probably for your benefit and, ultimately, truthful.
So we should use the same yardstick or gut feel to evaluate what Idris Jala is telling us about crime. Read the rest of this entry »
Ali Hamsa! Lepaskan jawatan KSN, tanding atas tiket BN!
Posted by Kit in Politics, public service, UMNO on Sunday, 24 June 2012
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 24, 2012
24 JUN — Baru sehari dua menjadi Ketua Setiausaha Negara (KSN) Dr Ali Hamsa sudah bercakap politik, sedangkan beliau adalah ketua kepada 1.4 juta perkhidmat awam yang sepatutnya tidak menyebelahi mana-mana pihak dan bekerjasama dengan sesiapa atau mana-mana parti yang dipilih rakyat.
Kakitangan kerajaan merupakan pelaksana kepada apa-apa dasar yang telah digubal oleh sesiapa yang memerintah yang diberikan mandat oleh rakyat.
Ali menyeru kepada semua kakitangan kerajaan supaya memberikan sokongan kepada kerajaan yang ada pada hari ini dan jangan mendengar janji-janji kosong dari pihak pembangkang. Walaupun beliau berasa berterima kasih kepada kerajaan kerana dijadikan KSN manggantikan KSN yang lama ia tidak bermakna Ali boleh menafikan hasrat rakyat yang ramai yang merupakan empunya kepada negara ini.
Penjawat awam itu pun kepunyaan rakyat dan dibayar gaji mereka oleh rakyat termasuk gaji Ali itu sendiri. Penjawat awam seperti Ali ini nampaknya mesti melalui kursus sivik yang asas untuk memahami apakah jenis negara dan sistem yang ada yang beliau akan tadbir ini. Read the rest of this entry »
Crime: Perception and publicity
— The Malaysian Insider
Jun 24, 2012
JUNE 24 — Datuk Seri Idris Jala has a tough job, to manage the performance and delivery of key government initiatives and targets from the economy to cutting index crime.
So, the minister and the PEMANDU chief executive has to work with the private and public sector on all these targets.
But telling the media how to report crime — be it solved or unsolved — isn’t really his brief. That’s just window-dressing, and there’s a limit to window-dressing, don’t you think?
The Sunday Star today carried an interview with Jala, where he called on the media to play its role in fighting crime and help arrest the “doom and gloom” by reporting on solved cases and not sensationalising crime by repeatedly reporting the same news. Read the rest of this entry »
Civil servant or politician, Mr Ali Hamsa
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, public service on Sunday, 24 June 2012
— Gomen Man
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 24, 2012
JUNE 24 — I get it, Ali Hamsa. You are so thankful to Najib Razak for jumping over the queue of more senior civil servants to become the Chief Secretary that today you did something unprofessional: you urged your subordinates who are supposed to be non-partisan to become supporters of Barisan Nasional.
By doing so, you have forgotten about the great tradition of the Malaysian Civil Service, that great body which once upon a time produced stellar gentlemen as Abdullah Ayub, Malek Marican, Bhupinder Singh. Civil servants who understood that their loyalty was to King and country and the taxpayers.
That is why they were so careful with how government funds were used and why they fought off any attempts to turn the civil servants into puppets for politicians. Read the rest of this entry »
Monkey see, monkey do
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Corruption, Elections on Sunday, 24 June 2012
Rom Nain
Malaysiakini
Jun 21, 2012
As the 13th general election looms on the not-too-distant horizon, the incumbents seem to flinch at giving us all a date when it will be held.
Indeed, the coast seemed clear for them to set a date some months back. But three letters, N, F and C, some related cows, cars and condos – and the predictable disappearance of few million ringgit of our tax money – started to screw things up.
Of course, no sooner had the minister involved been chastised and then, of course, cleared and forgiven, then the mainstream media got all that off our radar.
But, as the saying goes, it doesn’t rain, it pours. Read the rest of this entry »
Is there a need for more interfaith dialogue in Malaysia? (Part 1)
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Media, Religion on Saturday, 23 June 2012
— Dina Zaman
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 23, 2012
JUNE 23 — Malaysia is not unique in its multicultural make-up, and the problems it faces. What makes Malaysia unique is Islam is the largest practised religion, (not unlike Indonesia) with a huge percentage of people who practise other faiths and beliefs. Article 3 of the Federal Constitution declares that Islam is the religion of the Federation, and that this does not affect the other provisions of the Constitution (Article 4(3)). Therefore, the fact that Islam is the religion of Malaysia does not by itself import Islamic principles into the Constitution but it does contain a number of specific Islamic features:
States may create their own laws to govern Muslims in respect of Islamic law and personal and family law matter. States may create Syariah courts to adjudicate over Muslims in respect of State Islamic laws. States may also create laws in relation to offences against precepts of Islam but this is subject to a number of limitations: (i) such laws may only apply to Muslims, (ii) such laws may not create criminal offences as only Parliament has the power to create criminal laws and (iii) the State Syariah Courts have no jurisdiction over Islamic offences unless allowed by federal law (see the above section). Much has been said about the country and its tolerance for the many faiths practised by its people. Malaysia makes for a fantastic advertisement on multiculturalism, and the infamous Malaysia, Truly Asia advertisement seen on television is proof of that. Read the rest of this entry »
Fixed term not ‘fairer’ without clean polls, says Pakatan
Posted by Kit in Elections, Parliament on Friday, 22 June 2012
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 22, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — A fixed five-year parliamentary term would not be a “fairer” system for any party without the guarantee of a clean and fair election process, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers said today.
Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang said minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had “missed the point” when the latter made the suggestion for a fixed term yesterday, pointing out that many other countries that still allow the early dissolution of Parliament do not misuse that power.
“The problem in our case is when the decision for early dissolution is camouflaged in such secrecy,” he said, referring to the current uncertainty over the date for the 13th general election.
Lim said that in other nations, adequate notice is given to all parties on the date of the polls, as well as a lengthier campaign period, to allow all election candidates enough time to woo voters. Read the rest of this entry »
Mahathir’s remarks cause for concern
Posted by Kit in Elections, Mahathir, Najib Razak, UMNO on Friday, 22 June 2012
— Lim Sue Goan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 22, 2012
JUNE 22 — Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has made many shocking statements after leaving office. In January 2010, he claimed that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were staged by the US government.
In a recent speech, he openly criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s liberalisation policy. He said that the government was too soft in handling the Bersih rally and warned that too much freedom risked stirring an ethnic hornet’s nest. He later implied that he was not impressed by the government’s gesture to revive a Chinese independent school in Kuantan, believing that the vernacular school system has divided the country.
We should not overly discuss Mahathir’s remarks since he is no longer in office. However, it is worrying that his remarks might trigger the nerves of the party’s hawks and conservatives, resulting in more obstacles to the work of reviving the Chinese independent school in Kuantan. Read the rest of this entry »
JAWI ignores justice and fairness
Posted by Kit in Islam, Law & Order on Friday, 22 June 2012
— P. Ramakrishnan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 22, 2012
JUNE 22 — Justice and fairness is the much emphasised virtue in the Islamic faith and tradition. There is no dispute regarding this. But does the Jabatan Agama Wilayah Persekutuan (JAWI) project this virtue in its conduct and deed? This is disputable.
The Barisan government for reasons known only to itself banned the book “Allah, Liberty and Love” by the Canadian author Irshad Manji. The book was apparently banned on May 29, 2012 and this was made public 16 days later on June 14, 2012.
But before the book was officially banned, JAWI officials raided the Borders bookshop at The Gardens Mall in Mid-Valley City, Kuala Lumpur on May 23, 2012 and seized these books that were on sale. This raid took place six days before the book in question was officially banned.
In other words at the time of the raid there was no ban and no announcement that these books should not be sold. There was no justification for the raid. There was no fatwa issued by JAWI prohibiting the sale of these books. There were, therefore, no grounds for JAWI to act. Under the circumstance, the only conclusion that could logically prevail is that it was legitimate to sell these books on May 23, 2012. Read the rest of this entry »
Guan Eng wins second defamation suit against Utusan
Posted by Kit in DAP, Lim Guan Eng, Media, Penang Government on Friday, 22 June 2012
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 22, 2012
UPDATED @ 03:45:31 PM 22-06-2012
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — The Penang High Court today found Utusan Malaysia guilty of defaming Lim Guan Eng, the second such ruling in six months, and ordered the Umno daily to pay him RM200,000 in damages and RM20,000 in costs.
The Penang chief minister had claimed a March 12, 2008 article headlined “Tiada Lagi DEB (No More NEP)” in the Malay-language newspaper which said he would abolish the New Economic Policy was inaccurate.
The DAP secretary-general said he had merely said his administration would be free from the “cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency” stemming from the policy.
The Bagan MP claimed damages as the article implied that he was an “irresponsible and unworthy” leader. Read the rest of this entry »
Dissecting the ETP Annual Report (Part 3): It was only RM12.9 billion of actual investments
By Ong Kian Ming and Teh Chi-Chang | June 21, 2012
JUNE 21 — It’s a long way from “committed” to “actual”. PEMANDU trumpets in its Annual Report that the ETP has brought in RM179 billion of investments. What is downplayed is that the RM179 billion is for committed investments. Actual investments under the ETP were just RM12.9 billion — a mere 7 per cent of the RM179 billion committed.
The committed investments figure is also doubtful. We found at least five projects worth RM17 billion where the ultimate investments may be less than promised. For example, PEMANDU took “110 per cent” credit for villa pre-bookings at the RM9.6 billion Karambunai Integrated Resort. But the project developer is being sued for defaulting on RM18 million of rental payments. Does it have the financial capability to deliver the new villas?
PEMANDU is stealing credit again. It said that the RM94 billion worth of private investments in Malaysia last year was “some 113 per cent above our target”. That seriously overstates PEMANDU’s performance given that PEMANDU brought in only RM12.9 billion, and that RM12.9 billion includes both private and government investments.
Read the rest of this entry »
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