Archive for May, 2013
With ‘enemies’ like this…
Posted by Kit in Articles, nation building, Politics on Saturday, 18 May 2013
There is a saying which is often at the tip of our tongue: “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” Which is to say there are times when friends do seem to behave like our worst enemies.
But at times, the reverse could be equally true: with enemies like these who needs friends!
Let me hasten to say that I don’t consider those with whom I may disagree politically as my enemies. If there are no two teams, you won’t have a football match. If there are not at least two sides, we won’t have an elections. Read the rest of this entry »
What betrayal?
Posted by Kit in Articles, Najib Razak on Saturday, 18 May 2013
by P Ramakrishnan
Aliran
Was there an agreement before the general election? Did Chinese Malaysians actually promise the BN their votes ahead of time, asks P Ramakrishnan.
Discredited politicians are trying to denigrate the Chinese by accusing them of betrayal. What betrayal are they talking about? Do they indeed know what they are talking about?
When you talk of betrayal, it means going back on one’s word. It means dishonouring a solemn pledge.
For this to take place there must have been a clear understanding and undertaking between two parties. In this case it would be the Barisan Nasional and the Chinese community reaching an understanding and pledging to vote in a mutually acceptable manner with regard to GE13. Read the rest of this entry »
The myth about vernacular schools being obstacles to unity
by Ravinder Singh
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 16, 2013
The myth about multi-stream schools being obstacles to unity keeps on being bandied about by racists who cannot see, or rather refuse to see, the wood for the trees.
The latest call for the banning of vernacular schools was by no less a personality than the pro-chancellor of Universiti Technology Mara (UiTM), Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad, at a GE13 post-mortem forum “Muslim Leadership and Survival” organised by the Federation of Peninsula Malay Students (GPMS) and the UiTM Alumni Association. This imagined, simplistic solution to improving race relations has been shot out by many people — politicians, academicians, administrators, etc — over the years.
It’s amazing how people in important positions try to shove their perceptions, or even falsehoods, on the masses by making them appear like facts. If there are listeners who believe these people, it is simply because the listeners have no knowledge of the issue at hand and so they think these important people surely know best. But do they? Read the rest of this entry »
It’s BN reps who should be ‘grateful’ to voters
K Temoc
Malaysiakini
May 17, 2013
Sometimes I wonder whether democracy is the best political system for Malaysia. Indeed sometimes I wonder whether we Malaysians deserve the privilege to use (or more likely, misuse) the label of democracy to describe our political system.
No doubt democracy has never been perfect where even in its birthplace, the Athenians denied their womenfolk the facilities of democracy and even kept slaves. But notwithstanding its imperfections, modern democracy has provided everyone with a voice in the society he or she lives in. But in Malaysia, seemingly, poor democracy has gotten the raw end of the deal as we Malaysians continue to blaspheme its hallowed premise.
We have our newly-minted home affairs minister telling the federal opposition to migrate elsewhere if they are not happy with the outcome of the 13th general election, forgetting that it is their democratic rights to voice their dissatisfaction. But obviously, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi didn’t think so.
But worse than the minister, we have a former judge, Mohd Noor Abdullah, a so-called learned man of law, hurling very seditious rants at the Chinese, warning them to prepare for a backlash from the Malays for their alleged “betrayal” against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in GE13.
It was not so much his racist hate speech against the Chinese that flabbergasted me; it was not so much his seditious threats against the Chinese that filled me with great dismay; it was his use of the term “betrayal against Barisan Nasional (BN)” which he accused the Chinese of, that shocked me. Read the rest of this entry »
Low better up the anti-graft fight
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Saturday, 18 May 2013
The Malaysian Insider
May 17, 2013
MAY 17 — There is much more that is expected from Transparency International (TI) chief Datuk Paul Low now that he is a minister in the Najib administration.
That Malaysia’s fight to eliminate corruption and be transparent about contracts becomes a reality rather than just a plan or target under its transformation programme.
For too long, there has been criticisms that Putrajaya is not doing enough to fight graft despite setting up corruption courts or beefing up the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Their record has been spotty at best, prosecuting the so-called small fries rather than the big fish.
Low put it succinctly when he told The Malaysian Insider today, “It’s very easy to be critical…what is the other alternative? Shout from outside? From TI, be an armchair critic? I cannot do it alone…I’m a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. That gives me stature.”
But Low better up his game, instead of already repeating the Putrajaya mantra that ministers declaring their assets to the Prime Minister and the MACC is sufficient rather than making a public declaration. Read the rest of this entry »
What Happens Now to the Opposition and Change?
Posted by Kit in Articles, Kee Thuan Chye on Friday, 17 May 2013
by Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo! Malaysia
Now that the 13th general election (GE13) is over and Najib Razak has been sworn in as prime minister and his Cabinet has been formed, what happens to the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat and the massive numbers of people who wanted change, as reflected in the popular vote?
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has done the right thing in not accepting the result of GE13 on grounds of fraud, and he has been going around rallying support for his cause, but where this will lead is highly uncertain.
Meanwhile, PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli has announced that Pakatan is investigating the results of 27 parliament seats which were won by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) narrowly. If he and his team are able to prove fraud or wrong tabulation of the votes, there might be a case made for them. But where? In the courts? Would they get the justice they seek? Read the rest of this entry »
What a constitutional farce – Paul Low and Abdul Wahid Omar not legally Ministers and Waytha, Loga and Ahmad Bashah not legally Deputy Ministers as they have not been sworn in as Senators
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Najib Razak, Parliament on Friday, 17 May 2013
It is neither a good omen nor a good start for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s post-13GE Cabinet.
Already Najib’s new Cabinet labours under a cloud of legitimacy for the simple reason that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Prime Ministership is under a cloud of legitimacy – not only because Najib and Barisan Nasional got 47% popular vote as compared to Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat’s 51% popular vote, but also because the 13GE was the most unfair and dirtiest general elections in the nation’s history.
If the 13GE had been clean, free and fair, with a level playing field for both coalitions, Anwar and PR would not only have an increased popular vote over 60 per cent or even exceeding 65 per cent, but would also have won a majority of the 222 parliamentary seats in the country.
Now, Najib’s post-13GE Cabinet has also become a farce and even a joke as it has two illegal Ministers and three illegal Deputy Ministers although they have gone through an unlawful oath-taking ceremony before the Yang di Pertuan Agong yesterday.
It is sad and shocking that the Prime Minister’s Department and the various government departments involved have become so careless, negligent and remiss that the fullest compliance with the proper laws, regulations, proprieties and protocols have been ignored or even violated – which should never have happened in a 56-year-old parliamentary democracy under six Prime Ministers.
Read the rest of this entry »
National Reconciliation after GE13
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak on Friday, 17 May 2013
by Anak Malaysia
Immediately after GE13 results were out, PM Najib announces for a national reconciliation effort to place as top priority for the new government to address.
Two days later, we read in Utusan newspaper front page headline – “Apa lagi Cina mahu?”
This type of reporting must stop immediately!
The only way forward is for PM Najib to put his foot down and tell Utusan newspaper chief to stop such evil reporting.
Enough is enough! We, the rakyat, wanted genuine national reconciliation and not lip service only.
Talk is cheap but the PM must show the rakyat it is time to move forward and heal the land of such racism and racial slurs that will divide the nation further. Read the rest of this entry »
If Vernacular School Goes… So Must Religious Schools and UiTM too!
by Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi
The pro-chancellor of UiTM has made an overly simplistic argument about the GE13 and racial disunity in this country. He assumes that the Chinese and Indian Vernacular Schools are to be blamed and thus should be terminated. However simplistic his argument is, I, reluctantly, tend to agree with him…that these vernacular schools must go. But….should not the same simplistic argument be made on Islamic Religious schools that puts Malay children in the system for 11 years without knowing any other races? And …for that matter…what about UiTM? Is this not the biggest race based educational institution in…the World? So…if Chinese and Indian Vernacular Schools must go …so must Islamic religious Schools and UiTM should also be closed. Read the rest of this entry »
M’sians must reconcile, seek better future for all
by Johan S Abdullah & SY
Malaysiakini
4:34PM May 16, 2013
I totally agree with the remarks of Lim Kit Siang in Malaysiakini on May 11, 2013. His message clearly propagated unity. Gone are the days of May 13.
Words that are spoken to cause disunity and the fear of that date should be regarded as sedition, as that in itself, is not in line with the Rukunegara or the creed of the nation.
We must from today affix our minds and hearts on the vision of our founding fathers. Malaysia should be for Malaysians and not just any race.
We must be a country which will give and grant justice and fairness to all regardless of skin colour or creed. Read the rest of this entry »
Cabinet ministers and spin
The Malaysian Insider
May 17, 2013
MAY 17 — The new Cabinet is not even 48 hours old and one can already see some of them sketching out an alternative reality of Malaysia.
In the last 10 days, the new Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has had the task of being the government’s spokesman with the foreign media — burnishing Malaysia’s image despite the rancour in local newspapers.
In an interview published by The Australian daily yesterday, Khairy spoke of a discernible change “among the Chinese community, particularly” and the urban middle class, pointing there had been internal discussions on engaging the Chinese community to understand the protest vote.
Sure. Tell that to Umno, Umno bloggers and Umno newspaper Utusan Malaysia which have been unrelenting in hammering the Chinese and those who voted against Barisan Nasional (BN).
If that is engaging the Chinese and others, it must be a new and sophisticated way of pummelling people into submission. Read the rest of this entry »
Censure motion in Parliament against Zahid for “migrate elsewhere” statement – welcome MPs including those from BN to be joint sponsors of motion
Posted by Kit in Parliament, UMNO on Friday, 17 May 2013
It is just not good enough for the newly-minted Minister for Sports and Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to evade the issue by claiming that the new Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for critics of the 13th general election to leave the country was merely the latter’s “personal opinion” and does not reflect the government’s position.
How does Khairy know that Zahid’s disgraceful statement does not reflect the Barisan Nasional Goverment’s position?
Has Khairy been assured by the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister that the new Cabinet would repudiate Zahid’s statement with a formal announcement?
It is sad that in a matter of 24 hours after being sworn in as Cabinet Minister, Khairy has already started to compromise his principles and begun to behave like old-time Ministers who are more interested in protecting their own Ministerial turfs instead of taking principled stand against gross abuses of power and blatant injustices like Zahid’s outburst.
Will Khairy take the initiative at his first Cabinet meeting to propose that the Cabinet should distance itself and repudiate Zahid’s statement?
In my early years in Parliament in the seventies, a very powerful UMNO Minister interjected in one of my speeches and told me that if I did not like the policies of UMNO/Barisan Nasional governments, I could leave the country.
Read the rest of this entry »
Stop the Racist Politics of Suspicion and Hate in the Country
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Articles, Najib Razak on Friday, 17 May 2013
by Koon Yew Yin
Even before the elections took place, various UMNO leaders led by Dr. Mahathir and Utusan Malaysia have led the onslaught against the Chinese in the country. Now the results are in, they are taking to a new level the politics of suspicion, hatred and revenge in the Malay masses for what they say as a betrayal by the Chinese voters.
There are several undeniable contrary facts to their thinking. Firstly, as others have pointed out, the so-called Chinese tsunami was actually a Malaysian tsunami which accounted for the largest ever proportion of total votes – in fact the majority – going to the opposition. Simple arithmetic explains why Chinese who comprise less than 30% of the total population can barely account for at most half the total votes cast against the BN even if all Chinese had voted against the BN. Read the rest of this entry »
In defending his seditious speech, Mohd Noor Abdullah has proven he is racist through-and-through and raised question how a closet racist could rise to be Court of Appeal judge
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Court, Crime, Najib Razak, nation building, Police on Friday, 17 May 2013
Former Court of Appeal Judge Mohd Noor Abdullah has compounded his crime of sedition when he defended making the most racist and seditious speech in the country in the past 44 years.
On Sunday, in his speech at the forum titled “GE13 post-mortem Muslim leadership and survival” organised by UiTM Malaysia Alumni Association and Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semanjung in Kuala Lumpur, Mohd Noor warned that the Chinese Malaysians must be prepared for a backlash from the Malay community for their “betrayal” in the recently concluded 13th general election.
He said: “The Chinese betrayal towards the Malay’s hand of friendship – that is true. Because they plotted to seize political power even though they already have economic power”.
Mohd Noor’s racist and seditious speech had been defended on the ground that it was “as a whole constructive and within the boundaries of what is in the federal constitution”, and in line with his expertise as a former judge.
Can Mohd Noor quote chapter and verse as to which article or part of the Malaysian Constitution justified his making irresponsible, fictitious, inflammatory, racist and seditious allegations that the Chinese in Malaysia “plotted to seize political power even though they already have economic power” or his criminal and gangsterish threat of a “Malay backlash” to a completely non-existent “Chinese betrayal towards the Malay’s hand of friendship” ?
Read the rest of this entry »
Edge poll on Anwar hijacked
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Friday, 17 May 2013
Written by theedgemalaysia.com
Thursday, 16 May 2013 21:04
The recent one-week (May 6-13) poll conducted by The Edge’s online business portal (theedgemalaysia.com) on the political future of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was hijacked by parties believed to be cyber-troopers.
Before this survey, polls conducted by theedgemalaysia.com would normally attract 2,000 to 4,000 respondents whose responses were largely consistent with The Edge’s independent-minded readers, who form the majority of our readers.
On Tuesday May 14, when The Edge’s online editor Ho Wah Foon saw that the one-week survey had attracted 12,736 responses which were overwhelmingly one-sided, she immediately took down the poll. Read the rest of this entry »
Of Being Parents, Ministers and ‘Leaving Malaysia’
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building on Friday, 17 May 2013
Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi
Of late, many so called ‘political leaders’ and individual Malays of questionable repute have been urging not only Chinese, but Malays, Indians, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and other races to ‘leave Malaysia’ because of the dissatisfaction over the Election Commission failure to be an entity of integrity to be a fair referee in a political competition.
It has taken all my personal strength and professional standing as an academic and as an acting civil servant to restrain my emotion and REALLY tell these people ‘a piece of my mind’. If I were a retiree, I would really lash out at these people in my Penang colloquial style lingo!
But alas, I am a fully active civil servant and an established academic with an honest and reputable name.
I am not the like of Ibrahim Ali who shows himself to be from a poorly developed cultural upbringing that knows nothing but spout venom to achieve his own personal game. He is not interested in the well being of Malays, only himself.
I have also none the luxury of a Zulkifli Nordin who masquerade as an ‘Islamic Warrior’ using the Qur’an not to please Allah the Most Beneficient but to fulfill his own agenda of pleasing others who can give him material honor. He has forgotten or choose to forget what the Qur’an says about selling the religion for a small gain.
If these two utter such words, I would have not paid much attention for they are clearly nobodies and need to constantly shout, rant and spite in order to be noticed. But when national leaders or the equivalent thereof asks Malaysians to leave their homeland, I feel that someone must remind these leaders politely in the old Malay kiasan or sindiran manner. I will tell Malaysian how my father runs his family and how I fared with mine. Read the rest of this entry »
Fill Our Motherland with the Colours of Unity
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building on Friday, 17 May 2013
“On this date, we are embarking on a move to recolour the nation’s historical canvas with colours of unity. This is our motherland. From this day on, no one can tell the Chinese to go back to China or the Indians to go back to India.”
This is the best, the most positive, people-unifying statement to come out in decades. And it did not come from a leader of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).
It came from 20 civil society groups, led by Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) headed by Badrul Hisham Shaharin and student group Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) headed by Safwan Anang, as they marked May 13, the tragic day in 1969 when racial riots broke out and drove the races apart, with a call for an end to racism.
A teacher told me that when she read the statement reported in a newspaper, she burst into tears. It was particularly emotional for her because she had personally experienced being told to go back to China. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Interim Prime Minister…
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak on Friday, 17 May 2013
LETTER: From John Ung, via e-mail
Free Malaysia Today
May 15, 2013
I have to address you as the Interim Prime Minister as you are really standing on shaky grounds. Some say you may not even last till the end of this year.
Why are you the Interim Prime Minister? Five reasons. Firstly, the majority of Malaysians want you out along with your party and their bag carriers, MCA , Gerakan and MIC. You have only obtained 45 % of the votes inclusive of some add ons . At least two of your bag carriers will soon be no more. So you may need some recently ‘ made ‘ citizens to carry your bags.
Secondly, your own party, Umno is crying for your head. You gave so much money to the Malaysian Chinese and got eggs thrown at your face. Your poor reading what makes Malaysians tick has got you into trouble.
Imagine thinking that Psy can get us to ‘gangdum style’ with you. Free food , ang pow and last minute donations to temples and Chinese schools cannot buy the Chinese votes. Time and time again, these have been proven. Who are your strategists by the way? They must have got their degrees from fake universities. Sacked all of them! I truly cannot believe you are that stupid!
Thirdly, a defection of several BN candidates may swing the Federal government to the Opposition. This is not desirable but will make you at least, the Opposition head, if your party members do not throw you into the ocean by then. If this happens, I hope the Opposition when they form the government, will delineate a fair boundary for all and then call for fresh elections. Read the rest of this entry »
A meeting of minds among ex-military officers
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Defence, Elections on Friday, 17 May 2013
S Thayaparan
Malaysiakini
May 16, 2013
“Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
– Mark Twain
COMMENT The Retired Armed Forces Officers’ Association (Rafoc) recently held an informal post-election talk where I was invited to be panel member. The rest of the panel were as follows and the moderator was Mej-Jen Dr Nordin Yusof (Rtd).
Lt-Jen Mohd Salleh Ismail (Rtd)
Laksdya Mat Rabi Abu Samah (Rtd)
Mej-Jen Abd Malek Shahar Harun (Rtd)
Mej-Jen Mohd Yunus Long (Rtd)
Laksma Imran Abd Hamid (Rtd)
Lt-Kdr Phua Hean Sim (Rtd)
It must be stressed that Rafoc is a non-partisan, independent organisation. The purpose of this talk from Rafoc’s own notice board is as follows:
“The ‘Get-Together Talk – GE13′ is to provide the occasion for our members to get together and talk on the recently concluded 13th general election in Malaysia – the scenario, the causes, the players and the future of the country, etc.
“We may not have to come up with resolutions or DS solutions (military jargon for ‘the correct answer to a problem’) as such. The event is also to instill to our members that we, the retired Armed Forces officers’ community must continue to be concerned on what has happened, what is happening and what will happen to our country.”
I was impressed that Rafoc offered a plurality of voices to express their opinions in these contentious times to an audience of retired officers, who were concerned of the path this country is on. Read the rest of this entry »
Most disappointed over UMNO betrayal of Ghani Othman who was completely by-passed instead of being appointed Senator and Minister in new Cabinet line-up
Posted by Kit in Johore, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 16 May 2013
I am disappointed over the UMNO betrayal of former Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Ghani Othman who was completely by-passed instead of being appointed Senator and Minister in the new Cabinet line-up announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.
The UMNO leadership had praised Ghani sky-high during the 13th General Election campaign when fielding him as a parliamentary candidate for Gelang Patah against me, and it is most unfair and ungrateful for UMNO leaders to drop Ghani like a ton of bricks after Ghani failed to defeat me in Gelang Patah in the May 5 polls.
General elections should not be regarded as a zero-sum game, and in the case of Ghani, whom I had openly acknowledged as having made invaluable contribution to the development and progress in Johor, his talents and experience should be tapped by the Federal government as Ghani can have still many years of national service and contribution in him.
I am surprised that Ghani is facing so much resistance in UMNO as there are powerful forces who object to his return to national politics, to the extent that MUBARAK, the association of former Barisan Nasional wakil rakyats, have come out with a statement opposing any UMNO candidate who lost in the 13GE being appointed a Senator and a Minister – clearly targetting at Ghani.
Read the rest of this entry »
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