Archive for July 15th, 2017

Malaysian opposition to release Anwar ‘within a week’ if it takes power – Dr Mahathir

By A. Azim Idris | 15th July 2017
Asian Correspondent

MALAYSIA’S former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Friday said opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan (Hope’s Pact) is committing to the process of releasing imprisoned de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim within one week if it assumes power in the next general elections.

The former premier, who was recently appointed Pakatan Harapan chairman, said the opposition pact would seek a royal pardon for Anwar who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for his second sodomy conviction.

“We will wait for the law to take its course, not immediately because the prime minister who takes over will have a lot to do,” the statesman, who ruled the country for 22 years, told reporters after attending the pact’s presidential council meeting early Friday morning. Read the rest of this entry »

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Malaysia’s government harasses opponents as an election looms

Economist
Jul 13th 2017

No offence too small

But a multi-billion-dollar scandal does not seem to bother it much

“UNDEMOCRATIC”, “gerrymandered” and “fix-up” are good words to describe Malaysian politics, dominated since independence by a single party. So it was a bit rich for the prime minister’s spokesman to employ them when smearing a big opposition group this month. On July 7th the national registrar confirmed that it had detected irregularities in a leadership ballot which the Democratic Action Party (DAP) conducted almost four years ago, and said it would be asking the party to re-run the poll. The DAP’s supporters saw an effort to sow discord among the opposition, ahead of a general election due by next August.

Critics of the United Malays National Organisation, which has led Malaysia’s government for six decades, are used to run-ins with the authorities. Prosecutors have twice brought charges of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition coalition, who began his second jail term in 2015. Lately police have also taken an interest in Lim Guan Eng, the DAP’s secretary-general and chief minister of the state of Penang, an opposition stronghold. Mr Lim is awaiting trial on two charges of corruption (prosecutors allege that he used his authority to buy a bungalow for less than it was worth). Read the rest of this entry »

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Reminder to DAP leaders, members, branches and supporters to prepare for the worst in latest UMNO/BN ploy to destroy the DAP through the RoS

The DAP headquarters administration has confirmed that up to now there has been no letter from the Registrar of Societies, Datuk Mohamad Razin Abdullah directing the DAP to hold fresh central executive committee (CEC) elections based on the 2012 DAP Congress delegates’ list, although the Registar announced eight days ago last Friday that a directive will be issued to the party.

What is going on?

Surely the letter should be ready when the Registrar made that announcement the previous Friday, when in fact, such a statement should not have been made the subject of a media statement until the Registrar’s letter had been received by the DAP.

A week has passed and yet still no letter.

I do not think this would have happened to any civil servant if there is no untoward political interference with the non-partisan role of the civil service. Read the rest of this entry »

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Two things for Malaysian voters to prove at the 14th GE – that Malaysians reject kleptocracy and is a normal democratic country

There are two things for Malaysian voters to prove in the next 14th General Election – firstly, that Malaysians reject kleptocracy; and secondly, that Malaysia is a normal democratic country.

I do not believe there a single person who would think when the country attained Merdeka on August 31, 1957 or when Malaysia was formed on Sept. 16, 1963 that the nation would become not just a kleptocracy, but a “global kleptocracy”.

Malaysia only became known as a “global kleptocracy” after the 13th General Election in May 2013.

This is quite an achievement of sorts in so short of time, but Malaysians must demonstrate in the 14th General Elections that they are not proud of such “achievement” and do not want such international infamy and ignominy for the country, where they are shy when overseas to admit that they are Malaysians for they do want to answer questions revolving around “MO1”or the RM117 million pink diamond necklance for “wife of MO1”.

For six decades, the political rulers in Malaysia from Barisan Nasional have acquired the traits of a “big bully” which can be seen by the high-handed and arbitrary manner in which they tried to disqualify the DAP Sarawak State Assemblyman for Pujut, Dr. Ting Tiong Choon with the brute Barisan Nasional majority in the Sarawak State Assembly.

Another example of Barisan Nasional as the “big bully” trampling on the human rights of Malaysians is the high-handed and arbitrary ban of political activist Hiew Kuan Yau from entering Sarawak this evening to be guest speaker at this Miri DAP Branch dinner. Read the rest of this entry »

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Extension of Raus as Chief Justice after August 3 not only unconstitutional but deny Richard Malanjum as the the first Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak to be appointed as Chief Justice of Malaysia

It must be a matter of grave concern to all patriotic Malaysians that the integrity and sanctity of the Malaysian Constitution is receiving less and less respect from the powers-that-be, and the latest example of an incipient constitutional crisis in Malaysia is the illegal and unconstitutional extension of the tenures of Tan Sri Raus Sharif and Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin as Chief Justice and Court of Appeal President on August 3 and Sept. 27 respectively.

The extension of the tenures of Raus and Zulkefli are not only unconstitutional, but would affect the promotional opportunities and prospects of at least eight Federal Court judges, including three women.

But the most glaring injustice of the unconstitutional extensions will be the denial of the opportunity of Tan Sri Richard Malanjum as the first Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak to be appointed as Chief Justice of Malaysia.

Malanjum is in fact the most senior Federal Court judge in the country, more senior than both Raus and Zulkefli.

Malanjum is the first Sabah bumiputra to be appointed a High Court judge, and the first Sabahan to be elevated as a Judge of the Court of Appeal and Federal Court , the apex court of the country, in 2005 at the age of 52. Read the rest of this entry »

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Two things for Malaysian voters to prove at the 14th GE – that Malaysians reject kleptocracy and Malaysia is a normal democratic country

There are two things for Malaysian voters to prove in the next 14th General Election – firstly, that Malaysians reject kleptocracy; and secondly, that Malaysia is a normal democratic country.

I do not believe there a single person who would think when the country attained Merdeka on August 31, 1957 or when Malaysia was formed on Sept. 16, 1963 that the nation would become not just a kleptocracy, but a “global kleptocracy”.

Malaysia only became known as a “global kleptocracy” after the 13th General Election in May 2013.

This is quite an achievement of sorts in so short of time, but Malaysians must demonstrate in the 14th General Elections that they are not proud of such “achievement” and do not want such international infamy and ignominy for the country, where they are shy when overseas to admit that they are Malaysians for they do want to answer questions revolving around “MO1”or the RM117 million pink diamond necklance for “wife of MO1”.

For six decades, the political rulers in Malaysia from Barisan Nasional have acquired the traits of a “big bully” which can be seen by the high-handed and arbitrary manner in which they tried to disqualify the DAP Sarawak State Assemblyman for Pujut, Dr. Ting Tiong Choon with the brute Barisan Nasional majority in the Sarawak State Assembly. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment

Extension of Raus as Chief Justice after August 3 not only unconstitutional but deny Richard Malanjum as the first Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak to be appointed as Chief Justice of Malaysia

It must be a matter of grave concern to all patriotic Malaysians that the integrity and sanctity of the Malaysian Constitution is receiving less and less respect from the powers-that-be, and the latest example of an incipient constitutional crisis in Malaysia is the illegal and unconstitutional extension of the tenures of Tan Sri Raus Sharif and Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin as Chief Justice and Court of Appeal President on August 3 and Sept. 27 respectively.

The extension of the tenures of Raus and Zulkefli are not only unconstitutional, but would affect the promotional opportunities and prospects of at least eight Federal Court judges, including three women.

But the most glaring injustice of the unconstitutional extensions will be the denial of the opportunity of Tan Sri Richard Malanjum as the first Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak to be appointed as Chief Justice of Malaysia.

Malanjum is in fact the most senior Federal Court judge in the country, more senior than both Raus and Zulkefli. Read the rest of this entry »

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