Change of national flag Jalur Gemilang never a Pakatan Rakyat agenda and never discussed or raised in any PR meeting
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Elections, Najib Razak, UMNO on Sunday, 2 September 2012, 2:17 pm
When the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday personally led three senior UMNO Ministers to attack the Pakatan Rakyat with the canard that PR wanted to replace the national flag Jalur Gemilang, it was more than anything else a reflection of their sense of desperation about UMNO/Barisan Nasional prospects in the impending 13th General Election than respect for the truth.
I do not believe that with all the police and intelligence resources at their command, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein could be unaware that there is completely no basis whatsoever in the canard that Pakatan Rakyat wanted to change the national flag.
The change of the national flag is never a Pakatan Rakyat agenda and has never been discussed or raised in any Pakatan Rakyat meeting.
This was why I had yesterday twittered in response to the allegation that PR wanted to change the national flag:
“Never came across such scatter-brained idea before. UMNO/BN dirty-tricks dept very busy”
Arguing for a secular state
Posted by Kit in Islamic state on Sunday, 2 September 2012, 7:40 am
By Ahmad Farouk Musa
Free Malaysia Today
August 23, 2012
The question is would discriminatory policies noted in classical texts of Islamic state be acceptable in the modern era.
COMMENT
To many Muslims and especially the Islamists, the term secular is a very repugnant term and this abhorrence to anything secular stems mainly from the previously bitter experience of secularism in Turkey that had led to the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate, the last Caliphate in the Muslim world.
The fall of the Ottoman Caliphate led to some Muslim scholars to push for a new entity known as an Islamic state. The concept of an Islamic state was not known in the Islamic world before that. The main proponent for an Islamic state was none other than Muhammad Rashid Redha, a great Muslim reformer in the early 20th century. The main intention of Redha was to stem the onslaught of Western imperialism.
History has shown that while secularism was born in the West, its values spread across the world in many different continents and societies. According to Louay Safi, a scholar at the International Institute of Islamic Thought, secularism denotes a set of notions and values whose aim is to ensure that the state is neither engaged in promoting specific religious beliefs and values, nor uses its powers and offices to persecute religion.
To prevent state officials from using their political authority to impose a narrow set of religious attitudes and values on the larger society, and to foreclose the possibility of using religious symbols to agitate one religious community against another, a separation must be made between political authorities from religious affiliation. Read the rest of this entry »
China’s Growing Economic Crisis
Posted by Kit in China, international economic crisis on Saturday, 1 September 2012, 10:53 pm
By William Pesek
Bloomberg
Aug 30, 2012
Policy makers around the world have long envied China’s ability to get big things done. A huge 4 trillion-yuan ($630 billion) stimulus plan as the global economy cratered in 2008? No problem. Marshaling banks to lend trillions more? Check. Enacting sweeping regulatory changes at a moment’s notice? You bet.
Ahhh, the good old days. Now, a once-in-a-decade leadership shift is getting in the way of the stimulus-happy policies to which investors became accustomed. The nimbleness that helped China steer around the worst of the global crisis is confronting political paralysis of the kind more often seen in Japan, Europe and the U.S. The upshot is that China’s 7.6 percent growth rate may fall more in the next 12 months than anyone expects. Read the rest of this entry »
Puluhan juta wang dibelanjakan, Jalur Gemilang tidak juga berkibar
Posted by Kit in nation building on Saturday, 1 September 2012, 9:17 pm
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 01, 2012
1 SEPT — Semalam genap 55 tahun negara kita merdeka dan begitu rapi persediaan yang diuruskan untuk merayakan Hari Kemerdekaan ini oleh kerajaan. Perayaan ini merupakan satu perayaan yang termahal sekali dan itu tidak mengapalah kerana memang sudah menjadi budaya kita berbelanja berlebih-lebihan untuk perayaan. Wang yang dibelanjakan pun bukannya duit siapa tetapi duit rakyat yang membayar cukai dengan keringat dan darah mereka.
Perayaan mengingati Hari Kemerdekaan di negara kita merupakan perayaan yang terboros sekali. Setahun yang lepas saya sempat melihat majlis ulang tahun negara Australia melalui kaca TV yang saya sudah lupa dari saluran mana. Tetapi Australia merayakan secara “simple” tetapi meriah. Majlis itu yang berlangsung dalam kurang dari dua jam hanya mendengar ucapan Perdana Menteri yang ringkas. Tidak ada bas disewa oleh kerajaan untuk mengangkut orang ramai dengan elaun kehadiran sebanyak RM30, baju-T dan sebagainya.
Semua Ahli Jemaah Kabinetnya hanya duduk di atas barisan kerusi yang “simple” dan mudah dan kita boleh tahu mereka tidak menggunakan wang rakyat yang begitu banyak untuk merayakan hari kebangsaan mereka. Sebaliknya kita di sini membelanjakan wang rakyat berpuluh-puluh juta untuk merayakan Hari Kebangsaan kita. Tetapi tak mengapa juga rakyat kita kebanyakannya tidak kisah harta benda mereka diperkosa seperti ini dan ada yang masih memberikan sokongan pihak yang membelanjakan wang mereka dengan boros itu.
Tetapi selain daripada memberikan komen tentang pembaziran ini saya ingin memberikan pemerhatian saya terhadap perayaan Hari Kebangsaan kita yang saya nampak tidak mendapat sambutan rakyat. Banyak publisiti yang kita dengar dan lihat tentang seruan untuk menaikkan Jalur Gemilang, tetapi di mana-mana kita pergi orang ramai tidak nampak Jalur Gemilang dikibarkan di premis-premis perniagaan dan rumah-rumah kediaman rakyat yang ramai. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Janji Ditepati’? Malaysia deserves better
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building on Saturday, 1 September 2012, 9:00 pm
— Marcus van Geyzel (loyarburok.com)
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 01, 2012
SEPT 1 — There are very few things that observers of Malaysian politics can regularly agree on.
However, there will be much concurrence with the suggestion that there are two significant traits for those who follow the local political scene very closely — a sense of humour, and a dose of masochism. Naturally, the agreement will be because those involved deem these traits necessary due to the ineptitude of those on “the other side”.
An unhealthy and extreme partisanship has evolved in Malaysian politics since 2008. This is even more obvious to anyone who follows political “commentary” on Twitter (to whom my use of the inverted commas would be obvious).
There is nothing wrong with a bit of banter and partisan one-upmanship. The disconcerting thing is when the immaturity comes from elected representatives, who forget (or perhaps never realised in the first place) that they are supposed to represent everyone, not just those who voted for them or their party.
Despite the frustration and disappointment, I do still follow some of these tweets, including the propaganda offered by full-time political commentators who are prominently featured in national newspapers. I did mention masochism earlier on.
However, the recent discussions about the Merdeka theme have taken things beyond what should be acceptable to any Malaysian, political or not.
I waited some time before putting my thoughts into writing, as I harboured some hope that the theme would be scrapped following the incessant criticism. Perhaps those responsible would hold their hands up and admit that it was a mistake? Silly me. Read the rest of this entry »
Dr Mahathir: How Will History Judge Him?
Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
1st Sept 2012
Some friends have asked me as to how history will remember Dr. Mahathir. This has led me to thinking about Ho Chi Minh, Sukarno, Nehru, Lee Kuan Yew and other Asian giants of colonial and post colonial history, and how Dr. Mahathir measures up to them. However, comparing him to other leaders in our Asian neighbourhood may be unfair to Dr. Mahathir as it may be demanding too high a standard in leadership, given the unusual and extraordinary crop of leaders in our part of the world.
Instead, I am now more inclined to compare him with leaders from other countries of the world where the comparison may be more appropriate. One leader with whom I am sure Dr. Mahathir would not mind comparison is Kwame Nkrumah, a giant of contemporary African history who Dr Mahathir is probably hoping – when his own obituary is written – for future generations to put him in the company of.
Is Dr. Mahathir who has borrowed the ideas (and the slogans) of Nkrumah and other leading post independence leaders worthy of such a comparison? Or does he belong to some other group? Read the rest of this entry »
Najib did not conduct himself as Prime Minister for all Malaysians when he divided the people on Merdeka Day and urged Malaysians to “defend independence” against Pakatan Rakyat
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Saturday, 1 September 2012, 4:00 pm
Datuk Seri Najib Razak did not conduct himself as Prime Minister for all Malaysians when he divided the people on Merdeka Day and urged Malaysians to “defend independence” against Pakatan Rakyat.
In his closing speech at the “Merdeka 55: Janji ditepati” gathering at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium last night, Najib called on the audience “to defend the nation’s independence from enemies and the opposition alike”. (Malaysiakini/The Malaysian Insider)
He said:
“Ladies and gentlemen, remember that independence only knocks once for any nation. Let us close ranks and defend our independence with a solid front, at every corner and at any time.
“Even more so when enemies and the opposition are trying to bring chaos into the situation.”
This the final and ultimate proof that the 55th Merdeka Day celebrations had been hijacked by UMNO/Barisan Nasional as part of their desperate gambit to hang on to power in the impending 13th General Election – which had been evident when the UMNO/BN election theme of “Janji Ditepati” had been imported lock, stock and barrel to be elevated as the 55th Merdeka Day/49th Malay Day theme. Read the rest of this entry »
A new dawn?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, nation building, Sabah, Sarawak on Friday, 31 August 2012, 9:13 pm
— May Chee
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 31, 2012
AUG 31 — Woke up around 7am today, after about five hours of sleep. By the way, “Selamat Hari Merdeka” folks!
My husband and I went for the Janji Demokrasi Merdeka Countdown at the clock tower in Malacca last night. Again, it was another heartwarming experience. Syabas to all those who gathered there and elsewhere for the Janji Demokrasi!
This time around, no untoward incidents, I hear. That’s good, really good. See, if we have everyone’s good intentions in mind, all would be swell.
We left our house at 9pm. There was ample parking around the designated area. As we walked towards the clock tower, we could see cops and Rela personnel already in position. Since we were early, we walked towards Jonker, hoping to join some people at the stage. Along the way, we met some friends, so we headed for the stage together. Some yellow shirts were walking in the opposite direction. They were heading towards the clock tower. All youths. Good, I thought!
At the stage, there was a handful of yellow shirts and a group of around 15 members from the Unit Amal PAS. By 9.30pm the group had swelled to quite a huge number. After taking a group photograph at the foot of the stage, our Unit Amal youngsters led us to the clock tower. Before that, we were told to be at our best behaviour, not to provoke nor hamper the traffic. We walked on the pavement and at all times, the Unit Amal boys made sure traffic for the public was smooth. Though the folks along Jonker were burning incense and some other stuff (Ghost Month?), the Unit Amal boys admirably braved the ashes (some flying into their faces) to guide us. Read the rest of this entry »
So, has crime rate gone up or down?
― Soo Lim Chee
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 31, 2012
AUG 31 ―I refer to the former and incumbent IGP’s differing opinions over PDRM’s crime statistics.
So, who is to say crime rate has gone up or come down ?
A decreasing number of police reports does not indicate a lower crime rate. A large number of crimes committed went unreported. Therefore any compilation of statistics is unreliable.
Statistics are useful but to attach a great deal of meaning to them is to bark up the wrong tree.
What may be important and should be of concern is encapsulated in the IGP ‘s statement to the media.
“I am aware that people are afraid and there are crimes everywhere. We are working on it and if the people do not believe in statistics then stop looking at them. Let’s work together to reduce crime.”
Yes, we are afraid. Yes, we know there are crimes everywhere. Yes, let’s work together to reduce them. Read the rest of this entry »
PAS dan Umno, hudud dan perlaksanaan: Realiti semasa
— Pak Sako
CPI
Aug 31, 2012
Mahathir Mohamad telah mempelawa PAS untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud di bawah payung Barisan Nasional (BN).
Nyata bahawa pelawaan ini cuma sebuah taktik politik yang kecil.
Namun begitu, satu pertimbangan yang ringkas boleh dilakukan mengenai kemungkinan PAS bersekutu dengan Umno, sama ada untuk tujuan melaksanakan hukum hudud atau untuk sebarang sebab yang lain.
Kesimpulannya perpaduan atau kerjasama seperti itu tidak realistik dan ditakdirkan gagal kerana tiga faktor yang fundamental. Read the rest of this entry »
With the approach of 13GE, BN mainstream media are throwing journalistic ethics to the winds and resorting to more lies and falsehoods in their attacks on Pakatan Rakyat leaders
Posted by Kit in Elections, Mahathir, Parliament, Sabah on Friday, 31 August 2012, 2:52 pm
With the approach of 13th General Election, which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in Kedah yesterday would determine UMNO and Barisan Nasional’s survival (or to be more exact, Najib’s own political survival), the UMNO/Barisan Nasional mainstream media are throwing journalistic ethics to the winds and resorting to more lies and falsehoods in their attacks on Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
It is a measure of the increasing desperation felt by UMNO/BN leaders that the next general elections could result in a change of federal government in Putrajaya that the next polls in shaping up to the dirtiest elections in the nation’s 55-year history – with blatant and flagrant lies and falsehoods recklessly spread by UMNO/BN cybertroopers about individual Pakatan Rakyat leaders like the accusation that I had urinated at the flagpole in the Kuala Lumpur residence of the former Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Harun Idris sparking off the May 13 riots in 1969, when I was never in Kuala Lumpur on May 10, 11, 12 or 13, 1969 or the ludicrous allegation that the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had provoked the May 13 riots in his capacity as DAP Youth leader when Guan Eng was only eight years old at the time!
The latest lie and falsehood by UMNO mainstream media is today’s New Straits Times report entitled “’Anti-hopping law unfair and impractical’” on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s call to introduce a law against party-hopping, which among other things, said:
“The critics pointed out that Lim’s father, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, had even praised members of parliament Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing of Tuaran and Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin of Beaufort when the duo left Barisan Nasional to support the opposition coalition.”
This is pure concoction for up to now, I have not said anything about the actions of Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukiin in leaving Barisan Nasional to support the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. Read the rest of this entry »
Regime change looms in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Najib Razak on Friday, 31 August 2012, 3:31 am
— Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 30, 2012
AUG 30 — A very young demographic profile, a high urbanisation rate, ever increasing access to the Internet and extreme longevity in power, among other factors, will be working against the ruling coalition in Malaysia’s coming election.
There are many reasons for the international community to be deeply cognisant of this fact, and to prepare for a regime change in that country for the first time since it gained independence in 1957.
Soon after the government suffered severe setbacks in elections held on March 8, 2008, the country went into a permanent campaign mode, and has remained that way ever since.
A general election have to be called soon, since the Malaysian Constitution requires that Parliament be dissolved by 28th April 2013 upon the completion of its five-year mandate. Read the rest of this entry »
Merdeka!
Posted by Kit in nation building, Poem on Friday, 31 August 2012, 2:43 am
by Allan Goh
Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!
The voices that reverberated,
Rousted the birth of a new Nation,
Unshackled, no more subjugated.
It was a new dawn, a new era,
For people’s hope and aspiration,
To build a shared common destiny,
With one soul and one inspiration.
Mereka! Merdeka! Merdeka!
That call united all the races,
In the pursuit of independence,
Free from the forced colonial braces.
People wanted to live their own lives,
And form their own common destiny.
They eschewed any exploitations,
Hoped for a nation of harmony.
Let all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics, celebrate 55th Merdeka Day as one Malaysian people
Posted by Kit in nation building on Thursday, 30 August 2012, 4:43 pm
55th Merdeka Day Message
Merdeka Day should be an overarching national celebration uniting Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation in a common purpose to develop a more democratic, just, competitive and prosperous nation – and any partisan attempt to hijack the Merdeka Day which can only result in greater division, dissension and disunity must be deplored.
It is sad many Malaysians feel depressed by this year’s 55th Merdeka Day not only because they have never felt so unsafe in public places and the privacy of their homes, but also because of the increasingly negative and discordant voices sowing distrust and hatred in our plural society and seeking to polarise and divide Malaysians particularly along race and religious lines.
Merdeka Day is a national celebration not just for any individual, group, community or political party. It is not for Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. It is for all Malaysians.
Let all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation rise above their differences to celebrate the 55th Merdeka Day as one Malaysian people to forge a common national destiny where freedom, justice, integrity and good governance flourish in our land and enjoyed by all our citizens.
Police response failed to explain vast double disconnect as safest country in Southeast Asia with double-digit reductions in crime rate yet with worst fear of crime suffered by Malaysians in nation’s 55-year history
While the weeklong belated reply by the PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) public relations officer ACP Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf refuting the “whistleblower” expose “Crime statistics: Let the truth be told” on doctoring of crime statistics is being studied, the bleak and undeniable fact is that the police response failed to explain the vast double disconnect of Malaysia as the safest country in Southeast Asia with double-digit reduction in crime rate yet with the worst fear of crime suffered by Malaysians in the nation’s 55 year history.
Recently, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysians should be proud of the country’s position as the safest country in Southeast Asia in the Global Peace Index.
This was echoed in the 2011 Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Annual Report on Reducing Crime NKRA, which said:
“In the fifth edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) released in May 2011, Malaysia was declared the most peaceful country in Southeast Asia and the 4th safest in the Asia Pacific region behind New Zealand, Japan and Australia. The country rose three spots to 19th place, supplanting Singapore as the highest-ranked Southeast Asian nation. In its GPI rankings, the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace also placed Malaysia as the 19th safest and most peaceful country out of 153 nations worldwide. This is the fifth successive year that Malaysia has improved on its GPI score.” (p 55)
In his foreword to the 2011 GTP Annual Report, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein wrote:
Read the rest of this entry »
Janji Detepati or Janji Diketepi?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Economics, Financial Scandals on Wednesday, 29 August 2012, 10:56 am
REFSA (Research for Social Advancement) | 29 August 2012
In conjunction with Malaysia’s 55th year of Independence on 31 August
In the run-up to our 55th Merdeka Day celebrations, the federal government has been particularly keen on reminding Malaysians of all it has done for us.
Read the rest of this entry »
Police response to ‘Crime statistics: Let the truth be told’
— Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 28, 2012
AUG 28 — In response to the article “Crime statistics: Let the truth be told” first published on August 22 via http://liewchintong.com blogsite and subsequently published by several online portals, we would like to state that any public feedback is welcomed and will be given due consideration.
As we all know it, crime reduction is everybody’s business. PDRM believe that all kind of feedback will enable us to improve our services to the rakyat, in line with the call for the public sector to enhance their effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. Hence, we appreciate the concerns brought about by the letter from “Veteran Policeman”. We would, however, like to register our regret and utmost disappointment that the respective publications including the blog owner did not see fit to verify and check with PDRM on the facts of the allegations before presenting the letter to their readers.
Multiple factual inaccuracies
First and foremost, we would like to highlight multiple factual inaccuracies upon which the conclusions of the article were drawn.
These corrections and clarifications are necessary to enable the public to make an informed assessment of the situation. Read the rest of this entry »
Cabinet tomorrow should direct Hishammuddin, Idris and Koh to respond to fake crime stats allegations in post-Cabinet media conference as continued silence would rubbish all GTP and ETP claims of success and “Big Fast Results”
Posted by Kit in Crime, Najib Razak, Police on Tuesday, 28 August 2012, 12:41 pm
The Cabinet tomorrow must place on top of its agenda the very serious allegations of fake crime statistics to give the false and misleading picture of “Big Wins” and “Big Fast Results” milestones in the Reducing Crime NKRA, claiming a dramatic reduction of 35% in Street Crime and 15% in Index Crime in 2010, followed by a further drop of 39.7% in Street Crime and 11.1%drop in Index Crime in 2011 – hailed as “the highest drop ever since Independence”.
Yet Malaysians have never been more afflicted with the debilitating “fear of crime” – whether the fear of taking a neighbourhood stroll with the family or the fear of going out at night!
I hope there are courageous and fearless Ministers who dare to speak up at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow to point out that the week-long deafening silence to the very credible expose by the “whistleblower” 30-year police officer of how crime statistics have been doctored to give the false picture of “Big Wins” and “Big Fast Results” in the Reducing Crime NKRA in the past two years is the greatest disservice to the present administration.
The Cabinet must take full cognizance of the inescapable fact that continued silence on the part of the authorities concerned and failure to rebut the very credible account of fake crime statistics by the “whistleblower” police officer would rubbish all the Government Transformation Programmes (GTP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) claims of success and “Big Fast Results”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Merdeka Day bash at Bukit Jalil Stadium a set-back for nation-building by 55 years when Malaysian public excluded from the 100,000-seat capacity stadium which is reserved for “BN invites” only
Posted by Kit in nation building on Tuesday, 28 August 2012, 11:45 am
Last night, in response to the Malaysiakini report “Bukit Jalil Merdeka Day bash for invites only”, I penned five tweets, viz:
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Scandalous! Outrageous! What Merdeka D bash is this? http://goo.gl/H1IpV Bukit Jalil Merdeka Day bash is invite only- Sara Ghazie(Mkini)
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“Got like that one meh?” exclamation will be heard throughout country when Malaysians read “Bukit Jalil Merdeka Day bash is invite only”
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No better proof of BN hijacking Merdeka Day celebrations – 1st BN election slogan of “Janji Ditepati” n now 100k Stadium largely BN invites
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With MerdekaDay bash BtJalil Stadium hijacked by BN pumped up by rent-MerdekaDay-crowds, all pretence of 1Malaysia inclusive thrown 2winds
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What irony 4Najib’s 1Msia signature slogan! “Bukit Jalil Merdeka Day bash is invite only” has set back nation-building in Msia by 55 years!
Tweaked crime statistics: Who should respond
Posted by Kit in Crime, Lim Teck Ghee, Police on Monday, 27 August 2012, 9:48 pm
Dr Lim Teck Ghee
CPI
Below we are reproducing views from several CPI columnists and regular contributors on the whistleblower’s letter detailing the way in which crime statistics have been processed to provide the misleading conclusion that crime is on the decline in the country.
We await with interest the official response – whether from Hishamuddin Hussein, the Home Minister or Koh Tsu Koon and Idris Jala, the two ministers concerned in the Prime Minister’s Department or from Ismail Omar, the Inspector General of Police.
We had earlier published the letter of explanation on the collection and recording of crime statistics by ACP Razali Mohamad Yoosuf in response to the initial article by myself on why our police are impotent against the tide of rising crime.
We look forward to publishing any further response from ACP Razali and his colleagues in the PDRM or from any other of the alleged implicated stake players on the latest developments on this subject which is of so much concern to our citizenry.
It is important that some official response be forthcoming because at risk is not simply the public’s confidence in crime statistics and the police but at risk is also the public’s confidence in the other officially generated statistics on the country’s development as well as the public’s perception of the professionalism, independence and integrity of the civil service.
Few Malaysians will ever again look at official statistics without wondering how they have been fudged and manipulated by the government for political advantage. Read the rest of this entry »
