Bersih 3.0 necessary due to ‘haste’ in holding polls, Ambiga tells EC
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 06, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Bersih 2.0 has defended its planned April 28 rally, saying it is necessary as the government has not shown any commitment to implement the group’s eight reform demands before the next election.
The election watchdog’s chairman, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, accused the government of “showing haste” in calling for elections, which she predicted would be soon, and this made Bersih’s rally even more relevant and timely.
“As I said it is the government that is showing haste in holding the elections. No one has said that the reforms Bersih 2.0 has called for will be implemented before the 13th general election. Why is that?
“We have to do this now because the elections seem to be round the corner… I strongly disagree with what Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar had said,” she told The Malaysian Insider. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave BN to prove anti-Lynas stand, Guan Eng tells MCA
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 06, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Lim Guan Eng today challenged the MCA to prove its anti-Lynas stand by withdrawing from Barisan Nasional (BN) and standing under its own banner in the coming polls.
The DAP secretary-general cast doubt over the MCA’s sincerity in calling for the Lynas rare earth plant to be scrapped, saying the party could again change its mind after the polls to support the project.
“Therefore this is a last chance for MCA to prove its commitment to scrap the Lynas plant by withdrawing from BN and standing under its own banner at the next general election,” Lim said in a statement.
“Would (MCA president Datuk Seri Dr) Chua (Soi Lek) dare to announce that MCA would only rejoin BN when the Lynas plant is closed down?
“Any failure to do so will allow Malaysians to decide whether to trust a party that not only deceives itself but tries to deceive others,” he added. Read the rest of this entry »
AG intentionally snubs Agong’s RCIs, says former senior cop
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Law & Order, Najib Razak, Teoh Beng Hock on Friday, 6 April 2012, 5:17 pm
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 06, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim added today the purported snubbing of the Agong to the list of accusations he has levelled against Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail after the Attorney-General (AG) refused to say if his office would prosecute three anti-graft officers who allegedly drove Teoh Beng Hock to suicide.
The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the DAP aide’s 2009 death had recommended that action be taken against then-Selangor MACC deputy director Hishammuddin Hashim, assistant enforcement office Arman Alies and assistant superintendent Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus.
But the country’s top lawyer instead told reporters yesterday the case has been referred back to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after emerging from a meeting with de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and MACC investigation chief Datuk Mustafar Ali. Read the rest of this entry »
Why the Need for Bersih 3.0?
THE call to rally has been made. There’s going to be a Bersih 3.0. Those who have been waiting for it are ecstatic.
April 28 is the day, and this time the anti-Lynas group, Himpunan Hijau, will be joining in. It looks like this is going to be more than just about electoral reform. It seems to have gone beyond that. It looks like those who are going to turn up for the rally will be declaring their stand against the Government and its administration of the country.
It’s beginning to seem like a rally to say “no” to Barisan Nasional (BN).
Hardcore anti-BN elements will be there. Those who have been declaring “ABU” (Anything But Umno) will be there. The Opposition will be there. As an ardent supporter of Bersih, I will be there.
But Bersih has mentioned an expected turnout of 500,000, and I wish it hadn’t. That’s a virtually impossible number. Even 100,000 would seem difficult to achieve, although it is planned that the rally will take place simultaneously in cities other than Kuala Lumpur.
Read the rest of this entry »
My Lynas concerns
Posted by Kit in environment, Lynas on Friday, 6 April 2012, 11:01 am
By KJ John | Apr 3, 12
Malaysiakini
My questions and concerns about the Lynas project to both the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) is: Why is the development of this particular rare earths plant of such a strategic interest to Malaysia, in the light of the failed Bukit Merah project?
What kind of real or new high-skilled employment is actually generated by the project that it qualifies for a pioneer status of 12 years?
What really is the value add for Malaysian strategic interests, other than the obvious rent-seeking behaviour of local partners; cronies, or otherwise? Does a deputy minister’s brother really have a stake in this project? Why are the Australian owners dumping their rejected project and residuals into Malaysia?
No one really questions the demand or marketability of the final outputs; but, the most serious questions remains the waste generated; and my question is, why in Malaysia, and why in Kuantan?
Read the rest of this entry »
Open season on Lim Guan Eng
Posted by Kit in Lim Guan Eng, Tunku Abdul Aziz, UMNO on Friday, 6 April 2012, 10:54 am
By Tunku Aziz | April 06, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
APRIL 6 — Umno has apparently declared “open season” on Lim Guan Eng. That they have been stalking their favourite target for years, even well before he came into prominence, is an open secret.
If they had not maligned, abused and subjected him to unremitting muck-raking and mudslinging, these Umno stormtroopers would have felt totally inadequate and that something was missing from their miserable existence.
They would, like their brown-shirted, fair-haired and blue-eyed Aryan cousins of the Third Reich, have felt that they were not fulfilling their historic destiny which is to cause as much mayhem as the police, in their accustomed manner and wisdom, would allow. It is all in the name of upholding “ketuanan Melayu”, and nothing should be allowed to stand in their way, not even the rule of law. Years of blatant abuse with impunity by Mahathir Mohamad who, in cahoots with his Umno henchmen, succeeded by means fair and foul, mainly foul, in distorting the systems of orderly governance as provided for under our constitutional arrangements.
Read the rest of this entry »
Public engagement meet on healthcare system a letdown
Dr Steven KW Chow | Apr 5, 2012
Malaysiakini
The title of the Event was ‘Pelancaran Siri Jejalah Public Engagement – Kajian Sistem Kesihatan Malaysia’ but what really happened was a paradox.
As a media event it was well organised.
The members of most of the mainstream media were at hand.
They, together with the large number of government servant attendees still in their uniforms or with their name tags, virtually made up the bulk of the crowd.
The robust public presence that was supposed to be the objective of this engagement was clearly missing.
Thus it was not surprising that the discussion was devoid of substance and spirit. Read the rest of this entry »
KLPAC insists Singapore ballet application was rejected
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 05, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — The KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) maintained today it had submitted a permit application for the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) to federal authorities a month ago, refuting a federal minister’s claim that it had not done so.
KLPAC executive producer and co-founder Datuk Faridah Merican explained in a statement here that the application was “personally” submitted to Puspal, or the Central Agency for the Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists, on March 7 by KLPAC production manager Freddy Tan.
Tan, she said, was subsequently “advised” by a Puspal officer last Wednesday that the application had been rejected for two reasons – costuming and foreign performers.
“This was most unusual because we had applied for performances by the Singapore Dance Theatre on two previous occasions and both were approved,” Faridah said.
“In fact, we have always found Puspal to be most helpful and understanding.”
It is believed that the two reasons given by Puspal were not communicated in great detail to Tan.
Faridah said that following the permit rejection, an appeal was submitted on the same day.
But despite this, she confirmed that the ballet performance, titled “Ballet Illuminations”, originally scheduled for April 6 and 7 at KLPAC, had to be cancelled. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Duduk means sit, Bantah means protest’, so let’s ‘Jom Duduk Bantah, Malaysians’
— May Chee Chook Ying
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 05, 2012
APRIL 5 — I must apologise for such a weird title for my write-up this time. I’m doing it for the benefit of some upstart whose tweet went like this: “…jumping like Monkeys in d street not going to solve anything in Malaysia….we r not Planet of the Apes. Be civilized Pakatan #Bersih3…”
Our Twitter friend above, firstly, has a very poor command of the national language. Go, take some tuition, it helps to understand the national language better for some politician wannabe like you.
Secondly, for calling your paymasters “Monkeys”, you ought to be sacked!
Thirdly, what have you solved, so far?
I used to think that Gerakan were notches above the MCA. They were the lean ones, you see. Till today, I feel kind of sorry for Koh Tsu Koon. Still believe he’s a good man, may not be the right man for the job, nevertheless, don’t see any evil in him. (Will keep you in my prayers, KTK.)
Looks like the GE13 will be the dirtiest yet. If what we hear is true, the incumbent government is pulling no stops to be voted in. That means the plundering will not stop. Neither will we see an independent judiciary, MACC, and what-nots. Justice will not see the light of day for many. The education system will go to the pits. Idiots will use the name of the Almighty in vain. The poor will become poorer, the thieves will become richer. We will die because with 1 Care, we will be robbed blind and not have the means to seek proper treatment. We can’t help our neighbour without being accused of proselytising! Murderers, thieves and criminals can still roam free! Malaysia will go bankrupt in no time! I’d better stop before I throw up! Read the rest of this entry »
DAP gives thumbs up to Bersih 3.0
Posted by Kit in Bersih, DAP, Elections, Lim Guan Eng on Thursday, 5 April 2012, 7:05 pm
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 05, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 – The DAP formally voiced its support today for Bersih’s third rally for free and fair elections this April 28, agreeing with the group that the Parliamentary Select Committee’s (PSC) electoral reform proposals were inadequate.
Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement here that the PSC’s report, approved in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, had shown a “serious lack of commitment” to addressing fundamental issues of electoral irregularities, which was the panel’s main objective.
“Given the lack of commitment to provide a clean electoral [roll] so that the next general election is free and fair, the DAP fully supports Bersih 3.0’s call to gather at Merdeka Square from 2pm to 4pm on April 28.
The DAP also reiterates its support for the full implementation of Bersih 2.0’s eight demands, out of which only one – the use of indelible ink – was sufficiently addressed in the PSC report,” Lim (picture) said in the statement. Read the rest of this entry »
Gross stupidity might be a good reason for you to march
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Education, Elections, Parliament on Thursday, 5 April 2012, 6:46 pm
— Abdul Haleem Abdul Rahiman
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 05, 2012
APRIL 5 — I will join the Bersih 3.0 rally because I can’t stand the gross stupidity that is crippling the entire nation. Honestly, as much as I agree stupidity has no limit, I can’t take this absurdity which has been feed to us in high doses on a daily basis.
Day in, day out the events unfolding in Malaysia make you sick and drive you insane. With all the transformation programmes and what-not, I believe we are on full speed in a very wrong direction. Almost every institution in this country is failing. Religious bigotry is at its peak. Most MPs, if not all, are busy politicking rather than working. Corruption is nothing but the norm. A priority list is something unfamiliar in our daily life in Malaysia. Common sense is not so common anymore.
What irks me the most lately is the amount of stupidity and bigotry.
The latest, in declining a permit for a Singapore ballet group to perform here, is just absurd. The reason given is indecent costumes. Ballet costumes deemed indecent? Are you joking? I will not buy that reason simply because it’s insane to agree ballet costumes can poke your eye! Assuming it does, how do we justify swimsuits then? A gymnast who will be performing in the coming Olympics? Are we going to censor all female categories in gymnastics? Perhaps we should censor all female sports from being broadcast then. When countries like Saudi Arabia are sending female athletes to participate in the Olympics, we are banning ballet costumes. We have banned books, movies, T-shirts, yoga and what-not. Can we ban idiots who can’t even speak or write English from standing for elections? Read the rest of this entry »
Pak Samad ready for Bersih 3.0, ‘disturbed’ by lagging reforms
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 05, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — National literary icon Datuk A. Samad Said made headlines last year when it was his slightly-hunched, barefooted frame that was seen leading a group of Bersih 2.0 marchers to deliver a memorandum on electoral reforms to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Today, he is “disturbed” that no real electoral reforms have taken place since the chaotic July 9 event.
The soft-spoken septuagenarian told The Malaysian Insider repeatedly that he was “not happy” with the 22 recommendations put forward by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on polls reform in its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The government’s and PSC’s failure to suggest total reform, he said, was “good reason” why Bersih 3.0 “should” be held.
“I’m not happy with what has happened. I’m not happy. Not happy,” the bearded poet said yesterday, shaking his shock of white hair.
“So that’s why I think, because of what’s happening, it is very disturbing as far as I’m concerned.
“That’s a good reason why we should have this (Bersih 3.0),” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib kata jangan tukar pemandu tengah jalan
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 10:16 pm
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 04, 2012
4 APRIL — Hari ini Najib Razak mengingatkan semua supaya tidak menukar kerajaan yang merbahaya dalam pilihanraya ini. Katanya “jangan tukar pemandu dipertengahan jalan”. Maksudnya jangan tukar kerajaan dalam pilihanraya ini kerana itu adalah tindakan merbahaya.
Setiap kerajaan bertukar tangan dalam perjalanan. Parti Conservative dan Liberal Democrat telah mengambilalih kerajaan Britain dari Parti Buruh dalam perjalanan. Mana ada kerajaan yang sudah tiada untuk ditukar? Tentulah kerajaan yang sedang berkuasa yang selalu ditukar dan mereka ditukar kerana bersebab, bukan saja-saja untuk ditukar.
Perjalanan mentadbir negara adalah tugasan yang berterusan kepada siapa yang diberikan mandat. Ibarat sebuah bas yang dalam perjalanan jauh, ia disyaratkan supaya mempunyai pemandu gantian (spare driver).
Banyak kemalangan berlaku kerana pemandu itu terlena sambil memandu kerana telah memandu terlalu lama. Maka itulah undang-undang mensyaratkan setiap bas ekspress mesti mempunyai seorang lagi pemandu gantian supaya bas itu dipandu bergilir-gilir supaya tidak merbahayakan penumpang yang sedang tidur lena itu.
Dalam kes kerajaan pimpinan Najib, penumpang-penumpangnya sudah bangun dari tidur dan telah merasakan yang pemanduan Najib sudah cukup merbahaya. Najib memandu dengan tidak mematuhi undang-undang memandu. Read the rest of this entry »
Implement PSC reforms before polls, Bar Council tells Najib
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Najib Razak, Parliament on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 9:50 pm
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 04, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — The Bar Council today urged Datuk Seri Najib Razak to “exercise political will” and ensure all the electoral reform recommendations passed by Parliament yesterday would be implemented before the 13th general election.
Council president Lim Chee Wee said in a statement here that the prime minister should also consider the weaknesses in the 22 recommendations, which were contained in the parliamentary select committee’s (PSC) final report to the House.
“The Malaysian Bar urges the PM… to pursue holistic solutions towards rectifying the problems of the electoral roll and implement unhesitatingly all the recommendations of the PSC, before the next general election,” he said.
Lim described, however, the PSC’s report as “incomplete” and “inadequate” to achieve free and fair elections, which was the panel’s main objective when it was formed last year.
Najib had mooted the PSC last October, several months after his administration drew widespread criticism in the international media for its handling of Bersih 2.0’s rally for free and fair election last July 9.
But the PSC’s 22 recommendations, tabled and approved by Parliament without debate yesterday, have been criticised for purportedly failing to touch on specific issues pertaining to discrepancies in the current electoral roll.
“This was the principal and immediate concern that gave rise to Bersih 2.0,” Lim reminded today. Read the rest of this entry »
Massive deception and propaganda campaign afoot that PSC majority report complies with seven of eight Bersih 2.0 demands when only one is being implemented
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Parliament on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 2:55 pm
A massive deception and propaganda campaign is afoot, making full use of public funding and mobilising the mainstream media and Barisan Nasional cybertroopers, to create the impression that the majority report of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reform complies with seven of the eight Bersih 2.0 Demands for clean, free and fair elections when in actual fact, only one is being implemented.
The only one of the eight Bersih 2.0 Demands which is being implemented is Bersih 2.0 Demand 3 on “Use of Indelible ink” while the other seven Bersih 2.0 Demands are either given partial and unsatisfactory responses, or mere lip-service and meaningless recognition or outright rejection as in Bersih 2.0 Demand 4 on “Minimum 21 days campaign period”.
The eight Bersih 2.0 Demands that motivated 50,000 Malaysians transcending race, religion and region to support the historic July 9, 2011 Bersih 2.0 rally were:
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Clean the electoral roll
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Reform postal ballot
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Use of indelible ink
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Minimum 21 days campaign period
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Free and fair access to media
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Strengthen public institutions
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Stop corruption
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Stop dirty politics
The best example of the failure of the PSC majority report to address the core demand for a clean, free and fair election is Bersih 2.0 Demand 1 on “Clean the electoral roll”, which states: Read the rest of this entry »
A transformed country, but an untransformed Parliament
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Parliament on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 1:33 pm
— The Malaysian Insider
Apr 04, 2012
APRIL 4 — On the day Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak celebrated three years in office with the satisfaction of a plan in progress, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia showed the shallowness of the transformation towards a developed nation by 2020.
Najib can be proud of achievements under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and Government Transformation Programme (GTP), but in terms of a Political Transformation Programme (PTP), he can follow other Malaysians and frown at the tyranny of power shown by the Speaker yesterday.
Pandikar Amin dismissed the requests for a debate on a minority report from opposition members who wanted to add to the final report from the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reforms. And he tried to chase them out of the House for disputing his decision to disallow the debate.
Why the fear of a debate on a minority report? The entire report has all the recommendations and the discussion to reform the electoral process in Malaysia. So, why not a report that details the arguments for recommendations that did not make its way to the final report? Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih 2.0: PSC report fails in five key areas
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Parliament on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 10:55 am
Malaysiakini
Apr 3, 2012
Election reforms pressure group Bersih 2.0 is disappointed that the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform has failed to address five key issues.
The five issues, Bersih 2.0 said, are:
1.Manipulation of the electoral roll;
2.The citizenship-for-votes scam in peninsula Malaysia;
3.Enforcement of the Election Offences Act 1954 and enhancing the definition of election offences;
4.A plan to stop ‘dirty politics’; and
5.Inviting international observers.
In view of this, the Bersih 2.0 steering committee said it was “highly likely” that electoral fraud and other irregularities will continue unabated. Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih 2.0’s point-by-point responses
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Parliament on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 10:46 am
Malaysiakini
Apr 3, 2012
Election reforms pressure group Bersih 2.0 is not satisfied with the parliamentary select committee (PSC) final report and have scrutinised all 22 of the latter’s recommendations.
Bersih 2.0, who organised the mass rally on July 9 last year, is one of the main factors attributed the Najib administration’s decision to establish the PSC.
Below is Bersih 2.0’s comments, edited for brevity and clarity, on all 22 recommendations:
1. Voters residing overseas
The proposal to allow voters residing overseas to cast their ballots should be implemented immediately without any conditions. The condition set by the PSC for voters to return periodically to qualify to vote from overseas is unconstitutional.
There is no need for further study on carrying out overseas voting as proposals have been submitted and it will only delay implementation. Provisions exist to allow overseas registration of voters.
Civil society organisations will implement overseas voting on the Election Commission’s behalf if resourced financially. Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament debate on PSC report on electoral reform – most disgraceful episode and worst blot on Malaysian Parliament in nation’s 55 years
Posted by Kit in Elections, Parliament on Tuesday, 3 April 2012, 5:36 pm
What happened today is the most disgraceful episode and worst blot on the Malaysian Parliament in the nation’s 55 year history.
It all stemmed from the mistake made by the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin who had rejected an amendment motion by the three Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Members of Parliament on the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reform, Loke Siew Fook (Rasah), Mohamed Azmin (Gombak) and Dr. Mohd Hatta (Kuala Krai) seeking to incorporate a minority report into the PSC final report tabled in Parliament yesterday.
After the PSC Chairman Datuk Maximus Ongkili moved the motion on the PSC report after question time, Loke stood up to object to the Speaker’s rejection in chambers of the amendment motion by the three PR MPs.
Pandikar quoted Parliamentary precedents from New Zealand and the United Kingdom and said there is no such thing as a “minority report”. Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan declares polls reform panel a failure
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Parliament on Monday, 2 April 2012, 8:47 pm
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 02, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) representatives in the government-mooted parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms complained today the panel had failed to meet its objectives, despite six months of heated discussions and at least six public hearings.
The members, Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), Hatta Ramli (PAS-Kuala Krai) and Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah), told a press conference here that the bipartisan panel had fallen short of expectations as it had completely neglected to address “fundamental issues” surrounding concerns over the country’s election system.
Key among these, said Azmin, was the call to clean up the current voter registry, which civil society groups and PR leaders have alleged are fraught with discrepancies.
The trio said today they have filed a motion notice with the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s office under Standing Order 30(1) calling for amendments to be made to the PSC’s final report. Read the rest of this entry »
