Is it history or his-story?
Posted by Kit in Zairil Khir Johari on Monday, 5 September 2011, 12:35 am
By Zairil Khir Johari | The Malaysian Insider
SEPT 4 — I was a little apprehensive as I entered the small tutorial room. It was my first day attending class in England.
In the centre of the unassuming room was an oblong table, around which sat eight post-graduate students of various nationalities. I flashed a timid smile before taking my place amongst them.
At the far end of the table, a heavyset man in a worn tweed jacket and polka dotted bowtie cleared his throat. Pushing the thickest glasses I have ever seen up the bridge of his nose, he made a gesture to indicate that the tutorial was about to start.
“I assume you’ve all familiarised yourselves with the required readings for the week?” asked our tutor rhetorically, after early pleasantries and introductions had been done and dealt with. “Now then, let’s start with you.” Read the rest of this entry »
NGO responsible for Bernama man’s death, says kin
By Boo Su-Lyn
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 04, 2011
SUBANG, Sept 4 — As Malaysians mourn the killing of a local journalist in Somalia, Noramfaizul Mohd Nor’s relatives want the non-governmental By Boo Su-LynPutera 1 Malaysia Club to be held responsible for his death.
The club — which is headed by Umno supreme council member Datuk Abdul Azeez Rahim — organised a humanitarian mission to the war-torn country that led to the Bernama TV cameraman’s death last Friday.
“They (Putera 1 Malaysia Club) are the ones who organised (the mission). They cannot lepas tangan (evade responsibility),” Noramfaizul’s uncle Abu Bakar Md Yasin told The Malaysian Insider at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base here today.
“They should have done prior intelligence. Don’t just barge in. This is a foreign country,” added the 64-year-old retired civil servant from the Defence Ministry. Read the rest of this entry »
Somali mission survivors say no bulletproof vests, training
By Boo Su-Lyn
September 04, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
SUBANG, Sept 4 — Young journalists who covered a non-governmental organisation’s fatal humanitarian mission to Somalia said they were not given full training or bulletproof vests in Africa’s deadliest country for media personnel.
Bernama TV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor was killed in the Somali capital of Mogadishu last Friday when African Union peacekeepers allegedly shot at a four-wheel drive in which six mission members, including the 39-year-old, were travelling.
Astro Awani reporter Tan Su Lin, who was in the same truck with Noramfaizul during the shooting, said she was not trained on how to cover hostile zones. Read the rest of this entry »
Journalists’ safety in war zones
– Centre for Independent Journalism Malaysia
The Malaysian Insider
September 03, 2011
SEPT 3 – The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia mourns the death of BERNAMA TV cameraperson Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, 41, who was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, while travelling with a group on an aid mission for the famine-struck nation. Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of the late Noramfaizul.
We welcome the Somali government’s assurance that the circumstances of his death will be investigated and conveyed to the Malaysian public, and hope that justice will be meted out to those responsible.
On their part, Malaysian authorities and organisers of such missions to conflict areas must clarify the protection measures undertaken for accompanying journalists. This would include providing journalists with a thorough safety briefing and training, as well as protective gear that should also differentiate them as journalists or neutral observers. Read the rest of this entry »
UMNO’s Somalia medical mission: genuine or publicity stunt?
By BLACKHAWK
By the time this article is published, the body of 39-year-old Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, Bernama’s late cameraman, who had apparently followed UMNO Putra club’s humanitarian mission to Somalia would have arrived in Malaysia. It is tragic, that apart from the hundreds of lives lost during the Raya period on Malaysian roads due to the balik kampong mayhem, Faizul should meet his death in war torn Mogadishu, Somalia.
Was this just an accident? Could it have been avoided? Did UMNO rush to Somalia to genuinely help Somalians? Or did UMNO throw caution to the wind and rush callously on the eve of Raya to Somalia just for a publicity stunt? If it was for a publicity stunt, then Faizul would have died in vain and this wouldn’t have been the first time when our personnel, both medical and non-medical would have risked not only their lives but more importantly the people around them who may be completely oblivious to the dangers of this sort of missions. Read the rest of this entry »
The NEP and the downfall of Malays
Posted by Kit in Mariam Mokhtar, NEP on Saturday, 3 September 2011, 2:02 am
Mariam Mokhtar
FreeMalaysiaToday
September 2, 2011
The NEP may have caused an increase in the wealth of the Malay urban middle class but on the whole, many Malays remain poor.
COMMENT
Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to the defence of the New Economic Policy (NEP) when economist Ramon Navaratnam and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim condemned the NEP for discouraging foreign investment and for promoting corruption.
However, Mahathir failed to note that the NEP, like many of the government’s other programs with catchy, meaningless acronyms are only publicity stunts which fail to address the underlying problems that face many Malaysians, principally the Malays.
He said: “There may be corruption involved in some cases but the charge is not warranted because in most cases, the benefits of NEP have been enjoyed by almost every Malay and bumiputera. In fact, indirectly and, in some cases, directly it has benefited the non-bumiputera as well.”
The former prime minister’s selective amnesia serves him well. The NEP’s short-term benefits may have impressed his Cabinet colleagues but in the long term, the NEP has disadvantaged all other Malaysians. Read the rest of this entry »
Rakyat Merdeka: Tidak mahu lagi dijajah oleh sentimen perkauman
– Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 02, 2011
2 SEPT — Hari ini hari ketiga syawal dan umat Islam di seluruh negara masih di dalan mood lebaran. Hari Raya tahun ini merupakan perayaan berkembar dengan hari kemerdekaan negara yang jatuh pada hari semalam, iaitu hari rakyat negara kita memulakan pentadbiran negara oleh rakyat kita sendiri. Tarikh yang menjadi hari sambutan kemerdekaan ini ialah 31 Ogos.
Usaha mencapai kemerdekaan ini bermula jauh sebelum penubuhan Umno pada tahun 1946 dahulu tetapi pertubuhan-pertubuhan yang bergerak itu merupakan pergerakan individu oleh puluhan pertubuhan yang semuanya mengarah kepada pencapaian kemerdekaan negara.
Badan-badan atau pertubuhan yang bergerak itu tidak bersatu di antara satu dengan yang lain kerana semasa itu kita belum ada negara yang bernama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu.(PTM). PTM hanya wujud pada 2 Februari 1948. Sebelumnya itu negeri-negeri yang kini berada di dalam sebuah negara Persekutuan, adalah negeri-negeri yang di tadbir oleh kerajaan beraja masing-masing. Read the rest of this entry »
Media lynching and academic collaborators
By Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Every once in a while the government-controlled or government-associated media engages in a public lynching of individuals that dare to challenge the Umno-scripted truth about the political system, religion, the monarchy or just about any subject which may be seen as threatening to Umno’s political and ideological dominance.
The latest case involves Mohamad Sabu and the reason for his lynching relates to a speech he made in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21 in which the PAS deputy president touched on the Bukit Kepong incident of Feb 23, 1950.
In that incident, armed members of the Malayan Communist Party attacked and killed 25 police personnel and some of their family members. In his speech reported by Utusan Malaysia, Mat Sabu allegedly glorified the MCP by claiming that they were the real heroes for fighting against the British and for leading the country’s struggle for independence.
Read the rest of this entry »
Umno turning right leads BN downhill
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Friday, 2 September 2011, 9:44 am
— Ooi Kee Beng
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 02, 2011
SEPT 2 — On July 9, the streets of Kuala Lumpur played host to animated engagements between demonstrators and the police. Bersih 2.0, which started out as a simple and hesitant attempt to revive public interest in electoral reforms, became a huge demonstration that captured the imagination of many young Malaysians.
It seized their imagination more strongly than anyone expected, leaving little doubt that Malaysia is in transition.
But what needs studying is what it is transiting away from, and what it is transiting to. The two are, of course, strongly related but what is this widespread eagerness for change a part of, which now pervades the country?
The situation is complicated no doubt but we do not need to go very far back in time to find an answer. Read the rest of this entry »
Humane decision as Malaysian plan springs a leak
Posted by Kit in Human Rights on Thursday, 1 September 2011, 11:53 am
David Marr
The Sydney Morning Herald
September 1, 2011
Opinion
‘A devastating blow for the government’
It’s about fairness. For a long time the High Court has ticked off on the remarkable difficulties Australia puts in the way of asylum seekers who come here by boat. Even mandatory detention for life has been given the nod by the court. But lately the judges have ruled boat people must at least be dealt with fairly while they are caught up in the system.
Yesterday’s emphatic six to one decision extended that principle to those men, women and children Australia had wanted to send away to Malaysia. The court could find no guarantee they would be dealt with fairly once they arrived there. So the minister Chris Bowen’s choice of Malaysia as a safe haven was declared invalid.
It was not enough, said the Chief Justice Robert French, for the minister to have a “hope or belief or expectation” that the asylum seekers would be dealt with properly by Malaysia. They needed laws to protect them now and in the years ahead. “It is an agreed fact,” French observed, “that Malaysia does not recognise the status of refugees in domestic law”. Read the rest of this entry »
Merdeka! Are we truly free?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Bersih, Corruption, nation building, Teoh Beng Hock, UMNO on Thursday, 1 September 2011, 10:57 am
Jeswan Kaur
Free Malaysia Today
August 31, 2011
Corruption, nepotism, cronyism and the abuse of the judiciary and legislation have marred the significance of Aug 31.
COMMENT
Aug 31 is a day of reflection, of taking cognisance of the fact that the country’s independence or Merdeka can no longer be taken for granted, that too by the “keepers” of this nation.
Regrettably, it is the “powers that be” that have marred the meaning of Merdeka. Corruption, nepotism, cronyism and the abuse of the judiciary and legislation have marred the significance of Merdeka, especially for the younger generation.
Instead of imparting profound meaning to Malaysians, Aug 31 had been reduced from the sublime to the ridiculous by the power-hungry and “self-first” politicians-leaders of this country.
The fact is Malaysia is “independent” but only in name, not in act. The existence of draconian laws that are continuously abused by the “powers that be” to safeguard its position have turned the understanding of Merdeka into a laughing stock. Read the rest of this entry »
Quo Vadis Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Bersih, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, nation building on Thursday, 1 September 2011, 10:15 am
Never in recent decades had Merdeka Day on August 31 been marked with a greater sense of angst and disquiet by Malaysians than yesterday because of incessant disunifying developments not only over the past several months but also the past few days.
Malaysians flew the national flag yesterday but most of them have a common disquieting question – Quo Vadis Malaysia?
The third National Day of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should have been celebrated as a high-water point of his administration, coinciding with Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities, but this was not the case.
In actual fact, many of National Day messages intended to inspire greater national unity and to exhort moderation and tolerance among Malaysians fell flat, failing not only to inspire the people but merely achieved the opposite of evoking alienation and disaffection because they were so empty and hollow, shouting out the loud contrast between word and deed of those in power. Read the rest of this entry »
MRT project: Chinatown traders slam SPAD for broken promise
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Transport on Thursday, 1 September 2011, 10:11 am
By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 01, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Jalan Sultan traders, who risk losing property to the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT), have slammed the public transport regulator for going back on its promise to leave their buildings intact.
Spokesman Judy Tan said the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should not have reneged on its promise to allow landowners to return to their buildings once construction of the planned station and tunnel under Jalan Sultan is finished.
“From what I understand, SPAD has no right to imply that the affected owners in Chinatown will stand to lose their properties,” she told The Malaysian Insider via e-mail.
“This should be said directly to our Jalan Petaling/Jalan Sultan committee at the recent closed-door dialogue with SPAD and not 24 hours later at another unrelated event.” Read the rest of this entry »
What is Merdeka without free and fair elections?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, nation building on Thursday, 1 September 2011, 10:06 am
by Ashvin Raj
Malaysiakini
Aug 26, 11
As we draw near to Merdeka Day, I begin to reflect on the real meaning of Merdeka. We may have gained independence from the British in 1957 but have we gained true freedom from our colonial masters?
Have we grown as a nation united with one common goal or vision? Or have we become more disunited since 1957, having lost our direction as to where we are heading to as an independent nation.
Despite 54 years of independence, are we really free when we have oppressive laws in place, such as the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Emergency Ordinance and The University and University Colleges Act (UUCA)?
For me, the real meaning of Merdeka is achieved when we have freedom to determine our destiny through a free and fair electoral system. As a young Malaysian, I realise the importance of being an agent of change, not because we want change for the sake of change, but because we want real change that will transform this nation to be an Asian tiger once again. Read the rest of this entry »
50+4 Malaysia: Malaysia, I Still Love You..
Posted by Kit in nation building on Thursday, 1 September 2011, 9:55 am
by QuaChee
(As per my previous years, I’m continuing my writings for beloved Malaysia this 2011.. in conjunction with her 54th birthday.)
Dear Malaysia
You seem so cool when I was younger
You seem near perfect when from abroad
But now that we are together
The imperfections are clear
Racism
The antics of politicians
Rising cost of living
The 3 main things preventing from making you wholesome
Plus a few more..
All these easily blind me
From the beauty that you have inside
It takes more (effort)
To find those beauty now Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih says vindicated by new poll
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 30, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Bersih 2.0 has said it had expected the overwhelming two-thirds support for free and fair elections published by a local research house yesterday, adding it was inspired to ramp up its campaign to educate Malaysians nationwide on polls ahead of the 13th general election.
The electoral watchdog’s chief Datuk Seri Ambiga Sreenevasan said she had expected the overwhelming support from Malaysians polled by the Merdeka Center and published yesterday.
“That accords with our stand and the reason for that is because our demands are so wholly reasonable,” she told The Malaysian Insider. Read the rest of this entry »
Salam Aidilfitri & Selamat Hari Merdeka-54
Maaf Zahir Batin & Happy Merdeka Day!
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin to all Muslims in Malaysia.
The coinciding of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the 54th National Day and the 48th Malaysia Day should be a special triple occasion of joy and celebrations for all Malaysians.
It must be a matter of concern to all Malaysians, however, that this is not the case with the recent irresponsible and incessant ramping-up and incitement of race and religious hatred and tensions through baseless and incendiary allegations by certain media.
A call must urgently go out to all Muslim and non-Muslim Malaysians to dedicate themselves to promote the values of justice, freedom, love and compassion on the triple occasion of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, 54th National Day and 48th Malaysia Day – values which are common to all the great religions which have found a home in the country.
Whether we are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli, whether Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Taoists or Sikhs, let us unite as one Malaysian people first and last to give real meaning to the triple occasion of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the 54th National Day and 48th Malaysia Day.
Air Asia MAS tie-up – ordinary Malaysian consumers will be the losers?
By Teh Chi-Chang | REFSA
Ordinary Malaysians must view the MAS-Air Asia Collaboration announced on 9 August with dismay. When previously fierce competitors such as MAS and Air Asia choose to collaborate instead, consumers tend to be the losers. This arrangement, called the MAS-Air Asia Comprehensive Collaboration Framework might be more appropriately named the MAS-Air Asia Comprehensive Collaboration Framework Against the Rakyat:
REFSA believes at least some of the synergies and savings to be reaped by MAS-Air Asia will be paid for by Malaysians in the form of higher ticket prices, less frequent flights, poorer service levels and reduced job prospects. Read the rest of this entry »
Islamic Financial Intermediaries
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa on Monday, 29 August 2011, 9:56 am
by Bakri Musa
Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #80
Reform in Islam
Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life
Trade had been flourishing for centuries in Arabia, immediately before and after the prophet’s time. All that buying and selling, together with the caravan expeditions, could not have taken place without there being a satisfactory financing mechanism. There must had been a system for connecting the owners of money (savers) and the users of cash (investors and traders). Yet despite that flourishing head start and seemingly workable system, Islamic finance later went into decline. It is instructive that the decline in Islamic economics parallels the decline in Islamic civilization.
Today Western financial institutions are preeminent. Western banks and other financial intermediaries did not develop overnight. They have been refined, modified, and strengthened over the centuries. The process continues to this day. Today’s banks are a far cry from what they were a century earlier. The essential ingredient to the success of banks is the faith people have in them. Absent that, not even the strongest institution could survive. All the regulations and innovations in banking serve only one purpose: to strengthen that faith and confidence.
Bank failures and runs on banks were common in America during the depression. Those events are thankfully rare today, in part due to the diligence of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Depositors Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the regulatory agencies of the federal government, together with strengthened prudential rules on reserves, heightened fiduciary responsibilities, and improved auditing. These refinements have been incremental, each in response to specific problems and crises. Banks still fail today, but thanks to the FDIC, depositors (at least the retail consumers) simply transfer their accounts to another bank without any hitch. The system is by no means perfect, as was painfully demonstrated by the massive Savings and Loans scandal of the 1980s. Read the rest of this entry »
Revised law rewards judiciary’s top three, works other judges longer
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 29, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Unlike his predecessors, Tun Zaki Azmi will retire on a full pension when he clocks out for the last time from the Palace of Justice on September 12 despite serving less than three years as Chief Justice, thanks to a recent revision of a remuneration law for the country’s judges.
It used to be a minimum of 15 years for judges from the High Court upwards to get their full pensions but few in the courts appear aware of the revisions to the Judges’ Remuneration Act (JRA) 1971, passed in Parliament two months ago, that gave senior judges a shorter time to get pensions while junior judges now have to spend 18 years to get their full pension.
“The whole thing is purposely catered to Zaki,” DAP federal lawmaker Lim Kit Siang told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. Read the rest of this entry »
