Palanivel, Cabinet numbers and Parkinson’s laws
By Sakmongkol AK47 | August 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
AUG 1 — If Palanivel is the deeply religious person everyone seems to think and has any moral compunction, he will decline the offer of a cabinet post. But as everyone knows, these MIC leaders have too much of the mandore-quotient to let this opportunity go.
Surely, we will be told that in the name of service to the nation, Palanivel will accept the gratuitous offer for a cabinet post. Why not? It comes with the prestige and the chance to coast along giving the appearance of being hardworking.
What has Palinivel offered? He didn’t win any parliamentary seat. His contribution to Hulu Selangor when he was MP there nearly cost the BN the seat last time. We all heard the folks in Hulu Selangor lambasting him for not being seen in the constituency. He was the invisible man.
Read the rest of this entry »
Kita kembali ke barisan permulaan
By Aspan Alias | August 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
1 OGOS — Dalam situasi politik yang begitu kusut pada hari ini, apa yang perlu bagi negara ialah untuk mempunyai pemimpin yang penuh dengan “wisdom” politik yang berpijak di atas alam yang nyata. Ucapan bergegar-gegar tidak lagi menjadi alat penyatu sesuatu kaum dan di antara kaum di negara yang berbilang bangsa, agama dan budaya ini.
Pemimpin yang dikatakan pemimpin yang mempunyai “wisdom” itu adalah pemimpin yang tidak lagi bercakap hingga pecah anak tekak, tetapi pemimpin yang faham keadaan sebenarnya yang melanda negara. Apabila pemimpin itu faham keadaan sebenarnya maka adalah mudah bagi pemimpin itu untuk mencari kaedah penyelesaiannya mengikut kehendak semua orang dan kaum-kaum.
Tentulah di dalam membuat keputusan untuk di gubal dan di laksanakan itu ianya pasti ada pengorbanan dari semua pihak seperti kaum-kaum yang ada, pemimpin-pemimpin serta mereka yang bakal memberikan kepimpinan bagi penyelesaian itu.
Read the rest of this entry »
Dead Bersih marcher’s kin demand inquest
By Syed Mu’az Syed Putra | August 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — The family of ex-soldier Baharuddin Ahmad, the sole Bersih 2.0 marcher who died on July 9, filed a notice at the High Court here today demanding an inquest to investigate the circumstances leading to his death.
At a press conference later, Baharuddin’s widow Rosni Melan said the notice was filed as the police had refused to initiate special investigation proceedings to probe her husband’s death, despite the seven-day deadline she had issued last month. The deadline expired on July 26.
“Today, I directed my lawyer to file the notice demanding an inquest to investigate my husband’s death as soon as possible.
“My purpose is sincere. I accept God’s will but my family and I need to know how he died… who and which party was responsible and to what extent is that responsibility,” she said.
Read the rest of this entry »
Guan Eng: Penang approved 11,596 affordable homes since 2008
Posted by Kit in Lim Guan Eng, Penang, Penang Government on Monday, 1 August 2011, 3:59 pm
By Clara Chooi | August 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 1 — Lim Guan Eng today denied accusations that the Penang Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government has never launched affordable housing projects for the poor, revealing that a total of 11,596 medium- and low-cost units have been approved since 2008.
“Since taking over the administration in 2008, the state government has approved the construction of 11,596 medium- and low-cost homes, and this immediately refutes the statement that the state has never built affordable housing for the people,” he said in a statement.
The Penang chief minister said the initiatives were a mix of state government and private-funded housing projects involving housing units worth an estimated RM42,000 (low cost) each or RM72,500 (medium cost).
Of the 11,596 units, he said, 8,175 (2,612 low-cost and 5,563 medium-cost) units were built by private developers while the government and its agencies constructed 3,421 (1,194 low-cost and 2,227 medium-cost) units.
Read the rest of this entry »
13th General Elections may be held as early as October/November and all Malaysians must grasp the possibility for the first time in nation’s history for change of government in Putrajaya
Posted by Kit in Elections, MIC, Najib Razak, UMNO on Monday, 1 August 2011, 12:26 pm
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said that UMNO must reform or it would be reformed.
From recent events, it is crystal clear that Umno and Barisan Nasional are incapable of reform and must be reformed by the people effecting a change of federal government from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat in the next general elections.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced the MIC President G. Palanivel as his second Indian Cabinet Minister implementing his notorious philosophy spelt out in the Sibu by-election of “Gua tolong lu, lu tolong gua” – when the duty of any responsible government must be to serve all needy Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political beliefs.
It is this cynical philosophy where essential public services are treated as a barter trade between the government and the people which is the root cause of the host of abuses of power and corruption afflicting the country destroying our national unity and international competitiveness.
Read the rest of this entry »
BN-Dayak leaders’ failure a boost for DAP
by Joseph Tawie
Free Malaysia Today
A senior lecturer in Unimas describes Sarawak DAP’s move to establish a Dayak think-tank as a ‘concrete and pragmatic’ approach in winning over Dayak support.
KUCHING: The failure of Dayak leaders to highlight the Dayak community’s problems in Parliament and in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly has been described as a key reason for the opposition DAP’s bid to form the Dayak Consultative Council (DCC).
According to DCC head John Brian, Dayak leaders in Barisan Nasional had proven to be ineffective.
He said the ruling BN having been in power for almost 50 years was less responsive to the voices of the people when compared to the DAP.
He described DAP as a more ‘progressive and democratic” party which can see issues from another perspective.
Read the rest of this entry »
Kit Siang – a rare breed of a politician
by Malaysiakini readers
‘Kit Siang, how many Malaysian politicians are like you? You are a Malaysian hero, and don’t let them tell you otherwise.’
Kit Siang: Five days, I was in darkness
Ferdtan: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” – quoted by American author John C Maxwell.
You have shown us the way since May 1969 when you took over the helm of DAP, knowing pretty well of the risk involved: in fact, you did; you were detained under ISA immediately after.
The opposition then was a lonely journey, but you trundled on, inspiring many along the way. Your ‘never say die’ is your greatest forte, inspite of your many setbacks that you suffered.
Read the rest of this entry »
DAP: Palanivel first ‘you help me, I help you’ minister
By Malaysiakini
MIC President G Palanivel has made “dubious history” in being the first cabinet minister to obtain the post not by merit, but in a “most blatant ‘I help you, you help me’ barter” arrangement, said Lim Kit Siang.
Responding in a statement today on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s announcement of Palanivel’s ministership at MIC’s 65th AGM in Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) yesterday, the DAP veteran was scathing in what he called “the most cynical cabinet appointment ever made in Malaysian history under six prime ministers”
The DAP advisor and Ipoh Timor MP also pointed out that while Najib had cited his father Abdul Razak having two Indian minister, the difference, said Lim, could not be more different.
“In Razak’s time in 1976, MIC was in a position of strength but today in 2011 MIC is in position of unprecedented weakness,” said Lim.
Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia in the Era of Globalization # 76
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, globalisation, Islam on Monday, 1 August 2011, 11:11 am
by Bakri Musa
Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life
Reform in Islam
The Quest For Answers
Present-day Muslims look askance at the sorry state in which the vast majority of our ummah live. Muslim nations, even those well endowed by Allah with abundant rich natural resources, live in abject poverty. Human rights abuses are the norm in many Islamic countries. As painfully noted by Abdullahi An-Naim, the vast majority of Muslims live at a superficial level of both Islam and modern civilization. Although we claim adherence to Islam and exhibit apparent commitment to its ritualistic formalities, we fail to appreciate and live up to its moral and spiritual essence. Likewise most Muslims benefit from modern civilization but have little appreciation of the values and ways of thinking that underlie and sustain those technologies and institutions. Further, many Muslims’ understanding of Western civilization is often reduced to the gaudy simplistic images propagated by Hollywood, and the seamier aspects highlighted by Muslim fundamentalists eager to denigrate the West. Read the rest of this entry »
Jangan temberanglah, Najib
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Najib Razak on Monday, 1 August 2011, 8:48 am
by Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 31, 2011
JULY 31 — I have watched from afar how the prime minister and his administration have squirmed and twisted and justified their handling of Bersih 2.0 and shown their reluctance to discuss meaningful electoral reform.
Very little has surprised me about an administration that is bereft of principle and function on the basis of spin and half-truths. It is quite obvious that the government believed that it could kill off Bersih by tough action and threats of intimidation.
When this did not happen, Najib tried a different tack: that the government was reasonable but Bersih was bent on causing havoc on the streets. His administration also spread the word that if the electoral system was skewed, there is no way the Opposition could have snared five states.
Today, while speaking to student leaders, Najib added to the spin, saying that if the government really controlled the Election Commission, it could have easily won Kelantan in 2004 where a few seats were lost by a few votes. Read the rest of this entry »
Polls dry run shows BN can lose Perak, Negri Sembilan
Posted by Kit in Elections, Johore, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Perak on Monday, 1 August 2011, 8:24 am
By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 01, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) could lose Perak and Negri Sembilan in the next general elections, according to results of a recent dry run. Unless component parties put popular faces and ensure the grassroots machinery garner support from voters.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the Umno election dry run also showed that the BN fortress of Johor could see up to 15 out of the 56 state seats go to their political opponents Pakatan Rakyat (PR), something unheard before Election 2008 when the ruling coalition lost six seats. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib says had Shah Alam stadium in mind for Bersih
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Human Rights, Najib Razak, Police on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 9:04 pm
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 31, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak disclosed today he had thought of Shah Alam stadium for the July 9 rally when he made offered a venue to Bersih, pointing out this was “the best option” available.
The prime minister, however, had never specified which stadium Bersih could hold the July 9 rally at when he made the offer.
“I offered a stadium. You can show dissent in a stadium, but they still wanted to do it on the streets.
“I had in mind the Shah Alam stadium, that was the best option,” Najib said today during his speech at the closing of the Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) here. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib dodges ‘Malaysian first, Malay next’ question
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 8:50 pm
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 31, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak kept mum today when asked to state whether he was a proponent of his own two-year-old 1 Malaysia policy that espouses being “Malaysian first”.
The country’s sixth prime minister was responding to questions posed by Malaysian students at the Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) here.
A student had asked Najib whether he was prepared to state that he was Malaysian first and what he thought of his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s infamous remark of being “Malay first and Malaysian next.”
Najib did not answer the question directed at him.
“I don’t want to respond in a way that will divide me from my deputy. Read the rest of this entry »
Cart and horse
Posted by Kit in NH Chan, Teoh Beng Hock on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 12:58 pm
— NH Chan
(www.loyarburok.com)
Jul 31, 2011 JULY 31 — The MACC knew at the outset that without a confession from Teoh Beng Hock they would be unable to prove any wrongdoing against the state government of Selangor.
However, the RCI concluded that the MACC tried to extract a confession from Teoh Beng Hock but the ruse backfired when instead the RCI pointed its finger at the perpetrators at the MACC with a finding that it was the MACC’s own personnel who had driven Teoh Beng Hock to suicide.
Don’t you think this looks like a scenario for a whodunnit or a Hollywood movie?
One wonders how silly can the three judges get, when they should have known better? There were three superior court judges in the panel of the Royal Commission of Inquiry – in fact the RCI was headed by a Federal Court judge! All that the judges have to do – when they have to deal with expert witnesses – is to refer to section 45 of the Evidence Act 1950. It is as simple as that. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib’s credibility still ‘in tatters’ despite PSM6 release, says Lim
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Jeyakumar, Najib Razak, Teoh Beng Hock on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 12:48 pm
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 30, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Lim Kit Siang today reminded Datuk Seri Najib Razak that his credibility as Prime Minister was “in tatters” due to his administration’s gross mishandling of several issues, and said that the release of the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members from their Emergency Ordinance (EO) detention yesterday did not change anything.
The Prime Minister has insisted that the release of the PSM members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj was done according to the due process of the law, and that it was made by the police based on “their observations.” “It was his greatest failure of leadership as Prime Minister leaving his credibility in tatters — which is why his claim yesterday that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law was met with nation-wide derision.”
“Najib cannot be more wrong if he thinks that he had restored his credibility with the release of the PSM6 yesterday,” said Lim in a statement today. Read the rest of this entry »
Palanivel makes dubious history – the first “I help you, you help me” barter Cabinet appointment in nation’s 54 year history
Posted by Kit in Indians, Najib Razak on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 12:38 pm
MIC President Datuk G Palanivel has made dubious history – being the first, unashamed and most blatant “I help you, you help me” barter Cabinet appointment in the nation’s 54-year history, nothing to do whatsoever with his personal merit or quality!
It must rank as the most cynical Cabinet appointment ever made in Malaysian history under six Prime Ministers.
Palanivel also made dubious history in other aspects. Read the rest of this entry »
6 reasons for high-level special investigations squad to break “blue wall of silence” of MACC officers to pinpoint TBH’s killers
Posted by Kit in Teoh Beng Hock on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 8:12 am
The James Foong Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the death of Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) that “TBH was driven to commit suicide by the aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation by certain officers of the MACC”(Para 119) is not acceptable as it is mere speculation and not backed up by evidence.
There are however six reasons from the RCI report why a high-level special investigation squad should be formed to break the conspiracy of “blue wall of silence” (RCI Report) of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers to pinpoint and to bring to book Beng Hock’s killers.
1.The TBH RCI was most scathing in its indictment of the character and testimony of the MACC officers especially from Selangor at the RCI. Apart from two brave and truthful souls from Selangor MACC, i.e. Azeem Hafeez Jamaluddin and Azlan (Para 176), the TBH RCI virtually dismissed the rest as a pack of liars led by Hishamuddin Hashim (HH), the “mastermind” of the massive and unjustified operation which resulted in TBH’s death. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP: Repealing EO might save Najib’s credibility
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Jeyakumar, Najib Razak on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 7:30 am
Malaysiakini
Jul 30, 11 3:54pm
In order to regain credibility after the “gross mishandling” of the PSM 6, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak must publicly repeal the EO and annul the obsolete emergency proclamations as well as other “oppressive legislature”, says Lim Kit Siang.
In a statement today, Lim said the release of the PSM 6 does not restore Najib’s credibility, as it was his government’s “high-handed” handling of the Bersih 2.0 rally that had landed the six in detention in the first place.
“It was (Najib’s) greatest failure of leadership as prime minister leaving his credibility in tatters – which is why his claim yesterday, that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law, was met with nation-wide derision. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib vows to help Indians if MIC secures their vote
Posted by Kit in Indians, Najib Razak on Sunday, 31 July 2011, 7:27 am
By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 30, 2011
PUTRAJAYA, July 30 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to do all he can to bring the Indian community back into the “mainstream of development” but asked that MIC redouble efforts to secure the community’s vote.
The prime minister said there must be “quid pro quo” between Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MIC and the ruling coalition if both wished to benefit from their relationship as “loyal friends”.
“There must be an understanding. Can you all deliver for Barisan Nasional? You can deliver and we will deliver,” Najib (picture) told delegates at the 65th MIC general assembly here today. Read the rest of this entry »
Kit Siang: Five days, I was in darkness
Joseph Sipalan and Lee Way Loon | Jul 30, 11 12:23pm
Malaysiakini
INTERVIEW
Waking up blind was the last thing Lim Kit Siang had expected.
It happened at a jubilant time, when DAP had just seen its best ever performance in the Sarawak state election on April 16, tripling their presence to 12 seats in the 71-seat state assembly.
Lim, who is DAP advisor, had just spent the evening celebrating the achievement with his party colleagues in Kuching, later retiring to his room where he was reading up on news online till about 2am.
“Then I was up at 6am, and I couldn’t see anything out of my left eye,” he said in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini.
“Of course, it was quite a frightening thought. Suddenly you’re incapacitated. I was a one-eyed jack and that was my good eye, my right eye is my lazy eye.” Read the rest of this entry »
