There’s nothing to stop us from being Malaysian first
By Deborah Loh
6 June 2011 | The NutGraph
THE vocal and articulate Lim Kit Siang many of us know in Parliament, through his blog and from news reports, is reticent when it comes to talking about himself. The veteran politician is slow to reveal what makes him tick or where he draws his ideals and inspirations from. Yet, Lim himself has been called an inspiration by many and is cited as the reason they joined the DAP.
What comes through however, even during a brief interview, is Lim’s unwavering devotion to change things for the better. This was Lim’s passion even as a teenager, when he published a school magazine with his friends where they would often write articles questioning the status quo.
Freedom of expression is one human right Lim has never wasted. Exercising it got him detained without trial twice under the Internal Security Act (ISA); in 1969 for 18 months and in 1987 for 17 months. He was also charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act for exposing corruption in a government arms deal. Read the rest of this entry »
Ahli Melayu terus sokong DAP, sanggah putar belit media
In Roketkini
6 June 2011
PUCHONG, 6 JUN – Laporan akhbar Sinar Harian dan Utusan Malaysia yang mendakwa kononnya 64 ahli Melayu DAP keluar parti untuk menyertai UMNO adalah tidak benar sama sekali.
“Bagaimana boleh mereka kata 64 ahli keluar parti sedangkan ahli-ahli DAP yang ada di Lembah Kinrara hanya 60 orang sahaja,” kata Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Kinrara Teresa Kok.
Beliau yang juga Setiausaha Organisasi Kebangsaaan DAP kesal dan hairan dengan mainan media yang melaporkan fakta salah.
“Kita akan menemui kesemua 60 ahli DAP di kawasan ini untuk mengetahui sama ada mereka benar-benar mahu keluar parti atau masih kekal dengan DAP,” katanya pada sidang media di sini hari ini.
Sementara itu, Pengerusi DAP Cawangan Lembah Kinrara Azhar Shapawi berkata hanya beberapa ahli sahaja yang mengikut bekas pengerusi cawangan Harun Abdul Wahab yang menyertai UMNO. Read the rest of this entry »
Respond to Ani’s expose, Najib told
By Teoh El Sen
June 6, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
PENANG: The DAP has demanded that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak explain why the public must suffer high electricity tariffs when the government could cut its subsidy bill by undoing the so-called “gas subsidy scandal” recently exposed by former Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) chief Ani Arope.
Referring to Ani’s allegation that the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) forced TNB to accept lopsided purchase deals with independent power producers (IPPs) nearly 20 years ago, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said a review of those deals would be “more than sufficient” to reduce the subsidy bill.
“Clearly, there is no justification for Putrajaya to hike electricity tariffs by 7%,” he said.
Ani said in a recent Facebook posting that the EPU bullied TNB into buying electricity from an IPP at 14 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) despite an existing offer of 12 sen. Read the rest of this entry »
Beware of Tahrir Square, Umno
By Patrick Lee
June 6, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang warned Umno to beware of a Malaysian version of the Tahrir Square revolution as witnessed in Egypt.
He said that Umno leaders such as Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and other “wannabes” such as Mukhriz Mahathir were likely to lose out if such an event were to take place.
Tahrir Square or Liberation Square was the epicentre of massive demonstrations by Egyptians who succeeded in removing former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak from power.
“The question Najib has to answer is whether he is really ready and prepared when Tahrir Square comes to Malaysia,” said Lim. Read the rest of this entry »
As Malaysia’s assets wane, Umno scrambles for wealth control
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Economics, Good Governance, UMNO on Monday, 6 June 2011, 4:32 pm
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
June 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — The fight is on for the country’s diminishing resources and assets, and leading the charge to secure rights to projects and land ownership are Umno warlords and politically-connected individuals.
As Malaysia grapples with imminent tariff hikes and a subsidy bill that could double to RM21 billion this year, individuals within the ruling Malay party appear to be wasting little time in demanding that the Najib administration award them immediate rights to government and commercial projects.
This is evident in the current tussle surrounding Umno’s attacks on UDA Holdings Bhd’s sale of prime land in downtown Kuala Lumpur, where despite the agency’s assurance that the sale to Mutiara Goodyear would benefit Bumiputeras, Umno leaders have attacked the agency, saying RM215.5 million deal would hurt Bumiputera interests. Read the rest of this entry »
We who left should not be seen as such
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain on Monday, 6 June 2011, 4:27 pm
By Zewt
June 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 6 — Migration and the brain drain phenomenon seem to be the talk of the town at the moment. And when I read the comments on various articles here, I observe that people like me are being labelled in a certain manner.
Yes, I am one of those who left to ply my trade elsewhere. I don’t consider myself a migrant, though I would not rule out this possibility entirely.
“Unpatriotic” is probably the most common label — I wouldn’t want to deny this. Not that I agree with it, just that it is a never-ending argument.
“Greedy and selfish” is probably another thing we are called. Again — not that I agree, but I do not want to debate on this for now. And there are many more…
However, there is one label that I cannot accept, when we are called “cowards who took the easy way out” because we refused to stay and “fight.” Read the rest of this entry »
Why I joined the Malaysian diaspora
Posted by Kit in Brain drain on Monday, 6 June 2011, 3:17 pm
by LHC
June 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 6 — I was born to parents who were themselves born, and lived their entire lives, in Malaysia. Yet, solely due to the colour of my skin, I was called a “pendatang” (immigrant) by the Malaysian government, whereas someone who hails directly from Indonesia would be welcomed as a “Bumiputera” (“prince of the soil”) and be accorded the unfair privileges that came with that title.
I was, however, more fortunate than many of my other non-Bumiputera compatriots, because my parents were middle-class professionals who could afford to send me overseas to further my education. I obtained my medical degree from the British Isles, following which I was faced with the decision either to return to Malaysia, or continue my stint overseas. Read the rest of this entry »
Reject groups stoking racial sentiments, says Utusan
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
June 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Utusan Malaysia said today the government must take stern action against those who fan racial and religious sentiments, saying that the country is at risk if these groups remained unchecked.
The Umno-owned newspaper, in echoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s message over the weekend, said these groups were willing to divide society with their narrow political understanding.
Last Saturday, Najib said the government will not compromise with groups acting for their own interests, warning that they were playing with fire.
“No compromise should be given to these groups that play with racial and religious issues. If they still continue then stern action must be taken. Like it or not, preventive and corrective measures must be taken. Read the rest of this entry »
Spirit of adventure
Posted by Kit in Articles, Brain drain on Monday, 6 June 2011, 12:40 pm
By A. Razak
June 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 6 — I left Malaysia many years ago in the spirit of adventure. I went simply because the idea of doing something new in unfamiliar territory sounded like a lot of fun. I have now lived in the UK for 10 years.
Here in the UK we live a life of “relative isolation.” My wife is the third of seven siblings while I am second of five. My kids are two of 11 grandchildren. When you include uncles, aunties and family friends, life becomes a circus of birthdays, weddings and family functions. When you live thousands of miles away from your relatives, weekends are exclusively for your precious little family. Read the rest of this entry »
Kit Siang: Mukhriz’s PAS polls claim shows BN cannot change
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Rakyat, PAS on Monday, 6 June 2011, 12:36 pm
By Yow Hong Chieh
June 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang slammed Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir today for claiming that the PAS party poll results show that the DAP and PKR have influenced the Islamist party into sidelining its ulama faction.
Lim said the Umno Youth executive councillor’s “wild, baseless and irrational” claims were proof that no one in Umno or Barisan Nasional (BN) could live up to the aspirations of young Malaysians, who wanted a better Malaysia after “lost decades” under the ruling coalition’s rule.
Mukhriz (picture) said on Saturday that the rise of the professional, or Erdogan, faction in PAS’s top leadership showed that the party now only championed the multi-racial line of its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners and no longer fought for the Islamic state. Read the rest of this entry »
History education in M’sia: Deep roots of contestation
Posted by Kit in Education, nation building on Monday, 6 June 2011, 12:32 pm
By Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Monday, 06 June 2011
Most Malaysians – including members of the specially appointed government committee to review the history curriculum – may not be aware of the deep roots of the current controversy on the narrow religious and ethno-nationalistic approach that has come to dominate history education in the country. The following essay provides information on two studies that have examined the roots of the contestation on history education, especially with regard to the history curriculum developed for schools and the assigned textbooks. 1
Santhiram’s work: Textbooks that divide
The earliest academic study on the subject was undertaken by Dr R. Santhiram. The study published in 1997 is a pioneering attempt at examining the extent to which the educational system – as exemplified in the curriculum and textbooks – was reflective of a multiracial and multicultural society. 2 Focusing on selected lower secondary school textbooks and using quantitative content analysis and qualitative strategies, the paper’s general conclusion was that while some textbooks provided curriculum content appropriate for a multicultural society, others had concentrated heavily on majority race identity. 3 Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #68
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, globalisation on Monday, 6 June 2011, 9:23 am
Chapter 8: Culture, Institutions, and Leadership
The Blight of Broken Families
I am appalled and saddened at the statistics on the family, especially among Malays. The number of teenage marriages is truly obscene. These young girls are not ready for motherhood. Think of the potential for personal growth thwarted by such early marriages. Malaysia must enact a minimum age of at least 18 for marriage. The divorce rates too are horrifying. These are actual divorces and do not include such cases of de facto divorces, that is, when Malay husbands simply abandon their wives or take on multiple wives. When one examines the structure and dynamics of such abandoned families, they are no different from divorced households. The children of families of multiple wives are just as neglected as if the father had divorced their mother.
Read the rest of this entry »
Is Najib ready and prepared when Tahrir Square comes to Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building on Monday, 6 June 2011, 8:38 am
The wind of change in Malaysia continues to blow strong and hard 39 months after the 308 “political tsunami” – this is the most important message from the weekend’s PAS party elections.
Mukriz Mahathir, one of the aspirants for the highest Umno leadership position when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak stumbles and falls, said “Congratulations to the DAP and PKR for succeeding to influence PAS to the extent that only those aligned to them (no ulama) were elected as PAS vice-presidents and even the deputy president”.
I say to Mukriz: “Congratulations for your wild, baseless and irrational comments as it is the best demonstration and proof to all Malaysians, particularly to the young generation of all races, that there is nobody in UMNO and Barisan Nasional who could live up to their aspirations for change to make up for Malaysia’s lost decades in building an united, just, democratic, progressive, prosperous and competitive nation.” Read the rest of this entry »
PAS dynamism is restored
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Rakyat, PAS on Monday, 6 June 2011, 8:35 am
Comment by Zainon Ahmad
6 June 2011 | Sun2Surf
KUALA LUMPUR (June 5, 2011): IF the late nationalist Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy — PAS’s third president who did much to turn the Umno breakaway into a strong party with its own identity and ideology — were alive today he would probably be pleased with this year’s muktamar.
He would be happy to note that the delegates to the muktamar had no qualms at all about criticizing ulamas for their unwillingness to encourage progressive thinking among Muslims in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
Umno’s nightmares are becoming reality
By Sakmongkol AK47
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 5 — Umno’s worse nightmares are now becoming a reality. PAS is transforming itself into a credible and viable alternative. If it links up with likeminded people from other parties and the combined forces are led by someone with stature, they will form the next government.
Will PAS implode? It will only if it has the Umno culture. What differentiates PAS from Umno is the existence of an eternal idealism. To see the application of more Islamic content in the running of the country wherever and whenever they are applicable. Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing the IMF’s next leader
Posted by Kit in Finance, globalisation on Sunday, 5 June 2011, 8:37 pm
By Joseph E Stiglitz
June 5, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
NEW YORK: Sooner than expected, the International Monetary Fund will have a new managing director. For more than a decade, I have criticized the Fund’s governance, symbolized by the way its leader is chosen.
By gentlemen’s agreement among the majority shareholders – the G-8 – the managing director is to be a European, with Americans in the number two post and at the head of the World Bank.
The Europeans typically picked their nominee behind the scenes, as did the Americans, after only cursory consultation with developing countries. The outcome, however, was often not good for the IMF, the World Bank, or the world. Read the rest of this entry »
The fate of Malaysians
Posted by Kit in nation building on Sunday, 5 June 2011, 8:06 pm
By Othman Wahab
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 5 — Such is the fate of Malaysians that we have to stomach insults and condescension on a daily basis. If it is not Datuk Ibrahim Ali, it is Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein or Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
At least one of them will insult our intelligence on a daily basis. In a speech to mark the Yang diPertuan Agong’s birthday, the prime minister warned those who caused disunity and stoked the embers of discord that their time is up. His administration would come down hard on them.
Seriously, does he expect us to believe this? Perkasa and Ibrahim and Utusan Malaysia have cornered the market on creating discord in the country and nothing has happened to them. Read the rest of this entry »
RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (4)
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Sunday, 5 June 2011, 3:57 pm
Twitter sequel Part 4
Iskandarbak Jun 04, 8:42pm
@mpkotabelud u back from Spore? hoping to get ur response on my feedback to ur post in ur blog re: dam in Kg T
Iskandarbak Jun 04, 8:46pm
@mpkotabelud I just checkd ur blog. U have updated it with d translation. But, i dont see my feedback comments there. I had also emailed u.
mpkotabelud Jun 04, 8:47pm
I got ur reply. On the move now. Tak dak masa utk think. Soon will reply. RT @Iskandarbak:
Read the rest of this entry »
To laugh or cry at Utusan Malaysia’s “garbage of all garbage” write-up today accusing me of being a mastermind in PAS party elections?
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Rakyat, PAS on Sunday, 5 June 2011, 12:49 pm
Should I gnash my teeth and pull my hair out in anger and frustration at Utusan Malaysia’s “garbage of all garbage” write-up accusing me of being a mastermind in PAS party elections?
Or should I just dismiss it with all the contempt which all calumny, lies and falsehoods deserve?
Indeed a classic “do not know whether to laugh or cry” situation!
Penned by Utusan editors hiding behind the pseudonym Awang Selamat, the “garbage of all garbage” must be read by all Malaysians to forewarn them of the terminal mental disease condition afflicting certain powerful personalities walking the corridors of power in the Najib Razak administration. Hence it is quoted in full as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Will PAS’s new dream team be Umno’s nightmare?
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Rakyat, PAS on Sunday, 5 June 2011, 11:16 am
By Sheridan Mahavera
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
ANALYSIS – June 5 — The election of veteran activists, parliamentarians, state administrators and think tank experts into the top PAS leadership has appeared to put the party on a firm war footing.
This line-up of Mohamed Sabu as the PAS deputy president and vice-presidents Salahuddin Ayub, Datuk Husam Musa and Datuk Mahfuz Omar is expected to not only stand shoulder to shoulder with allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but it is said that they want to spearhead the coalition in its march to Putrajaya.
Their election perhaps speaks of the party’s changing membership and support base, and the rank-file’s desire to see the party move beyond an Islamist movement to a national-level ruling party. Read the rest of this entry »
