Hishamuddin should not act both as prosecutor and judge to pass judgment that Nurul Izzah had committed the offence of sedition, dictating and usurping the powers of the Police, AG’s Chambers and judiciary
I am shocked that the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has acted both as prosecutor and judge to unilaterally and arbitrarily pass judgment that the PKR MP for Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Anwar has committed the offence of sedition for questioning the entrenched sensitive issue of Article 153 of the Constitution with her challenge to Perkasa to a debate on “Malaysia or Malaysaja?”
As Home Minister, with responsibility over the police, it is a gross abuse of power on his part to dictate or usurp the powers of the Police, Attorney-General’s Chambers and the judiciary by passing judgment that Nurul had committed the offence of sedition in questioning the entrenched sensitive issue of Article 153 and therefore deserves to be arrested, charged, tried and convicted for sedition.
Police reports lodged against Nurul Izzah for committing the offence of sedition by questioning Article 153 do not mean that she had done so, and it is most irresponsible and reckless on the part of Hishammuddin as Home Minister to assume that Nurul Izzah is guilty as charged in the police reports against her.
As Home Minister, Hishammuddin must be professional and rise above party politics.
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Rising racism, 53 years on
Posted by Kit in nation building on Friday, 3 September 2010, 10:38 am
This year, I became a senior citizen. I can now withdraw my EPF savings and I qualify for some discounts for travel and surprisingly even for some buffet meals at some eateries.
But as I ponder upon ‘retirement’, it is sad to see the Malaysia that I know and live in, grows increasingly uncertain, diffident and bogged down in self-made crises, one after another.
Our previously phenomenal economic growth has now trickled down in a dizzying spiral of middle-income trap – not helped by the 2008 global financial crisis.
Our foreign direct investments have dwindled as our competitiveness, our productivity, perhaps our systemic corruption and wastage, have now been exposed and called into question.
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Hardtalk or money talks? Saga of the aborted RPK interview
Posted by Kit in Media, Raja Petra Kamaruddin on Thursday, 2 September 2010, 4:21 pm
Hardtalk is a flagship BBC television programme that has gained a large global audience due to its style of tough questioning.
According to its media note, Hardtalk “asks the difficult questions and gets behind the stories that make the news — from international political leaders to entertainers; from corporate decision-makers to ordinary individuals facing huge challenges.”
This reputation of independence and fearlessly getting the stories behind the news is now blotted.
On Aug 10, Nicholas Davis Blakemore, BBC planning editor sent an e-mail note to Raja Petra Kamarudin asking if he would be interested in appearing in Hardtalk.
Following confirmation from RPK (readers can read the full correspondence here), the live interview was to have been conducted on Sept 1.
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Ersatz moderation will not suffice, PM
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building on Thursday, 2 September 2010, 4:18 pm
By G. Krishnan
Surely any right-minded Malaysian will find it impossible to disagree with the prime minister that we cannot allow racism to destroy us. And surely all of us who cherish the virtues of moderation must find ourselves whole-heartedly agreeing with the prime minister that we cannot allow extreme attitudes on racial and religious issues to compromise national unity.
As such, it is precisely for these reasons, Mr. Prime Minister that moderates such as myself continue to remain perplexed and puzzled about the glaring discrepancy that continues to persist between the messages you espouse and the reality that persists in the manner your government conducts itself.
I must admit, I was struck by your re-affirmation of the principles of the Rukun Negara; something that merely one month ago, I noted in one of my articles should be given far greater prominence in our national culture, especially in place of the religious one-upmanship.
To be precise, I stated that,
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Before Khairy demands that Wee Meng Chee be taught a lesson, will he surrender himself to the police for criminal charges to be preferred against him for his previous racist statements?
I had said that Wee Meng Chee can be faulted for being crude, vulgar, abusive and even obscene at the disgust and fury of his 3-minute rap video directed at the school principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, Hajah Siti Inshah binti Mansor, for making racist, derogatory and seditious remarks like: “Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”
However, the police has still to explain why they are investigating Wee for sedition when there is nothing seditious in his rap video against the Kulai and Bukit Selambau school principals for making racist slurs against students especially when the school principals concerned are still scot-free for their seditious statements.
I had myself been arrested and investigated for sedition and DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh had been arrested, charged and acquitted of sedition – just two examples of the gross abuse of powers and double-standards in the country.
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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #30
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, globalisation on Thursday, 2 September 2010, 11:05 am
Chapter 4: Modern Model States
The Relevant Lessons For Malaysia (Cont’d)
A few years ago I was a guest teacher for the senior class in the school near my village in Malaysia where I once taught briefly as a temporary teacher. What an experience! I was taken aback at how passive and quiet the class was. There was no spunk or energy. In an attempt to stimulate some discussions I uttered some really silly and outrageous remarks just to get a reaction. Alas, none was forthcoming.
These students had such reverence for their teachers that they did not dare question me. More startling, when one brave soul attempted to challenge my statement, the others quickly put her down, saying in effect that questioning what I said was tantamount to being disrespectful, and thus sinful. It is this psychological effect imparted by the religious teachers that is so devastating.
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Ismail takes over from Musa as new IGP
Deputy IGP Ismail Omar 2b new IGP as Musa Hassan’s contract will not be extended 3rd time. Will Musa b apptd Ambassador to nearby country?
09/01/2010 06:06 PM
Congrats 2new IGP.DAP/PR prepared 2fully co-operate 2introduce democratic policing n create efficient, professional world-class police force
09/01/2010 06:12 PM
Ismail takes over from Musa as new IGP
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani | The Malaysian Insider
September 01, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 – Tan Sri Ismail Omar will replace Tan Sri Musa Hassan as the country’s new Inspector-General of Police, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announced today.
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Mahathir is the major obstacle to Najib’s 1Malaysia and National Transformation Agenda
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Mahathir, Najib Razak, nation building, NEM, NEP on Wednesday, 1 September 2010, 1:32 pm
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad blogged on the 53rd National Day eve that “today the races are more divided than ever”.
The implications of Mahathir’s statement merits attention.
Here we have the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister in fact telling the current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that despite this year’s Merdeka Month theme: “1Malaysia: Transforming the Nation” and the latter’s 1Malaysia policy and National Transformation Programme for 18 months since assuming the highest office in the land in April last year, national unity and inter-racial relations had never been so bad at present as compared to any time in the 22 years Mahathir had been Prime Minister from 1981 – 2003.
Would Najib agree to this Mahathir assessment as the present Prime Minister was during those 22 years of Mahathir premiership either Pahang Mentri Besar or a Cabinet Minister, starting as Minister for Youth and Sports before being appointed to Education and later Defence portfolios – while in Umno, occupying the posts of Umno Youth Leader (especially during the Operation Lalang years) and Umno National Vice President from 1995-2003?
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Feeble-minded BN
Posted by Kit in nation building on Wednesday, 1 September 2010, 12:09 pm
Three BN ministers were not speaking from a position of strength when they labeled PKR politician Nurul Izzah Anwar a traitor and a sinner for saying in an Indonesian newspaper, that Malaysia’s new, multimillion ringgit submarine is defective.
She also highlighted the problems plaguing our navy and expressed doubts about the New Economic Policy (NEP).
?Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom said, Those who tarnish their country’s image with the aim of causing turmoil are regarded to have sinned.
The truth hurts, but Jamil is mad to brand people who are critical of the Malaysian government as ‘sinners’.
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Why Police investigating Wee Meng Chee for sedition when there is nothing seditious in his latest 3-minute rap against the Kulai secondary school principal for making racist slurs against students?
It has been reported that the police went to the Muar house of young Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee 15 minutes before midnight on the eve of the 53rd National Day, leading to the following posting on Wee’s Facebook:
“3 POLICE CARS FINALLY CAME TO MY MUAR HOME TO ARREST ME***** this happened 15 minutes before our 53rd National Day Celebration, YES, I’m still here but for how long more, I don’t know … my beloved MALAYSIA, where is our justice system?! (THIS IS NOT A JOKE)”.
This message has attracted more than 4,500 comments in 15 hours.
Johor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Amer Awal has denied any police plan to arrest Wee, saying that they are still investigating Wee’s case.
The Federal CID chief Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin has however confirmed that Wee was being investigated under the Sedition Act
The question is why the Police is investigating Wee for sedition when there is nothing seditious in his latest 3-minute rap against the Kulai secondary school principal for making racist slurs against students while the school principal is still scot-free for her seditious racism? Read the rest of this entry »
The ultimate Malaysian debate: Malaysia or Malaysaja?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, nation building, NEP on Tuesday, 31 August 2010, 11:58 am
AUG 31 — Perkasa claims to defend Malay rights in a multi racial Malaysia. And these Malay rights are inalienable, non-negotiable and permanent. Those that disagree with their interpretation of these Malays rights are deemed treacherous and should leave Malaysia.
In the spirit of Ramadhan and Merdeka, I would like to invite Perkasa to a Constructive Engagement for a new beginning for Malaysia with me.
I would like to ask Perkasa, several key questions to better understand, and together seek real solutions for the crisis it claims the Malays are facing.
I believe that Perkasa is the current vocal, and not necessarily the majority voice of the Malays. And by all indication, Perkasa is the alter-ego of Umno.
If Perkasa can be engaged constructively and a resolution found, then we would have answered the acid-test of Malay concerns once and for all?
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Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!
Posted by Kit in nation building on Tuesday, 31 August 2010, 10:08 am
By Richard Loh
I intended to use the post title Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka but someone beats me to it.
I was 3 years old when Malaya got its Independence and at that age I cannot recalled what actually happened, only to learn in later years from history books. History are written by men or historians but along the way depending on the whims and fancies of those in power, it can be rewritten.
What I learned in the sixties was that Malayan comprising of all races led by Tunku Abdul Rahman fought for our Freedom from the British rule. Following our Freedom the country had to fight the communist insurgencies and Malayan of all races fought off the communists.
The sixties, the time that I was a teenager, the country was peaceful and harmonious (other than the communist insurgencies, which have no effect on us civilians) with all the races mixing around each other without any inkling what racism is all about while religions were never a conflict.
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Door to any house of worship open
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman, Islam, Religion on Tuesday, 31 August 2010, 10:05 am
by Azly Rahman
“I sincerely and genuinely reiterate that my visit to the Surau Al-Huda was not politically motivated, and had no motive to put into question the sanctity of suraus and mosques,” Serdang Mp Teo Nie Ching said on Saturday…
Teo explained that she had visited the Kajang surau on Sunday, Aug 22, as their MP, in order to hand over to them the state government’s monetary contribution for repairs to the surau fence… She had timed her visit in order to break fast with the surau’s committee members and congregation…
“Since I was invited to say a few words, I in all sincerity gave a brief explanation of the state’s education programmes that benefit the people of Selangor,” she said, adding that she welcomed advice from all parties on better execution of her duties… (Malaysiakini report, Aug 28, 2010)
The Perkasa panic over Teo’s visit to a surau in Kajang intrigues me. The latter had gone there in humility to present a state donation to repair the fence. She is now a sensation and forced to mend fences. She may be meeting with the biggest religious head of the state – the Sultan. There will be repercussions. There has already been.
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Traitors – A Trademark & Tradition of Umno!
Posted by Kit in Defence, Martin Jalleh, UMNO on Tuesday, 31 August 2010, 10:02 am
By Martin Jalleh
The Umno-dominated government stubbornly sticks to the same old tricks to try to sink the Opposition. One such stale attempt is to label as “traitors” those who refuse to suck up to its spent elite leaders.
And so Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid (AZ) who apparently ran out of steam to shut the Opposition up on the Scorpene submarines scandal, resorted to calling Nurul Izzah a “traitor”.
It seems that the Member of Parliament (MP) has stained the nation’s image by revealing on 4 Aug. 2010 in an interview with Kompas, a newspaper in Indonesia, that the country’s first submarine cannot dive.
Below are his comments (in bold) followed by a response which when added up points to the ironic conclusion that it is the Defence Minister and Umno who could be the real traitors after all!
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The Mahathir prediction
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Thomas Lee on Monday, 30 August 2010, 11:14 pm
by Thoma Lee
My.sinchew.com
August 30, 2010
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has predicted that racial tension would escalate if the New Economic Policy (NEP) type of policies is removed in favour of open policies which disregard the disparities between races in the interest of equity and merit.
The former prime minister has also warned that the time is not right for changes to be made to the existing pro-Bumiputera affirmative policies.
He said that the violent Communist revolution in Europe was caused by the disparity between rich and poor, and hinted that such a scenario could happen in Malaysia if the so-called economic gap between the Bumiputeras and the other races is not narrowed.
Hence, he suggested that the affirmative policies and programmes be continued infinitum, arguing that such a protection for the Bumiputera is still necessary and that a 20-year timeline is not enough for them to become economically on par with other races. Read the rest of this entry »
I am Chinese but I want to be known as MALAYSIAN!
Posted by Kit in nation building on Monday, 30 August 2010, 10:00 pm
By Philip Yong
So, the day has arrived. The day we’ve all been patiently waiting for. Yes it is finally here!
This was the day all Malaysians regardless of race stood up together to shout ‘MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA!’ from the bottom of their hearts. Even just by imagining the atmosphere at that moment, I can feel the joy. But today, I no longer have that feeling.
Tomorrow (31st August 2010) is our country’s 53rd National Day. Wow, we’ve got our independence for 53 years already, how amazing can that be? But you know what? I don’t feel a thing. I don’t feel proud to be a Malaysian at all. Well, if you’ve been catching up with the tabloids lately, you would know what I mean. 53 years is not very long but still a substantial number. Why are we the citizens of Malaysia not united? Our National Day is tomorrow but there are still people out there fighting and screaming ridiculously accusing others of demeaning their race. Why after 53 years we still can’t be united? Why do we have to fill in forms asking for our race? Why isn’t there an option for ‘Malaysian’ in those forms? Yes I am Chinese but I want to be known as a Malaysian, is that wrong?
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Mahathir — Malaysia’s enigma
By Jema Khan
AUG 30 — To make sense of the various ongoing debates on the NEP, one has to have a sense of history especially for the time when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister.
During his 22 years as PM, the main priority of the nation was to develop at all costs. The man worked 16 hours a day, was well-read, intelligent, soft-spoken and most of all, he listened well.
He was tenacious when it came to policy; it was often his way or the highway. His detractors would call him a dictator for undermining institutions such as the judiciary and using the ISA against his political opponents. Nevertheless, when he stepped down as PM in 2003, he was still largely popular among all the races in Malaysia.
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Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Monday, 30 August 2010, 1:39 pm
This year’s Merdeka Month celebrations with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” should give all Malaysians a new sense of pride and worth of being a Malaysian.
Instead, the cacophony of the racist rhetoric had never been more raucous, discordant and divisive in the first year of any previous Prime Minister in the nation’s 53-year history – reducing Najib’s 1Malaysia policy and slogan into tatters.
The 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap launched by the Prime Minister in January this year declared that “the goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”
This goal of 1Malaysia was rendered hollow and meaningless when the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, and no Cabinet Minister dared to contradict him!
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Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!!!
Posted by Kit in nation building on Monday, 30 August 2010, 11:05 am
By Gayatri Unsworth
August 30, 2010
AUG 30 — We celebrate Merdeka tomorrow. And what do we have to show for it? Racist educators, intolerant politicians, bigoted pressure groups, xenophobic newspapers, crimes of vandalism against places of worship and other weird and not-so-wonderful things that can only happen in this nation. What a meaningful way to usher in Malaysia’s 53rd birthday!
If only our Bapa Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, were alive to see the state of things today. To witness how the fruits of his labour have been utilised, and to observe how the unified Malaysia he dreamt of, still remain for the most part, a dream. To watch how we’ve spent the better part of the last half-century diligently dismantling piece by piece, the Malaysian unification he strived to hard to establish. To view the rapid extinction of the tolerant, empowered Malaysian, only to be replaced by one so blinded by prejudice that he is incapable of rational discourse towards his fellow countrymen. To hear words such as ‘pendatang’ and ‘penumpang’, to see protestors stamping on cow heads, to taste tear-gas and to smell the acrid odour of corruption, discrimination, oppression, and deception permeating Malaysian air.
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Talk Like A PM, Walk And Act Like Umno
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Sunday, 29 August 2010, 11:07 pm
by Richard Loh
I have no intention to blog these few days because I thought that I can enjoy the Merdeka celebration but it is not to be so.
The past weeks clearly show that the PM is no longer in control of running the country. The PM is wearing too many hats. The PM is wearing too many hats that he turns out to be the most ugly looking person.
One hat he wore represented him as the Prime Minister that can only talk with all kinds of slogan and rhetoric that contain no solid substance as it will be all blown away once he changes his hat.
Trying to balance his act, he will immediately change to his Umno President hat to walk and act like Umno, forgetting what he had said when he was wearing the PM’s hat. Read the rest of this entry »
