In just 9 months, Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan facing most critical test – all top political party leaders must condemn the spate of church attacks in the wake of the “Allah controversy” and ensure no further escalation
Posted by Kit in Law & Order, Najib Razak, Religion on Friday, 8 January 2010, 12:40 pm
What many Malaysians had feared would happen and which the Prime Minister and Home Minister had discounted with their far-from-responsible stances – the exploitation of the “Allah” controversy by irresponsible and extremist elements – have unfortunately come to pass.
All top political party leaders should take a common stand to condemn in the strongest possible terms the spate of church attacks in the wake of the “Allah” controversy and ensure that there is no further escalation.
As Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should immediately impress on the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to take all urgent and necessary measures to protect the good name of the country or be held responsible for any undesirable consequences.
In just nine months, Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan is facing its most critical test as its very credibility is at stake.
Malaysia also cannot afford further adverse international publicity over the “Allah” controversy, which would only aggravate Malaysia’s declining international competitiveness if there is escalation of deplorable incidents by irresponsible and extremist elements like the spate of church attacks.
Najib and Hishammuddin would fail as 1Malaysia leaders if they take the easy way out to court popularity in the “Allah” controversy
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building, Religion on Thursday, 7 January 2010, 12:58 pm
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein would fail as 1Malaysia leaders if they take the easy way out to court popularity in the “Allah” controversy and fail to effectively represent all ethnic and religious groups in the country.
Hishammuddin said yesterday that the government does not prohibit the people from expressing their views over the use of the word “Allah” by the Catholic weekly magazine Herald, but on the condition that their actions do not undermine national security.
Najib today defended Hishammuddin’s stand on plans by several organizations to stage a demonstration on Friday tomorrow to protest the use the word “Allah” by other religions.
Would Najib and Hishammuddin be so benign and tolerant if demonstrations are organized to support the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s Dec. 31 judgment that the Herald may use the term “Allah”?
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Nazri would have been arrested and charged for serious offences including contempt of court for saying what he said about the KL High Court judgment on the Allah issue if he is in Pakatan Rakyat
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Religion on Wednesday, 6 January 2010, 11:46 am
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz would have been arrested and charged for serious offences including contempt of court for saying what he said about the Kuala Lumpur High Court judgment on the Allah issue if he is in the Pakatan Rakyat.
Every informed observer, whether Malaysian or foreigner, would be struck by the sharp contrast in such treatment with the swift police action to investigate the Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng for sedition over his expression of the national sentiment about the death of Teoh Beng Hock at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam as being caused by murder as well as the unexceptional call by the DAP Selangor State Chairman and Selangor Executive Councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah on the police to stop its baseless investigation of Guan Eng.
I am not suggesting that Nazri should be arrested and charged in court for his statement about the judgment of High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan but to question how Malaysia is to restore national and international confidence in institutional competence, independence, professionalism and integrity – which is a major cause of Malaysia’s losing out in international competitiveness – if the key national institutions continue to behave in utter disregard of basic national standards and international benchmarks.
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A Letter to Lim Kit Siang
Dear Mr. Lim Kit Siang,
I have utmost respect and admiration for your tenacity in remaining in Malaysia to champion the cause of justice and equality and fight for a Bangsa Malaysia.
My heart broke when I read about your article regarding the honest cyber cafe operator especially when he wondered if he ‘had chosen the wrong country’ to start and operate his business.
I see my situation summed up in that phrase. You have said before that the best and brightest are leaving this country. Well, I am making every preparation to leave. I have consistently scored straight As in every public exam and placed among the top 3 of my form. In university, I studied medicine and am among the top scorers. I have just graduated and scored near perfect results in a medical licensing examination that will enable me to work abroad and further my studies.
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Have the two missing RM100 million F5 fighter jet engines ended up as scrap metal or sinkers for fishing? All the more why there must be a Royal Commission of Inquiry into rampant kleptocracy in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Crime, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 5 January 2010, 5:08 pm
The explanation by the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail on the two missing RM100 million F5 fighter engines have raised public incredulity and outrage to new heights, spawning even more questions, including:
Firstly, why have the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers taken such an inordinately long time of over 16 months in the investigations into the two J85-GE-21 engines, which power the F5 fighters, which had been stolen from two RMAF facilities while some components from the same planes were also unaccounted for?
All that Gani can say now is that police had completed its investigations “to a large extent” and that he would announce “very soon” the decision on the next course of action against those involved in the thefts.
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Cabinet tomorrow should convene an inter-religious conference to reach an out-of-court settlement of the “Allah controversy” to demonstrate that Najib’s 1Malaysia policy has meaningful application towards creating inter-religious understanding, goodwill and harmony
The PAS leadership’s decision last night to back the use of the word Allah by Catholics as it is consistent with the federal Constitution and Islamic principles, with the condition that it cannot be misused or inappropriately addressed, is most welcome as a commendable contribution to the resolution of the “Allah controversy” following the Dec. 31 judgment of Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan.
Lau said that pursuant to Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution, it was an offence for non-Muslims to use the word Allah to Muslims to propagate the religion.
However, it was not an offence for non-Muslims to use the word to non-Muslims for the purpose of religion.
Pursuant to Articles 11 and 12 of the Federal Constitution, the Catholic weekly Herald had the constitutional right to use the word in respect of instruction and education of the congregation in the Christian religion.
Article 10 allowed it to use the word in the exercise of its right to freedom of speech and expression.
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Two things Abu Kassim can do to demonstrate that he will lead a MACC which is independent, non-partisan and professional gaining national and international confidence and recognition as a foremost graft-buster in the league of Hong Kong’s ICAC
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Monday, 4 January 2010, 1:15 pm
Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed was sworn in as the new Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission today. Congratulations.
The question is whether Abu Kassim can redeem the reputation of MACC, which has plunged to the lowest ebb ever plumbed by its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency, in its 41 year history from 1967-2008 – a most adverse reference and comparison.
There are two simple things Abu Kassim can do to demonstrate that he will lead a MACC which is independent, non-partisan and professional gaining national and international confidence and recognition as a fore-most world graft buster in the league of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), viz:
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To direct MACC officer Raub Ghani to drop the baseless police report he lodged against Thai pathologist Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand for allegedly “leaking” information to unauthorized people on the forensic report on the second post mortem on Teoh Beng Hock on Nov. 22; and
Enhancing The Role of Private Sector in Education – Part 6
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, Education on Monday, 4 January 2010, 12:39 pm
By M. Bakri Musa
[Last of Six Parts]
[In the preceding essays, I discussed the rationale and benefits of enhancing private sector participation in education, surveyed the various models in the rest of world, and summarized the current state of affairs in Malaysia. This last piece is my prescription for private sector participation at the tertiary level.]
As with schools, opportunities for private sector participation at the post-secondary level are also endless. At one end would be the completely independent proprietary universities free of governmental control except those that govern any private enterprise. At the other would be the various public-private partnerships.
The advantage of being independent is just that. As Thomas Kealey, head of the only independent private university in Britain, the University of Buckingham, observed, “Every other university … works solely to government targets. The government gives them money, and therefore they do whatever the government wants. …. [O]ur economic success is determined by our students’ satisfaction. The other universities’ success is determined by how much they please the government.”
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Police plan to pin sedition charge against Pornthip
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Police, Teoh Beng Hock on Monday, 4 January 2010, 12:28 pm
By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life adviser
THE POLICE AND MACC HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDA BY LEVELLING CHARGES OF SEDITION AGAINST LIM GUAN ENG AND THAI PATHOLOGIST PORNTHIP
If the Suara Keadilan report were read carefully, it is quite clear that the ‘leaked sources’ need not be from Pornthip, but could be from anyone who was connected to the autopsy room at the time the second post mortem was conducted.
The leaked source could be from MACC or the police who are usually privy to the information from the autopsy room.
The wild accusation that Pornthip was responsible for the leaks might backfire on the police and or MACC who have their own agenda, which is to attach blame on the pathologist Pornthip engaged by the opposition to get to the truth of the death of Teoh Beng Hock.
Pathologist Pornthip has a formidable reputation of world renown and would not resort to unethical behaviour. To implicate her for breach of ethics is foolish and ill advised.
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Open Letter to PM, Ministers and MPs
Open Letter By Bruce Lim
To our beloved Prime Minister of Malaysia, Members of the Cabinet and all Members of Parliament,
I am writing to each of you, as all of you collectively, will control the destiny of this country and its people, for the immediate and near future.
On this dawn of a new year, I wish all of you “Happy New Year, and may all of you and your family be happy, enjoy good health and prosperity for Year 2010 !”
Some recent personal and profound experiences, prompted me to write to each of you. I might share these experiences, which saddened and embarrassed me, with you on another occasion.
For now, I wish to merely forward to you a short article which was published in the Star newspaper on 21.12.2009, reproduced below. The article contains amongst others, figures and charts, which I think, can hardly be disputed. The fact is, our country is lagging behind many other countries. The average Malaysian is so far behind in terms of quality of life, relative to the countries in comparison. Our well-being is at stake. Please study the figures, and ask yourselves :- Read the rest of this entry »
MACC police report against Dr. Pornthip – double test case for Selangor CPO Khalid and new MACC Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Police, Teoh Beng Hock on Sunday, 3 January 2010, 1:23 pm
Last week, Selangor Chief Police Officer Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar announced a second police report lodged by the police over the mysterious death of DAP political aide, Teoh Beng Hock at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16 last year.
Khalid said the police would be hauling up the Selangor DAP State Chairman and Selangor State Exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah under Section 506 of the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for allegedly intimidating the police in “directing” the police to cease their investigation of Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng for sedition.
Will Khalid direct the Selangor police to lodge a police report against himself, for Khalid had been guilty of the offence of publishing “false news” under the Printing Presses and Publications Act as Hian Wah never “directed” but merely urged the police to stop their baseless investigation of Guan Eng.
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Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng fields the 10 questions posed to him by our readers.
Posted by Kit in Lim Guan Eng, Penang Government on Sunday, 3 January 2010, 5:10 am
Saturday January 2, 2010 | The Star Biz
Your 10 questions
1. Administering the state must be a steep learning curve. How has the journey been so far and what is the biggest challenge? – Johnny Wong, Kepong
Administering an entire government with nearly 10,000 personnel, including both local government councils, definitely has been a steep learning curve. But as long as we are clear on our vision, mission and the governing strategy, we can fulfil the yearning for change and reforms. Our vision is to transform Penang into an international city that is a location of choice for investors, a destination of choice for tourists, and a habitat of choice for those who desire sustainable living. Our mission is establishing a people-centric government that does the three Es – enables the people with education and knowledge, empowers them with rights, freedoms and opportunities, and enriches them with a share in the economic fruits of success. Our governing strategy is to realise both our vision and mission through governance based on CAT (competency, accountability and transparency). An efficient, clean and world-class civil service is a prerequisite to transforming Penang into a high-income economy.
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PM must lay the foundations to achieve his new year promises
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Economics on Sunday, 3 January 2010, 5:00 am
By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life adviser
PM Najib’s new year promises cannot succeed without first laying the foundations of real reforms.
In his new year message, the Prime Minister announced for the new year 2010, his government would achieve a high income economy for the people with the help of a NEW ECONOMIC MODEL AND BUILDING A RESERVOIR OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO MOVE AND MAN THE NEW ECONOMY.
These are stirring words, but the promises will remain a dream, because the Prime Minister has not laid the proper foundations for a New Economy.
The first step he should take is to LIBERALISE THE ECONOMY in the manner that China and the Four Asian Tigers have liberalised – which is a Free Market economy. A free market means there will be no regulations to hinder investors to come to Malaysia or stifle the ambitions of local businessmen.
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Are police reports by police/MACC against Guan Eng, Ean Yong, Dr. Pornthip and Suara Keadilan part of a high-level sinister design/conspiracy to clamp down and strike out at fair comments on important national issues?
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Police, Teoh Beng Hock on Saturday, 2 January 2010, 1:35 pm
On Christmas Eve, the Selangor Police lodged a police report of sedition against DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, for his speech at the Pakatan Rakyat national convention in Shah Alam on December 19 expressing national sentiments that the mysterious death of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam was a case of murder.
Three days later, the Selangor Chief Police Officer Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar alleged that the DAP Selangor Chairman and Selangor State Executive Councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah had “intimidated” the police in “directing” the police to stop their investigation of Guan Eng – when all that Ean Yong had done was to call on the police to stop their baseless investigation.
Yesterday, two MACC officers, Mohd Yusoff and Raub Ghani, lodged police reports against Suara Keadilan for an article in the Parti Keadilan Rakyat newspaper “which confirmed as murder the death of Teoh” as well as against Thai pathologist Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunan for “leaking” the information to unauthorised people the forensic report of the second post-mortem on Teoh on Nov. 22.
In the Top News of 2009 for the various media, Teoh Beng Hock invariably topped the list for his tragic death at the MACC headquarters last July.
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Walk the talk, Tee Keat!
COMMENT
By Thomas Lee
[email protected]
Monday 1 January 2010
MCA president Ong Tee Keat has made a bold declaration in his New Year message that he would be ready to lead the party to stand up to injustice, and engage any other like-minded forces to seek redress on issues of public concern.
“We have to be bold and we have to be loud if and when we have to. We need to transform and energise the MCA that will be fearless in championing equal opportunities and a level playing field, not only for the Chinese community, but for all Malaysians,” Tee Keat said in his message.
Brave words, indeed, but can Tee Keat really fulfill such a tall order he has set for himself and the MCA? Read the rest of this entry »
Two days to read Maverick Mahathir and 58 days to decide whether it jeopardizes national security and public safety – what KPI/NKRA and “Performance Now”?
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Najib Razak on Friday, 1 January 2010, 2:35 pm
Last Saturday, Home Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Fuad Abdul Aziz denied that Barry Wain’s biography, “Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times” is being put through any additional scrutiny by the Home Ministry.
He said it was being withheld to undergo the normal process for any foreign publication, to ensure that its contents would not jeopardize national security and public safety.
The ministry has 60 days from the time it was submitted to decide if the book should be allowed to be distributed in the country.
Nobody believes that Wain’s biography of Mahathir is lying in a mountainous pile of foreign publications waiting to be read for decision to be taken whether to release or censor it.
Wain’s book would have been read voraciously by those responsible for the subject-matter in the Home Ministry within a day or at most two days – which means we are having a situation where the book is read in two days but withheld for the next 58 days to decide whether the book should be allowed into the bookshops in the country or banned for jeopardizing national security or public safety!
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Mahathir the Maverick at it again
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, nation building, NEP on Friday, 1 January 2010, 11:08 am
by A
Subject: Re: BERNAMA – Forget The Origin Country, We Are Malaysians – Mahathir
On my way to London yesterday, I finished 3/4 of the book on the Maverick, my conclusion long before reading this book was; all of us , Malaysians ( my ancestors came from China to Malaysia more than 150 yrs ago) have been divided ( or screwed) by all these greedy and heartless politicians, whether they are from UMNO, MCA, Gerakan or MIC, and they are all the same. The wealth in the country should be shared by all of us, but UMNO started NEP, AP, MARA, etc etc to split us in the name of wealth distribution. But after 40 years since May 13 1969, what have we achieved? The govt still think that all the targets set under NEP have not been achieved? How could these be possible if 30pc of PLC shares must be allocated to bumiputras, Non-bumis not allowed to get APs, open new petrol stations, scholarships, all govt contracts must have Bumis equity, certain sectors of the businesses were not opened to non- bumis until the recent years but still tightly controlled, and Bumi controlled companies so as GLCs don’t have to hire non-bumis. So how could the nation be united, progress or the lastest favour of the day, 1Malaysia be successful if meritrocracy is not relevant in practice? And each day we become more suspicious of each other’s co-existance. Read the rest of this entry »
Court rules Herald free to use the word “Allah”
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Human Rights, Religion on Thursday, 31 December 2009, 10:11 pm
By Lisa Goh
The Star
31.12.09
KUALA LUMPUR: The Catholic weekly Herald is now free to use the word “Allah” in its publication after the High Court quashed the Home Minister’s prohibition against it using the word, declaring the order as “illegal, null and void.”
In her decision, Justice Lau Bee Lan also declared that under Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, applicant Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam had the constitutional right to use “Allah” in Herald in the exercise of his right that religions other than Islam might be practised in peace and harmony in the country.
She further ruled that the Constitution, which states Islam as the country’s religion, did not empower the minister to make such a prohibition.
“In pursuant to Article 10, the applicant also has the right to use the word ‘Allah’ in the Herald in the exercise of his right to freedom of speech and expression.” she said in her oral judgment Thursday to a packed courtroom.
Justice Lau ruled as grounds for her judgement that both the respondents – the minister and the Malaysian government – had failed throughout the trial to prove how the use of the word “Allah” could threaten national security. Read the rest of this entry »
After nine months, “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” has proved to be mere publicity and propaganda puff of Najib premiership with no meaningful change or consequence to the lives of Malaysians
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak on Thursday, 31 December 2009, 10:03 am
Malaysians enter the new year of 2010 with Datuk Seri Najib Razak completing three-quarters of his first year as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
After nine months, “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” has proved to be mere publicity and propaganda puff of the Najib premiership with no meaningful change or consequence to the lives of Malaysians.
Are Malaysians of diverse races, religions and regions more united as one Malaysian people or even more divided than ever?
Do Malaysians feel safer from the endemic tide of crime which had deprived them of the two fundamental freedoms of any citizen in any civilized society – to be free from crime and the fear of crime?
Is Malaysia becoming a country where accountability, transparency and integrity are not just slogans but taken seriously by the government with the political will to take action against the “sharks” and not just “ikan bilis”?
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The myth of the indispensable hero Tee Keat
By Thomas Lee
The PKFZ issue has been branded about by certain people as the reason Ong Tee Keat should remain the MCA president and transport minister. These people seem to think that if Tee Keat is not holding these positions the probe into the multi-billion ringgit PKFZ scandal will grind to a stop.
Such thinking is simply simplistic and utterly uncanny, especially when many of those arguing in support of Tee Keat are supposed to be educated and intelligent people, some of them being leaders in political parties and non-governmental organisations.
Such people should know and understand that the PKFZ buck does not stop at the desk of Tee Keat but at the table of Umno boss and Prime Minister Najib Razak. The ultimate decision on what to do with PKFZ issue is not in the hand of Tee Keat but that of Najib. It doesn’t matter who the transport minister is as it is the prime minister who will finally call the shot and make the decision. The transport minister is merely his executive officer for carrying out his will and decision.
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