Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” – mischief-makers at work
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Rakyat on Friday, 22 August 2008, 1:13 am
A Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” list was mysteriously circulated to parliamentary reporters yesterday and I was asked whether there is any basis to it.
It is utter bunkum as the Pakatan Rakyat leaders had never discussed any such Cabinet line-up.
It is in fact the second so-called Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” line-up concocted by Barisan Nasional mischief-makers.
Malaysiakini has carried a story on it, viz:
Bogus Pakatan ‘shadow’ cabinet list appears
Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Aug 21, 08 6:50pmA bogus list – purportedly the ‘new’ cabinet line-up to be unveiled by the Pakatan Rakyat alliance should they succeed in forming a new government – is being distributed in Parliament.
The origin of the list, which features PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister and finance minister, is unknown.
However, Pakatan MPs said it is not from them. Read the rest of this entry »
MALAYSIAN SPIRIT WINS OLYMPIC BADMINTON MEDAL FOR MALAYSIA
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Sports on Thursday, 21 August 2008, 12:48 pm
By Dr. Chen Man Hin
The whole nation is happy and proud that Lee Chong Wei battled his way in the Beijing Olympics and won a silver medal in badminton.
He has won honour and glory for Malaysia, and though we are a small country, we have people like Lee Chong Wei to strive hard and win a medal despite intense competition from bigger countries.
We must not forget that behind every athlete’s success, there is the guiding hand of the coach. The man behind Lee Chong Wei’s success is Misbun Sidek, the national badminton coach. Read the rest of this entry »
Home Minister very at home with his ignorance
Posted by Kit in Martin Jalleh, Religion on Thursday, 21 August 2008, 12:21 am
by Martin Jalleh
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar believes it is his prerogative and position to preach to the Catholic community in Bolehland on what they should and should not believe in.
“Religion and politics should not mix”– he pontificates. This is ludicrous especially coming from a Minister whose political party’s interpretation of its own religion has politicised almost everything in Bolehland.
The Home Minister hops on the bandwagon of the horde of “little mullah napoleons” (LMNs) in the country to dominate, dictate, decide and even define what non-Muslims can and cannot discuss, deliberate on, and display in print.
He joins the LMNs in his ministry in hounding The Herald. He says he was not aware of the instructions by his Ministry to decide whether to suspend or revoke The Herald’s publication permit, yet he decides to threaten the publication. Read the rest of this entry »
Lee Chong Wei – pity to become PP by-election “fodder’
Congrats to Lee Chong Wei as Olympics badminton silver medalist.
I watched his finals match with Lin Dan and was rooting for him to win the first Olympics gold for Malaysia, but it was not to be.
He visited Parliament yesterday and would be honoured in a special ceremony in Penang tonight where he would be presented with a cheque for RM300,000 and a monthly pension of RM3,000.
Chong Wei is a national hero for all Malaysians.
It will be great pity if this national status is diminished by making him a “fodder” in the Permatang Pauh by-election – as indicated by the New Straits Times Dewan Dispatches article “Lee Chong Wei becomes Permatang Pauh fodder”.
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MARA is progress not fascism
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman, Education, nation building on Wednesday, 20 August 2008, 8:49 am
by Azly Rahman
Mara means “to advance (forward)”. It is the opposite of “retreat” and the declaration of defeat. It does not mean Undur.
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) must live up to its name. So must its younger brother Maktab Rendah Sains MARA. It is in the interest of the public to suggest good ideas for reform – and to advance.
In my lifetime I have been affiliated with both organisations. I taught in the former institution and I was schooled in the latter. Whether a product of historical accident or not, I am proud of my experiences in both. There is a reason for things to happen. I came from a poor family and was given the chance to have an education I wish many more Malaysians, my parents included.
But I wish to share my view on this troubling phenomenon that is plaguing a certain segment of the Malays. My argument will be largely linguistic.
What is the Malay view of the recent protest of UiTM student – of those young “men-in-black” whose are mourning and calling for the death of reason and rationality and for critical sensibility?
I think Malays in general are angry at the protesters. I think they are embarrassed that those few thousands of Malay students were displaying their ignorance of what Universiti Mara means. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar Sodomy II – internationalising Malaysia’s Misrule of Law?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Judiciary on Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 12:09 pm
I had wanted to ask the Foreign Minister, Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim the following supplementary question in Parliament this morning:
“Are you aware that by taking Anwar’s Sodomy II selective prosecution to the United Nations by way of a letter of protest to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at American interference in Malaysian domestic affairs as well as organising a series of ‘information sessions’ overseas, you are only internationalising Malaysia’s ‘misrule of law’ which you had so eloquently and devastatingly criticised in your book ‘Freedom under Executive Power’, exposing the nation to greater mockery in the global arena as we will only be able to depend on rogue states like Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Sudan for sympathy and support for the following reasons:
(i) deterioration of the rule of law in the past decade since the publication of the book, as evident from disturbing developments in the system of justice in the country, such as
(a) the selective prosecution of Anwar on Sodomy II under Section 377B of the Penal Code on consensual sodomy when the complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had alleged that he had been raped, which should have come under Section 377C on sodomy rape;
(b) why Saiful was not similarly charged under Section 377B on consensual sodomy;
and
© the insistence by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Anwar should also swear on the Quran like Saiful, making Malaysia an international laughing stock as to whether we have a Prime Minister who understands and upholds the system of justice in the country; Read the rest of this entry »
Gerakan somersault and Tsu Koon in sackcloth
After dropping a bombshell proposing that Gerakan quit the Barisan Nasional as UMNO had not learnt from the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami” in continuing with its racist and communal politicking, Gerakan Wanita chief and deputy information minister Datuk Tan Lian Ho has done a somersault.
She was front-page Chinese newspaper headline banner news yesterday but within hours, she backtracked and clarified that the “quit BN’ call was not her suggestion but that of some Gerakan delegates.
Never mind that she had said yesterday that she was prepared to risk her post as deputy minister for speaking up, the question is why the somersault?
Backing her call yesterday, Gerakan national vice chairman and Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn said 80 per cent of the Gerakan delegates in Perak support the “quit BN’ call.
Gerakan Youth leaders have also told the press that at least half of the Gerakan Youth members support the party leaving the Barisan Nasional. Read the rest of this entry »
An Open Letter to UiTM Vice Chancellor
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Education on Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 7:06 am
by Dr. Chen Man Hin
AN OPEN LETTER TO UiTM VICE CHANCELLOR , DATUK SERI PROF IBRAHIM ABU SHAH
UiTM VICE CHANCELLOR SHOULD THANK MB KHALID FOR GIVING HONEST, SINCERE ADVICE TO IMPROVE STANDARDS.
The whole country is aware that the standards of institutions of higher studies are quite low when compared to international universities in developed countries.
Thousands graduate every year, but not all can find jobs because prospective employers are not impressed by the quality of the graduates, and they are passed over. Not many have the qualification to go for post-graduate studies.
If it is any comfort to UiTM vice chancellor, well established universities like Universiti Malaya, UKM, USM have also been found wanting by world ranking bodies like the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
In an examination of the world ranking of Malaysian universities by Times Higher Education Supplement Top Universities 2007, Universiti Malaya was ranked 246 and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) ranked 364.
In the academic ranking of World Universities 2008 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, not a single Malaysian university achieved ranking among the survey of 503 universities. Read the rest of this entry »
Gerakan leaders – take a stand against Umno’s racist politics in the Permatang Pauh by-election and not wait until October
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, nation building, UMNO on Monday, 18 August 2008, 6:06 pm
Both the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Gerakan acting President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon were greatly embarrassed yesterday when they were asked questions about the call by the Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe that Gerakan quit the Barisan Nasional.
Speaking at the Perak Gerakan annual delegates conference in Ipoh, Tan, who is also Deputy Information Minister, said the party should pull out from the BN due to Umno’s unabated and unabashed racial politics that had hurt the sentiments of non-Malays and non-Muslims.
She whacked Umno for continuing to play racial politics and not learning from the harsh lessons meted out by voters in the recent March general election.
Another Gerakan leader, national vice chairman and Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn is quoted in the media as saying that 80% of the Gerakan delegates in Perak supported Gerakan’s pull-out from the BN.
Both Tan and Chan are right and Koh wrong – as Umno has clearly not learnt the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami”, when Malaysian voters transcended their racial, religious and even political differences to vote as one Malaysian people for unity, freedom, justice and democracy in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Will the Sodomy II charge against Anwar be withdrawn if he swears on the Quran?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Anwar Ibrahim, ASEAN on Monday, 18 August 2008, 8:46 am
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday that it was up to Anwar Ibrahm to swear on the Quran and clear his name.
Will the criminal charge of Sodomy II against Anwar under Section 377B under the Penal Code for consensual sodomy be withdrawn if Anwar swears on the Quran?
If not, what is the point or purpose of Abdullah making such a statement, except to underline his bias and prejudice against Anwar?
Abdullah reiterated that “Saiful was a victim in the issue”.
In one fell swoop, he Prime Minister has again become judge, prosecutor and accuser all in one. If Abdullah is convinced that Saiful is the “victim” in the sodomy charge against Anwar, even before the date for hearing has been fixed, who can expect a fair trial for Anwar? Read the rest of this entry »
Last Chance To Save Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Anwar Ibrahim, Bakri Musa on Monday, 18 August 2008, 8:30 am
by M. Bakri Musa
Before last March 2008 elections, I urged Kepala Batas voters to perform a great national service by booting out Prime Minister Abdullah. That would have triggered a seismic shift in UMNO’s leadership. With its ban on contesting top posts effectively circumvented, the party would get to preview other potential candidates.
If Kepala Batas voters were to shy away from exercising that historic opportunity, I suggested that Malaysians could still teach Abdullah a lesson by substantially reducing his coalition’s victory. That would also trigger a challenge to his leadership, and we would have the same effect as with the first scenario.
Alas, Malaysians did teach Abdullah a hard lesson, but not hard enough. Besides, being a slow learner, Abdullah did not get the message. Now voters in Permatang Pauh, practically next door, will get a chance to deal Abdullah a third and final knock-out blow, one he would surely get.
This upcoming by-election will be more than just electing the area’s representative to Parliament. Permatang Pauh voters will get the unique opportunity to decide on behalf of entire Malaysia on who will lead our nation. It is as much an opportunity to vote for Anwar Ibrahim as it is against Abdullah Badawi, and to vote for Malaysia’s future – on whether she would progress to join the developed world or continue its present path to join the likes of Zimbabwe. Read the rest of this entry »
PP by-election – focus of Malaysia and the world
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat on Sunday, 17 August 2008, 11:57 am
The Permatang Pauh by-election has become the focus of the whole country and the world because it is not a contest between Anwar Ibrahim and Ariff Shah. It is not just a by-election about who should represent Permatang Pauh.
It is a battle for the future of Malaysia – of 27 million Malaysians and future generations.
The 58,459 voters of Permatang Pauh have a historic mission to perform and three things to accomplish on polling day on August 26: Read the rest of this entry »
Permatang Pauh by-election – Anwar will win hands down if decided by Nomination turnout
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat on Saturday, 16 August 2008, 4:13 pm
If the Permatang Pauh by-election is decided by the Nomination Day turnout this morning, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim would win hands down.
Never before in any by-election nomination in Malaysian electoral history has the Barisan Nasional been so-outnumbered and overwhelmed, whether in terms of supporters; publicity materials whether flags, buntings or banners; or sheer enthusiasm, morale and spirit of the supporters.
In the sea of humanity at the Nomination Centre this morning, Anwar’s supporters from the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, DAP and PAS simply drowned out the Barisan Nasional supporters from Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC, led by a very subdued Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself, Umno Youth leader Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and his deputy Khairy Jamaluddin.
There are those who estimate that the crowd was as big as 100,000 or more, with the Pakatan Rakyat supporters exceeding the Barisan Nasional supporters by a ratio of from 1:7 to 1:10. Read the rest of this entry »
Oil policy – change it to encourage economic growth
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Oil on Friday, 15 August 2008, 5:40 pm
by Dr. Chen Man Hin
The present oil policy to set gasoline and diesel prices at international market prices has caused a sharp decline of the economy causing hardships to the people.
This is the current policy adopted in developed economies which do not advocate subsidised oil for the people. Their experts contend that subsidised oil would distort the market, and people would not be encouraged to conserve the use of oil. In the end there would be a disastrous impact on the economy and on the environment.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Minister of Finance slavishly followed the concept practised in developed countries. It has proved to be disastrous for Malaysia.
Because of the high pump prices of gasoline and diesel, the economy has slowed down considerably. The wheels of industry are not humming, and more people are laid off. Read the rest of this entry »
Another case of misreporting?
Nasharuddin berkata dasar perjuangan PAS yang berpaksikan Islam menuntut dakwah diterapkan kepada semua yang masih belum memahami apa itu Islam yang sebenar.
“Kalau kita boleh bersekutu dengan DAP yang menentang Islam dari dulu sampai sekarang dan dengan PKR, mengapa kita tidak boleh dekati Umno?
This is from a Bernama report on the speech by the Deputy PAS President Nasharudin Mat Isa at the opening of the PAS Youth annual assembly in Ipoh yesterday.
DAP opposed to Islam from the past to the present? Not true. Never. We have Muslims in DAP and could not be anti-Islam. We are for all religions for the good, virtuous and noble values they teach human beings to cultivate and cherish.
What DAP is opposed to is for any breach of the Merdeka social contract that Malaysia was founded be a multi-racial, multi-religious, democratic and secular nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic state. Read the rest of this entry »
Permatang Pauh by-election – censure BN’s 6 months of zero legislative reform
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Judiciary, Parliament, Police on Thursday, 14 August 2008, 12:29 pm
I have received the initial notification of the parliamentary business for the 41-day budget meeting beginning on Monday, August 18, which will break for six weeks after the 2009 budget presentation by the Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Friday, August 29 for the fasting month and Hari Raya holidays, resuming on Oct. 12 for 32 sittings till December 11, 2008.
It is a great disappointment, for it is evident that there will be no reformist bill for Parliament in August, whether for the establishment of
(i) the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the most important of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission more than three years ago in May 2005 to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police service to keep crime low, fight corruption and uphold human rights;
(ii) the Judicial Appointments Commission as the first step to restore national and international confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and quality of the judiciary after two decades of “judicial darkness” and being the laughing-stock of the world; and
(iii) the Malaysian Commission on Anti-Corruption (MCAC) to eradicate the rampant corruption in the country which has seen Malaysia’s ranking in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index sliding relentlessly from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003 and No. 43 in 2007 and to spearhead a “zero tolerance for corruption” campaign to place Malaysia among the world’s 20 least corrupt nations. Read the rest of this entry »
Detain Bar Council forum protestors under ISA – Gunasekaren denies
Posted by Kit in DAP, Human Rights on Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 4:35 pm
Today’s Star “PKR leaders want Zul to explain” carried the following report with regard to the continuing fallout from the storming and disruption of the Bar Council forum on “Conversion to Islam” by demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday:
In SEREMBAN, state DAP deputy chief and Senawang assemblyman P. Gunasekaren said he wants the police to charge the demonstrators.
He said the police should have arrested them rather than allow them to enter the Bar Council office, which was private property.
“It is sad that the police allowed them to dictate terms. The demonstrators should be arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act for stoking racial sentiments,” he said.
I have checked with Gunasekaren and he has denied that he had made the remark about the ISA detention attributed to him. Read the rest of this entry »
Brand new era for Universiti Teknologi MARA?
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman on Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 2:56 pm
BY Azly Rahman
We must congratulate the present leadership of Selangor for suggesting that Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) be open to non-Bumiputeras; a good suggestion indeed and UiTM students and alumni should in fact be proud that such a statement of hope and reconciliation is made public.
More than merely ten percent should be allocated for Malaysians of other ethnic groups. This is indeed and excellent way to begin restructuring our public universities so that they can become truly global and embrace multiculturalism as a pillar of intellectual pride.
This will be in tune with the spirit of the The Beijing 2008 Olympics in which there will be competition amongst the races. Way too long the Malay students in UiTM have been unfairly denied the opportunity to collaborate and cooperate with their peers from other ethnic groups in the learning process. They have been shackled in a place wherein the only ideology they know is one of “Ketuanan Melayu”; a concept that is a contradiction to what a university must aspire to become. The 3-4 years of their wonderful college experience should provide them the skills to work in a multicultural environment.
Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah proven ACA not an independent creature and why top UMNO leaders need not fear
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Corruption on Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 12:49 pm
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proven that he and top UMNO leaders have nothing to fear from the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) as it is not an independent creature but totally beholden to the wishes of the Prime Minister’s Department.
This is the conclusion to be drawn from the summary manner Abdullah dismissed the accusation that he and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak had abused their power to hold onto the top two posts in the coming Umno polls.
He claimed that the Umno power-transition plan was decided by the party’s supreme council and announced to members.
Abdullah has missed the point altogether. Read the rest of this entry »
2nd Abdullah premiership – is it to be even worse than 22-year Mahathir administraiton?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Good Governance, Human Rights, MCA, Religion on Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 2:33 pm
To many concerned Malaysians, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has shown his true colours yesterday – he is not that open, liberal and tolerant after all.
He laid down two edicts for his second administration:
• No open forums or dialogues on religious or racial issues as they can undermine peace and stability – no more discussion on matters of religion or race that had already been enshrined in the Federal Constitution; and
• No objection to the use of Internal Security Act and Sedition Act against those who organize such forums like the Bar Council – up to the Home Ministry to act against the Bar Council.
Is it any wonder that Malaysians react to such edicts with the premonition that the second Abdullah premiership could be even worse than the previous 22-year Mahathir administration? Read the rest of this entry »
