Fake News can not only destroy Malaysia, it can destroy the world as it has been described as the third existential threat to humanity apart from nuclear warfare and climate change
A few days ago, Sunday Observer of the United Kingdom carried a report entitled “Will fake news wreck the coming general election?” which shows the ubiquity of the problem of fake news in the world.
In fact, in the past two years, one nation after another has been wrestling with the problem and danger posed by fake news.
Indonesia ’s riots in May served as a warning to all democracies with polarised electorates, high social media penetration and institutions labouring under the strain of populist politics.
Indonesia’s unrest was the first time in a democracy that social media-fuelled fake news and disinformation led to election riots.
But what made fake news particularly incendiary and combustible in Malaysia is the country’s diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures resulting in fake news and hate speech designed to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation and conflict doubly explosive and destructive.
Fake news and hate speech can not only destroy plural Malaysia, they can destroy the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Asyraf’s lies and hate speeches are the real threats to Malay and Malaysian dignity and the reasons why strong corrective action are necessary and imperative to prevent fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation from destroying Malaysia
Pembohongan dan ucapan kebencian daripada Asyraf adalah satu ancaman terhadap maruah orang Melayu dan rakyat Malaysia dan menjadi satu sebab perlunya untuk satu tindakan yang tegas untuk mengekang berita palsu dan ucapan kebencian — yang menghasut polarisasi antara kaum dan agama — daripada terus memusnahkan Malaysia
Bekas Presiden Majlis Peguam Malaysia, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan telah mendedahkan bahawa kenyataan Ketua Pemuda UMNO berkenaan “10 alasan kenapa Perdana Menteri Dr Mahathir wajar singkirkan DAP dan PKR” gagal untuk melepasi ujian fakta kerana tidak dapat disokong dengan sebarang bukti sokongan. Namun begitu, perkara ini tidak menghentikan penyebaran berterusan berita palsu dan ucapan kebencian yang bertujuan untuk menghasut polarisasi antara kaum dan agama dalam Malaysia pasca PRU-14.
Ambiga berkata beliau mempunyai 50 alasan mengapa UMNO tidak perlu kembali berkuasa. Kini alasan itu bertambah kepada 51.
Penyebaran penipuan, berita palsu dan ucapan kebencian untuk menghasut polarisasi dan konflik antara kaum dan agama kelihatan seperti sudah menjadi satu-satunya strategi pihak Pembangkang untuk melawan usaha Pakatan Harapan untuk dalam menjayakan sebuah Malaysia Baharu yang menjadi negara terulung berteraskan perpaduan, keadilan, kebebasan, kecemerlangan dan integriti.
Saya pernah berharap Kongres Maruah Melayu dapat menjadi perintis untuk satu kempen yang melibatkan semua rakyat Malaysia untuk mencapai Zaman Kegemilangan Malaysia sebagai negara terulung berteraskan perpaduan, keadilan, kebebasan, kecemerlangan dan integriti serta membuktikan kepada dunia bahawa Malaysia adalah kisah kejayaan pertemuan empat tamadun besar dunia – Melayu / Islam, Cina, India dan Barat – bukannya menjadi gagal kerana Konflik Peradaban.
Harapan ini ternyata silap. Read the rest of this entry »
Lets nip in the bud all conspiracy theories of Pakatan Harapan Government cracking up during the 2020 budget parliamentary meeting from October to December as Pakatan Harapan government intends to last the full term
Posted by Kit in Fake News, PH Government on Monday, 7 October 2019, 9:43 am
Hentikan teori konspirasi yang mendakwa kononnya Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan akan berpecah semasa pembentangan dan perbahasan Belanjawan 2020 di Parlimen yang akan berlangsung dari Oktober hingga Disember ini kerana Pakatan Harapan memenuhi mandat penggal ini
Tiga sidang Parlimen sebelum ini iaitu pada Oktober tahun lalu dan pada Mac serta Julai tahun ini dibayangi dengan laporan media yang bersifat spekulatif berkenaan khabar angin yang mengatakan Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad bakal berdepan dengan penyingkiran menerusi undi tidak percaya di Parlimen, yang didakwa akan melibatkan sekumpulan ahli Parlimen Pakatan Harapan.
Sesi Persidangan Parlimen yang berlangsung selama 36 hari bermula hari ini sehingga Disember terlepas daripada gangguan “usul tidak percaya” terhadap Mahathir seperti yang digambarkan dalam laporan media bersifat spekulif berkenaan, bukan kerana tidak ada mereka yang “gatal-gatal” mahu merancang atau mereka-reka teori konspirasi berkenaan, tetapi kerana teori konspirasi “usul undi tidak percaya” khayalan ini telah gagal dibuktikan sepanjang tiga sidang Parlimen yang lepas, membuatkan pihak yang menyebarkannya kelihatan mengarut dan bodoh.
Ini tidak bermakna bahawa Pembangkang tidak berharap untuk melihat kerajaan Pakatan Harapan di Putrajaya berpecah, dan melakukan bermacam-macam cara untuk merealisasikan impian mereka itu.
Melihat kerajaan Pakatan Harapan di Putrajaya menjadi lemah dan berpecah selepas hanya beberapa bulan adalah perkara yang sentiasa diimpikan oleh UMNO dan PAS selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2019, namun ia tidak berlaku dan kerajaan gabungan DAP, PKR, Bersatu dan Amanah tidak berpecah, Pembangkang terus mencari-cari keretakan dan kelemahan Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan, malah membesar-besarkan keretakan dan kelemahan yang sebenarnya tidak wujud dalam kerajaan gabungan ini.
Pun begitu, empat parti gabungan Pakatan Harapan bukan sahaja telah terselamat daripada pelbagai serangan sepanjang beberapa bulan pertama mentadbir Putrajaya. Dua hari daripada hari ini, kerajaan PH akan menandakan 17 bulan kejayaan mentadbir secara lancar dan PH berhasrat untuk memenuhi mandatnya sehingga ke akhir penggal ini selama lima tahun sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 pada 2023. Read the rest of this entry »
Table the Reports of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) and the Institutional Reform Committee (IRC) as a White Paper in Parliament and refer it to the Caucus on Institutional Reform and Governance which should submit recommendations to Parliament within six weeks on actions which should be taken on the CEP and IRC Reports
Posted by Kit in Parliament, PH Government on Sunday, 6 October 2019, 7:54 am
When the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled last month that the British Prime Minister’s suspension of Parliament for five weeks was unlawful, many Malaysians must have asked when the Malaysian judiciary would demonstrate similar independence to uphold the constitutional doctrine of the separation of powers in Malaysia.
As the Chief Justice, Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said at the Lawasia Constitutional & Rule of Law Conference 2019 on the theme “Constitutional Government: The Importance of Constitutional Structures and Institutions”, any attempt to undermine the strict separation of powers is an affront to democracy specifically and to constitutionalism generally.
Although she declared that “No particular branch in this country is superior to one another. Only the Federal Constitution reigns supreme”, Malaysians needs to be convinced that institutional reforms are in place to uphold this important constitutional principle.
This is why it is timely that the Reports of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) and the Institutional Reform Committee (IRC) should be tabled as a White Paper in Parliament and the Reports should be referred to the Caucus on Institutional Reform and Governance chaired by PKR President and MP for Port Dickson Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim which should submit recommendations to Parliament within six weeks on the actions which should be taken on the CEP and IRC Reports.
This is to ensure that the Parliamentary meeting starting tomorrow will be able to debate proposals for institutional and political reforms which is one of the five pillar-promises in the Pakatan Harapan 2018 General Election manifesto before it adjourns on December 5, 2019.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 6th October 2019)
An example of the evil and lunacy of the recent upsurge of fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation and conflagration
I discovered today another evil and lunatic example in the recent upsurge of fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation and confrontation and why the government must take immediate action against such dangerous trash.
The following post on the social media accused the DAP as the real organiser of the Malay Dignity Congress, making use of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Bersatu.
Under the heading “KONGRES MARUAH MELAYU AGENDA POLITIK TERDESAK DAP MELALUI PPBM – MELAYU JANGAN TERJERAT”, it said among other things:
“Seperti yang kita tahu keterlibatan Hamzah Zainuddin dan Latif Ahmad menjelaskan bahawa ianya dirancang oleh PPBM melalui beberapa ‘Pelompat Parti’ dan YB yang tidak bermaruah. AMBO juga yakin bahawa kongres ini merupakan perancangan DAP menggunakan Mahathir dan PPBM untuk menyaingi atau sekali lagi menipu dan cubaan untuk mengelirukan orang melayu dengan kongres-kongres seperti ini.
“Hamzah Zainuddin dan ramai lagi pelompat parti yang berada dalam PPBM ini sedang digunakan oleh Mahathir untuk memecahkan kesatuan melayu yang bersatu dibawah Penyatuan Ummah UMNO/PAS. Sekali lagi DAP menggunakan formula yang sama iaitu pecah dan perintah. Mahathir diberi tanggungjawab dalam memecahkan penyatuan melayu antara UMNO dan PAS. Read the rest of this entry »
Can the Malay Dignity Congress lead the way for a Malaysian campaign to achieve a Golden Age for Malaysia as a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity
Posted by Kit in Malaysian Dream, nation building, Poverty on Saturday, 5 October 2019, 9:43 am
Dapatkah Kongres Maruah Melayu menjadi perintis kepada sebuah kempen untuk mencapai Era Kegemilangan untuk Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara terunggul di mata dunia yang berteraskan perpaduan, keadilan, kebebasan, kecemerlangan, dan integriti
Saya telah ditanya: “Kenapa takut Melayu Bersatu?”
Saya tidak takut kepada Melayu Bersatu, jika perkara ini boleh menjadi perintis kepada satu kempen yang melingkumi semua rakyat Malaysia untuk mencapai satu Era Kegemilangan untuk Malaysia.
Sama ada Melayu Bersatu, Cina Bersatu, India Bersatu, Kadazan Bersatu, Dayak Bersatu, ataupun Orang Asli Bersatu sekalipun, saya akan berasa risau jika ia diasaskan kepada berita palsu dan ucapan kebencian yang bertujuan untuk menghasut polarisasi perkauman dan keagamaan atau lebih buruk lagi, keganasan perkauman. Terutamanya apabila terdapat sesetengah pihak yang cuba mengambil kesempatan politik yang dengan secara terbukanya menyatakan kenyataan seperti “Rindu 13 Mei! Rindu darah!”.
Semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira kaum atau agama, sepatutnya berasa bimbang dengan peningkatan berita palsu dan ucapan kebencian sehingga terdapat satu artikel diterbitkan yang bertajuk: “Remembering Nik Aziz as nation drowns in polemics of race and religion”
Salah satu tugas terpenting dalam pembinaan negara adalah menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada ditenggelamkan di dalam polemik perkauman dan keagamaan, dan seperti yang diperkatakan oleh Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim semalam di Persidangan Perlembagaan dan Kedaulatan Undang-undang LawAsia, pemimpin politik perlu cuba untuk mengubah topik percakapan negara daripada kerangka perkauman dan keagamaan kepada satu fokus terhadap kebajikan rakyat terpinggir. Read the rest of this entry »
Will the four public universities which is organising the Malay Dignity Congress on Sunday organise a Chinese Malaysian Dignity Congress, Indian Malaysian Dignity Congress, Kadazan Dignity Congress, Dayak Dignity Congress, Orang Asli Dignity Congress and most important of all, a Malaysian Dignity Congress?
Posted by Kit in Malaysian Dream, nation building on Friday, 4 October 2019, 10:15 am
Adakah empat universiti awam yang akan menganjurkan Kongres Maruah Melayu pada Ahad ini sudi untuk menganjurkan Kongres Maruah Cina Malaysia, Kongres India Malaysia, Kongres Maruah Kadazan, Kongres Maruah Dayak, Kongres Maruah Orang Asli dan paling penting Kongres Maruah Rakyat Malaysia?
Empat universiti awam, iaitu Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) dan Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) akan menganjurkan Kongres Maruah Melayu di Stadium Malawati di Shah Alam pada Ahad ini.
Adakah empat universiti awam tersebut sudi mengadakan kongres yang sama untuk kaum-kaum lain di Malaysia, sebagai contoh; Kongres Maruah Cina Malaysia, Kongres Maruah India Malaysia, Kongres Maruah Kadazan, Kongres Maruah Dayak, Kongres Maruah Orang Asli, dan yang paling penting, Kongres Maruah Rakyat Malaysia?
Ini antara persoalan yang dibangkitkan rakyat Malaysia sebagai reaksi terhadap penganjuran Kongres Maruah Melayu pada Ahad nanti.
Maruah Malaysia akan terpelihara sekiranya maruah setiap kumpulan etnik dan agama di negara ini turut terpelihara — iaitu dengan berpegang teguh terhadap prinsip-prinsip asas dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara.
Adakah Kongres Maruah Melayu ini akan menegaskan semula prinsip-prinsip asas dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara, dan mengecam prinsip memecah-belah dan membinasakan yang bertentangan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara, contohnya, pendirian yang mengatakan seseorang itu harus mengundi calon yang beragama Islam meskipun dia adalah seorang kleptokrat atau pendirian yang mengatakan orang Melayu hanya boleh menyokong calon yang beragama Islam! Read the rest of this entry »
The day I feel most ashamed as a Malaysian – to find a Malaysian listed internationally among the world’s top kleptocrats who may even be the world’s No. 1 Kleptocrat
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Thursday, 3 October 2019, 11:42 am
Today is the day I feel most ashamed as a Malaysian – to find a Malaysian listed internationally among the world’s top kleptocrats who may even be the world’s No. 1 Kleptocrat!
After viewing again the documentary “The Kleptocrats” which tells “the wild story of the world’s biggest white-collar heist” which followed reporters and law enforcement agents as they track “an audacious scam – one that involves embezzlement, corruption, film stars, politicians and crooks”, I browsed the Internet on sites on kleptocracy and corruption.
As Nazir Razak recounted in the documentary ”The Kleptocrats” that he fell off the chair one morning in July 2015 when he was holidaying and having breakfast in a Los Angeles hotel and picked up a copy of Wall Street Journal which exposed the RM2.6 billion deposit in Najib Razak’s personal banking accounts, I almost fell off the chair when I read the Wikipedia page on “kleptocracy”, where Najib was listed among the world’s 11 top kleptocrats, and may even be the world’s No. 1 Kleptocrat when all the facts and truth about the 1MDB scandal and all the other scandals in his regime are revealed.
According to Wikipedia, which is used by netizens worldwide, Najb is in the company of the 10 leading kleptocrats of the last three decades compiled by Transparency International in 2004, viz: former Indonesian President Suharto, former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, Former Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko, Former Nigerian head of state Sani Abacha, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, Former Haitian President, Jean-Claude Duvalier, former Ukranian Prime Minister Paylo Lazarenko, former Nicaraguan President Arnold Aleman and former Philippines President Joseph Estrada. Read the rest of this entry »
Another week of shame for Malaysia – worldwide advertisement of 1MDB scandal as “the biggest fraud of the century” with emphasis on “true crime” and “current affairs” to promote documentary “The Kleptocrats”
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, PH Government on Wednesday, 2 October 2019, 8:57 am
It has been another week of shame for Malaysia – as in the past week, Malaysia has been advertised internationally as the country which is home to “the biggest fraud of the century” because of the 1MDB scandal with the emphasis on “true crime” and “current affairs” to promote the documentary “The Kleptocrats”.
Such an advertisement on the “THE MULTI-BILLION $CANDAL THAT SHOOK HOLLYWOOD AND THE WORLD” appears in the international media, whether South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, Straits Times in Singapore or Sydney Morning Herald Australia, and many others.
In Malaysia, the criminal trial of the former Prime Minister, Najib Razak, over 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering of RM2.28 billion from 1MDB funds, facing up to 20 years in jail if convicted, entered into its 16th day in the High Court of Kuala Lumpur yesterday while another High Court judge has fixed Nov 11 to announce the verdict whether Najib’s defence on seven charges of abuse of power, corruption and money-laundering involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International after 58 days of prosecution case and 57 witnesses needs to be called.
It is not exactly a time when Malaysians came hold their heads high in the world, although there is a silver lining in the dark clouds – as Malaysia is probably the only country in the world which had toppled a kleptocratic regime by peaceful and democratic means on May 9, 2018 and put the former Prime Minister and some of his kleptocratic cronies on trial. Read the rest of this entry »
Another must-see film for Malaysians – “The Kleptocrats’: sombre reminder that May 9, 2018 saved Malaysia from becoming Venezuela of South-east Asia
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, nation building, PH Government on Monday, 30 September 2019, 2:47 pm
Two films every Malaysian should see are “M for Malaysia” and “The Kleptocrats -Billion Dollar Whale” to learn or to be reminded of the existential threat Malaysia faced during the 14th General Election.
If there had been no historic and miraculous change of government on May 9, 2018, Malaysia would have continued in the trajectory pursued for close to a decade to become a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state, and no power on earth could have saved future generations of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, from the status of serfs in having to repay the tens and hundreds of billions of debt conceived and implemented by “maestros” of unimaginable scams and money-laundering schemes to exploit the loopholes of the international banking and financial system.
If there had been no change of government, the re-elected Prime Minister would have made Malaysia the Venezuela of South-east Asia and the Sick Man of Asia.
Venezuela is in the thick of a terrible political, socio-economic and humanitarian crisis. Once one of the 20 richest countries in the world and the richest in Latin America with free education and free medical services for her citizens, it is now poor, backward, broken and bankrupt state, with over 10 per cent of Venezuelans (3.4 million) having left the country in despair.
The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has affected the life of the average Venezuelan on all levels. By 2017, hunger had escalated to the point where almost seventy-five percent of the population had lost an average of over 8 kg (over 19 lbs) in weight, and more than half did not have enough income to meet their basic food needs. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysians must not allow the only chance for the country to become a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity to be sabotaged by unscrupulous and unprincipled politicians wanting to regain political power by using fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation
Posted by Kit in nation building, PH Government on Sunday, 29 September 2019, 10:08 pm
It is more than 500 days since the historic and miraculous decision of Malaysians in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 – what the international media had described as a “shock victory – to achieve the “impossible dream” of achieving a change of government through peaceful and democratic means first time in six decades.
All Malaysians who had rooted for what appeared to be an “impossible dream” of a change of government had high hopes of the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya, and so did the leaders of the four parties of DAP, PKR, Bersatu and Amanah which made up the Pakatan Harapan coalition, but they were totally unaware of the magnitude of the rot which the Najib premiership had left behind.
The country was in debt for over a trillion ringgit; the national institutions have lost their independence and professionalism as they were suborned and subverted by the former prime minister and the 1MDB billions of ringgit; the country had forfeited the respect by the international community of nations as it became a global kleptocracy, publicly flagellated as “kleptocracy at its worst” in an international conference; while race, religion, fake news and hate speech had been employed to protect the former government leaders from any possibility of regime change in the 14th General Election.
Pakatan Harapan Ministers and deputy ministers were shocked to find that they had to ascertain and address the rot that had been left behind by the previous government before they could proceed to implement the Pakatan Harapan promises of a New Malaysia where the country can become a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity.
There is widespread disappointment and disillusionment among Pakatan Harapan voters and supporters who had expected political, economic, educational, socio-cultural changes in the past 500 days. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysians must give serious attention to the latest Oxford Internet Institute (OII) Report on “The Global Disinformation Order: 2019 Global Inventory of Organised Social Media Manipulation” as it gives a timely warning of the national risks if fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in Malaysia are allowed untrammelled licence
Malaysians must given serious attention to the latest Oxford Internet Institute (OII) Report on “The Global Disinformation Order : 2019 Global Inventory of Organised Social Media Manipulaiton” as its give a timely warning of the national risks if fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in Malaysia are allowed untrammeled licence.
Fake news and hate speech are evil influences by themselves, but when coupled with the agenda to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in plural Malaysia, they become exceedingly toxic and destructive which must be checked if the fabric of Malaysian society is not to be torn asunder.
The latest OII report finds that organised social media manipulation has more than doubled since 2017, with 70 countries using “computational propaganda” to manipulate public opinion.
Facebook is the platform of choice and is used in formally organised campaigns taking place in 56 countries.
The report states that such tools are used in 45 democracies, by politicians and political parties, to amass fake followers or spread manipulated media to garner voter support. Read the rest of this entry »
The three things that happened to me in my first Internal Security Act detention in Muar 1969-1970
Posted by Kit in DAP, nation building on Friday, 27 September 2019, 8:25 am
Tiga perkara yang berlaku pada saya semasa penahanan pertama saya di bawah ISA di Muar di antara tahun 1969 hingga tahun 1970
Tiga perkara yang telah berlaku sepanjang 17 bulan saya ditahan buat kali pertama di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) di Pusat Tahanan Muar dalam tahun 1969-1970.
Pertamanya, saya memulakan pengajian ijazah sarjana muda perundangan dengan program luaran University of London dan kemudiannya saya terbang ke London sebanyak tiga kali dengan penerbangan termurah yang ada pada masa tersebut (Aeroflot), untuk majlis makan malam di Lincoln’s Inn bagi mendapatkan kelayakan untuk dipanggil ke bar di London. Tetapi saya memutuskan untuk tidak menjadi seorang peguam.
Kedua, saya belajar untuk membaca dan menulis dalam jawi dengan sendiri.
Tetapi, perkara ketigalah yang mengubah hidup saya, berkenaan dengan integriti dan kesetiaan kepada prinsip — kata-kata seorang patriot-penyair-ahli politik China Wen Tianxiang yang berbunyi:
“Siapakah yang dapat mengelakkan kematiannya sejak permulaan zaman?
“Biarlah hati saya cekal murni untuk kekal bersinar dalam sejarah.” Read the rest of this entry »
Great challenge of Malaysian youths is to ensure that the goodwill, peace, tolerance and harmony of real-life Malaysia do not deteriorate to resemble the animosity, intolerance and extremism of social-media Malaysia
In my recent special message to the youths of Sarawak, especially those in the 16 – 25 age group, I picked as the first of three challenges their ability to save Malaysia to become a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity instead of becoming a divided, failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.
I said many would ask whether Malaysia had not been saved from such a trajectory in the historic and miraculous 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and why was it necessary to save Malaysia from such a disastrous fate once again?
The answer to this question has not sufficiently understood, realised or appreciated by Malaysians.
The answer is Yes, Malaysia had been saved from the trajectory towards a divided, failed, rogue and kleptocratic state on May 9, 2018, but the mission of a New Malaysia where the country becomes a top world-class nation of unity, freedom, justice, excellence and integrity cannot be accomplished within one general election cycle but is a long-term struggle lasting a decade or more, especially after the devastation and depredations of the last government which won for Malaysia the infamous and ignominious appellation of a global kleptocracy.
There are people who wants to wipe out the historic and miraculous decision of May 9, 2018 and restore the country into the hands of those who preach an alliance of klepto-theocracy, through the untrammeled spread of fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation and conflict, and who do not mind a big racial and religious conflagration in Malaysia which prompted some to openly talk about “rindu May 13”!
If Malaysians miss the present opportunity to reform Malaysia from a kleptocratic state to become a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity, there would not be a second chance again. Read the rest of this entry »
I have received a memorandum on Sabah poverty from former Sabah Chief Minsiter, Harris Salleh and I am prepared to visit his pilot project in Balung, Tawau
I have received a memorandum on Sabah poverty from Tan Sri Harris Salleh, the sixth Sabah Chief Minister from 1976-1985.
We have had a very rocky relationship in the seventies and eighties, when Harris was the Sabah Chief Minister and abused his powers by banning me from entering Sabah for legitimate political activities.
The most notable episode in my clash with Harris Salleh when he was Chief Minister was when he denied me entry into Sabah to accept his political challenge to repeat my speech in Parliament without parliamentary privilege and I was bodily carried up to the waiting aircraft at the Kota Kinabalu Airport to take me back to Kuala Lumpur on August 24, 1984.
The photograph of this episode was later misused by the producers of the film “Tanda Putera” as a pre-release advertisement campaign to show that I was in Kuala Lumpur during the May 13, 1969 riots when I was never in Kuala Lumpur at any time during the May 13, 1969 riots.
Despite these very rocky history between us, I am prepared to listen to Harris’ view as to the most effective way to eradicate poverty, especially as it has become a very “hot” issue after the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston, said last month that Malaysia had not eradicated poverty as claimed by the previous government and that Malaysia had undercounted the number of poor. Read the rest of this entry »
Parliamentary Caucus of Institutional Reform and Good Governance should pioneer new thinking on vital national issues – how to ensure affirmative measures are need-based and not race-based; how Malaysia can be a leading nation of integrity and a showcase to the world of the success of Alliance of Civilisations instead of a failure because of a Clash of Civilisations
Kaukus Reformasi Institusi dan Tadbir Urus Parlimen patut menjadi perintis pemikiran baharu isu-isu penting negara — bagaimana untuk memastikan langkah tindakan afirmatif berasaskan kepada keperluan dan bukan berasaskan kaum; untuk menjadikan Malaysia negara berintegriti terulung dan menjadi contoh kejayaan Perikatan Peradaban kepada dunia
Saya ucapkan terima kasih kepada Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana menganjurkan seminar ini dalam kapasiti beliau sebagai Pengerusi Kaukus Reformasi Institusi dan Tadbir Urus Parlimen. Penubuhan kaukus ini merupakan salah satu elemen terpenting dalam proses reformasi parlimen sejak kerajaan Pakatan Harapan dibentuk selepas Pilihan Raya ke-14 yang bersejarah. Selain daripada pembentukan kaukus ini, enam jawatankuasa khas parlimen juga telah ditubuhkan bagi memberikan lebih banyak ruang kepada backbenchers di Parlimen untuk memastikan kerajaan tindakan kerajaan disemak oleh Parlimen.
Kewujudan struktur dan proses akauntabiliti baharu ini tidak mungkin berlaku di bawah pentadbiran yang lepas di mana parlimen dilihat sebagai sebuah cop (“rubber stamp”) yang digunakan oleh kerajaan untuk memaksa kelulusan keputusan secara tidak demokratik seperti yang dapat kita lihat dalam pembentangan Rang Undang-undang Akta Berita Tidak Benar yang bertujuan untuk menutup keburukan berkenaan skandal 1MDB.
Acara hari ini adalah contoh yang kuat di mana Ahli Parlimen, melalui kaukus ini yang terdiri daripada semua parti yang diwakili di Parlimen, dapat memberikan input mengenai isu-isu penting polisi untuk dipertimbangkan secara serius oleh pihak eksekutif.
Isu yang dibincangkan hari ini — pemahaman kita mengenai bagaimana kemiskinan didefiniskan dan ditangani melalui polisi kerajaan — telah diperkatakan dalam berita di kebelakangan ini setelah satu laporan dikeluarkan oleh Pelapor Khas PBB berkenaan Kemiskinan Ekstrem dan Hak Asasi Manusia Profesor Philip Alston, pada 23 Ogos 2019 yang menyatakan Malaysia mengurangkira (“undercounts”) jumlah rakyat miskinnya. Read the rest of this entry »
Mahathir would have been the first Malaysian to be charged under the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 if there had been no peaceful and democratic change of government on May 9, 2018
Posted by Kit in Fake News, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 24 September 2019, 12:16 pm
Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s antics of the fake news issue has made me think as to why the Anti-Fake News Act was rushed to become law before the 14th General Election, as it was bulldozed through the Dewan Rakyat on April 2, 2018, adopted by the Dewan Negara the next day on April 3, 2018, given the Royal Assent on April 9, and gazetted on April 11 – the four process of legislation completed in a matter of nine days, which must have made the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 one of the fastest legislation in the nation’s history.
The Anti-Fake News Act became law after the 13th Parliament was dissolved on April 7, 2018.
The Act provides a punishment of up to six years’ jail, a maximum RM500,000 fine, or both, for the publication of ‘fake news’.
The law also allows the government to seek an ex-parte order for articles to be removed, and if done on the grounds of national security, cannot be challenged in court.
Why did Najib rush through the Anti-Fake News Act as one of the last items of parliamentary business before the 14th General Election?
During the 14th General Election campaign, the Pakatan Harapan Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was probed by the police under the Anti-Fake News Act for saying that the jet he chartered to fly to Langkawi had been sabotaged.
After the 14th General Election, the police investigations against Mahathir were dropped. Read the rest of this entry »
Special message to youths of Sarawak on their three-fold challenge – be pioneers of Malaysian youth movement of change to save the country from (i) racial and religious intolerance and extremism, (ii) corruption and (iii)to show the world that Malaysia is show-case of success of Alliance of Civilizations instead of a failure from Clash of Civilisations
Pesanan khas buat anak muda Sarawak berhubung tiga cabaran yang perlu ditempuhi mereka – menjadi perintis gerakan perubahan anak muda Malaysia bagi menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada (1) sikap tidak toleransi kaum dan agama serta ekstremisme (2) rasuah (3) untuk menunjukkan kepada dunia bahawa Malaysia adalah wadah kejayaan Perikatan Peradaban dan bukannya gagal dek kerana Konflik Peradaban
Saya ada pesanan khas buat anak muda Sarawak, khususnya buat anak muda yang berusia antara 16 hingga 25 tahun, berhubung tiga cabaran yang akan ditempuhi mereka, pada penghujung kunjungan saya ke Kapit dan Sibu.
Pilihan Raya Negeri (PRN) Sarawak ke-12 dijangka akan dilaksanakan tahun depan atau pada tahun 2021, dan PRN ini akan menjadi pilihan raya pertama yang akan terkesan dengan pindaan perlembagaan menurunkan umur mengundi dari 21 ke 18 tahun.
Presiden Indonesia, Sukarno pernah berkata: “Berikan aku 10 pemuda, maka akan kugoncang dunia”. Bolehkah anak muda Sarawak “menggoncang” Malaysia?
Benar, anak muda Sarawak, khususnya yang berusia 16 hingga 25 tahun yang layak untuk mengundi pada PRN Sarawak ke-12 nanti harus “mengoncang” Malaysia dengan menunjukkan jalan kepada seluruh anak muda di Malaysia — sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 (PRU15) — sebuah daya positif yang mampu menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada terjerumus menjadi sebuah negara penyangak, kleptokratik dan gagal.
Mungkin akan timbul persoalan, bukankah Malaysia sudah diselamatkan daripada nasib sedemikian dalam PRU-14 yang penuh bersejarah dan menakjubkan pada 9 Mei tahun lalu? Mengapa perlu diselamatkan sebuah negara yang bernama Malaysia ini sekali lagi? Read the rest of this entry »
DAP will fight 12th Sarawak state general election for the first time to be part new Pakatan Harapan Sarawak state government and not to be Opposition in Sarawak
The DAP will fight the 12th Sarawak state general election, whether next year or latest by 2021, for the first time not to be an Opposition in Sarawak but part of a new Pakatan Harapan Sarawak state government.
Sarawak is a rich state but the wealth of the country had not been distributed fairly, benefitting only a clique of people instead of all Sarawakians, regardless of race, religion of region.
Sarawak state government has the largest annual state budget for any state in Malaysia, reaching a high of RM11.9 billion for 2019, which is more than four times that of Selangor which was RM2.56 billion; about eight times that of Johor which had a state budget of RM1.55 billion for 2019; about 10 times more than Penang which had an annual budget RM1.2 billion and about 12 times that of Perak which had a budget of RM1.06 billion.
But Sarawak ranks as one of the three poorest states in Malaysia, in the company of Sabah and Kelantan.
In the latest report compiled by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Issues, Philip Alston, the percentage of low-income earners in Sarawak is higher than the national-level figure. Read the rest of this entry »
Challenge to all political parties, whether in government or opposition, whether at the national or state level, to take an united and firm stand against fake news and hate speech calculated to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in Malaysia
I want to issue a challenge to all political parties, whether in government or opposition, whether at the national or the state level – to take an united and firm stand against fake news and hate speech calculated to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in Malaysia.
Fake news and hate speech calculated to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation is the greatest threat to Malaysia becoming a united, successful and top world-class nation where Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, can feel proud as a Malaysian.
When DAP was in the Opposition – and we were in Opposition in the federal level for 52 years – DAP would have immediately responded positively to any such proposal by any government party to take an united and firm stand against fake news and hate speech calculated to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in the country – without any hesitation whatsoever.
Let us see whether the Opposition today, whether at national or state levels, would be equally forthcoming and patriotic to take an united and firm stand against fake news and hate speech calculated to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
