Choosing sides

— Sakmongkol AK47

The Malaysian Insider

Sep 03, 2012

SEPT 3 —Malaysians will indeed have to choose. Stand on the side of the oppressors or the oppressed. Support the deceiver or the deceived. Support the corrupt and endorse the looting and the pillage of this country. All done in the name of Agama, Bangsa dan Negara. Everything is justifiable because the perpetrators are Malays and forgetting the victims are in the majority also Malays. Pardon the government in shortchanging the FELDA settlers, giving them a measly 2.5 per cent of the FGVH shares while the bulk of the shares are hijacked by people who have no connection at all with FELDA. Pardon Umno because even though it allocates 2.5 per cent to settlers and 3 per cent to FELDA employees, all is done in the name of the Malays.

Ignore the fact that the LCCT is going to cost close to RM6 billion instead of RM500 million if facilities for a low-cost airline are built northwards of the current KLIA instead of agreeing that the facilities be built on soft ground as proposed by the MAB? Are people in the MAB making hay while the sun shines?

We keep quiet because it’s done by the current government which fights for Agama, Bangsa dan Negara.

Then, does that mean the agama of Umno endorses corruption, pillage and looting? Does that also mean that bangsa permits Umno to do all the transgressions? And does that mean agama and bangsa of the Malays excuse the murder of a Mongolian because she is after all just a prostitute? And finally because it is done in the name and on behalf of negara which Umno claims absolute ownership of, all of the above are excusable?

The recent spate of advertisements where various people say I chose Malaysia and I choose to vote are nothing more than the vilest self-serving propaganda. They are also self-congratulating. They seem to suggest that those who support the government choose to show the support through the voting process and those who do not appear to be shown as people who want to change government through undemocratic means.

The purveyors of these dreadful advertisements have only shown political immaturity because such hoopla does not require subtle and sophisticated thinking. They require only emotion and self-praise, while the opposite requires analysis and thought, subordinating the emotions to the rational faculty. And we know the emotional faculties are more developed than the rational. When we look at the photos of people hailed as champions of the “I chose Malaysia” campaign in the MSM papers, we know the nature of the faculties which they represent.

Liberalise the media and see what happens. Allow the free exchange of ideas and free flow of ideas so that people can judge for themselves.

So choose. Stand on the side of the bully or on the side of the marginalised and trampled on? The reality and truth is we can elect in a better government. We only ask the structures of government — the civil service, the judiciary, the law enforcers, other institutions — to stop toadying up to Umno. The structures of government serve the people. They remain intact if and when a new government takes over and the business of running a government does not end with the jettisoning of Umno.

What does the expression “loyal to the government of the day” mean? This fallacy of loyal to the government has been perpetrated for so long that nobody inquires critically what the expression really means. The expression “loyal to the government of the day” should not be literally translated. The thing that civil service should be loyal to is to the IDEA of the government of the day, not the actual government of the day. If the opposite is true, if the civil service is loyal to the actual government of the day instead of the idea, then, when Umno loses, the government must resign.

Civil servants must be professional. If any member of the government chooses to be a partisan member of Umno, he/she should resign immediately. The current Chief Secretary must resign voluntarily when the next government comes in.

Umno realises this. That is why it has gone on the rampage. They have used everything weapon in its arsenal — race, religion, Rulers and riots. Umno has unashamedly taken over the Merdeka celebration. Because it has done that, it will now rue its consequences.

We hardly see the Malaysian flag being voluntarily hoisted and put up, hinting at a broad rejection of Umno’s conversion of a celebration that is owned by all Malaysians. Merdeka isn’t Umno’s property to be shared. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 September 2012, 11:20 am and is filed under
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Cocky BN needs to repent

Jeswan Kaur | September 3, 2012

Free Malaysia Today

Before fingers are pointed at Pakatan for doing a bad job, it will do BN good to take a good look at itself and realise how how bad a track record it has.

COMMENT

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s former longest-serving prime minister, wants the rakyat to vote for Barisan Nasional come the 13th general election. His reason is that the federal government under the Barisan Nasional was all ears and had changed many laws and policies to bring a better future for the people.

Thanks but no thanks, Mahathir; had BN been listening, there would have been no reason for the “Bersih” saga to take place.

If all was well at the polls, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections or Bersih, would not have taken to the streets, not one or twice but thrice.

And did the BN government listen then? No!

Why then must the rakyat vote BN back into power, if all BN does is to “monopolise” its existence and hoodwink the people into believing that it cares?

Had BN been a good listener as Mahathir is desperately alluding, there would have been much peace and harmony among the people.

In the over five decades that BN has held the nation’s fort, much damage has been done, all because its leaders chose to give in to corruption and their never-ending hunger for more power.

On the contrary, the opposition under the Pakatan Rakyat banner has only had a taste of “calling the shots” since 2008; has it in just four years done as much damage to the nation as BN has been doing for the past 55 years?

For Mahathir to brag that only BN can determine the survival of the nation is implausible as the fate of the country does not lie in the hands of BN; likewise, Pakatan too should not claim it can do wonders for a nation whose people are slowly but surely being torn apart by racial slurs made by the very politicians who had once pledged to keep the nation united.

Too many mistakes made

Still, given time and experience, the opposition can deliver, provided it ties up all “loose ends” and all three parties under it – PKR, DAP and PAS – work in unison.

Any attempt by Mahathir or the likes of him to conjure up a “prima facie” case in the favour of BN is not going to work. Too many deliberate mistakes have been made by BN time and again, a reflection of its disrespect for the very voters who ensured its survival over the years.

Is BN willing to “repent”, to take cognisance of all its wrongdoings and pledge never to take the rakyat for granted? Can Mahathir give the people the assurance that BN has turned over a new leaf?

Clearly, the former premier is unable for the “sludge” covering BN is beyond cleansing; the repeated acts of corruption tell the people that BN has become “too big for its shoes”, its arrogance shrouding all promises made to the rakyat.

The instances are one too many. The controversial listing of the Felda Global Ventures Holdings is aimed at putting BN in the good books of the people; but really, why will the rakyat bother trusting the federal government when it knows, come what may, BN will never put an end to corruption, a scourge that is here to stay.

BN had no qualms appointing Isa Abdul Samad, the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar who was suspended from Umno for engaging in money politics, as the chairman of Felda.

Is this what Mahathir means by “BN listening to the rakyat”?

The day BN gets serious in wanting to “listen to the rakyat”, it will make an end of corrupt politicians like Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Until then, it is pointless for Mahathir to beg for the rakyat’s support in ensuring BN’s victory in the coming general election.

BN selfish

Before fingers are pointed at Pakatan for doing a bad job since it came on board four years ago, it will do BN good to take a good look at itself and realise how how bad a track record it has.

Post-May 13, 1969 racial riots, did BN learn its lesson and work at strengthening unity among the people? No; instead, the racial divide became wider to the extent that the non-Malays have been made to feel “out of place” in their own homeland.

Was it not Mahathir who last year cautioned the non-Malays not to get carried away with the life enjoyed in this country, saying they owed it all to the Malays, the real “owners” of this nation?

Did it ever bother Mahathir how the non-Malays and maybe a handful of Malays must have felt each time Umno at its general assembly promised to wage war against the non-Malays should they dare question Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which safeguards Malay rights and privileges?

Is this how BN pays attention to the rakyat’s woes?

Mahathir has also made the mistake of giving BN the credit for changing many laws and policies to bring about a better future for the country. Had that happened, why would “Bersih” come into being?

Had BN changed many laws, the families of those who suffered death at the hands of the authorities would have received swift justice. If listening to the rakyat is BN’s strength, then no time would have been wasted in setting up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission to curb abuse of power by the Royal Malaysian Police.

Had BN believed in serving the public welfare, it would not have put in place laws that come with caveats, as is the case with the Evidence Act 1950. On Aug 14, concerned Malaysians held an Internet blackout day to protest and raise awareness about legislation that could threaten free expression on the Web.

The protest concerns two amendments to Section S114A of the Evidence Act, which covers “Presumption of Fact in Publication”.

“S114A, entitled ‘Presumption of Fact in Publication,’ holds (1) those who own, administrate, or edit websites open to public contributors, such as online forums or blogs; (2) those who provide web-hosting services or Internet access; (3) those own the computer or mobile device used to publish content online, are accountable for the content published through their services, on their sites, or “in their name’” unless the contrary is proven.

When the federal government decided to go ahead with Section114A of the Evidence Act, it is yet another example of it not willing to listen to the rakyat, putting paid to Mahathir’s tacky claim that BN “listens to the rakyat”.

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 September 2012, 11:36 am and is filed under
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Dataran gathering gave me new hope

By Christine SK Lai

Free Malaysia Today

September 2, 2012

I have started questioning, and what I see in my beloved land saddens me.

COMMENT

Why on earth would thousands of people come out of their homes to join thousands of other strangers on the streets, risking possible arrest in an assembly declared illegal?

Why would many still dress up in yellow, knowing full well this would immediately ‘mark’ them out as easy targets amongst the crowd, should provocation break out?

I am talking about the ordinary Malays, Chinese, Indians and others, some coming from out-of-state, who spilled over Dataran Merdeka and its surrounding areas on Aug 30, 2012, from 10pm onwards.

There was no colourful parade to cheer, no fiery VIP ‘leaders’ making ‘ra-ra-ra’ rousing speeches, no big-time performance to be entertained by, and hey, no free food!  No one paid them anything to come. Many probably had to battle after-work traffic jams to turn up.

Many, like us, would also have suffered the darn inconvenience of having to go on a merry-go-round chase, rushing to catch the last LRT home after the event (we were told as we tried to board at Pasar Seni that only Masjid Jamek was open).

Heck, I didn’t even get to hear any poetry recited. All I  heard was the cacophony of that noisy thing called vuvuzela continuously blasting the night air.

It was such a motley crowd. Beside me sitting on the kerb was a Pakcik. Behind me a whole family, with baby in pram. Parents were towing kids carrying balloons and illuminated plastic swords.

Youngsters cruised by me, sporting colorful Mohawk wigs (the teacher in me was so tempted to get a handful for my kindergarten children!) Police personnel were calmly walking around in the midst of the crowd, the officers looking smart in their uniforms, whilst the rank-n-file were conspicuous in their very bright yellow overalls (what an ironic touch!) .

The only inkling that someone ‘special’ had arrived was when people would suddenly surge towards a particular area now and then, like bees attracted to honey, cameras raised in the air. But I wasn’t there for the politicians or the politics.

Silent unease

I was there for the first time in my 52 years of life to celebrate my nation’s independence day. What took me so long to haul myself off my comfy chair at home and sweat it out for some four hours, just to mill around aimlessly in the middle of a tar road?

Surely I can find better, more productive things to do with my time. Of course I can, so can the thousands of Malaysians who chose to be at Dataran Merdeka on Aug 30, 2012.

Well, I have to confess, I have never thought much about what it means to call myself a Malaysian, until these last couple of years, when so many events happening have forced me to take a good hard look at the things I have oft taken for granted.

I have started questioning, and what I see in my beloved land saddens me.

That’s the only reason I chose to come out as a member of the Malaysian public this Merdeka day. I suspect there are many others who feel like me; and that’s why they took the trouble to be present.

Amidst what should be a time for joyous celebration, there seems to be an under-current of silent unease floating around. We smile at each other, recognising in each other’s eyes a certain ‘look’ that says, “Yea, I know too, so I am with you on this one.”

No words are necessary really. We don’t need anyone to shout about unity, justice, peace or national reconciliation (or the lack of it), we don’t need to carry bold banners or mouth nice-sounding slogans, but we do need to take a personal stand for it.

Me, I just want to be able to say before I die, I stood up for freedom for the land I was born in, raised up in and would probably be buried in, even if it’s just this once. There are times when we don’t get a second chance to be counted for, and Aug 30, 2012 is a date I want recorded in my life history.

New hope

I don’t know how long I was sitting on the kerb. But when I finally got up, what I saw gave me new hope for better Merdeka days to come.

The group of us had arrived on the grounds early, there wasn’t much of a crowd then. But by the time I stood up to stretch my legs (which was about 11 pm), I saw people packing the area around Jalan Raja Laut/Jalan TAR.

So many many it looked like a flowing, moving stream. Against the backdrop of bright neon-lit trees along the road, it was a beautiful sight. It struck me as what I would term as one of those ‘significant moments’ in life, when you realise you are looking at something seemingly ordinary but so profound in meaning, that it will remain forever etched in the mind.

I ‘saw’ the true 1Malaysian people, moving towards a tomorrow that holds hope for each one to live in, where all can enjoy the richness and abundance of this land we call our own.

More than any other rally (and I have attended all the other Bersih-organised ones), I think Himpunan Janji Bersih 2012 speaks volumes about the maturity of Malaysians.

Nothing happened – that may a disappointment for some – yet to me, that’s the greatest thing that can happen, for when thousands upon thousands can gather without ‘anything’ happening, it means people can ‘shout’ a message just by turning up.

God bless Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 September 2012, 12:44 am and is filed under
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‘Janji Demokrasi’ the Real Merdeka Event

By Kee Thuan Chye

Malaysiakini

Sept 2, 2012

The occasion could not have been better chosen or timed: The eve of the country’s 55th Merdeka anniversary, two hours before countdown.

The venue could not have been more appropriate: Dataran Merdeka,where the countdown to Merdeka is held every year to commemorate the very first countdown to independence in 1957.

The theme could not have been more telling: ‘JanjiDemokrasi’, a response to the Government’s Merdeka theme, ‘Janji Ditepati’. Sasterawan Negara (National Laureate) A.Samad Said to read his impassioned poem with its powerful ending:

Kita laungkan jerit senyaringnya: “Janji Demokrasi!”

sehingglah janji itu turut menjeritnya sendiri!

(We cry with all our hearts: “The promise of democracy!”

until the promise itself joins in and cries out togetherwith us!)

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein predicted few people would turn up. But, as usual, he was wrong. They came by the thousands – some counted tens of thousands – dressed in yellow, as requested by the organisers.
They came to show their disapproval of the Government’s hijack of this year’s celebrations by imposing the theme ‘Janji Ditepati’ (Promises Fulfilled), which is actually the ruling party’s election campaign slogan. They came to remind the Government that it had indeed not fulfilled its promises – above all, the promise of clean and fair elections.

A demonstration like this would have come in the past from the Opposition, but the amazing thing about this one is that it came from the rakyat. The rakyat came to Dataran Merdeka – people of all races, dressed in yellow, in fraternity, united in a common cause.

When this comes from the rakyat, not Opposition politicians, the ruling party must needs tremble.

The rakyat even defied the police ban on the gathering. Hours before the event, the police tried to frighten people away by declaring the gathering illegal. But the people didn’t care. Their disregard was a clear sign that the system is falling apart. When the people don’t respect the law enforcers as well as the policy-makers, the end for the latter has to be near.

These were people who came of their own accord, braving the possibility of arrest. Very different from many of those who would be attendingthe official Merdeka Day celebrations the next night at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, the extravaganza organised by the Government to display its might.

Of those who attended the Bukit Jalil event, ‘Himpunan Merdeka’, an insider tells me, “at least 50% were instructed to attend. We were given RM60 for meal expenses, free travel on the LRT. Those who brought their family got an additional RM50. Free rides on chartered buses were provided.”

About 100,000 people reportedly showed up, but there must have been many who were lured by the live performances of famous local artistes, the fireworks display and the lucky draw. The prizes included a Proton Prevé, a Chevrolet Cruze, air tickets to London and Sydney, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.

The comparison of the participants at the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering and those at ‘Himpunan Merdeka’ is striking. The former were not promised any incentives. The only incentive for them was expressing their disaffection for the Government, sending the ruling party the message that it cannot hijack Merdeka for its own selfish purpose: Merdeka belongs to the people, not to Barisan Nasional (BN).

That they managed to do so, in defiance of the police, on such a significant national occasion must be devastating for the Government. Going by this, if BN were to retain Putrajaya at the next general election, it will not have an easy time governing for another five years. It will likely face consistent resistance from a recalcitrant rakyat.Would it be facetious then to suggest that it capitulate now? Indeed, somepeople have already been calling this year’s Merdeka celebrations “Umno-BN’s farewell bash”.

However, BN’s leaders continue to strive to maintain that they are right.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, in defending the use of ‘Janji Ditepati’ as the Merdeka theme, says there is no reason for anyone to dispute it “unless a person is not used to keeping promises”. He says everyone should fulfil their promises, including ordinary people. “If the people want the country to be peaceful, stable and more prosperous, the people must promise to contribute to peace and prosperity.”

The reasoning sounds weird and warped. Mainly because the logic of putting the onus on the people to ensure peace and stability is strained and contrived. Usually, that duty is assigned to the government. But what is more telling is Najib’s evasion of the all-important point – that ‘Janji Ditepati’ is also BN’s campaign slogan for the upcoming general election. That is the point of contention that he should have addressed.

In his speech at ‘Himpunan Merdeka’, Najib took a swipe at the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering by saying that it involved only the minority whereas the gathering at Bukit Jalil involved the majority.

Again, he overlooked the key considerations.

First, many people were compelled to attend ‘Himpunan Merdeka’ – among them civil servants and staff of some statutory bodies.

Second, many of the people of his so-called “majority” are those still zombified by the massive doses of government propaganda they are fed every day through the mainstream press and television, and have therefore not awakened to the Government’s chicanery.

Third, if there had been no banning of the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering and the threat of possible arrest, many more people might have gone for it. Plus, many who did not show up nonetheless support it in their hearts.On social media that night, many said they wished they had gone, and many more cheered the success of the turnout.

Fourth, those who did go for the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering were not attracted by incentives, like payments, free transport and lucky draws.Their reason for going was sincere and genuine.

It speaks poorly of the nation’s prime minister that he used the Merdeka Day celebrations to lash out at ‘Janji Demokrasi’.

Not only that, he also demonised the Opposition by accusing them of trying to bring chaos to the nation. Merdeka Day is supposed to be a day of national harmony and reconciliation. Desperate though Najib may be to win the next general election, he should still have shown respect for the occasion. Instead, he hijacked the event and used it as his election platform.

How then can it not be said that the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering was totally justified?

By the way, the gathering was peaceful, and Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Zainuddin Ahmad admitted that no untoward incidents were reported. Yet even so, he added, “We’ll investigate later (for any violations).” What’s there to investigate if there were no untoward incidents?

He also said they would investigate Samad for reading a poem. Since when has reading a poem become an offence? Don’t the police have more important things to do – like going after criminals instead?

It’s time the police realised that people power is on the rise and adjusted to the new paradigm – or they will look stupid playing their outdated games. It does not do them well to take their cue from their boss at the Home Ministry, Hishammuddin Hussein, who in commending them for maintaining security at the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering said: “We see that the event, which was aimed at creating chaos, failed …”

His statement was outright unfair – and downright stupid. He also sounded like a sore loser. But then if you have seen how gamblers behave when their chips are down, you will understand why he said it.

* Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We’re All Malaysians, available at major bookstore
s.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 September 2012, 1:00 am and is filed under
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Stop political corruption: Stop party-hopping

by P Ramakrishnan

Aliran

2 September 2012

What must not be tolerated is the betrayal of voters who had cast their votes in favour of a candidate who then decides to party-hop after winning, says P Ramakrishnan in supporting anti-party-hopping legislation.

It isdifficult to justify why anyone would want to oppose an anti-party-hopping legislation that holds out hope for morality in politics. Any sane person should welcome this move so that elected representatives who betray their electors cannot go scot-free. These renegades cannot ignore the mandate of the voters who elected them.

The proposed legislation by the Penang State government does not prevent anyonefrom leaving their current party. They are free to go and join any party and associate themselves with whatever party they choose to keep company. There isno law to prevent them from jumping ship!

All that an anti-party-hopping legislation seeks to do is to force a by-election so that the voters who had been betrayed could be given the opportunity to decide once again whether they still want renegades or defectors to continue as their elected representatives. Those who initially elected the renegades must have the right to decide whether they still want them as their elected representative.

What must not be tolerated is the betrayal of the voters who had cast their votes in favour of a candidate who then decides to party-hop after winning. The voters’ electoral decisions cannot be sidelined and totally ignored as if they were of no consequence.

Besides, anti-party-hopping legislation also seeks to curb political corruption. Undoubtedly, there is always an element of corruption involved, some attractive inducement held out to corrupt politicians to switch sides. Unscrupulous politicians offer themselves for sale without a tinge of conscience. Otherwise there would be no reason to switch parties.

We witnessed in horror how these unscrupulous politicians unconscionablyfrustrated the will of the voters in Perak by resigning from their respective parties to enable an ignoble takeover of a people’s government by the Barisan Nasional. This shameful conduct was given so much prominence and publicity on TV with the then Deputy Prime Minister, who is believed to have orchestrated this despicable act, welcoming their decision as if these scoundrels have performed a fantastic feat! It was this morally contemptible act that toppled a legitimate government that was duly elected by the will of the people.

When demeaning conduct is glorified with such pompous fanfare then something must be seriously wrong because it means that we are totally incapable of differentiating what is right and wrong! And when the Deputy Prime Minister, the second topmost leader of the country, was associated with this diabolical conduct what hope is there for integrity and moral conduct.

When this despicable behaviour is upheld by the justice system, it is totally appalling and absolutely disgusting!

Our courts have inexplicably defended the right of renegade representatives – at the expense of thousands of voters – on the premise of upholding the renegades’ right of association. This is ridiculous. This so-called right of association was never in jeopardy. The right to associate was never the issue. That freedom was never denied. The renegades were free to defect.

The courts strangely and jealously, in a convoluted manner, have ruled that if renegade representatives were to give up their elected positions, it would constitute an infringement of their right. The courts seem so concerned with the turncoats’ right while completely ignoring the rights of thousands of voters whose electoral decision was betrayed and nullified by the unprincipled behaviour of these renegade representatives.

Commonsense would dictate that the courts should have decided in favour of the voters to uphold the democratic process – but the courts instead shamefully and willfully chose to sacrifice the rights of thousands of voters. It was so obvious that the freedom of association was not interfered with. Renegades would not lose their membership in their new-found parties if they were to resign from their elected positions.

They say justice is blind in that it does not take into consideration the status ofindividuals or their position in society but in these cases, the judgments were blind justice in that they failed to see reason and overlooked what was very obvious.

P Ramakrishnan, the immediate past president of Aliran, now serves on the Aliran executive committee.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 September 2012, 12:28 am and is filed under
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‘Janji Ditepati’ Public hearings in Sabah successful kickoff in Kota Kinabalu

Tweets
@limkitsiang
:

Sep 03, 7:16pm

In KotaKinabalu 4kickoff of Sabah DAP “Janji Ditepati” 1st round of Public Hearings 2hear public views whether Sabahans agree with BN theme

Sep 03, 8:40pm

Congrats SabahDAP 4organising “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearing State tour as “substitute” 4RCI on 49yrs of Sabah in Msia proposed by DAP b4

Sep 03, 8:45pm

TanSri Simon Sipaun, whom I had proposed as RCI Chmn, speaking. He said Sabah is now Darul PTI as ilegals have long outnumbered Sabahans

Sep 03, 8:50pm

Simon speak abt poverty in when this shld not happen as Sabah very rich state with oil n other resources. Estimate poverty rate >30% inSabah

Sep 03, 8:55pm

Simon talk abt curse of corruption. Msian shd enjoy full value of every RM spent by govt which is only possible if there is no corruption.

Sep 03, 9:01pm

I asked Y total silence abt RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah past 3weeks after Najib’s speech? Extra proof lack of RCIII bona fides

Sep 03, 9:10pm

RCIII in Sabah given 6mths 2complete report but from date of formal appointment of RCI members. Scandalous no apptmnts made after 3weeks!

Sep 03, 9:15pm

Already Najib joke of world – took 6mths 2decide on RCIII TOR. Maybe longer if not pressured further by WilfredBamburing’s defection from BN

Sep 03, 9:21pm

Clearly 13GE will be over b4 RCIII completes report. Most striking example “Janji Ditepati” is empty Umno/BN slogan. Many other instances

Sep 03, 9:27pm

I expressed disappointment Najib in his visit 2Sabah last weekend made no announcement abt upward revision of 5% oil royalty 2states

Sep 03, 9:35pm

Dr Chong Eng Leong acknowledged Sabah PTI “expert” tore apart 8terms of reference of RCIII as not addressing real problem of PTI in Sabah

Sep 03, 9:48pm

Speakers inc Sabah PAS chief Hj Aminudin Aling citing instances in KotaBelud of “Janji Tidak Ditepati” n Denis of Angkatan Perubahan Sabah

Sep 04, 8:11am

Day2 of SabahDAP’s “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearings in Sabah. Successful kickoff in KK last nite – next stops today Ranau n Donggongon

Sep 04, 8:28am

Day3 of “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearing in Sabah will be held in Tenom n Keningau 2morrow. Day4 on Thursday will be @ Lahad Datu then Tawau

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2012, 11:13 am and is filed under
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Najib’s Nervous and Nauseating

By Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2012, 10:19 am and is filed under
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Sabahans be thankful (2)

By Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2012, 10:49 am and is filed under
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Sabahans be thankful (3)

By Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2012, 10:55 am and is filed under
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Sabahans be thankful!

By Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2012, 10:44 am and is filed under
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Second Open Letter to Soi Lek

By
Kee Thuan Chye
 | Tuesday, 04 September 2012 13:07

Malaysian Digest

Dear Soi Lek,

I last wrote an open letter to you that was published in this same website on Jan 12, 2011.

In it, you may recall, I said that being a highly educated person with the ability to think, you should consider renouncing race-based politics for the good of the nation.

I also wondered if the MCA still had any dignity left for continuing to be a part of Barisan Nasional (BN).

Since then, you have said or done nothing to indicate that you will change.

You have, however, threatened that if BN wins the next general election, the MCA will not accept any ministerial positions if it does not enjoy Chinese support. All I can say to that is good luck to you then.

If by that statement you mean to frighten the Chinese into voting for the MCA for fear of not being represented in the next Cabinet, I don’t think it has worked. Certainly not on the thinking Chinese. I, however, can’t speak for the simple-minded or the stupid ones.

Perhaps the latter are the ones you are targeting but in this day and age, there are not many of them left.

After all, if we are to think logically, even now, as a senior partner in BN with four ministers, the MCA comes across as little more than a toothless Pekingese that wags its tail when Umno yells. So what difference would it make if the MCA were not in the Cabinet? What representation are the Chinese getting even now?

In short, you are impotent within BN. If you want to toot about the Government finally deciding last June to retrospectively recognize the 70 diplomas and advance diplomas awarded by Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (KTAR), I would suggest you don’t.

You and I know why the recognition came at this time – so many years after the diploma courses were introduced.

Even Mahathir Mohamad sneered at it, blatantly saying that it was just an attempt by the Government to win Chinese votes. He even said, offensively, that it had come about due to Malay “stupidity” – because the Malays were giving in to the minorities.

But never mind the old codger and his racist rants. Just ask yourself why the MCA just stood impotently and sulked during those years of non-Government recognition. Why couldn’t the MCA have pressed the Government to give the recognition that would, in turn, have allowed those KTAR graduates to apply for government jobs or pursue further studies at Malaysian public universities?

And isn’t it ironic that it was actually the MCA that founded KTAR? And that these diplomas have been given recognition by ACCA and CIMA, and been accepted for direct entry into degree courses in countries like the US, the UK and Australia, but not Malaysia?

Your impotence is also demonstrated in the kind of statements you have been making in the past year or so.

One of the most pathetic and unbecoming was your derisive statement regarding the turnout at Bersih 2.0 in July 2011.

You parroted your master’s voice when you pooh-poohed the estimated 50,000 that showed up at the Bersih 2.0 rally and said it was a minuscule number. You boasted that you could muster up 50,000 MCA members, no problem. Najib Razak said he could round up 1 million Umno members; you were more modest. But please, do demonstrate that you can.

I would like to see you round up 50,000 people and bring them out onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur while defying roadblocks put up by the police and facing the prospect of being attacked with teargas and water cannons, and getting arrested.

Without paying them a sen, mind you.

You also said there were not many Chinese at the rally. Were you there to take note of that? I was. And I can testify that there were thousands of Chinese present – and they were ordinary citizens, not people with political affiliations.

But let me ask you this. Do you not secretly believe, as a good citizen, that what Bersih stands for – clean and fair elections – is something good for the nation? If you do believe it to be so, why do you not say so publicly instead of running down the good citizens who took to the streets because they cared for their country?

You did nothing when Najib and his cohorts committed all those ruthless acts against Bersih 2.0 and its sympathizers. As it turned out, Najib realized eventually that he had done much wrong – because his ratings plunged. Didn’t you see the wrong he was doing at the time? Did you agree with what he did then? Tell me honestly.

Have you been afflicted by the Pekingese syndrome and therefore cannot be your own man and speak your own mind?

Is that why you have little else to say these days except to pick on the DAP and its association with PAS, and accuse it – erroneously, I might add – of colluding with PAS to bring about hudud law and an Islamic state?

Is that why you have nothing to contribute to the Malaysian political debate except the flawed threat to non-Muslims that a vote for the DAP is a vote for PAS and therefore a vote for an Islamic state?

What about your Umno colleague in Johor, Ayub Rahmat, calling for hudud to be implemented for all, including non-Muslims? What about the resolutions passed by the Penang state Opposition leader and the Kepala Batas Wanita Umno division supporting hudud for all?

Why don’t you ask your own partner, Umno, to come right out once and for all to state its stand on whether it will or will not support hudud? If you can’t do that, isn’t your calling the DAP a “political eunuch” the same as the pot calling the kettle black?

And why did you say nothing when Umno made overtures to PAS to hold a muzakarah for the sake of Muslim and Malay unity? Why didn’t you chide your partner for not consulting the MCA about it first?

All this makes me see that you don’t practise what you preach. Similarly, you recently said that religion should not be politicized, but look at you politicizing it each time you bring up the hudud issue. To be honest, that makes you one of the biggest politicizers of religion.

Apart from that, recently you even descended to the level of saying that the DAP intends to join BN at the expense of the MCA. I don’t know where you plucked that from, but if the DAP were to do that, it would not only be betraying its supporters, it would also be betraying its own founding principles.

I am more inclined to believe what Lim Guan Eng said in response to your statement – that the DAP has no wish to replace the MCA; instead, together with PKR and PAS, it wants to replace BN.

I notice that you have had nothing significant to say these days except hit out at the Opposition for even the most trivial of matters.

The most recent case was when you handed out cheques to Lee Chong Wei and Pandalela Rinong. You couldn’t resist taking a swipe at M Manoharan of the DAP. Was it necessary? I agree Mano said a stupid thing in his tweet about Chong Wei’s performance at the Olympics, but the man had already apologized. Why say his apology was meaningless? Were you being ungracious?

Worst of all, you even went so low as to call him politically retarded. That was cheap. And then, in the same breath, you said sports should not be politicized.

If sports should not be politicized, why were you the one giving out the cheques to Chong Wei and Pandalela? The money came from The Star, and normally, it is the CEO of The Star who gives away such cheques. Why did you want to be in the limelight?

Is it because you wanted people to see that the MCA was involved in giving out the money to the duo? But then, as a political leader, even though the MCA is the major owner of The Star, shouldn’t you adopt a non-involvement policy?

If you really want to use whatever influence you have to depoliticize sports, you should go on a campaign to call for politicians to step down from being heads of sports organizations. Let these sports bodies be run by people who know sports, not people out to gain political mileage.

You could also make yourself useful and respected by talking about more significant issues, like Section 114A of the Evidence Act, which you cannot possibly agree with – if you are not a politically retarded person.

How can it be fair for an accused person to be presumed guilty and be compelled to prove his or her innocence? Even your Umno colleague Saifuddin Abdullah and your own MCA Vice-President Gan Ping Sieu are in favor of its removal.

You could also question why 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is buying Genting Berhad’s old power asset for RM2.3 billion when it could build a new power plant with the same amount of money. And why 1MDB is going into real estate development in competition with the private sector.

And of course Najib’s awarding of the Ampang LRT extension tender to George Kent (Malaysia) Berhad despite it’s having allegedly failed the initial tender test.

These are just suggestions; there are many more national issues to choose from. They will certainly make you look a national leader instead of a communal bickerer who is constantly picking on the DAP.

Oh, one more thing. Did you not think that the choice of the BN’s election campaign slogan ‘Janji Ditepati’ as the theme of this year’s Merdeka Day celebrations was inappropriate? Surely, you are smart and sharp enough to realize that such an occasion should not be politicized for BN’s benefit? Why didn’t you point it out? After all, you have been saying we shouldn’t be politicizing this and that.

OK, Soi Lek, I’ve gone on quite a bit. I’m saying all this because you yourself are aware – going by your recent interview in The Malay Mail – that the people want change and the political parties must respond accordingly. The turnout at the ‘Janji Demokrasi’ gathering in Dataran Merdeka on Aug 30, to demonstrate that the Government has not kept its promises, must surely reinforce that view.

So I’ve taken this trouble to write this to you, and to ask you what you’ll be doing from now on. Whether to be the Pekingese that sits, stands on its hind feet, rolls on the floor or pretends to be dead at the command of its master, or to be someone who is free, stands tall and speaks his own mind. Or whether you have other options.

Let me assure you that if you choose the option that is good for the country, I’ll certainly be rooting for you.

Sincerely,

Chye

*
Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book ‘No More Bullshit, Please, We’re All Malaysians’. The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2012, 2:50 pm and is filed under
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LKS sends 1st tweet to Najib and Open Cyber Message to Sabah Ministers

Tweets @limkitsiang:

Sep 05, 7:43am

@NajibRazak 1st time twt PM 4Cabinet agenda 2day include Y RCIII Sabah x started work 7mths after Cabinet decision – mana “Janji Ditepati”?

Sep 05, 8:03am

Open Cyber Msg 2SabahMinisters -PTI top issue @ DAPSabah “Janji Ditepati” PublicHearings in KK Ranau Donggongon.Do raise in Cabinet 2day (1)

Sep 05, 8:08am

Esp Y instrument of apptmt x yet issued 2RCI members 3weeks after PM’s announcement; whether/when RCIII Sabah will hold public hearings (2)

Sep 05, 8:16am

Y RCIII Sabah still in sleepmode 7months after Cabinet decision 2set it up when Cobbold Commission 1962 completed its work in 5mths? (3)

Sep 05, 8:21am

Urge Sabah Ministers Bernard Maximus Shafie Anifah 2raise RCIII Sabah issue in Cabinet 2day – followup 2my 1st twt 2PM on same issue. (4)

Sep 05, 8:25am

Sabah Ministers shd make post-Cabinet stmts 2day 2answer many questions on RCIII Sabah. Also Sabah Ministers shd all have twitter a/cs (5)

Sep 05, 8:34am

Although 4Sabah Ministers x on twitter, expect them 2get Open Cyber Msg b4 Cabinet meet 2day or Najib must get rid of dinosaurs in Info Age

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 5 September 2012, 9:57 am and is filed under
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Malaysia Day, RCIII, Oil Royalty – BN’s half-hearted promises

5/9/2012: Lim Kit Siang and Wilfred Bumburing at the Keningau “Batu Sumpah” site – a reminder of the unfulfilled promise of honoring the 20 Points

Tweets
@limkitsiang
:

Sep 05, 11:55am

Sabah DAP’s “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearing in Tenom starts with Janji Diketepikan when police banned use of speaker system. Who is afraid?

Sep 05, 12:00pm

Najib said Umno/BN govt want 2make Msians “happy” but by forcing police 2disallow use of speaker system Umno/BN have made Tenom ppl unhappy

Sep 05, 12:10pm

Despite unreasonable undemocratic block @ Umno/BN behest, SabahDAP’s “Janji Ditepatikan” PublicHearing b4 capacity crowd Tenom great success

Sep 05, 12:19pm

Informed Tenom Public Hearing of my 1st twt 2Najib n my 5pt Open Cyber Msg 2four Sabah Ministers 2raise issue of RCIIISabah @ 2day’s Cabinet

Sep 05, 4:15pm

Full house @ Sabah DAP “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearing in Keningau. Sp guest speaker Wilfred Bumburing Tuaran MP who explained Y he quit BN

Sep 05, 4:32pm

B4 public hearing, I again visited Keningau “Batu Sumpah” with JimmyWong EdwinBosi Wilfred Bumburing MonggohOrow on religion land customs

Sep 05, 4:56pm

Gave 3 instances DAP PR have forced Umno/BN 2follow though half-hearted: 1) make 16/9 national public holiday although only since 2010 (1)

Sep 05, 5:01pm

2) RCIII Sabah though TOR unsatisfactory. No sign political will 2resolve issue “once n 4 all” with RCIII still in sleepmode after 7mths (2)

Sep 05, 5:07pm

3) Raise 5% oil royalty to 20%. Until lately Sabah CM opposed saying illogical 2increase royalty but now cos of PR pressure has changed tune (3)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 5 September 2012, 5:56 pm and is filed under
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RCI on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah – another example of yet another broken promise by the BN?

DAP Sabah kicked off a series of Janji Ditepati public hearings starting in Kota Kinabalu on Monday to seek feedback from the people of Sabah and see if the promises made by the BN during its 49 year rule have indeed been fulfilled or if the government’s Merdeka slogan is yet another in a long series of broken promises by the BN to the people of Sabah.

The last time a series of such public hearings were held was in 1962 when the Commission of Enquiry for North Borneo and Sarawak (better known as the Cobbold Commission) sought public feedback in Sabah and Sarawak for a period of 2 ½ months. Indeed, the Cobbold Commission, which was appointed in January 1962, took five months to complete and was submitted to the British on the 21st of June 1962. The final report was released on the 1st of August, 1962. The Commission was chaired by the former Governor of the Bank of England, Lord Cameron Cobbold, with a four member Commission namely Wong Pow Nee, Chief Minister of Penang, Mohammed Ghazali Shafie, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaya, Anthony Abell, former Governor of Sarawak and David Watherston, former Chief Secretary of Malaya.

In contrast, it took Najib 6 months to announce the members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah and to come up with the Terms of Reference. And even the Terms of Reference may have been delayed further if not for the departure of two prominent BN Members of Parliament from Sabah. Three weeks later, concerned Sabahans are still waiting for any signs of life that the RCI has started work.

For a Prime Minister who is overseeing a Government Transformation Program that is supposed to make the government more efficient and responsive, it is ironic that the Najib premiership appears to be more inefficient and incompetent compared to the governance of 50 years ago in 1962 as demonstrated by the Cobbold Commission who were operating in a time without the convenience of modern technology.

Will the RCI on Illegal Immigrants be another meaningless Public Relations exercise by the BN similar to the RCI on Police Reform, the RCI on the VK Lingam video clip and the RCI into the Teoh Beng Hock case?

Will Najib call for the next general election without even allowing for the RCI on Illegal Immigrants to start, let along to be completed, so as to avoid the public spotlight on the many problems that such an RCI would unveil, including strong and indisputable evidence that a significant number of illegal immigrants have been included in the electoral roll?

I challenge Najib to assure the people of Sabah that he will not call for the next general election until the RCI on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah has completed its work and that he will take the necessary steps based on the findings to ensure the illegal immigrants who have been wrongly issued ICs and included in the electoral roll will be removed from the electoral roll to ensure a clean and fair elections.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 5 September 2012, 11:06 am and is filed under
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A different Merdeka this year

By
Bridget Welsh

Sep 6, 2012 |
Malaysiakini

Malaysians celebrated 55 years of independence on Aug 31. Most did so the usual Malaysian way – with family and friends, along with good food and great friendship.

Despite high levels of political anxiety, angst and uncertainty, there is much to celebrate. Malaysia is a great country, with a proud history and warm wonderful people.

I celebrated the event in Ipoh, where Perakians showed me the fine hospitality of good cheer and company. It is clearly evident that Malaysia’s finest assets are its people.

Najib and Muhyiddin at a rally to celebrate country’s 55th Independence Day in Bukit Jalil StadiumThis year’s Merdeka was markedly different, however. The event became highly politicised, as both sides of the political divide used the occasion to woo supporters. The use of government resources for logos, songs and political slogans and politicking during the official celebration with Umno-like political speeches does not reflect well on the governing coalition.

The sagas around the preparation for Merdeka raised serious questions of credibility. Rather than embrace all Malaysians, the mode was one of “by invitation only” which at its core violated the spirit of marking independence.

There was a deficit of statesmanship. This highlights one of the most serious issues Umno is facing nationally – that it is seen to serve only the chosen few rather than the broader community.

At the same time, the yellow-shirt civil society’s ‘Janji Demokrasi’ (Promise of Democracy) gathering mirrored the polarising politics now present in the country, with a show of continued resilience among the Bersih movement in its campaign for a cleaner electoral system.

While the intention to bring together Malaysians was more evident – and the festival spirit of the event telling – the tactics adopted by a few to denigrate others by stomping on pictures and flying alternative flags – even if from questionable sources – allowed the government to undermine the event’s overall impact.

Prouder to be Malaysians

The temptation to use this event in the increasingly high-stakes politics was just too attractive to resist. The reason is simple – Malaysians are deeply proud of their country – and politicians wanted to exploit this.

Despite all the political noise, the angry comments on websites, the negative attacks and underlying concerns, the love of Malaysia has been growing.

Survey results from two different periods (2006 and 2011) as part of the region-wide cross-national Asia Barometer Survey show that Malaysians are overwhelming committed to their country; they are proud to be citizens and believe in being always loyal, as shown in the table.

Recent data shows that 97 percent of Malaysians are proud to be Malaysians – this says something. It is among the highest in the region. The trend among all ethnic groups is towards stronger national identity, with markedly more people identifying themselves as “Malaysians”.

While there are ethnic differences – understandably tied to feelings of exclusion and concerns about equality – these pale in comparison to the overall trend towards a stronger Malaysian nationalism.

The data also shows that fewer Malaysians are willing to live abroad, with a sizeable drop over the last five years. The temptation for better economic opportunities remains present, however, highlighting concerns about opportunities and quality livelihoods.

That said, more Malaysians across races are simultaneously identifying themselves as “Malaysian”. In the Malay community, the “Muslim” and “Malay” markers persist, but the shifts among the other communities is marked and telling.

Noteworthy, a majority of Malays prioritise the Malaysian identity. This places a challenge on any leader who does not see himself as Malaysian first, even among the Malay community. Malaysian nationalism is alive and well, and growing stronger.

Stronger embrace of democracy

The interesting question is why? Some would point to PM Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept. Despite its constant misuse for partisan campaigning and market branding, the idea in a nutshell involves a sense of place for everyone in Malaysia.

This dream – like Malaysia’s push for a common Vision 2020 for all – gives people a sense of belonging and hope. But few in the survey pointed to 1Malaysia directly as a success.

Another more substantiated part of the story comes from the greater gains made for non-Malays in Parliament and a greater sense of inclusion in the governing process of many opposition governments, whether in Selangor, Penang, (briefly in) Perak or Kedah, to name a few.

The overall findings of the data show a stronger embrace of democracy and high support for more inclusive representation. This sense of all communities having a place at the table – from Sabah and Sarawak to the different ethnic groups – is a true test of the leaders’ ability to represent them nationally.

The struggle BN faces to be seen as multi-ethnic are real with Umno’s overwhelming dominance and weakening non-Malay representation, as are the challenges Pakatan Rakyat faces in assuring that all the voices are represented and accommodated.

The dynamic is not about representing one group, however, but the country – even at the expense of politics and especially at the expense of personal interest.

The coalition and leaders that are seen to be doing this best – to be inclusive of all Malaysians with the promise of hope and belonging and seen to put the country as a whole first – have the advantage electorally.

Part of this is putting aside politics and genuinely celebrating each other. For at their core, Malaysians are Malaysians – and proud to be so.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 September 2012, 9:34 am and is filed under
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Failure of BN to honor points engraved in the Keningau Oath Stone

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to revisit the historic Keningau Oath Stone together with Dato Seri’ Wilfred Bumburing, the MP for Tuaran who had recently left the BN and aligned himself with the opposition. The Oath Stone was erected as a reminder of the guarantee of the Federal Government to honor the 20 point agreement made with Sabah before the formation of Malaysia. Almost 48 years later, it is evident from the DAP Sabah initiated Janji Ditepati Public Hearings, that the three main points engraved in the Keningau Oath Stone – guaranteeing freedom of religion, upholding land autonomy and protecting native customs and traditions – have been cast aside by the BN government.

Sabahans from all walks of life and backgrounds in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Ranau, Tenom and Keningau have voiced out clearly and loudly, with their personal testimonies, that the rights of the Sabahans have not been upheld but have instead been abused and ignored in contravention to the spirit of the Keningau Oath Stone.

No less than Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, the former Sabah state secretary, has expressed doubt in the empty slogan that is Janji Ditepati when he said, during the Kota Kinabalu public hearing, that ‘the government is very long on eye catching slogans but very short on delivery’ akin to ‘lots of thunder and lightning but without the rain appearing.’ He is particularly well placed in making the statement that the BN government does not have the political will to solve the problem of ‘Pendatang Asing Tanpa Asing’ (PATI) as evidenced by successive half hearted and failed attempts over the past 25 years. One particularly egregious example of an empty promise was that made by Musa Aman, Chief Minister of Sabah, in 2006, to solve the problem of the illegal immigrants in Pulau Gaya which to date remains far from being solved.

The fact that many of these PATIs have been included in the electoral roll was highlighted by Dr. Chong Eng Leong, an expert on the illegal immigration situation in Sabah and the author of “Lest We Forget (Security and Sovereignty of Sabah)”. Dr. Cheong estimates that there is between one to two million illegal immigrants in Sabah, on top of the 900,000 who are on the census, means that it is highly likely that native Sabahans are now outnumbered by foreigners in their own country. Dr. Cheong further assertion that up to 250,000 of these illegal immigrants have found their way into the electoral roll is a further demonstration that the voting strength of the native Sabahans have slowly but surely been diluted over time.

At the same time as illegal immigrants are being given citizenship and registered as voters, many Sabahans are still facing problems obtaining citizenship status and many native Sabahans are being denied their right to Sijil Anak Negeri (SAN). In Ranau, we met Mrs Chong Siew On who was born in Sabah in 1941 and she has a birth certificate as well as a Sijil Anak Negeri but her 4 applications for an IC were rejected leaving her with only a red Permanent Resident IC. We also met Puan Ramlah from Ulu Kinabatangan who has 7 children only 4 of whom have birth certificates. The other three children were denied birth certificates because she doesn’t have a marriage certificate. We also met Kenneth Tan, who, like many other Sino Natives, cannot pass down their lands to their children because they were born after 1982 and could not obtain Sijil Anak Negeri (SAN).

In Penampang, we were informed by Charles from Kota Marudu that many of the residents of a kampong in his area had become squatters in Kota Kinabalu after their land was taken from them. Osul from Moyog spoke about the dire situation faced by his village as they face threats of eviction after they were relocated to land that had yet to be gazetted after the construction of the Babagon dam. Johan from Ulu Papar also expressed his fears that the same fate may befall his village if the Kaiduan dam were to be built.

In Tenom, where we were informed by the police that we could not use a loudspeaker to speak to and hear from the rakyat, we were given evidence by Daniel Kalingang of individuals who complained to him that they were promised low cost PPRT housing, some more than 20 years, and are still waiting for their houses to be built and delivered.

In Keningau, we heard from Mattius from Pensiangan who testified that their MP, Joseph Kurup, promised that their roads would be paved with asphalt but this was only selectively done and now, most of them are full of holes. Robert Linggi from Kinangau shared his experience of how new cars were inevitably damaged in 2 or 3 days because of poor road conditions.

These are just a small sample of the personal stories shared by many Sabahans whom we met so far in our Janji Ditepati Public Hearings. With this long string of broken promises, it is only apt that we return to the spirit and intention of the Keningau Oath Stone to uphold the rights of Sabahans. It is also apt that Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing, MP for Tuaran, joined us for our Public Hearing in Keningau. The decision by Wilfred Bumburing, who was also the Deputy President of UPKO, to leave UPKO and the BN is a strong confirmation that he has no confidence of the BN’s ability to uphold the rights and welfare of ordinary Sabahans. We welcome his decision to leave the BN and we hope that he can play a meaningful part to bring about regime change in the next general election so that the spirit and intention of the Keningau Oath Stone can be fulfilled.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 September 2012, 4:06 pm and is filed under
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Najib’s big dilemma: When to call the polls?

By
 Bridget Welsh

Sep 5, 2012 |
Malaysiakini

Pundits continue to speculate on the election timing, with views ranging from Prime Minister Najib Razak making a surprise announcement to speculation that he will go the full term.

One thing is certain: The polls have to be held before the end of June next year. The person who appears most reluctant to hold the polls is Najib himself. He is now Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister without his own electoral mandate.

The pressure to call the polls and deliver a comfortable majority remains intense. Najib’s predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was forced to resign when he failed to win two-thirds of the parliamentary seats in the 2008 GE.

Based on fieldwork and polling, of the 222 seats up for grabs, 84 percent of them are “competitive” – and with the BN and the opposition having about the same number of “safe seats”.

It is thus not surprising that Najib has repeatedly delayed facing the electorate. Multiple windows for the GE have been by-passed. Instead, Najib has worked diligently to earn popular support with the aim of tying his personal popularity to a victory for his ruling coalition.

Diminishing returns

His clock is ticking, as there is less than a year left before the GE will have to be called. The longer Najib waits, the more uncertainty he faces, with the real prospect of diminishing electoral returns.

Part of this is a product of the hype surrounding the earlier windows to hold the election. By failing to call the polls on repeated occasions after the election machinery was ramped up and candidate lists forwarded, Najib fuels a possible perception of weakness, as the delays are read as a lack of confidence on his part.

Najib also opens himself up to further uncertainties. Each time the election has been put off, it has either been in the wake of a scandal revelation – such as the National Feedlot Corporation – or after a mass rally such as those involving the electoral reform movement Bersih.

A pattern has set in – where weaknesses in Najib’s political reform efforts have been showcased, only to lead to further efforts to reconsolidate support.

The question Malaysians are asking is what will come next. Most are saturated with stories of scandal and intrigue, but ultimately the longer the delay, the greater the possibility of further revelations and civil society mobilisation.

This was the pattern in 2007-2008 and it is already repeating itself, as illustrated by the recent protest against the controversial amendments to section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. The changes presume that a person is guilty for anything written on their websites and social media mediums.

Uncertain economy

The most serious unknowns Najib faces with his delaying tactics involve the economy.

Malaysia has performed well in terms of growth under his watch – an average of 5.8 percent growth in the three years. Yet the economy is closely tied to global trends.

Slowing growth in China, recession threats in Europe and a lacklustre economic recovery in the United States, cast real shadows on Najib’s political fortunes.

A slowdown is already evident, with second-quarter growth figures dropping to 5.4 percent.

Najib’s government has also been unable to stave off the impact of global inflation. In the first six months of this year, stealthily but steadily prices for fuel have risen, with a 10-sen rise in the month before Hari Raya Puasa alone.

The attention to the economy calls into question Najib’s main strategy of using financial handouts to win support. Billions of ringgit have been doled out to constituents in a variety of forms, from vouchers to disadvantaged families to salary bonuses. More are expected in the upcoming Budget this month, the second year in a row the Budget will have been used as an apparent election primer.

While the influx of public sector cash in the economy has boosted consumption, little attention has centred on the long-term implications of short-term allocations and deficit spending.

Clock ticking away

In the midst of the myopic election focus, Najib’s efforts have stirred infighting within his own party, Umno.

Candidate hopefuls have been jockeying intensely, and this has intensified after the lists were forwarded this year. Positioning for candidacy has dominated attention, reinforcing the pressures on Najib to call the polls according to when different actors believe is “best”.

The longer the infighting goes on, the greater the political bruising will be within Umno.

Personally, economically and politically, Najib is caught in a political quagmire.

When he goes to the polls, he will face a fierce contest. And he will face real challenges to his position within Umno.

If he delays, conditions will reinforce a process of diminishing returns. The choice to delay has only served to heighten the pressure to perform.

As the countdown to the GE continues, Najib’s clock is ticking louder than ever. The next window ahead is early November and time will tell whether he will use this window to face the electorate.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 September 2012, 9:20 am and is filed under
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Challenge to Najib and Mahathir to make public commitment UMNO will peacefully effect transition of federal power after 13GE

I have just read online reports of what Tun Dr. Mahathir said earlier today, warning Malaysians that the country may never see a Barisan Nasional (BN) government again if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is voted into Putrajaya alleging that PR “would do everything possible to stay in power forever”.

The former Prime Minister who is confirming growing perceptions of Malaysians that he is “back in the saddle” as de facto Prime Minister, especially  with the present premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak proving to be the most vacillating PM in the nation’s history worse than his predecessor Tun Abdullah, is now indulging his favourite past time of fear mongering with both immunity and impunity.

This is not the first time Mahathir has made the wild and reckless allegation that if Pakatan Rakyat wins the federal government in the next 13th General Election, it will signify the end of democracy in Malaysia as PR would never allow any future elections where it would lose power in Putrajaya.

This is utter nonsense.

Firstly, there are substantial numbers of Malaysians who will not regard the prospect of the country never seeing again a Barisan Nasional government as a national catastrophe or disaster, as they regard this as the greatest blessing for the country in view of the rampant corruption, abuses of power, socio-economic injustices,  and the worsening of the politics of hatred and lies resulting in deepening racial and religious polarisation in the county.

But whether a Barisan Nasional government will become history, never again to be entrusted with the responsibility to govern the country, will be a decision to be made by Malaysians through the ballot box and not to be decided by the Pakatan Rakyat.

On behalf of Pakatan Rakyat, I can state and pledge that if PR is voted into Putrajaya in the 13th General Election, PR will respect and accept the verdict of voters if they want to vote UMNO/BN back to power in the 14th General Election in another five years down the road.

I challenge Najib and Mahathir to make a similar public commitment that UMNO will peacefully effect transition of federal power in Putrajaya if this is the electoral verdict of Malaysians in the 13th General Election?

It has not escaped public notice that Najib and Mahathir have been conspicuously silent on this point.

Are both Najib and Mahathir prepared to make  a public pledge to accept the people’s verdict in the 13th GE, i.e. a PR federal government in Putrajaya with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the seventh Malaysian Prime Minister, or is Najib’s claim of wanting to make Malaysia the  “world best democracy” unable to pass its first elementary test?

(Speech at the Sabah DAP “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearing at Hotel Emas, Tawau on Thursday 6th September 2012 at 8 pm)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 7 September 2012, 12:39 pm and is filed under
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Will DAP dominate PR?

By
Sakmongkol AK47

September 07, 2012 |
The Malaysian Insider

SEPT 7 — A close Umno friend asked me this question: if PR takes over, wouldn’t it lead to DAP dominance over PR? Wouldn’t the Chinese be in control? Just take the example of Nizar when he became MB of Perak by courtesy of the DAP. He gave out land to the Chinese because the DAP must have pressured him to.

The DAP has become the favourite bogeyman that must be attacked from all possible angles. Lim Kit Siang was behind the May 13 incident, ignoring the records which showed that Kit Siang was in Sabah at that time. Lim Guan Eng, who was eight years old at that time, was also instrumental in creating the racial clashes. The DAP has never detached itself as a proxy to Singapore’s PAP. The list of wrongs is seemingly bottomless. And now, a spectre is haunting Malaysia. The DAP shall dominate a PR government.

I have long wanted to answer this anxiety. Apparently this is the propaganda being sold by Umno leaders all over the country. It’s simply called scare mongering. It indicates that Umno is scared. Barisan Nasional’s other component party members, which are essentially stooges of Umno, are now irrelevant. It has also shown that Umno now realises it can lose power.

Let us dispel the myths before we answer as to what Nizar has actually done.

First of all, the DAP will probably contest 52-53 parliamentary seats. Even if it wins all, the number is not sufficient to allow the DAP to form a government on its own. It will become a formidable force. And that is not because the members are Chinese. It becomes formidable because it has so many high-quality MPs.

Non-DAP MPs will still dominate the numbers. So, forming a government with the DAP dominating is out of the question. Why should any Malay fear DAP dominance? Only mediocre Umno leaders do. The good Malays in PKR and certainly the very able people in PAS can stand as equals to DAP legislators. But these Malays don’t quarrel with DAP people on trivial things like low-quality Umno MPs.

The area in which the DAP has dominated appears to be in the intensity of its resolve to fight for causes. Why should that be feared? It must be emulated. Can’t Umno offer the voters higher calibre people who can walk and chew gum at the same time? Instead, it takes the populist approach, choosing people whom it sees as winnable and armed probably with fake degrees they bought.

The other big issue I wish to address is this. The same friend asked: wouldn’t it be like what happened in Perak; Nizar became a front for the DAP and he only implemented policies that benefited the Chinese in Perak.

Nizar governed Perak for a period of 11 months. He was kicked out of office by way of a coup d’etat involving also the Perak royalty. We must now remember always, that people are always more sovereign than kings and Rulers. I hope this is taken in good spirit. Nobody wants to demolish the royal houses provided there is mutual respect. The adulation and reverence of the people to the royal houses must be reciprocated with the utmost respect for their sovereign wishes. The overriding wish was to have a legitimately elected government which cannot be broken up by extra judicial means. Collectively, the will of the people is as sovereign as the Malaysian monarchy.

During the 11 months Nizar served as MB, his government approved 314 housing lots for kampung tersusun and for 134 new villages. These lots were given out to applicants who have been waiting for over 30 years to get land titles. These people were denied or refused approval by the Umno/BN government. What is so difficult about giving out land titles? During by-elections, titles could be given in a week’s time.

Ninety-five per cent of the residents in the kampung tersusun have been denied titles for over 30 years. All they asked was a housing lot of about 3,200 square feet. So one can imagine how “big” a house that can be constructed on such a lot size. The whole house is smaller than the bedroom of some people I know.

How many of these were issued by Nizar? He gave out 102,000 lots involving 7,500 acres. Most of these recipients were Malays. Again? To Malays.

What about the new villages or kampung baru? We know from experience most dwellers in the kampung baru are Chinese. Indeed, 97 per cent of these are Chinese, many of whom have not received titles for as long as 80 years. What’s the land sizes are they looking for? The average size is 1,125 square feet (25x45ft). That is the size of a garage. A total of 47,000 lots were issued to applicants involving 1,250 acres.

Kampung tersusun (the dwellers are mostly Malays) got 7,500 acres while the Chinese new villagers got 1,250 acres. If I were to ask an MCA friend citing the above examples, can he/she tell me, in giving out land for housing, which race has benefited more from Nizar’s actions? The Malays got more land, and the Malay has a bigger lot measuring 3,200 square feet compared to the Chinese new villager who got 1,125 square feet.

Did Nizar victimise the Perak royal house as far as land is concerned? Well, judge for yourself. During the tenure of a former Umno MB, Ramli Ngah Talib, there was a verbal agreement to award the Perak Ruler land totalling 600 acres located in Tanjong Tualang. But the land was not transferred by the Umno government.

This was what Nizar did. His Exco confirmed the verbal promise made earlier by an Umno MB, to vest the land with the Perak Ruler. The transfer of the title was made in the name of a nominee of the Perak Ruler to one individual named Pak Tok Khair.

The nominee completed the transaction, paid the necessary premiums and the land was formally transferred.

What Umno failed to do for the Ruler, Nizar succeeded.

In another instance, a religious teacher who runs a religious school (pondok), Tok Guru Pak Teh, applied for land for cattle grazing in 2004. He applied for 45 acres. But each time his application was rejected by the Umno government. Again, what the Umno government failed, the PR government under Nizar, who was supposed to be dictated by the DAP, approved the 45 acres to Tok Guru Pak Teh. To add security, the area was gazetted as grazing land for the benefit of Pondok Tok Guru Pak Teh permanently. For that Nizar received a personal note of appreciation from the Tok Guru who has since died.

In addition, Nizar approved small lots ranging from half an acre to three acres to operators of state land. The approval was justified on the grounds that the operators had worked the land for a very long time.

That was all Nizar did. Umno goes to town accusing Nizar of selling out to the Chinese.

Now let us see what Umno, the party that fights for Agama, Bangsa dan Negara did during its tenure. Let’s go back to see what Umno did before PR took over Perak.

1. 22,000 acres belonging to PKNPk in Lekir Manjong planted with oil palm were pledged to KLK which is owned Tan Sri Lee Oi Lean. He is a Chinese.

2. 500 hectares of Malay reserve land in Padang Rengas (Nazri Aziz’s parliamentary seat) together with a cement-making factory jointly developed by PKNPk and Hanjoong of Korea was sold to YTL. Now, the present Perak Umno government is busy acquiring more Malay reserve land as it sees fit.

3. The Umno government has given 1,300 acres of land to Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik in Kampar to construct the biggest UTAR College.

4. The Umno government gave 15-30 acres to each farmer in the areas between Bikar and Bidor and Teluk Intan. Most of these farmers were Chinese farmers.

Now let’s see what Zambry did when he took over as MB. He sold off the Casuarina Hotel belonging to the state government within two months of assuming office. He sold it to the Perak Sultan’s son in law Tengku Farouk for only RM48 million. Nizar has steadfastly refused to sell even when commanded by the Sultan. That hotel belongs to the state and the value of the strategically located land in terms of market price was then around RM94 million.

Under Zambry, who has a Ph.D. in Islamic studies, quarry land, timber concessions, mangrove concessions are being distributed to Umno cronies wantonly. It’s like there is no tomorrow for these people.

Zambry has approved 1,100 acres to the Brazilian firm Vale for the purposes of setting up an iron ore plant. The award was given when Zamry was in office.

Now, who has actually betrayed the Malays? Umno or Nizar? Umno has sold out to the Chinese more than anyone else can. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).

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Kalau Dr M sokong Najib…

By

Aspan Alias

September 08, 2012 |
The Malaysian Insider

Cebisan fakta yang saya tulis tentang Umno sejak dua hari yang lepas, susah untuk Umno memahaminya. Dalam Umno hanya seorang sahaja ahli yang bekerja keras, iaitu Najib, Presidennya sekarang. Penjelajahan Najib keseluruh negara telah membelanjakan wang rakyat ratusan juta ringgit. Di sini Umno juga terlupa yang rakyat sedang memerhatikan tindakan pimpinan Umno dalam usaha mendapatkan mandat dalam PRU kali ini. Akhir-akhir ini Dr Mahthir sahaja yang keluar untuk menyokong Najib habis-habisan seorang sahabat saya berseloroh, “sokongan Mahathir itu ada makna tu!”

Dalam dua posting saya yang terdahulu,  saya telah melepaskan apa yang ada tersimpan di dalam jiwa saya dan orang-orang yang sama pemikiran seperti saya memahaminya. Seperti biasa orang-orang Umno tidak akan faham sampai bila-bila.

Dalam keadaan yang tidak menentu Umno sendiri tidak dapat meyakinkan partinya sendiri yang mereka akan berjaya mengekalkan kuasa di Putrajaya. Dr Mahathir kali ini bekerja keras untuk mempertahankan Umno, parti yang beliau tubuhkan dan juga parti yang beliau sendiri mengakui sebagai sebuah pertubuhan yang telah busuk sampai ke ususnya.

Hasil dari warisan pimpinan Umno yang begitu lemah oleh Dr Mahathir, rakyat tidak lagi memberikan penghormatan yang tinggi kepada parti itu lagi. Di sinilah kegagalan Dr Mahathir kerana semasa beliau berkuasa beliau tidak pernah memikirkan nasib masa depan Umno itu sendiri. Beliau terlalu tertumpu untuk menguatkan kekuatan peribadi beliau dan mengorbankan masa depan partinya. Beliau sendiri tidak dapat menerima kenyataan yang pimpinan negara mesti dibentuk dan dibina.

Justeru apabila beliau meletakkan jawatan maka yang ada di keliling beliau hanyalah kumpulan pemimpin yang tidak sepatutnya menjadi pemimpin. Terlalu “engrossed” untuk memperkuatkan kekuatan peribadi beliau maka partinya secara tidak di sedari telah menghadapi “vacuum” kepimpinan yang serius. Maka Pak Lah lah yang beliau lantik untuk menggantikan beliau berdasarkan kepada kenyataan yang Pak Lah merupakan Naib Presiden yang tertinggi semasa itu.

Semalam Dr Mahathir mengaku kesilapan kerana memilih Pak Lah sebagai pengganti beliau. Kalau kita hendak tuai apa yang terbit, kata-kata Dr Mahathir kebenaran. Pak Lah kepada beliau merupakan pilihan yang salah. Dr Mahathir sedang mengalih dan menganjakkan semua kesalahan beliau kepada Pak Lah. Mentang-mentanglah Pak Lah tidak menjawab kerana beliau tidak mahu lagi menyibuk setelah beliau bersara.

Kalau Dr Mahathir tidak melantik Pak Lah semasa beliau bersara siapa pula yang sepatutnya mengambilalih beliau? Kalaulah beliau memilih Najib semasa itu, ramai merasakan yang keadaan sekarang akan lebih teruk dari sekarang. Jadi kenyataan Dr Mahathir yang beliau melakukan kesalahan kerana memilih Pak Lah untuk menggantikan beliau itu amat “personal” dan nampak sangat dendam kesumat beliau terhadap penggantinya itu.

Dr Mahathir tidak menyedari selembut-lembut Pak Lah, beliau adalah seorang yang degil dan sangkaan Dr Mahathir yang Pak Lah akan membenarkan beliau (Dr Mahathir) masuk campur dalam pentadbirannya adalah salah. Dr Mahathir tidak mengenali Pak Lah dengan sebenarnya. Walaupun Pak Lah itu seorang yang lembut, tetapi lembut beliau bukan untuk di sudu. Kalau Pak Lah itu keras orangnya, keras beliau itu bukan untuk di takek. Oleh kerana Pak Lah tidak membenarkan Dr Mahathir untuk menyudu atau menakek beliau (Pak Lah), maka Dr Mahathir kecewa dan mula membidas Pak Lah “without mercy”. Kalaulah Pak Lah membenarkan Dr Mahathir masuk campur seperti Najib sekarang ini Dr Mahathir tidak akan mengkritik Pak Lah sedemikian rupa.

Menyalahkan Pak Lah seratus peratus adalah tidak rasional untuk Dr Mahathir melakukannya. Kecelaruan negara kita bukan di mulakan oleh Pak Lah. Ia bermula dari Dr Mahathir lagi. Pengakuan Dr Mahathir yang beliau selalu salah memilih penggantinya itu adalah benar. Musa adalah lantikan beliau, Ghafar Baba pun lantikan beliau. Selepas Ghafar, Anwar Ibrahim pula dan selepas Anwar, Pak Lah. Semua lantikan beliau akhirnya tidak bersesuaian dengan beliau (Dr Mahathir). Kalau beliau tidak suai dengan semua pihak, maka Dr Mahathir mesti melakukan introspeksi dirinya sendiri.

Sesungguhnya yang membuatkan beliau tidak bersesuaian dengan semua timbalan atau pengganti beliau itu sudah cukup membuktikan Dr Mahathir memang tidak boleh bersesuaian dengan semua orang terutamanya mereka yang mempunyai pengaruh yang Dr Mahathir takuti. Itu sahaja yang boleh membuktikan kenyataan ini.

Sekarang timbul satu persoalan lagi terhadap Dr Mahathir. Jika semua orang yang di sokongnya akhirnya terbukti yang itu merupakan kesilapan Dr Mahathir memilihnya, apa pula alasan untuk kita yakini yang pilihan beliau untuk menyokong Najib untuk terus menjadi pemimpin nombor satu negara itu adalah tindakan yang tepat untuk beliau.

Bagi saya, jika lantikan beliau dahulu tidak seorang pun yang bersesuaian untuk negara, saya juga menjangka yang suatu hari Dr Mahathir akan bertelagah dengan Najib. Dr Mahathir akan bergaduh dengan Najib seperti beliau bergaduh dengan Pak Lah jika Najib tidak memberikan keistimewaan terhadap anakandanya yang bernama Mukhriz untuk menjadi pemimpin negara di masa depan.

Tindakan Dr Mahathir semuanya bersandarkan kepada politik peribadi dan keluarga beliau. Itulah sebabnya rakyat tidak mahu memberikan sokongan kepada Dr Mahathir kerana rakyat sudah berfikir dan mereka tidak mahu lagi di laga-lagakan oleh Dr Mahathir kerana Dr Mahathir hanya bertindak untuk kepentingan beliau dan keluarga beliau sahaja.

Tindakan Dr Mahathir dengan sukarela melakukan kerja-kerja yang dipertanggungjawabkan kepada penyelia kemas atau pegawai penerangan khas jabatan penerangan memang tidak ada siapa yang mengagaknya akan berlaku. Kita memilih untuk menyakinkan diri kita yang Dr Mahathir akan menjadi seorang negarawan besar negara, tetapi tindakan beliau sekarang telah menjatuhkan martabat beliau ketahap penolong kepada Ahmad Maslan sahaja.

Pendeknya kita memang sudah bersetuju kepada satu formula baru dalam memilih seseorang pemimpin. Formulanya senang sahaja. Formulnya ialah, kita jangan menyokong sesiapa yang di sokong oleh Dr Mahathir, kerana sesiapa yang di sokong oleh Dr Mahathir suatu hari nanti akan menjadi pemimpin yang lemah dan kurang kegunaan dan faedah untuk negara.

Seperti yang kita dengar akhir-akhir ini Dr Mahathir sedang menyokong Najib dan kumpulannya. Apabila itu pilihan Dr Mahathir maka benarlah tindakan ramai rakyat menolak pilihan Dr Mahathir kerana tidak seorang pun yang di sokong oleh Dr Mahathir itu tidak menghadapi masalah. Baik Musa, Ghafar, Anwar dan Abdullah semuanya bermasalah.

Kalau kita ikut kehendak Dr Mahathir untuk menyokong Najib, ia bermakna kita menyokong calon yang salah seperti yang terbukti dengan pewaris-pewaris kepimpinan Dr M yang lalu. Ini merupakan satu kebenaran dan Dr Mahathir sendiri mengakuinya semalam.
— aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 September 2012, 10:57 am and is filed under
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Najib should fully accept the apologies of two teenagers bearing in mind “To Err is Human, To Forgive Divine”

I call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to fully accept the apologies tendered by the two 19-year-old teenagers Mohammad Ammar A Rahman and Ong Sing Yee as well as by their parents bearing in mind that “To err is human, To forgive divine” and to ask the Attorney-General to take their apologies into account.

Right from the beginning, I have  made my position clear – I do not approve or condone Mohammad Ammar and Ong Sing Yee’s actions. What they have done is wrong and deplorable. Malaysians have a right to expect more civilised conduct in public life.

However Malaysians are rightly concerned at the Barisan Nasional government’s heavy-handedness and double standards in handling the matter.

For instance, why was it necessary to handcuff Ong as if she is a dangerous character when she had surrendered herself to the police, which itself is a clear acknowledgement on her part that what she had done was wrong and her preparedness to face the consequences. But is it right and proper for the police to treat her as if she is a hardened and dangerous criminal requiring her to be handcuffed, when Malaysians can see for themselves BN VIPs, including Ministers and former Ministers, treated with kid’s gloves although charged with grave crimes against the state and people?

Furthermore, there had been a long list of cases where Pakatan Rakyat and civil society leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Bersih Co-Chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan who had been publicly insulted and humiliated but met with no government interest or action – including instances of official sanction or condonation.

Home Minister Datuk Seri  Hishammuddin Hussein has called for harsh actions wanting the “books to be thrown” at the wrongdoers. He would have greater credibility and public respect if he had been consistent and advocated that strong actions be similarly taken against those who had violated public morality in publicly insulting or humiliating Anwar, Lim Guan Eng, Nik Aziz or Ambiga.

It is also harsh and unconscionable for Mohammad Ammar to be sacked from his college and he should be reinstated immediately.

I am also surprised to read reports that the police have detained two youths who displayed the Sang Saka Malaya flag on Merdeka Day eve, as they have denied that they wanted to replace the national flag Jalur Gemilang but were engaged in an exercise in history.

The Barisan Nasional is acting in a most irresponsible manner in trying to exploit both these two incidents to its political advantage, falsely accusing Pakatan Rakyat for masterminding them and spreading the lies that Pakatan Rakyat wanted to change the national flag and amend the Constitution to abolish the system of constitutional monarchy and set up a republic.

It is such lies and falsehoods which are doing the greatest disservice to Malaysian nation-building. In fact, those who are prepared to spread such lies and falsehoods which could undermine national harmony, solidarity and unity are guilty of the the most unpatriotic acts against the Malaysian nation and people. Who are these unpatriotic leaders in Barisan Nasional?

(Speech at DAP Kuching Dinner “Towards A New Malaysia” in Kuching on Friday 7th September 2012 at 9pm)

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PM’s ‘happiness’ plan conflicts with his ETP

By
Pak Sako

September 07, 2012

SEPT 7 ― The prime minister proposes to measure national development based on both a “happiness index of the people” and per capita income. He correctly conceded that increases in the people’s income do not necessarily result in increases in their happiness.

But spoken rhetoric aside, his words need to be measured against what his government is implementing right now.

This can be done by referring to the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and its New Economic Model (NEM).

These are the government’s blueprint and flowchart for economic development in the near term.

Examining all thirteen chapters and 471 pages of the ETP handbook or “roadmap” obtained from its official website, nowhere are the words “happiness” and “happiness index” to be found.

Searching for the surrogate words “wellbeing” and “quality of life” similarly disappoints.

“Wellbeing” in the ETP document draws attention almost exclusively to the “Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing”.

“Quality of life” appears twice in the core chapters on the new economic model but only superficially, referring to past economic growth as having “helped improve the quality of life for Malaysians” and to the 10th Malaysia Plan’s focus on “building an environment that enhances quality of life”.

The ETP handbook on the whole does not talk about balancing or tempering economic growth against broader wellbeing or “happiness” imperatives. Nor would its orientation and thrust reconcile with plans to parachute in a “happiness index”.

And that is because the ETP handbook is essentially a pro-business, pro-liberalisation and pro-growth manifesto.

It accords with the prime minister’s concern with pumping up economic growth numbers, as reflected widely in the news media. It accords with his government’s policy actions such as its drive to privatise public assets.

In the same breath of talking up the happiness index, the prime minister himself took pride in the fact that state-owned FELDA has been sold off via a huge share offering to private institutional investors and such.

It is unclear how a “one-of-a-kind and unique” developmental model, as the prime minister put it, could be developed. It implies a clean break from the business-as-usual approach.

And yet the reality is that the development model now being followed is the same ‘neoliberal’ development model pursued by the government in the last 30 years, with the standard focus on human capital and whipping up labour productivity.

This neoliberal model is characterised by large-scale privatisations, economic growth that is driven largely by private capital and markets without the necessary controls or regulation, the “marketisation” of diverse aspects of social life, even in cases where markets cannot properly provide public goods and services, and significant income and wealth inequalities.

Here a word is due regarding former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent comment on inequality.

Implying that Malaysians ought to be thankful, Dr Mahathir stated that, “In America there is much inequality with 1 per cent being extremely rich and 99 per cent poor according to Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz”.

But Malaysia has one of the higher income inequalities amongst ASEAN countries as measured by the Gini coefficient, and this inequality is at a level similar to that of the United States, if not slightly higher (see the website of the United Nations Human Development Programme amongst other sources).

The economist Dr Mahathir cites has condemned neoliberal economic policymaking— the approach favoured by Dr Mahathir’s own administration— calling it a “grab-bag of ideas” about markets efficiently serving the public interest well through “privatisation, liberalization”, when in fact it is “a political doctrine serving certain interests” (see J. Stiglitz, “The end of neo-liberalism?”, Project Syndicate, 7 July 2008).

Under the present ETP and NEM, Malaysians still see well-connected capitalist interests having advantages in the economic sphere.

Prime Minister Najib Razak owes the public an explanation about the contradictions between his announcement about happiness and what’s actually being implemented on the ground.

Will the prime minister halt or reverse development initiatives, such as that involving Lynas and radioactive waste, which have clearly made the people unhappy?

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 September 2012, 11:01 am and is filed under
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A test of will between Najib and Taib – “who will last longer politically?”

This is what I have just tweeted: “Bau became famous  when Pandelela Rinong, a Bidayuh from Bau, won London Olympics bronze medal for diving. Next let Bau make history in 13th General Election for Pakatan Rakyat”.

Throughout the country, including Bau, Malaysians have been waiting impatiently for the 13th General Election for close to two years, with many expecting it to fall on 11.11.2011 or “11.11.11” in view of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s special preference for “11”.

However, one man is not ready – with one scandal after another, like the RM250 million “Cow Condo” scandal, or one P.R. (public relations) disaster after another like the Bersih 2.0 of July 9, 2011, Bersih 3.0 of April 28, 2012 and most lately the defection of two Barisan Nasional MPs in Sabah at the end of July which repeatedly caused Najib to vacillate and keep pushing off the GE date.

All this because of Najib’s pathological fear and total lack of confidence in his own ability to lead UMNO/BN to victory in Putrajaya  in the 13th GE.

Now, all speculation of 13GE date is again focused on Najib’s favourite number of “11” – November this year, ranging from Nov 3 to Nov. 29.  There seems to be greater credibility this time, as the de facto Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir has given his blessings for November general election although he had earlier warned  of dire consequences to UMNO if the13th General Election was called before UMNO was ready.

But whether the 13th GE is called in November or not, time is running out for Najib. Under the Constitution, the present Parliament will stand automatically dissolved on April 27, 2013, or in less than eight months’ time – i.e. five years from the first sitting of the present Parliament on April 28, 2008 – with new elections held within 60 days.

One noteworthy consequence from Najib’s continuous vacillation and postponement of the general election is his impotence and inability to enforce the timetable for the stepping down of Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud.

Najib had invested a lot of energy and political capital to get Taib to agree to a timetable to pass the baton of Sarawak Chief Minister before the Sarawak state general election on April 16, 2011.

On 19 th March 2011, for instance, Najib made the announcement in Serian that Taib would step down as Chief Minister when the time was right, that he and Taib had reached an understanding on when the transition of power would take place.

Najib said: “Leave the succession plan to me and the Chief Minister. We know when time is right to make the change in Sarawak.  We know and I can assure you that the Chef Minister is ready.

“When the time comes, he is ready to leave the stage and we have a very good understanding when that is going to happen.”

Three weeks later, Najib was more specific, promising Sarawak voters at a Barisan Nasional election function in Kuching that Taib would step down as promised, declaring: “I have discussed with the Sarawak CM and he has agreed to have a leadership change in Sarawak. Believe me, in me, at the right timing, this will be done.”

When pressed at the time, Taib equivocated although he finally mentioned “two years” as the timeframe of his stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister after the Sarawak state general election on April 16, 2011.

Taib’s two-year timeframe to step down as Sarawak Chief Minister will be up in seven months’ time but there are absolutely no signs that he is prepared and ready to honour his understanding and undertaking with Najib to effect a transition of power in Sarawak.

In fact, all the signs point to the opposite, as Taib seems to be ensconced to complete his full term as Chief Minister. This explains his speech earlier today that there is no need to speed up leadership change as the people of Sarawak were able to “enjoy peace, political stability and organised development”.

It would appear that Taib’s speech today is specially meant for Najib’s ears, with the unmistakable message that he is not going to honour his understanding with the Prime Minister on stepping down as Chief Minister.

A test of will between Taib and Najib is currently underway, with Taib thumbing his nose at the Prime Minister, defying Najib to see who could last longer politically. Taib is confident that Najib is too weak politically to try to enforce their understanding before the 416 Sarawak state general election to be Sarawak Chief Minister for only two years.

Najib will be leading the entire Federal Cabinet to Bintulu for the Malaysia Day celebrations on Sept 16.  This will also be the most appropriate occasion to clarify whether his understanding with Taib on the latter’s stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister two years after the Sarawak state general elections still stands, so whether it has “Gone with the Wind”!

(Speech at the Bau DAP “UBAH” Ceramah held in Bau, Sarawak on Saturday Sept 8, 2012 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 9 September 2012, 10:15 am and is filed under
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