Kit Siang spells out case for July 9 rally

MalaysiaKini

Jun 22, 11

If certain quarters claim not to know why the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 needs to be held, the reasons have been provided by the BN leaders themselves within and outside Parlaiament, said DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang today.

The first reason is contained in the Prime Minister’s Department’s written reply yesterday to DAP’s Seputeh M Teresa Kok, in which it was revealed RM1.18 billion worth of programmes and projects had been announced for Sarawak during the state’s recently concluded polls, said Lim.

Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday said a total of 62 programmes and projects had been announced for implementation during the election up to last April 30, 52 of which would be implemented this year while the rest would be carried out the following year.

Lim also pointed out that during the election, it was not just Sarawak BN but the entire federal government that had campaign, during which a cabinet meeting had been cancelled.

The move to ‘dragoon all federal ministers’ to the eastern state for the polls made “a complete mockery of the principle of free and fair elections!” he said.

“Another irrefutable proof of the gross abuses of power which marred the recent Sarawak state polls,” added the veteran opposition politician in a statement.

The third ‘reason’ the Bersih rally needs to be held is BN’s spending of over RM500 million in the Sarawak election, which Lim (right) said breaks election laws limiting election expenditures for state assembly candidates to RM100,000 per candidate.

“In fact, these three facts are among the mountain of potent reasons why the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections needs to be held if Malaysia is to join the rank of developed democracies where elections result in credible and legitimate governments, unlike many failed African states where elections are used to give the fig-leaf of legality to illegitimate governments.

Questioning why any individual or organisation speaking in the name of genuine democracy would seek to oppose or “sabotage” a peaceful rally for free and fair elections, Lim said BN leaders’ statements reflect the gap between BN leaders and the people and their irrelevance to aspirations for Malaysia to take “her rightful place as an united, progressive, prosperous and competitive nation.”

Lashing out at MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s condemnation of the Bersih 2.0 movement, Lim said the latter had always been conceived as a campaign transcending political parties and political interests with goal only of ensuring free, fair and clean elections in Malaysia.

“Yesterday, I invited the Prime Minister Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, cabinet ministers and leaders of all Barisan Nasional component parties to come forward to join in the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 to support the civil society initiative for free and fair elections.

“Has Chua the idealism, independence and integrity to support this call without having to wait for approval from the Umno leadership?” he asked.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 9:26 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia’s Comical Ali

By
Dean Johns

Jun 22, 11 | MalaysiaKini

For a criminal regime to survive and thrive, it has to look deadly serious. So you know it’s in dire distress when it has to resort to sending in the clowns.

The most classic instance of this, as we all vividly recall, was Saddam Hussein’s employment of the man dubbed ‘Comical Ali’ for the ludicrous lies he told about the ‘victories’ of the Butcher of Baghdad, even as defeat was plainly evident for the whole world to see on TV.

And now Umno/BN has wheeled-out its very own tragicomic Ibrahim Ali (left) of Perkasa, or more appropriately Pukasa, to hit its encroaching enemies with a series of riotous punch-lines.

So far his zany antics have included a call for a fatwa against an insanely imaginary Christian conspiracy to take over Malaysia as alleged by the poisonous Umno/BN tabloid Utusan Malaysia, and thinly-veiled threats of violence against the Chinese community.

“If the Bersih rally is not called off,” he declared recently, “and if they go ahead with it – if they don’t cancel it on July 8 or 9 – I believe the Chinese community, many of them, will have to stock up on food at home. Anything can happen on that day.”

And besides thus heavily hinting at a repeat of the infamous anti-opposition riots of May 13, 1969, he’s apparently determined to take his comedy show on the road to try and disrupt the Bersih 2.0 walk for free and fair elections in the event that it goes ahead, despite official efforts to prevent it.

Unlike his Iraqi precursor, however, Malaysia’s Comical Ali is by no means a one-man show. He’s just part of an entire circus that the corrupt and repressive Umno/BN regime has put together in a desperate attempt to have its last laugh on the Malaysian people.

It features ringmaster Najib Abdul Razak spouting his ridiculous ‘1Malaysia’ spiel; Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, Khairy Jamaluddin, Rais Yatim and the boys performing their tired old political tricks; Hishammuddin Hussein (right) cracking his whip to keep the police, MACC and EC all jumping through the hoops on Umno/BN’s behalf; and Dr Mahathir Mohamad as busy as ever trying to run the entire show from behind the scenes.

Of course Mahathir is still as consummate a clown as ever in his own right, and also loves to import international comedy acts like Robert Mugabe for special guest appearances.

Two-faced slogan

In fact the entire Umno/BN circus has a decidedly international flavour, recalling not only the original Comical Ali routine, but also the antics of other doomed regimes that are currently making laughable attempts to save themselves from the wrath of the people they’ve been playing for suckers all these years.

Like Gaddafi and his troupe of fellow funsters in Libya, who are decrying accidental civilian deaths at the hands of Nato in a ludicrous attempt to divert attention from the fact that Nato is there to stop them murdering their own people.

And Bashar al-Assad, the chinless clown who clings to power in Syria by waging war on his populace, all the while comically claiming that the revolt against his rule is by “saboteurs”, and that he intends a raft of reforms as soon as the trouble is over.

The Umno/BN media in Malaysia probably don’t show the elaborately-staged performances that the Damascus regime keeps enacting for audiences of his cronies and sycophants.

But if you can manage to catch the telecasts of his endless speeches on BBC World or some other legitimate channel, you’ll see what a simpering idiot al-Assad comes across as, and what a pack of risible rubbish he talks.

For example, even while his armed forces and security police have been torturing and killing his hapless, protesting citizens, he has been entertaining captive audiences of his supporters with stuff like “if you say ‘God, Syria and Bashar’, I, Bashar al-Assad, will remain dutiful and faithful to my people and will walk along with them to build Syria, which we love and feel proud of.”

Of course Najib also makes statements just as laughable as this in support of his lying slogan ‘1Malaysia. People first. Performance now’, while simultaneously employing people like Malaysia’s own Comical Ali to do his dirty work.

And Comical Ali’s current grubby job is to not only keep the races as divided as possible for Umno/BN’s benefit, but also to divert public attention from the purpose of the proposed Bersih 2.0 rally – to reform of the regime’s corrupt electoral system.

So, by way of helping foil this attempted diversion, here is a summary of the eight Bersih 2.0 demands:

 A thorough review of the electoral roll

Reforms to the postal balloting process

  Indelible marking of voters who have cast their ballots

  A minimum 21-day campaigning period

   Equiable access to media for all participating parties

 Strengthen institutions which enforce election laws

 Eradication of electoral bribery

Putting a stop to dirty politics

Of course there’s no way the Election Commission (EC) will act on any of these, as it’s this clownish organisation’s role to keep Umno/BN in power for as long as possible.

As EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof (right) has categorically stated, “Amendments to the law will not happen or their demands accepted by staging a street demonstration. No way.”

In other words, just as it’s Comical Ali’s role to subvert the ‘1Malaysia’ part of Najib’s two-faced slogan, the electoral commission is there to help ensure the falsehood in practice of its ‘People first’ and ‘Performance now’ components.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin – who is Najib’s cousin and Umno/BN’s laughable apology for a guardian of law and order – is getting ready to roll out his Goon Show of Krazy Kops to stop protests against electoral fraud.

Or against anything else, for that matter, as Umno/BN is rightly terrified that peaceful protests could turn into the same kind of people power that has already toppled Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and Mubarak, and continues to threaten their comical allies in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Morocco, Bahrain and beyond.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 9:33 pm and is filed under
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Najib says 1 Malaysia more than just rhetoric

By
Shannon Teoh

June 22, 201 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Two years after coming to office with his 1 Malaysia concept, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that the slogan was more than empty rhetoric but a policy that will improve the lives of the public.

He said the 1 Malaysia concept promises to prioritise the people with improvements in public service delivery and economic reforms.

“1 Malaysia is also products and services which will lighten the burden of the people and improve their quality of life,” the prime minister said at the launch of the pioneer Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) thrift store at the Kelana Jaya LRT station today.

He said that this included other initiatives such as the Klinik Rakyat 1 Malaysia which provided affordable healthcare for all Malaysians.

The KR1M, mooted by the government but operated by local retail giants Mydin, promises essential goods at up to 50 per cent discount, in hopes of countering surging inflation.

According to Mydin, the pilot store will sell 1 Malaysia-branded goods such as rice, milk and diapers without profit-motivation.

The move comes as Putrajaya was forced to make cuts to a subsidy bill that would otherwise have doubled to RM21 billion this year while it grapples with inflation that hit a two-year high of three per cent in March and continued climbing to 3.3 per cent last month.

If successful, the store will spawn more outlets in other rail stations that cater to lower income commuters, Mydin managing director Datuk Ameer Ali told reporters earlier this week.

“The cost of promotion usually adds 25 to 30 per cent to the price tag. With the 1 Malaysia brand, it is the PM himself who is providing the promotion,” he said.

Basic household goods such as sweetened creamer are being sold at KR1M at RM1.95 instead of RM2.80, and diapers at RM20.50 instead of over RM40 as found in Mydin stores.

Najib added that KR1M was an example of public-private partnerships that would help the poor and low-income group.

The prime minister is expected to call a general election within the year but recent hikes to fuel, electricity and sugar prices have sparked public anger, leading to protests from groups such as fishermen, whose recent strike caused a spike in seafood prices.

The government has repeatedly explained that it must cut subsidies to ensure that the budget deficit, which hit a two-decade high of seven per cent in 2009, is reined in to a projected 5.4 per cent this year.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 9:37 pm and is filed under
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Perkasa chief an ‘unmitigated coward’

Malaysiakini Your Say
 | Jun 22, 11

‘Ibrahim Ali is lying through his teeth. He meant to threaten the Chinese but now has to eat his own words as he fears the wrath of the society.’

‘Chinese stay home’ remark just advice, says Ibrahim

Malaysian Born:
 True to form, Ibrahim is showing himself for the unmitigated coward that he is. Suddenly, he’s now apparently “advising” (instead of threatening) the Chinese not to participate in the Bersih rally.

Frankly, it is high time that he is treated for the racist troublemaker he is. He instigates everyone and when the shit hits the fan, he hides in some hole where rodents like him usually breed.

There is no more need to get clarification from this fool. It’s best to leave him and his ilk to their devices. If there is going to be a rally, the numbers not aligned to his camp will likely be disproportionately higher, and as in the past, they will be very disciplined and will not easily be instigated. This will most probably be a very peaceful gathering which will set an incredible precedent.

Even if there is instigation, it will fall on deaf years as the people are much clever and informed now. If there is any nonsense from any party it will be well covered in the alternative and international media.

One positive development out of all this is that from here on in it is going to be impossible for the Internal Security Act and the sedition laws to be used to stifle dissent in the country.

This buffoon has stretched the limits of acceptable behaviour and dangerous instigation to incredible levels without attracting any reaction from the government. Use of the ISA now will have literally no credibility, short of dealing with terrorists.

What I find most interesting is that people don’t realise that in a decade from now, Ibrahim will be acknowledged for the racist manipulator that he is and that all of them who supported him and those who stood by silent will be remembered, too. It will be a very hard stain to avoid.

People Power:
 Ibrahim Ali is lying through his teeth. He meant to threaten the Chinese but now has to eat his own words as he fears the wrath of the society against his racist remarks. He’s a real coward. He dares speak out, but dares not own up. Now he resorts to spinning, twisting and turn.

As a Malay myself, I would say that he is a disgrace to the Malay race. This kind of person does not represent the Malays, neither does the Perkasa group. The thinking Malays do not put their trust in liars and hypocrites in a person like Ibrahim Ali and his Perkasa.

Anonymous_4031:
 Khairy Jamaluddin, the Umno Youth leader, has reminded Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein that he has to do something about Ibrahim Ali. If Hishammuddin fails to act, then he is not doing his duty as home minister and he should gracefully step down.

That is the only exit route for him. If he wants to retain his post, like any other minister, then he must act and act quickly. He simply cannot shirk his responsibility.

Danny LoHH:
 This is all the more reason for the Chinese to march alongside their Malaysian brethren to fight for a clean and fair election and to voice their displeasures at endemic corruption. It will be a multi-racial support for the Bersih side.

I can’t say the same about Ibrahim Ali and Umno Youth.

Ruben:
 Bersih was never meant to be racial, but Ibrahim Ali is making it as one. Bersih is looking at ensuring that our elections are free, fair and transparent. They just want to express that in a peaceful manner, unlike Ibrahim who by now should have been put behind bars for inciting violence and provoking racial sentiments.

He is really doing damage to 1Malaysia, but Najib just sits back and lets him do it.

Abil:
 Ibrahim Ali, we are Malaysians and we are all together with this Bersih rally. It is not political to seek to open the eyes and ears of the Election Commission, which needs to be fair to all parties.

When has this been a Malay issue? Is it just because the EC chairperson is a Malay? Don’t hide behind the excuse that you were misquoted. Shame on you.

Kazakh:
 I am Chinese and my whole family will be marching on July 9 for a better Malaysia. It’s time we say no to racism.

David Dass:
 Ibrahim Ali says that it will not be a clash between Malays and Chinese as the Chinese do not demonstrate. And so the Chinese should stock food and stay at home.

Why should this be a clash at all? Let it be like London where frequent demonstrations do not result in violent clashes and the police presence is to ensure peaceful and orderly demonstrations.

This is testing time for the government. There should be restraint exercised. Malaysia is not like the Middle East. We have issues but our issues are not quite as extreme as the issues in the various countries of the Middle East.

We have a functioning democracy. Bersih wants freer elections. And Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin says that the electoral system could be better. So why should there be a clash?

Mangodurian:
 Yes, why should there be a clash? Bersih participants are out to take a walk, say a few things and go home. Perkasa participants can do the same, too.

Protests and demonstrations are just that. It is the onus on Perkasa participants to also participate in a peaceful manner. Bersih was planned a long time ago. You shouldn’t crash in on other people’s event.

Anonymous:
 Ibrahim should make up his mind on what kind of organisation Perkasa is. A Malay rights group? An anti-free and fair elections group? Or a group to ensure the survival of Umno?

Meranti Kepong:
 As a leader of Perkasa, Ibrahim Ali has proven to all Malaysians as a “quacking coward” because he hasn’t even the basic courage to face the truth of what he had said in threatening the Chinese.

Only a political liar, like Ibrahim Ali, wouldn’t dare to admit that he has been wrong when faced with an overwhelming public backlash.

Anonymous:
 I don’t see why Perkasa should object to the call for just and fair elections. Does it mean they endorse unfair elections? In today’s day and age, the rakyat cannot be led by the nose. They want meritocracy and fairness.

Gone are the days of pulling wool over the rakyat’s eyes. The blinkers are off and they want transparency.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 10:55 am and is filed under
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Putrajaya says RM1.18b worth of projects announced for Sarawak polls

By
Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

Jun 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Putrajaya revealed today that it had announced projects worth a total of RM1.18 billion in Sarawak during the just-concluded state polls.

In a written response to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) yesterday, the Prime Minister’s Department explained that until April 30 this year, a total of 62 programmes and projects were announced for the hornbill state.

Of the total, it added, 52 projects were kicked off this year with the remainder to be carried out in the years to come.

“The programme/projects announced were planned earlier,” it said.

The RM1.18 billion was divided between 10 ministries, namely the Prime Minister’s Department; Rural and Regional Development Ministry; Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; Defence Ministry; Health Ministry; Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry; Education Ministry; Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry; Works Ministry; and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.

The projects include upgrading work for suraus, mosques and other places of worship; community halls, schools and roads; longhouse repairs; electricity supply; the construction of jetties and bridges; the renovation of hospitals and clinics; flood mitigation work; and contributions and welfare aid, among others.

In her question, Kok had asked the prime minister to reveal the number and value of development projects announced by all ministries in the two-month period before the polls and during the 10-day campaign period.

The Sarawak state elections, which were held on April 16, saw the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact cruise to a resounding victory when it garnered 55 of the 71 state seats up for grabs.

But Pakatan Rakyat (PR) still made inroads with its 15-seat victory in a state long considered a BN fortress.

The federal opposition has also accused BN of securing its win through vote rigging and by using its massive resources from both the federal and state cabinets to buy support.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 6:59 am and is filed under
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‘Hisham would have jailed his grandpa’

By
Patrick Lee and Tarani Palani

June 23, 2011  | Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Taking Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to task over his handling of the Bersih 2.0 rally issue, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang ropes in the Umno leader’s late grandfather.

“I would like to ask Hishammuddin would his grandfather be allowed to hold gatherings in Malaya (during the pre-independence period)?” he asked.

In 1946, Hishamuddin’s grandfather Onn Jaafar, along with many Malay leaders at the time, had rallied against the colonial government’s Malayan Union concept.

“If Hishammuddin had been there, he would have put his grandfather in jail,” Lim told reporters in Parliament.

Bersih 2.0, which is to hold its “Walk for Democracy” on July 9 to push for electoral reforms, had been denied a police permit, with the home minister warning of stern action against those who flout the law.

Commenting on the SMS death threat received by Bersih 2.0 chairperson S Ambiga, Lim claimed that the government was not serious in handling recent extremist actions.

“Those in authority have been closing their eyes to such extremism.

“If they have taken proper steps to ensure that moderates can have their rightful place in the country, and clamp down on such extremism, the country will not be in the sorry state that it is today,” he said.

Lim was also disappointed with Hishammuddin for grouping Bersih with Malay supremacist group Perkasa.

He said that Perkasa, unlike Bersih or Umno Youth, who were marching for their own reasons on the same date, did not intend to hold a peaceful rally or gather to usher democratic changes.

Anwar calls it ‘deplorable’

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim also condemned the death threat made against Ambiga.

“It is deplorable to imagine in this civilised state and date, that this continues unabated. The same perpetrators of such extremist (and) racist (acts) are tolerated, and are in some ways condoned,” the PKR supremo told reporters in Parliament.

Anwar said the threat sent to Ambiga was similar to what his daughter, Nurul Izzah, received last month.

Nurul, who is PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP, received a SMS from an anonymous individual threatening to kidnap her three-year-old daughter.

“We are clearly disgusted. But what is worse, is (…) the system seeks to condone, allow and publicise this,” Anwar said.

In the SMS, an unknown sender told Ambiga that “his people” would kill Bersih 2.0 organisers and the politicians who supported the election watchdog if its July 9 “Walk for Democracy” took place.

Despite the threat, Bersih leaders vowed to forge ahead with their plans.

Hishammuddin said he viewed the death threat seriously, and promised to take action against the perpetrators.

Pursuit of justice

PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub meanwhile told FMT that he hoped the police would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

Salahuddin revealed that even some PAS leaders received the threatening SMS.

“We have discussed the matter in our central committee meeting. Our top leaders and members will all be there at the rally – that includes our spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat and president Hadi Awang,” he said when contacted.

PAS had previously said that it will mobilise around 100,000 of its supporters for the rally. However in the latest development, party president Hadi was quoted by party mouthpiece Harakah Daily in  ordering all its one million party members to join the rally.

Asked if the allegation made in the SMS regarding Ambiga trying to divide the Malay society, Salahuddin rubbished the claim by saying: “Bersih is more than race politics, it is about the pursuit of democracy and fairness.”

MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong also condemned the death threat, saying that it was not an appropriate means of action in a civilized society.

Wee, who has said that MCA will not join Umno Youth in its march come July 9, added that one should follow the law and order to voice their concerns instead of using such threats.

“We live n a civil society, whether or not we agree or disagree, we should express that in accordance to the law,” the Ayer Hitam MP told FMT.

PKR’s R Sivarasa who played an influential role during the first Bersih gathering on November 2007 called the threat “politically motivated”.

“Death threats are not new. But with the first Bersih we didn’t face any death threats but faced other similar threats like being put in jail and so on,” he said.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 7:28 pm and is filed under
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‘Would Hisham have arrested Onn Jaafar?’

By
Yow Hong Chieh

The Malaysian Insider

Jun 23, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Lim Kit Siang has reminded Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that his grandfather, Datuk Onn Jaafar, pioneered peaceful protests in Malaysia, and called on the home minister to ensure the smooth running of Bersih 2.0.

The DAP parliamentary leader pointed out that Umno was born in 1946 out of non-violent anti-Malayan Union protests helmed by Onn, and asked if Hishammuddin thought his grandfather’s actions constituted illegal assembly.

“Would Hishammuddin have arrested his grandfather Datuk Onn Jaafar for organising peaceful mass rallies and meetings resulting in formation of Umno if the latter had been alive today?” he asked in a statement today.

Lim also slammed Hishammuddin for putting electoral watchdog Bersih on the same footing as Malay rights group Perkasa by announcing yesterday that the police would summon Bersih, Perkasa and Umno Youth for planning separate rallies on July 9.

He said while Bersih has declared its commitment to peace, the Perkasa counter-protest was “a different kettle of fish” that was “born to create strife and unrest”.

He urged the police to arrest and charge Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali for “invoking provocative and inflammatory images of chaos and bloodshed” by referencing the May 13, 1969 race riots during the counter-protest launch on Sunday.

“I call on the home minister to facilitate the successful holding of the peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally instead of enjoining and compelling the police to suppress the democratic rights of Malaysians,” he said.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties and activists are gearing up to march on July 9 in the second such rally by election watchdog Bersih.

The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s street, before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannon.

The rally was credited for the PR’s record gains in Election 2008, which saw the opposition pact sweep to power in five states and win 82 parliamentary seats.

PAS has called on all its one million members to attend the rally while Perkasa and Umno Youth have said they will march separately on July 9 to counter the Bersih rally.

Perkasa kicked off its Gerak Aman counter-protest on Sunday by burning images of Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and warning the Chinese to stay indoors as “anything could happen”.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 10:15 pm and is filed under
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Ambiga receives SMS death threat

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
 | June 23, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has received a death threat via text message which was also sent this morning to reporters and some members of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih).

The text message warned Ambiga as well as PAS and PKR leaders from going ahead with the July 9 Bersih rally, and said her life would be in jeopardy should it (the rally) proceed.

“Korg ni buta hati ke?? buat apa sokong ambiga keling paria haramjadah tu? dia ni kapir laknat. korang tau tak dia ni jadi alat anjing2 politik untuk musnahkan keutuhan melayu. dia kata je nak BERSIH kan SPR. bersih kepala bapak dia. puak2 PAS n PKR pun buta tuli n pekak badak.. kalau SPR tak bersih, boleh ke diorang menang kat Sgor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan n perak dulu?

“DAP cina sial tu pulak lagi haram jahanam. dia tengok je melayu bertekak. hujung2 dia perintah negara ni dan kristiankan kita semua. aku nak kasi amaran kat korang semua. kalau perhimpunan ni jadi, aku dan org2 aku akan bunuh ambiga dan korang2 keliling dia satu persatu, termasuklah orang2 politik bangang yang bersekongkol ngan kafir laknat tu.. ini amaran aku. Korang tengok nanti.”

(Are you people blind? Why would you support that pariah keling Ambiga? She is an infidel. Don’t you know that she is a toll of those political dogs who are out to destroy the strength of the Malays. She is just saying she wants to clean up the Bersih election, she should clean up her father’s head. And the PAS, PKR leaders, they are deaf, dumb, blind and illiterate. If the EC is not clean then how did they win Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan and Perak? The damned Chinese DAP are even more despicable. They just watch the Malays go at each other’s throats. In the end, they will rule the country and turn all of us into Christians.)

Ambiga has confirmed that she will be lodging a police report on the matter today.

The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s streets before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

The 2007 rally has been credited for the Pakatan Rakyat’s record gains in Election 2008, where the opposition pact swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.

PAS has promised to bring 100,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in the next general election, which is expected to be called within a year.

But Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has repeatedly warned of police action against the illegal gatherings, saying yesterday that the organisers of all three rallies will be summoned to Bukit Aman.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 12:56 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 2.0 — is there a third alternative?

By
Anas Zubedy

June 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 23 — Bersih 2.0 is scheduled for July 9 in the KL city centre. Even now supporters are rallying people to take part. The news has gone viral; many are excited.

At the other end, Perkasa wants to retaliate by having a counter-rally with its own supporters. It is talking about a face-off to see who has the bigger group, perhaps who can shout the loudest. Both parties want to prove a point. Both parties have their right, although I see more sense if Perkasa were to organise its rally on another day, another time.

Meanwhile, a number of police reports have been made by business owners and NGOs opposing the demonstration.

Let me present a centrist’s point of view. I think both Bersih 2.0 and Perkasa should be provided an avenue to have peaceful demonstrations in a space where is non-disruptive to others. Let me explain.

Peaceful demonstrations are part and parcel of democracy. Our Federal Constitution through Article 10 grants us the right to freedom of speech, expression and assembly. It is an excellent avenue for the government to get direct feedback from the rakyat. It is a check-and-balance mechanism, a safety valve for the rakyat to vent out their frustrations openly.

If this direct feedback from the very people they are elected to serve will help our government play its role better, then we should provide avenues for the rakyat to be better heard. We need support systems and processes to allow for peaceful demonstrations — one that expresses the rakyat’s aspirations while minimising disruptions.

On the other hand, for the rakyat peaceful demonstrations should be the last resort when all other avenues are exhausted. They should not be the first choice used opportunistically. Our constitution also assures the right to choose to support or not to support a cause. It guarantees the right to earn a decent living, to grow rich both materially and spiritually.

When we take away the income of the poor even for a day, for some it may mean a day with no food on the table. For our foreign-born Indonesian and Bangladeshi brothers and sisters, losing a day’s wage of RM30 means a loss of one week’s income back home. Merchants and business organisations need sales during the weekends to survive and make a profit to continue providing employment to the thousands under their care. We cannot afford to lose millions of ringgit every time the rakyat gather to voice concerns. If we still want to go ahead, we should pay those who lose their income compensation.

When one party exercises its freedom, it must not infringe upon the freedom of others. We must look at the constitution in its totality, not pick and choose whatever and whenever it suits us.

What is a third alternative? We need to have avenues for peaceful demonstrations that do not disrupt businesses and the daily functions of our fellow rakyat.

Both BN and PR governments need to assign appropriate spaces for the purpose of large demonstrations. Downtown Kuala Lumpur is not suitable, and neither is a stadium. All parties need to exercise empathy when choosing when and where to demonstrate. People need to march on streets, not arenas; but they need to stay away from areas where businesses are conducted.

Perhaps Bersih and Perkasa should have their demonstration on the roads of Putrajaya. It is a good alternative as, after all, that’s where the government administration is. Furthermore, temporary stalls could be set up, and allow some rakyat to make some extra income.

In ancient times, smart kings apportioned days for their subjects to air grievances so that they can listen to problems and mismanagement directly, bypassing ineffective and corrupt officials. Today, in our era of democracy, peaceful demonstrations serve the same exact purpose. But we need to do it right; with empathy, the ability to place oneself in another’s shoes; from all sides.

The rakyat have the right to air their feelings. They should be able to hoist their placards and hope to be heard. It is for government leaders, new and old media, and those with the means, to translate their call into news, policies and actions that make a difference. For this to happen, we need peaceful and non-disruptive demonstrations that are effective.

The goal is to get the point across, not to see who can shout loudest. We must always look for the third alternative, the middle ground. To do that, we need to move away from our biases and our stubbornness. We need to practice empathy, to look out for the interests of all our fellow rakyat.

We need to always ask ourselves — is there a third alternative?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 12:58 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 2.0: Why I will march

By
 June Rubis

June 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 23 — We can only look back at our past to recognise the pivotal points that have brought us to where we are today.

Today, I am blessed to have a boss who supports and shares the same passions as I do: playing a role in strengthening civil society in Malaysia, along with wildlife conservation and rural community-based initiatives.

I particularly look forward to her mentorship as she has played a very significant leadership role in Green Surf, a home-grown Sabah coalition that successfully fought to stop a coal power plant being built in the state.

I count back the years that has brought me to this point.

It is easy to pinpoint my early interest in conservation and environment work: a childhood memory of watching a documentary of a solitary female researcher slogging her way through a Borneo rainforest searching for orangutans (like bells ringing in my head, telling me that this would be me one day — the bells later proved right) to being fascinated by the Greenpeace protests in Sarawak in the 1990s.

I did not understand why foreigners would care so much about rainforests so far away from their homeland. I did not understand why the local newspapers were so hostile towards the protestors, to the point of making negative personal commentaries about their weight and looks.

My initial confusion made me question what I had thought was truth. That everything I read and hear from other people is not necessarily the absolute truth, but rather a semblance of truth from their unique perspective and experiences.

Yet my political awareness only fully emerged at a later stage.

I connect those dots back to my participation in the 2007 Bersih march.

It was probably the first time I had felt very proud as a Malaysian, to be surrounded by so many of my compatriots seeking a change in our electoral system that we feel is unfair and not representative of a democracy that our country is built upon.

It was the beginnings of a personal stirring to learn more about the political issues beyond my home state of Sarawak. Indeed to march along other Malaysians who felt as strongly as I did was inspiring and gave me courage to continue exploring other sensitive issues.

There has been much furore over the past week about the upcoming Bersih 2.0 march. A lot of it has been emotional, and hurtful, no matter what race or religion we belong to.

No one with a decent heart and a sane mind likes to have an ethnic community singled out either to be blamed or condemned for their apparent participation in the march. Your brother is my brother, your sister my sister. When you try to hurt others, you only end up hurting yourself.

Like in 2007, I intend to participate for I support the eight demands as listed out by the organisers of the march for freer and fairer elections.

This year, it is particularly poignant for me, as a Sarawakian, for it was the alleged abuses in the last state election that had prompted the call to revive Bersih 2.0.

Even if you don’t believe in the money politics that took place in the last state election, or worse yet, think money politics is what elections is all about, you cannot deny the very basic fact that the non-Barisan Nasional component parties had no free and fair access to the mainstream media. One of the eight calls of Bersih 2.0 for the Election Commission to rectify.

And that is one out of many legitimate grouses made not just by political parties, but also civil society.

At the end of the day, to me, it does not matter what political party is in power, but rather those in power are reminded of and humbled by the immense responsibility placed on them. I fear that those who tricked and paid their way towards political power will not have these values in check. By coming into power with arrogance, they will continue to lead us with arrogance.

The eight calls of Bersih 2.0, if implemented, will help give us more representatives that we seek, no matter what political parties they hail from.

We want statesmen who will lead us with honour and honesty, not politicians who burn images and threaten our communities.

So what role will I play come July 9?

Could this be a pivotal point in not just our personal lives, but our country’s?

And 10 or 20 years from now, when we look back and ponder how Malaysia was brought to this fine point, where hopefully we have made leaps and bounds towards advancing national social consciousness for a government that truly represents us, could we then say to ourselves, I played a small role that one fine day?

This is why I intend to march.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 12:55 pm and is filed under
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Bersih: Death threat the work of cowards

By
Kow Gah Chie
 | Jun 23, 11

Malaysiakini

Bersih 2.0 today slammed the “cowardly” move of those behind the death threat SMS targetting its chief Ambiga Sreenevasan, in relation to its planned July 9 rally.

“This is unacceptable, the SMS is not only life-threatening, but also has connotations of racism,” said Maria Chin Abdullah (centre in photo), a Bersih 2.0 steering committee member.

“Let’s be brave enough to come out and talk, instead of being so cowardly as to send threatening and racist SMSes. Let’s talk,” Maria told a press conference after lodging a police report at the Travers police station in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

Maria also urged the sender to stop such moves.

At least six reports were lodged against the death threat SMS, the earliest of which was sent last night and continued into the morning.

They were lodged by, among others, Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat, PKR Youth deputy chief Khairul Annuar Ahmad Zainudin, Ambiga and PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya.

Ambiga (right in photo) also appeared at the police station this afternon.

“The threat will not change our plan (to rally),” said Ambiga.

However, Ambiga said she and other members will take precautions to ensure their safety.

She said if the police were operating efficiently, she had no reason to fear for her safety.

She welcomed Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s statement that police would investigate the SMS, saying she has confidence in the police to locate the sender.

“The police have all the means to find the senders,” she said.

Nothing racial in Bersih rally

To a question, Ambiga said that some groups are seeking to turn the Bersih rally into a racial issue.

“As far as we are concerned, we are going to do this peacefully. There is nothing racial about it.”

She said she also hoped that the force of law would be used against those who used racism and threats.

Just as “there is no point if anybody wants to give advice to me,” Ambiga said she also has no advice for Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali.

When asked on the progress of the police to call up the leaders of Umno Youth, Perkasa and Bersih who are organising rallies on the same day, Ambiga said the police has yet to contact her.

Ambiga said Bersih would give its cooperation to the police.

“Since (Hishammuddin) had said no permit will be issued, we will not apply,” she said.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 6:33 pm and is filed under
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Bersih rally – chill down BN’s spine

By
Jeswan Kaur

June 22, 2011  | Free Malaysia Today

There is something about the July 9 rally to be held by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 that has left the Barisan Nasional (BN) government shivering in its pants. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his bandwagon of cronies to become jittery over what is planned to be a “Walk for Democracy”.

The squirming by BN, Perkasa and Umno Youth is self-explanatory – after all, it is this very government that has all along been squashing democracy in this country, manipulating election results, be they by-elections or general elections.

So, the government is instead using business entities in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and also taxi operators to vehemently protest against the rally, claiming it would bring losses to their businesses.

The many police reports lodged against the rally by Najib’s cronies is another attempt at stifling the coalition’s attempt to redeem the tainted image of the electoral system.

Meanwhile, Perkasa, the ultra Malay wing, and Umno Youth have both announced that they too would hold their rallies simultaneously with the “Walk for Democracy”, purportedly, as a form of damage control and to mitigate the harm Bersih 2.0 would do on July 9.

For the uninitiated, Bersih or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections was established in 2006 by opposition parties and civil society organisations to pursue clean and fair elections. However, the leadership decided to transform the coalition into a purely civil society movement, doing away with political involvement, renaming it Bersih 2.0.

The coalition comprises 62 non-governmental organisations, with Empower (Selangor Community Consciousness Society) and Hakam (National Human Rights Society) taking the lead role.

Bersih 2.0 chairperson, lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan, has assured the government that the rally’s objective is to champion electoral reforms in a peaceful manner. The walk would end with the handing over of a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

But Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has warned the public against participating in rallies organised by both Bersih 2.0 and Perkasa.

However, before jumping the gun, could Hishammuddin explain why Ambiga, the former Bar Council president, was barred from entering Sarawak to observe its state election held on April 16?

She was among several activists who were denied entry into Sarawak and forced to return home from the airport, on orders of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Predictably, BN won the majority in Sarawak and Taib, president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) , was once again sworn in as chief minister, having ruled the state for 30 years, that too no less as a dictator.

Prohibiting Ambiga from setting foot in Sarawak has left little room for BN to deny claims of corrupt practices. Otherwise, what valid reasons did Taib and BN have in sending Ambiga and the other activists back home?

BN’s skeletons no longer hidden

The BN government under Najib is having sleepless nights after Bersih 2.0 announced the “Walk for Democracy” rally because BN’s corrupt ways of running the country is now being questioned by the people.

Najib’s insecurity comes from knowing the threat Bersih 2.0 poses to BN in trying to wrestle back power from the opposition. The hard truth on how corruption is deeply embedded within BN as exposed by Bersih 2.0 has jeopardised Najib’s chances at the ballot boxes.

When BN won the Sarawak state election in April, revelations came about that it was achieved via money politics.

A FMT reader commented that during the Sarawak state election, old folks from Kampung Long Luyamg were enlisted as Rela members and given RM50 as allowance and “reminded” to vote for BN.

Just as disturbed over the wrongdoings taking place during the election is Aliran (English language news medium).

Commenting on Taib’s high-handed approach in barring Ambiga and other activists from observing the Sarawak state polls, Aliran president P Ramakrishnan said: “This undemocratic act of the authorities patently criminalises the right of a Malaysian citizen to conduct legitimate political activities in the country. It frowns upon any citizenry’s attempt to ensure a playing field that is as level as it should be. It demeans the democratic process and vilifies people of good character who mean well for the country.

“It also suggests to what extent a desperate regime under threat will go to in order to protect its narrow vested interests even if it means having to violate basic democratic and constitutional rights of the citizenry.”

Ramakrishnan urged the Election Commission (EC) to investigate the blatant disregard for a free and fair election and the free movement of the people.

With all this arm-twisting undertaken by BN, dare Najib say that democracy is alive and kicking in Malaysia?

Bersih has no hidden agenda

Bersih 2.0 does have an “agenda”, but unlike BN, it is not hidden. For this coalition, its coming rally is a move to counter the BN government’s inertia against its 11 demands for electoral reforms.

They include complete revision of the electrical roll; using indelible ink in elections; reform of postal voting; free and fair media access to all contesting parties; minimum campaign period of 21 days; and fair and professional constituency redelineation.

The other demands are: automatic registration of all eligible voters; lowering the voting age from 21 to 18; reform in electoral financing rules to ensure transparency; administrative neutrality of all levels of government and affirming the political right of all students, 18 years and above.

For the first time Bersih 2.0 is demanding better scrutiny of election financing and reduction in the voting age. Ambiga said Malaysia was lagging behind countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Timor Leste where the voting age is 18. For Indonesia, its voting age has gone to as low as 17.

Ambiga had said in April that Bersih received overwhelming complaints on the alleged discrepancies that took place in the Sarawak state election. Yet, the EC failed to carry out its responsibility accordingly.

The obviously annoyed Ambiga then asked the top EC officials to resign for failing to deal with the irregularities in the Sarawak election.

“I believe it is the personal responsibility of each commissioner to search his conscience and see whether he… should resign as a show of protest,” she told a press conference held then.

Polls observers and opposition leaders had claimed that bribery and intimidation were rife during the April 16 Sarawak election. They claimed the EC had failed to curb them and were partial towards the ruling coalition, often overlooking “blatant abuses and violation” of election laws.

Calling a spade, a spade

In her unequivocal stand, Ambiga said public confidence in the EC was fast eroding, with the people perceiving the commission as a political tool of the ruling coalition.

“Under the Federal Constitution, the appointment of top EC officials is made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and it has to be composed of people with impeccable credentials.

“In other words, you must be courageous, you must be independent, you must be prepared to call a spade a spade, you must be prepared to speak whether it is in relation to the party in power or the opposition,” the gutsy Ambiga said.

The EC expectedly denied any wrongdoings and claimed that its conduct was professional and done “by the book”.

Ambiga has reassured Najib and his “henchmen” that as far as Bersih 2.0 is concerned, all would go well during its “Walk for Democracy” on July 9.

If riot erupts on July 9, one could bet that the troublemakers would be from the BN fold, out to stop Bersih 2.0 from raising public awareness on how severely maligned EC is and the manipulations, cronyism, nepotism and corruption that serve as tools for BN to secure victory, both in by-elections and the general elections.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 1:30 pm and is filed under
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Bersih to go global with July 9 rally

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Election watchdog Bersih today confirmed that overseas rallies will be held simultaneously with its upcoming July 9 event, and that these will be spearheaded by Malaysian citizens living abroad.

Rallies will be held in Seoul (South Korea); Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (Australia); Osaka (Japan); Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York (US).

“All the overseas solidarity rallies held were initiated by Malaysian citizens living abroad who supported the demands for Perhimpunan Bersih 2.0. They personally contacted Bersih 2.0 and expressed interest in organising [rallies] where they were.

“We regard this wide interest by the Malaysian diaspora as an indication that Malaysians from all walks of life believe in the need for electoral reform and the upholding of democracy,” said a statement from the group’s steering committee today.

The committee comprises of chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Andrew Khoo, K. Arumugam , Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard YW Yeoh, Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Datuk Yeo Yang Poh, Zaid Kamaruddin, Dr Subramaniam Pillay and Arul Prakkash.

“Malaysian citizens living abroad should rise to the occasion and demand for their right to vote via postal ballot in the upcoming 13th General Election,” added the statement.

Bersih will also be conducting several roadshows nationwide prior to July 9, starting tomorrow at Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor and Johor Baru on June 25, and in Sungai Siput, Perak the day after.

A death threat was sent to Bersih 2.0 chairman Ambiga earlier today, ostensibly for planning the July 9 rally calling for free and fair elections. She has stressed, however, that the rally will carry on as planned.

The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s street before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 7:23 pm and is filed under
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Chun Wai should not be blamed

By
bujai
 | June 22, 2011

The readers’ poll on ‘Bersih 2.0’ which was carried by The Star newspaper drew mixed reactions from politicians, the media and blog writers. Some said it was tantamount to The Star throwing its full support for the planned rally next month while others described it as an immodesty.

To accuse The Star editorial team as being ignoramous and not sensitive to the sentiments caused by Bersih 2.0 is also not proper as the newspaper is professionally-led. However, professionals do err once in a while.

But to accuse The Star of committing an enormity is a bit overboard. If we expect the government, especially the Home Ministry to take a relentless action against the publication, we should may as well recap what other papers have done in the past few months. I personally believe what Utusan Malaysia did about two months ago was of ‘equal’ to that of The Star.

The Bersih 2.0 poll puts The Star group editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai (picture) in a limbo. Making him the villain is not just. Calling him a sympathiser of Bersih 2.0 and an Opposition’s supporter will be ultimately wrong and prejudice as he himself is a strong supporter of Barisan Nasional.

This is evident in his many writings about his dissent towards the Opposition. I believe The Star, too is still very much upholding the ruling party’s interest although it may sometimes give ‘a little space to news from the other side’. And there is nothing wrong with that as it also enhances its circulation among the anti-BN readers.

Now, I personally believe Chun Wai and The Star will take action against its online editor Joseph Raj who unilaterally pasted up the poll without his bosses’ consent.

I was just informed that Joseph has accepted full responsibility for carrying out the decision without consulting his immediate supervisor. Whatever his motive was, The Star must conduct an internal inquiry and take necessary action on him.

I was also told that Joseph was at the Home Ministry this morning for a brief ‘interview’ with secretary-general Mahmood Adam. The Star has also lodged reports with the police and the MCMC against manipulators of the polls, and a few SB personnel have met Joseph too.

The Star is not a one-man-show operation. Chun Wai has his assistants and other subordinates whose job is to oversee the newspaper contents from A to Z. I know how the editorial team works as I was there once. Not all matters would be referred to the group editor-in-chief as most of it will only reach the levels of his assistants or other editors.

Even the government makes mistake sometimes. There were occasions when different Cabinet Ministers made contradicting statements about its certain policies. The Prime Minister will only attend to major issues while his subordinates (the ministers) will attend to matters affecting their portfolios. However, the PM will from time to time announce substantive and important matters of the ministries, should the needs arise.

Chun Wai is not a perfect scapegoat either. Of all the accusations that he is pro-Opposition and – to some extents a subversive agent – his stewardship has seen The Star being at the forefront in the nation’s print media industry. Apart from disseminating well-and-balanced news, it also plays a constructive role in bringing the Malaysians together.

The Bersih poll was a mistake by one or two personnel but it should not be turned into a passport to batter the whole organisation. Some doctors do make silly errors on the operation table, engineers’ miscalculation caused some bridges and buildings to collapse while some government projects had failed due to over-zealous implementation.

It is wrong to question The Star fidelity and it is also not right to create a detest against the newspaper. All newspapers have committed similar errors in the past – mostly caused by unilateral decisions by one or two oblivious personnel.

Most of us would prefer to see some heads roll but in this case, its better to leave the matter to the company’s jurisdiction. Of course, the government has a say but any course of action to be taken must not stir the good spirit of Barisan Nasional.

We – the pro-BN bloggers, writers, journalists and others – have a bigger agenda in securing the ruling party’s victory in the next national poll. Let us not lose our sanity by firing at each other. By the way, did we blame Aziz Ishak of Utusan?

This is not a piece to cover Wong Chun Wai but something for us to understand. Malaysia is complex society!

__

Jailani Harun, orang Moncino, Melaka. A veteran journalist who used to cover the Iran-Iraq war during the early 1980s, Lebanon and Afghanistan. The only Malaysian journalist who managed to interview leaders like Saddam Hussein, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Muammar Gaddafi, Kim Dae-jung, Lech Walesa and Mikhail Gorbachev, of which only few were published as his editor-in-chief then was an idiot. Also interviewed hardcores like Harchand Singh Longowal of Khalistan and Ibrahim Babangida. Now a member of a think-tank group, analyst of international and diplomatic affairs and a writer.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 10:25 am and is filed under
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‘Death threat against Ambiga deplorable’

By
Joseph Sipalan
 | Jun 23, 11

Malaysiakini

Senior Pakatan Rakyat leaders today unanimously condemned the recent death threat against Bersih 2.0 chief S Ambiga, labeling the “deplorable act” a direct result of the government’s alleged whitewashing of extremist behaviour.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) said the death threat is a culmination of unbridled extremism that has been allowed to continue without fear of reprisal from the government.

“Extremists and racists are tolerated, and in some ways condoned. This is not the first time. I remember the threat on Nurul Izzah and her daughter and now against Ambiga,” he said after chairing a Pakatan presidential council meeting at Parliament’s tower block.

“This is not only unacceptable, it is deplorable. We are clearly disgusted…But what is worse is not just the purveyors of such acts, but the fact that the system seems to condone, allow and publicise this,” said the PKR de-facto chief.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said such a threat is outrageous, especially in the face of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s recent call for moderation and his ongoing 1Malaysia campaign that seeks to unite all Malaysians regardless of race or creed.

Only yesterday the PM reiterated that his 1Malaysia call is not rhetoric. If it is not, he should show to all Malaysians the people first concept is really genuine, which means the government must facilitate the holding of the peaceful Bersih rally on July 9, instead of the Home Minister, police, together with other political leaders, making baseless threats,” Lim (right) said.

“Open threats of assassination are developing as the latest form of extremism. The authorities have been closing their eyes to such extremism.

“If they have taken proper steps to ensure that moderates can have their rightful place in the country, and clamp down on such extremism, the country will not be in the sorry state that it is today,” he said.

‘Bersih and Umno Youth not like Perkasa’

Lim, who is also Ipoh Timur MP, said it was “most shocking” for Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to lump the Bersih rally organisers and Umno Youth together with Perkasa in issuing a warning against the protestors.

Unlike Bersih, which pledged to have a peaceful gathering, and Umno Youth, which he said is gathering for their own reasons, Perkasa and its president Ibrahim Ali have openly made “provocative, seditious and treasonous statements” against the rally.

“…To put the three groups on the same footing itself is an indication that the Home Minister does not understand the difference between what Bersih is trying to do and Perkasa’s call for a counter protest which is full of threats of violence,” Lim said.

Looking back to the time Hishamuddin’s grandfather, Onn Jaafar, went across Malaya to gather the Malays and eventually form Umno, Lim said the drive would have failed if Hishammuddin had been in charge of homeland security during that period.

“I would like to ask Hishammuddin, if he treats Bersih in this way, would his grandfather be allowed to hold gatherings up and down Malaya, which led to the formation of Umno?

“If Hishamuddin had been there, he would have put his grandfather in jail. He (Hishammuddin) just cannot put Bersih on the same footing as Perkasa… that shows that they (government) are not putting people first,” he said.

Precursor to Ops Lalang II?

PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar pointed out that the government’s reaction to the planned Bersih 2.0 rally has echoes of Ops Lalang, a controversial mass operation in 1987 where more than 200 dissidents and opposition politicians were arrested by then-Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s administration.

While implying that society has changed since then, the Pokok Sena MP pointed out that letting the rally occur is more likely to work in the BN’s favour.

“By allowing the rally to go on, maybe the people would be more willing to accept BN, instead of stopping it which will only further tarnish their own image,” he said.

Lim, who with Mahfuz and several other senior opposition members was detained during Ops Lalang, agreed that the government’s recent actions seem to indicate that things could turn for the worse.

“As a former Ops Lalang detainee, I want to ask the government; is this in preparation for Ops Lalang II?” he said.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 6:36 pm and is filed under
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Disclose RCI report tomorrow, Lim tells cabinet

Malaysiakini

Jun 23, 11

Veteran opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang has urged the cabinet to order the disclosure of the report by the royal commission of inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death when it meets tomorrow.

In a statement today, Lim said that although RCI head Justice James Foong had said that the decision on whether the report can be made public lies with the Agong, the Agong still acts on the advice of the cabinet.

Citing Articles 39 and 40 of the federal constitution, Lim explained that the cabinet still had a large say on the matter.

“In another 23 days, it will be the second anniversary of Teoh’s mysterious and unusual death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009.

“The cabinet should not sit on the RCI report but must act responsibly by releasing it immediately to the public tomorrow itself in line with the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance,” said Lim.

A copy of the 124-page report was submitted to the Agong at the Istana Negara by the five-member RCI panel yesterday, after nearly five months of fact-finding and examining 70 witnesses.

The RCI was established by the Najib Abdul Razak administration after a 16-month-long inquest into Teoh’s death returned an “open verdict”.

Other than establishing the cause of Teoh’s death, the RCI’s terms of reference include making recommendations on MACC’s procedures.

Lim said that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should agree to debate the RCI report in Parliament before the current session ends on June 30.

Should there be logistics problems in making the report public tomorrow, Lim said a copy can be made available to him to prepare a motion for debate.

He promised that in such an event, he can prepare a motion by the latest on Monday.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 10:07 pm and is filed under
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Dr M blames press for worsening race relations

By
Shannon Teoh
 | June 23, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad blamed press freedom today for poor race relations which, he claimed, had worsened since he stepped down as prime minister in 2003.

He said that this was because press freedom has allowed racial and religious tension to ferment in Malaysia.

“Those days we didn’t talk so much about race, showing disrespect to others. Today we talk about race and religion, putting a wedge between the different races.

“Race relations today are not as good as when ‘a dictator of 22 years’ was leading the country,” the former prime minister told a forum of chief executives today.

Dr Mahathir said that although he is made out to be a “Malay ultra and the Chinese are afraid of me,” he only managed to maintain Barisan Nasional’s (BN) two-thirds of Parliament in 1999 due to Chinese support.

“Chinese support gave me two-thirds majority despite the displeasure of Malays due to the black eye,” he said, referring to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s injury suffered in jail after he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.

The 1999 election was Dr Mahathir’s last as prime minister before being succeeded by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Despite leading BN to its best-ever showing in 2004, Abdullah was forced to resign in 2009 after BN ceded its customary two-thirds majority and five states in Election 2008.

The emergence of online media was credited as a main factor in the swing against the ruling coalition, especially in urban centres such as the Klang Valley and Penang, which saw Pakatan Rakyat (PR) win even in seats considered to be BN strongholds.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 12:58 pm and is filed under
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Improving The Odds For Our Disadvantaged Students

By
M. Bakri Musa

Students from a disadvantaged background face many challenges; thus it is not a surprise that they lag academically. This has always been true and accepted as normal. The consequence to this acceptance is that the students’ disadvantaged background becomes too ready an excuse for teachers and policymakers not to address the issue of widening educational achievement gap, blaming instead such factors as poverty and lack of parental involvement.

            While those are relevant, there is much that schools, teachers and policymakers can do to turn disadvantaged students into “resilient” ones. A recent OECD study, Against The Odds. Disadvantaged Students Who Succeed in School, (
PDF
) confirms this. “Resilient” students, as defined by the study, are those from a disadvantaged socio-economic background relative to students in their country, and attain high scores by international standards.

            Across OECD countries, nearly a third of disadvantaged students are resilient; in Finland and South Korea, nearly half. The bottom line, as the report confidently asserts, is: “Disadvantaged students can and often do defy the odds against them when given the opportunity to do so.” Note the report’s emphasis.

            At first glance the report may be stating the obvious. We all can readily recall examples of those from disadvantaged backgrounds who have successfully overcome their many obstacles. Some would attribute their success to their innate ability, sheer grit, and unwavering determination. Those of humbler persuasion would generously credit other factors – talented teachers, superior schools, and opportune openings.

            This OECD report marshals impressive data to support its contention that when the disadvantaged are given equal opportunities to learn, foster their self confidence, and effectively motivate them, they can exploit their potential. It then carefully collates and sensibly summarizes the experiences of those member countries that have successfully executed their strategies and achieved those desirable objectives.

Learning From OECD’s Experiences

Suitably adapted and with some enhancements, Malaysia could usefully adopt the findings of the OECD report. Granted, the disadvantaged in an OECD member country are a universe away physically, economically and in many other ways from their counterparts in Malaysia. Consider that in America students from poor families get free textbooks, transportations and school meals. They are also spared the expenses of uniforms and examination fees. Malaysian parents are burdened by these ancillary expenses. They make a mockery of our “free” schooling. A good beginning would be to get rid of such burdens.

            We could go further and reward parents who pay attention to their children’s schooling. Brazil’s Bolsa Escola and Mexico’s Progresa pay parents if they were to keep their children in school. Such “Conditional Cash Transfer” initiatives are powerful incentives. If we pay our poor fishermen and rice farmers to keep their children at school, we would dramatically reduce the dropout rates. If we add a bonus in the form of extra payments if their children were to excel, then watch those parents become diligent in ensuring that their children attend school and do their homework.

            A universality of the human trait is that we respond to incentives. The secret is to find the right one. For many, it is still cold cash.

            The key finding of the OECD study is that resilient disadvantaged students attend more regular lessons at school than those who are not. Thus extend the hours of our rural schools to a full day, and increase the number of school days from the current 180 to 220 per year, as in Japan.

            This means single-session schools. If these disadvantaged children are in school for much of the day, well fed, well taught and well supervised while there, then we could not care less if their parents were unable to help them with the homework or read to them at bedtime. Further, with an extended school day, the afternoon could be devoted to enriching extracurricular activities like athletics and fine arts. Thus instead of loitering in the afternoon or otherwise getting into mischief, they would be in school practicing their music or participating in sports. Those extracurricular activities help nurture a more wholesome development; they are also true and tried confidence builders.

Nurturing Self-Confidence

As for self-confidence, the OECD report emphasized the importance of instilling this, especially in disadvantaged children. This cannot be achieved merely by participating in cheerleading rallies and endlessly proclaiming our supposed glorious past.

            Instead, and this is another key finding of the report, resilient students spend more time studying science. Excelling in science boosts their self-confidence; this in turn spills over in other areas. This benefit is particularly pronounced with disadvantaged students; the more disadvantaged they are, the more they benefited.

            Resilient students spend more class hours on the subject. In France, Germany and the Netherlands these students spend an hour and 45 minutes more in science classes per week than disadvantaged low-achievers. Thus we must not only expand the school day of our rural schools, which are mostly attended by disadvantaged children, but also increase substantially the hours devoted to science classes. Their enhanced literacy in science, apart from boosting their self-confidence, would also greatly improve their employability later in life.

            For disadvantaged Malay students, another effective way of boosting their self-confidence would be to enhance their English proficiency. Our leaders endlessly exhort our students to learn English, as if that can simply be wished upon or achieved by waving a magic wand. Instead we should, as the experience with science proficiency of resilient students in OECD countries demonstrates, devote more hours to the subject. Additionally, more subjects should be taught in English so students could practice their English skills outside their language classes. In this regard, the greatest burden of the recent decision to end the teaching of science and mathematics in English falls disproportionately on our rural (meaning, Malay) students, the very group our leaders profess to champion.

            That fluency in English could greatly boost a student’s confidence is dramatically demonstrated in California. The state has a large number of immigrant children with severely disadvantaged backgrounds and who cannot speak English. In the days of bilingual education they would be taught in their mother tongue (most commonly Spanish) as well as English.

            That policy ended with the passage of an “English Only” referendum in 1998. Today these students have to spend their first year in an English immersion class, and only when they are sufficiently fluent would they join the regular stream.

            The results of that experiment are now clear. Whereas in the past these pupils would perpetually be handicapped by their limited English ability and remain at the bottom of their class right up to their final years in school, with the mandatory immersion classes, their ability to speak and write English improved quickly. That boosted their self-confidence, which in turn spills over onto other areas. Today those students readily mix in the playground with the other children and fully engaged socially and other ways while at school. In the past they would segregate themselves as they felt inadequate; they had low self-esteem because of their language handicap.

            Today no one would wish to return to the bad old days of bilingual education, most of all those children and their parents. California’s success, now widely acknowledged, directly contradicts the opinion of a widely quoted UNESCO study that purported to show that mother tongue-based bilingual education has a positive impact on learning and learning outcomes.

            The self-confidence of Malay students would similarly be boosted if they were to be fluent in English. We could achieve this by replicating California’s experience of English-immersion classes. We had something akin to that with our “Special Malay” and “Remove” classes of yore. Better yet, bring back the old English schools back to our rural areas where the need for enhanced English fluency is the greatest.

            If we supplement that with an increase in the hours they stay in school, enrich the curriculum to devote more hours to science, and have a full offering of extracurricular activities to include sports and the performing arts like music and drama, then

            While parental and social factors are important, there is much that our schools and teachers can and should do to improve the current abysmal academic performance of our kampong kids. The key lies with the teachers and schools. In the next essay I will explore the experiences of those countries that have highly effective schools and how they have managed to attract the best to be teachers.

            Learn from the experiences of the OECD countries. If we adopt the measures discussed here, then watch the miracles unfolding in our rural students. We can break the link between disadvantaged background and low academic achievement.

Next:   Attracting the Best To Teaching

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 9:44 am and is filed under
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Land Bill aimed at ‘punishing natives’

By
Joseph Tawie

June 23, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: The bill to bar Sarawak natives from seeking legal redress for grievances involving their native customary rights (NCR) to land is draconian, says Sarawak DAP.

State chairman Wong Ho Leng said the move clearly showed that the government of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud was bent on depriving the natives of their legal rights to their land.

“This bill is draconian in the topmost degree. It is unfair to stop the natives from going to court, even when they receive no dividends or benefits from joint ventures (to develop the land).

“It is a draconian law which only the Barisan Nasional (BN) has the audacity to introduce,” he said when debating the Land Custody and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2011 at the 10th State Legislative Assembly sitting.

The bill was introduced by State Land Development Minister James Masing.

Wong said DAP never opposed the development of NCR land so long as it is “meaningful and for the general good of the natives”.

“Let me assure this House that contrary to the lies of Deputy Chief Minister (Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang) uttered so many times in this House, DAP never oppressed or suppressed the opportunities of the Dayaks in NCR land development.”

Earlier, Wong, who is also the Bukit Assek assemblyman, said that while Sarawak natives had helped BN secure a more than two-thirds majority in the recent state election, the BN state government did not deem it fit to reward them positively.

“This bill is introduced to punish the natives.

“Less than two months before the state election, on Feb 18, the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) and the state government had lost a legal battle in a case involving the development of NCR land.

“Clearly, this bill is introduced to plug what was so profoundly shown in the judgment of Justice Linton Albert in Kuching High Court in the popularly known Pantu Land case, where the learned judge ruled against the LCDA and the state government,” he said.

Wong said that for the LCDA to develop the land, it is paramount to obtain the consent of the native landowners first, adding that the consent must be “genuine and sincere” and not the Ali-Baba type of agreement.

Development agreement

Wong said the question is how to secure “genuine consent” from the landowners.

“Land titles may be issued to the tuai rumah (longhouse chief). But the land is enjoyed by all the longhouse folk.

“Will a development agreement between the LCDA and the tuai rumah be sufficient to bind the majority or all the longhouse folk?

“The question hinges on the extent of the authority of the tuai rumah,” he said.

Wong said he had received many complaints from Selangau, where the penghulu and tuai rumah had signed agreements for oil palm plantations.

But the penghulu and the tuai rumah had signed the agreements without prior consultation with the longhouse folk.

“Under the bill, the development agreement cannot be revoked, for the only requirement is that the agreement is signed by the LCDA with the owner, even if the majority of the longhouse folk do not know of the agreement or even object to it.

“In the example that I had given, a tuai rumah holding the land title, or occupying native customary land, can be persuaded or even bought in order to sign the development agreement.

“His longhouse folk have no say or right to consultation. Seen in this light, the bill is unjust.

“Conversely, suppose the tuai rumah is not convinced that a development agreement is viable or beneficial to the longhouse folk, the bill clearly provides a way out in favour of the LCDA.

“This is done by forcing a development agreement to be signed by ‘any other party.’

“Under clause 6(b) of the bill, it clearly shows that someone without authority from the community can sign the development agreement with the LCDA.

“We cannot allow a stranger who has no right to sign a development agreement to bind the tuai rumah and the lawful occupiers of the land,” he said.

‘Don’t cheat’

Wong warned the government that it can expect conflict to arise in the native community and that there may even be bloodshed.

“If you want to develop the NCR land, make sure that there must be sincerity and honesty.

“Do not sign the agreement using the LCDA’s name and then give it to a crony or subsidiary company. That is plain cheating.

“LCDA is a government agency. Do not cheat on the natives,” he said.

Pointing out that the Dayaks are the poorest people in Sarawak, Wong said that they are a friendly community and will try every means to avoid trouble.

“But history has shown that they will fight to their last breath in order to protect their land, for land is life to them,” he said.

Wong said with development agreements which may last 60 years, it is unavoidable that there may be disputes that will land in court.

“How can you, the BN government, be so heartless as to slam the door of the court on their face?

“They are already in court; they have their rights to resort to legal remedies.

“You are not allowed to shut them out. Clearly this violates a person’s fundamental right to seek redress in a court of law.

“Clearly, the state BN government is showing that it does not trust the court,” he said.

Undreamed-of wealth

Wong said that many natives had entered into development agreements with the government believing that they would be receiving undreamed-of wealth.

According to the handbook which is “the official communication guide on NCR development matters”, the natives would receive an annual dividend of up to RM40,000 calculated on the basis of crude palm oil at RM1,400 per tonne.

He said the price has since been tripled.

In the Pantu land case, no dividend was paid to the natives although six years had passed since the commencement of the oil palm plantation and fruits having been harvested for three years.

“It is justified for the NCR landowners to cancel the development agreement since there is no benefit to them.

“With land taken from them, they have no other income,” he said.

On the issue of dividends paid to landowners, Wong said that for 13 years – from 1996 to 2009 – the dividends paid out was a mere RM2,301,116.86.

“Divide that by 406,425 hectares, it means that the dividends paid out to the natives is less than 17 sen per year. It is not even enough to buy a cigarette.

“Is there anything wrong with the accounts? Are there no natives on the board of directors of LCDA to keep an eye on the accounts?

“Clearly, the natives in Sarawak have been given a raw deal, ” Wong said.

He urged the government to come clean with the current status of payouts to natives.

“Have the other dividends been paid out?

“Please update this House. The amount of dividend paid out (thus far in the Pantu case) is a far cry from the RM40,000 per year that was promised under the handbook.

“If so little dividend is paid out, it means that the fundamental purpose of the joint venture has collapsed.

“Yet, the natives are left with no remedy,” he said.

Wong added that if natives were receiving such low dividends, it simply meant that their legitimate expectations of mutual benefit under the joint venture is destroyed.

“In such a situation, to insist that the natives continue to starve under the joint venture is clearly oppressive,” he said.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 1:19 pm and is filed under
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Motions on money politics and ‘corrupt’ CM rejected

By
Joseph Tawie

June 23, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly Speaker Asfia Awang Nasar yesterday rejected bids by opposition DAP to debate money politics in the recent state elections and allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Citing various ground to support his decision, Asfia rejected Opposition Leader Wong Ho Leng’s move to table the two motions.

In tabling his first motion, Wong who is Bukit Assek assemblyman said that vote buying had been rampant in Tamin constituency in the April 16 election as alleged by Malaysian election observers.

According to Malaysian Election Observers (MEO), payments were made in cash and by way of cheques which were issued by the CM’s  office.

“The above allegation is serious as it implies gross criminality against the state and casts severe aspersions on the integrity of Sarawak chief minister’s office and the government of the state.

“Elected representatives who are wakil rakyat must be elected honourably and at the voters’ free will without being tarnished by the involvement of money,” he said.

“It is moved that this house condemns bribery, corruption, corrupted practice and money politics in Sarawak’s election.

“Two, (we seek for) this house (to) establish a committee to investigate the usage of money to buy votes in 2011 Sarawak’s election, and three, similar strategy of vote-buying must stop in order to ensure the purity of the electorate and the sanctity of the election process,” he said.

MACC investigating Taib

In rejecting the motion, Asfia cited various grounds including Standing Order 23 (6) which states that ‘no motion relating to a matter contained in a federal list shall be in order.’

His second reason for rejecting Wong’s motion was based on Standing Order 24 (2) where the motion was not signed by a member who wanted to move the motion but by another member.

“On these two grounds the motion was rejected as it is out of order.

“I have given my ruling. If you are not happy with the ruling you can apply for a substantive motion.

“Under standing order 86, there is no appeal, except upon a substantive motion. That is my ruling,” he said.

The speaker directed Wong to proceed with his second motion.

Reading his motion, Wong said that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had confirmed that it is currently investigating the chief minister of Sarawak over an allegation of timber corruption.

“There is a similar investigation carried out in Switzerland and it has been reported in the news media that the chief minister had assets in countries other than in Switzerland which the chief minister had to justify.

“In order to maintain the image of the state, the dignity and integrity of the chief minister’s office and in order to avoid the perception that this state has been helmed by a leader who is under a corruption probe, the chief minister should go on extended leave until he has been cleared of the grave alleged corruption allegation.

“This house hereby resolves that the chief minister should go on extended leave until he has been cleared of grave corruption allegation both at home and internationally, and (b) that the state takes serious stand against corruption and (c) a committee comprising equal number of members from the BN and Pakatan Rakyat be established to enquire into firstly the chief minister’s grave corruption and second, the government ministers’ properties and investments overseas.

“And lastly to investigate  government ministers who are profiteering from corruption and money laundering and to return the funds to the state.

“This is my motion,” Wong said.

Issue rejected

In his ruling, the Speaker found that this motion was also out of order, pointing out that the chief minister’s personal explanation earlier in the day debunked the allegation contained in the motion beyond any shadow of doubt.

“At the same time it upholds firmly to the principle that the man is innocent until proven guilty, and two, the chief minister’s resignation was made the central issue in the recent state election.

“The issue was rejected by the electorate thereby they returned the BN to power with a two-thirds majority.

“By asking the chief minister to take extended leave is therefore an utter contradiction to the overwhelming mandate of the two-thirds majority which mandated him to lead this house at the first meeting after the election.

“Three, under standing order 23 (6) no motion relating to a matter contained in the federal legislative list is an order.

“And fourthly, the motion was not signed by the member who tabled the motion,” he said.

Wong tried to argue, but was told by the Speaker to sit down.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 1:25 pm and is filed under
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MP doubts PSD will implement Najib directives

By
S Pathmawathy
 | Jun 23, 11

Malaysiakini

A DAP parliamentarian has lauded Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s announcement of granting highly-coveted Public Service Department (PSD) at pre-university level.

In welcoming the move, Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) described it as a way to “resolve the perennial scholarship conundrum”.

Every year many top ranking students complain of double standards in the awarding of PSD scholarships to students excelling in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams.

Pua said the party’s youth leadership under Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah) had been pursuing the matter since 2009.

“Even way back in 2006 the then Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed (right) had announced that the government will only continue to award overseas scholarships to students who are able to gain entry into ivy league universities,” said Pua.

So, the question remains if the PSD will comply and implement Najib’s directives, he added.

“Since the PSD has been unable implement such reforms over the past four or five years, why would next year be any different?” he asked.

He also urged the government not to wait until next year for the implementation until the “circus” repeats itself.

Laying down the conditions

“Announce the details of the new scholarship policy so that the public and particularly, the potential scholarship recipients know what is in store for them,” Pua added.

Najib, in a radio interview this morning said that a review of the PSD scholarships is underway and the new system will be introduced next year.

He said that providing university grants for high achievers for SPM was “not a good idea” as it does not guarantee that the same students will perform well for pre-university examinations such as the A-levels.

Instead, the new system would only provide scholarships for those who have been accepted by top universities overseas and in the meantime SPM aces would be given “a small bursary” to continue their foundation studies locally.

Pua said: “Subsequently, the government should announce a full list of top universities and colleges, where the courses will be accepted for overseas universities scholarship consideration, whether it’s economics in Cambridge or engineering at MIT or medicine in Melbourne.”

He pointed out that “transparency” in the awarding process will ensure that the government regains the “credibility and prestige” of the PSD sponsorship.

Otherwise, it will be another case of just rhetoric with little or no action, ending up with the same fiasco next year, he added.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 4:54 pm and is filed under
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Pakatan to march on with Bersih

By
Clara Chooi
 | June 23, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders expressed determination today to press on with their participation in the upcoming Bersih rally despite the SMS death threat to Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan.

PR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, after chairing the pact’s presidential council meeting at the Parliament building here this afternoon, described the threat as “deplorable”, saying that this should further inspire Malaysians to take a stand.

“We are clearly disgusted. But what is worse, it is not only about the purveyors but the fact that this system seeks to condone, allow and publicise this.

“So, all the more reason why members of the public must take a position — enough of this racist rhetoric and nonsense… we have to speak up,” Anwar (picture) told a press conference.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang agreed, adding that the threat should be “condemned in the strongest possible terms.”

The Ipoh Timor MP urged the authorities to take immediate action on the matter, pointing out that the threat had come at a time when the prime minister himself had called for moderation.

“But yet, we see in the country this vile extremism rearing its ugly head… these incidences  were unheard of in the past… this open threat of assassination is now developing as the latest form of extremism,” he said.

Lim added that if the government had taken the matter seriously in the past, Malaysia would not be witnessing such extremism or racism today.

“If they had taken proper steps to ensure that moderates can have their rightful place in the country and clamp down on such extremism, Malaysia would not be in the sorry state that it is in today,” he said.

Lim then called on the prime minister to prove that his 1 Malaysia policy was not merely rhetoric by facilitating the planned Bersih rally this July 9.

“Instead of the home minister, police, together with other political leaders making baseless threats,” he said.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters yesterday that the organisers of the three planned rallies for July 9 — Bersih 2.0, Umno Youth and Perkasa — would be hauled in to the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

This morning, Ambiga, several reporters and Bersih members received an SMS death threat, saying their lives would be in jeopardy if the rally proceeds.

The message written in Malay read:

“Korg ni buta hati ke?? buat apa sokong ambiga keling paria haramjadah tu? dia ni kapir laknat. korang tau tak dia ni jadi alat anjing2 politik untuk musnahkan keutuhan melayu. dia kata je nak BERSIH kan SPR. bersih kepala bapak dia. puak2 PAS n PKR pun buta tuli n pekak badak.. kalau SPR tak bersih, boleh ke diorang menang kat Sgor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan n perak dulu? DAP cina sial tu pulak lagi haram jahanam. dia tengok je melayu bertekak. hujung2 dia perintah negara ni dan kristiankan kita semua. aku nak kasi amaran kat korang semua. kalau perhimpunan ni jadi, aku dan org2 aku akan bunuh ambiga dan korang2 keliling dia satu persatu, termasuklah orang2 politik bangang yang bersekongkol ngan kafir laknat tu.. ini amaran aku. Korang tengok nanti.”

(Are you people blind? Why would you support that pariah keling Ambiga? She is an infidel. Don’t you know that she is a tool of those political dogs who are out to destroy the strength of the Malays. She is just saying she wants to clean up the EC, she should clean up her father’s head. And the PAS, PKR leaders, they are deaf, dumb, blind and illiterate. If the EC is not clean then how did they win Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan and Perak? The damned Chinese DAP is even more despicable. They just watch the Malays go at each other’s throats. In the end, they will rule the country and turn all of us into Christians. I would like to warn all of you. If the rally proceeds, I and my people will kill Ambiga and all of you around her one by one, including the politicians cooperating with that infidel. That is my warning… you watch out.)

The first Bersih rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s streets before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 4:52 pm and is filed under
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Release TBH RCI report immediately in line with principles of accountability, transparency and good governance

The Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the death of Teoh Beng Hock submitted its report to the Yang di Pertuan Agong yesterday, three days ahead of its deadline of June 25.

The RCI Chairman Tan Sri James Foong told a press conference yesterday that a copy of the 124-page report had also been submitted to the Prime Minister.

However, the contents of the report will remain secret, pending a decision from the Yang di Pertuan Agong if the report should be made public.

This means, under  Article 39 on “Executive Authority of Federation” and Article 40 on “Yang di Pertuan Agong to act on advice” of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di Pertuan Agong shall act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet on the question of making public the RCI report on the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

As in another 23 days  it will be the second anniversary of Teoh Beng Hock’s mysterious and unusual death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2011, the Cabinet should not sit on the Teoh Beng Hock RCI report but  must act responsibly by releasing  it immediately to the public tomorrow itself in line with the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance.

I also call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to agree to a full debate in Parliament on the RCI report on Teoh Beng Hock before Parliament adjourns its June meeting next Thursday on 30th June 2011.

If there are logistic problems in making the Teoh Beng Hock RCI report public tomorrow, I would ask the Prime Minister to agree to make a copy available to me tomorrow so that I can prepare a motion for debate on the RCI report to be submitted to the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin tomorrow or latest by Monday.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 June 2011, 5:55 pm and is filed under
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