True reasons behind gender pay gap

By
Ananish Chaudhuri

Jun 25, 2011 | NZHerald

The existence of a gender wage gap in the workplace is well documented. Women earn less than men in similar jobs even after allowing for other factors such as education and experience.

In the United States, annual earnings data released by the Census Bureau last September shows women working full-time make, on average, 77c for every dollar earned by men.

The UK Office of National Statistics reported in April that the average hourly wage rate for men working full time was £13.01 ($25.61) while for full time working women the rate was £11.68. This difference amounts to women earning about £10.60 less in an 8-hour working day.

What explains lower earning for women? A number of people put forward arguments similar to those expressed by the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) chief Alasdair Thompson (who put the gap down to women’s monthly “sick problems”), albeit with more tact; women often take time off work to start a family or take care of children.

The disparity can be put down to differences in observable characteristics such as education, hours worked, work experience and choice of occupation, or through unobserved factors such as discrimination against women

Two leading labour economists from Cornell University, Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn, carried out a comprehensive study that takes into account variables such as education, labour market experience, race and choice of occupation, and report that while the gender wage gap does diminish when all those factors are taken into account, about 12 per cent remains unexplained.

Robert Wood, Mary Corcoran and Paul Courant look at graduates of the University of Michigan Law School. They match the men and women in their sample for many of the possible explanatory factors, such as occupation, age, experience, education, time in the workforce, time spent in childcare, average hours worked, grades while in college, and so on. Even after accounting for all of that, the authors find women lawyers make about a quarter to a third less than the men.

Recent research throws up another suggestion: women simply do not ask for more. In the 2003 book Women Don’t Ask, Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever point out that among MBAs from Carnegie Mellon University, starting salaries for men were almost US$4000 higher than for women, to a large extent because while only 7 per cent of women negotiated their starting salary, 57 per cent of the men did so. While this may not be a large difference to start with, given that future increments are based on current salary, a small difference early on translates into large differences later in life.

Many researchers, including myself, document a tendency among women to shy away from competitive environments. They often prefer to wait to be offered a raise rather than negotiate one because they find the process fraught with confrontation.

In the late 1990s, Lilly Ledbetter’s lawsuit against the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company in the US became an important milestone in the fight for gender pay equity. When she retired after 20 years of service she found her salary was lower than the salary of the lowest-paid male workers. Why didn’t she ask for more? Ledbetter’s response was that she simply had no idea she was being paid so much less for the same work.

The US Supreme Court decided against Ledbetter by a 5-4 margin, arguing that the statute of limitations had passed since she did not file suit within 180 days of the first act of discrimination. One of the first bills President Barack Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which got rid of the 180-day filing requirement.

Women, here and elsewhere, are not asking for a hand-out. They are asking to be paid the same wage as men for the same work, which is fundamental to democratic ideals of equity and justice. Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty’s bill, which proposes to amend the Equal Pay Act by allowing for gender pay comparisons, will help reduce the disparity. It is an important step forward for achieving the goal of gender pay equity.

* Ananish Chaudhuri is professor of experimental economics at the University of Auckland Business School.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 25 June 2011, 4:45 pm and is filed under
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Umno goes berserk with Bersih

By
Mariam Mokhtar

June 24, 2011  | Free Malaysia Today

Ambiga Sreenevasan, the Bersih chairman, may yet be the person who leads this country out of the quagmire. Ambiga was the Malaysian Bar chairman from 2007-2009 and in March 2009, received the US Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage from Hillary Clinton, with the US First Lady, Michelle Obama in attendance.

Mrs Clinton praised Ambiga for her pursuit of judicial reform and good governance. She described Ambiga as a champion of religious tolerance, a staunch advocate of women’s equality, whose work and influence was felt in Malaysia and in other countries.

Early yesterday morning, Ambiga received a text message; she was threatened with death if she persisted with her “Walk for Democracy” on July 9.

The chilling contents of the SMS were in Malay and part of the message read: “If the rally takes place my people and I will kill Ambiga and all those around her one by one including the idiot politicians who are in cahoots with this infidel. This is my warning. You watch out.”

The sender also accused Ambiga of being manipulated to spread discord amongst the Malays.

It said, “The PAS and PKR camps are both deaf and blind. If the Election Commission wasn’t clean, how could they have won Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan and Perak?”

The DAP was dubbed “Cina sial” for its role in the perceived downfall of the Malays. It was accused of plotting to rule the country and converting everyone to Christianity.

Ambiga has managed to galvanise the nation to demand free and fair elections. She has urged all politicians, from both sides of the political divide, to unite and seek clean elections and to advocate electoral reforms.

As soon as Ambiga announced the date for the proposed rally, many tried to undermine her. Chief amongst her detractors was Ibrahim Ali, president of the Malay NGO Perkasa.

Ibrahim Ali said that the “Chinese should stock up food” in a thinly veiled reference to ensuing violence if the march went ahead.

The Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector–General of Police, Ismail Omar have refused to act against Ibrahim who is aware that he is protected by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Ibrahim is free to continue his tirades.

Ibrahim’s stance will provide the excuse for police intervention, possibly with the use of violent tactics, purportedly in the name of national security.

Umno Youth has also said it too would take to the streets. With two Malay groups, each vying for attention, the use of force by the police is unavoidable.

Our Summer of Change

The nation is well aware that the chaos in the middle-east has rattled despotic nations around the world. The Malaysian authorities know only too well that their authoritarian rule is not immune from the changing world order.

The rakyat has exercised caution and acted with restraint in pursuance of its rights. But how much longer can it tolerate all the injustices? Are they prepared to wear the yoke for another 54 years under Umno?

If the Arabs had their defining moment in the form of the Arab Spring, Malaysians might well have their day of reckoning in our Summer of Change.

So who stands to lose the most, when Bersih marches on July 9? Umno of course!

Umno, and the various people who benefitted from its largesse in the form of contracts, awards, scholarships, directorships and donations are desperate.

If the rakyat triumphs and true democracy is restored, Umno and its cohorts stand to lose everything – their riches, the false respect they have been accorded, their supposed elevated status in society and naturally, their freedom. Their fall from grace is palpable.

Ambiga is focused on her mission, to save the Malaysian soul. She is leading us to exercise our right to freedom of peaceful assembly on July 9. She has the rakyat’s backing. The authorities may be left standing on the beach trying to stop a tsunami.

When the various ploys to make Ambiga change her mind had failed, Umno got to work, possibly at the instigation of APCO.

Bernama reported that ‘several political analysts’ criticised Ambiga for “tarnishing Malaysia’s image as a nation blessed with peace, harmony and prosperity”.

Although Bernama was not able to name one credible political analyst, these analysts avoided all reference to the simmering tensions and cruel acts practiced on people who are non-Malay and non-Muslim.

These analysts decried Ambiga for distracting the rakyat from the sodomy trial of the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The chairman of the NGO ‘1Agenda’ lodged a police report against Bersih for inviting international media coverage.

The Bernama report described how the assemblies of 1998 and 2007 had inconvenienced the public, caused damage to public property and attracted negative publicity abroad.

One lecturer from the University Utara Malaysia in Kedah, condemned the march because it would mean Malaysia would not be seen as a “paradise for shoppers and tourist and be seen as a place of chaos”.

Since when are lecturers in our higher institutions of learning more concerned about the frivolities of shopping rather than true democracy and principles of good governance? What sort of lecturer has our Minister of Education, Muhyiddin Yassin cultivated?

Cheap and tacky slogans

Another political observer claimed that few would sympathise with a group which acted selfishly and which was prepared to have Malaysia ostracized internationally.

She opined that the Election Commission had acted fairly otherwise no states would have fallen to the Opposition and said: “Is the ambition of one man to become the prime minister, more important than the future of 27 million Malaysians?”

Sadly, there are many misguided people around who have been brainwashed into thinking that Bersih is about Anwar, or that the rakyat’s request for free and fair elections has turned into a battle of political wills.

Bersih is more than just shopping or making Anwar prime minister. The people who think that Bersih or similar rallies will cause foreign investors or tourist to avoid Malaysia are misguided.

Tourists don’t see the real Malaysia, the Internal Security Act and the Kamunting Hilton. Some tourists are happy as long as they find cheap goods, cheap beer and cheap women.

Our reputation is tarnished because we have endemic corruption, a police and judiciary which act as stooges for Umno, where once noble and reputable institutions have become extensions of the Umno empire, where no one is accountable for the unjustified waste of taxpayer’s money, where the rakyat live by cheap and tacky slogans and where race and religious intolerance is continually used to divide the people.

It is time we stopped watching from the sidelines but took part in the rally which is two weeks from today – the Bersih 2.0 march for democracy will be on July 9, 2011. Please be there.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 25 June 2011, 1:26 pm and is filed under
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Watch your words! Wong warns S’wak opposition

By
Joseph Tawie

June 25, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: Second Minister of Finance Wong Soon Koh issued a stern warning to the opposition to behave themselves in the state assembly or they will be referred to the Committee of Privileges of the Dewan Undangan Negeri.

“I don’t mind being be called a ‘motion king’ if I must refer them to the committee of privileges,” he said to reporters.

“At least three of them can be referred to either the committee of privileges or the Dewan Undangan Negeri privileges and power ordinance 2007 where they can be punished,” said Wong, who is the deputy secretary general of Sarawak United People’s Party.

“I caution members of the opposition not to make sweeping statements or make false and baseless allegations. They should avoid sensitive words as there are provisions in the standing orders against using unsavoury language ,” he said.

His warning came in the wake clashes between the opposition members with the Speaker and BN backbenchers following strong words and phrases used by the opposition against the Barisan Nasional state government.

Wong said that he objected to the use of  words and phrases such as ‘the state is wealthy, the BN leaders are wealthy, but the people are in the poorest poor’,  ‘after so many years, the BN failed to provide basic needs of the people and the ‘BN couldn’t careless about poverty’.

“Statements like these do not reflect well on anybody and that to me would bring ridicule and of course, damage the image of our country.

“You could refer to the standing orders, particularly the section on debate. That if you use such provocative words you will receive similar responses from other people.

“I appeal to members of the opposition that when they take part in the debate, make sure to use proper language,” he said, adding that as leader of the opposition Wong Ho Leng should  guide some of the younger ones to avoid making provocative statements.

Reminding everyone that Sarawak is a multi-racial society, Wong said: “We cannot become radical or extremist. We must have the attitude of goodwill, tolerance and understanding, and only then can we have racial harmony and religious tolerance and live in peace.

“The opposition members should set a good example as they have been chosen by the Chinese community and they must behave impeccably,” he said, pointing out what they have been doing is a very unhealthy political trend.

“I’m very worried, and I fear for the future. So I appeal to members of the Opposition to behave,” he said.

Asked to comment on the warning, Baru Bian, the PKR elected representative for Ba’Kelalan said that Wong should not have used threat against the opposition members.

“That is not the right thing to do, but if anyone has breached House rules, then by all means refer him according to the rule. But if you are vindictive and are trying to find fault with opposition members, then your intention is not good.

“You can put a motion but at the end of the day, the House itself will be judged by the people,” said Baru Bian, adding that the warning should also apply to the BN elected representatives.

Meanwhile, Ting Tze Fui, the DAP member for Meradong has named Wong the ‘motion king’ of the state assembly.

“Your futile effort in suspending opposition members one after another (in the last state assembly) has enabled our leader, the member for Bukit Assek (Wong Ho Leng) to bring a strengthened troop of 12 to this state assembly.

“Be assured, 24 of us may be back in this state assembly in five years’ time if you persist in your effort to expel more of us from this sacred assembly,” Ting told Wong during her debate.

In the last assembly, almost all of the eight opposition members including Ting and Wong Ho Leng were suspended for one year from attending the sitting of the state assembly. All the  motions to suspend were initiated by Wong.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 25 June 2011, 3:18 pm and is filed under
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Wearing Bersih 2.0 T-shirt is more dangerous than Osama bin Laden?

The Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should stop the madness where a person can be detained by the police for wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, as if he/she is more dangerous than Osama bin Laden.

Last night, the police have started arresting people for wearing the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt.

This are tweets about the arrest in Shahj Alam last night:

@LatheefaKoya Baru dpt panggilan dari sdr Jonah, ditangkap krn memakai baju bersih, mempromosikan #bersih2.0 akan diambil kenyataan skang

@bersih2: Jonah: polis kata Tshirt #bersih mempromosikan bersih 2.0 yg merupakan hasutan

This is not the reaction of the police in a developed democracy but the response of a repressive and undemocratic government which is afraid of the voice of the people.

Hishammuddin should direct the police to end its hostile, combative, confrontational and repressive stance against the Bersih 2.0 rally on 9th July and to undergo a sea-change for the police to co-operate with the Bersih 2.0 organisers to ensure that the peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally is held successfully, – help by police in crowd control, resolve the traffic congestion in the Federal capital on that day and most important of all, ensure that no irresponsible group of persons are allowed to disrupt the peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally.

Many more people  will turn up to support the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 for free, fair and clean elections than the first Bersih rally in 2007 – in fact, a manifold increase which will be twice, thrice or higher multiple of the 2007 crowd of 40,000 to 50,000.

The many reasons why there will be a manifold increase in the number of people turning up to support the Berish 2.0 rally include:

1.	Post “308” political tsunami, which has empowered Malaysians who want to reclaim their democratic right to help shape the future and destiny of the nation;

2.	The Arab Spring and the Tahrir Square effect educating and motivating more Malaysians about their political rights to have a say in the national decision-making process through peaceful and democratic means;

3.	World-wide and regional movement for change, including the recent Singapore general election results demonstrating that although the Singapore PAP Government had delivered on economic development, the cries of Singaporeans for participatory democracy and consultative form of governance cannot be ignored.

4.	Utter disgust with the politics of intimidation and double-standards, the former typified by the provocative, incendiary, inflammatory and seditious threats of another May 13 by Perkasa President, Ibrahim Ali and the latter by the inaction, connivance and complicity of the Home Minister in failing to take action to prosecute Ibrahim Ali for grave crimes against the people and state of Malaysia.

5.	The greater awareness that Malaysians must stand up to speak in clear and unequivocal terms that they want electoral reforms if the next 13th General Elections is to be free, fair and clean.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should embrace the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally for free, fair and clean elections not to demonstrate his democratic credentials but even more important, to show to the nation and the world that Malaysia is now in the ranks of developed democracies in handling mass public gatherings and the people’s right to freedom of expression.

If 150,000 people could hold a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong on June 4 to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre 22 years ago and to stand up for democracy and the rule of law, is Malaysia more backward than China in respecting peaceful public protests?

If tens and hundreds of thousands of  people can gather in Tahrir Square in Cairo to usher in the Arab Spring, which won the praise of many Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders, is Malaysia more backward than the Arabian countries in upholding democracy and the rule of law?

I still remember the monster rallies on Feb. 15 and 16, 2003 where 10 to 30 million people demonstrated worldwide in some 60 countries against the war in Iraq, with Rome entering the Book of Records with the largest anti-war rally in history  (three  million people) followed by Madrid with 1.5 million people!

The Malaysian Prime Minister at the time and other UMNO leaders had praised these  worldwide anti-war peaceful protests.  Why, then, are the Umno and BN leaders in the year 2011 so silent and not prepared to help to ensure the successful holding of a peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally for free, fair and clean elections especialoly if it is to set a new record in Malaysia for crowd turnout?

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 25 June 2011, 2:08 pm and is filed under
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Who’s the idiot?

By
Shamini Darshni

June 25, 2011

JUNE 25 — When I read how Ibrahim Ali “clarified” what he said about the Chinese community, I had a vision of him in a sampan with a panic-stricken look on his face, working those oars in reverse like the devil was after him.

But this time, I am not stomping my foot in anger or screaming obscenities for the things he said. Then again, I cannot make the same promise the next time he says something that once again breaks the barrier of stupid… and with his track record, that could well be tomorrow.

He now says that the media, The Malaysian Insider, in particular, had sensationalised his comments on how the Chinese should stay indoors and stock up on food to avoid any trouble on the day of the Bersih rally (July 9).

How many times have we seen these back-paddling politicians? Swallowing their words and blaming the media for erroneous reporting with those famous lines: “I was misunderstood.”

(This does not apply to politicians alone, but I’m choosing to be picky here, because, well, they are politicians.)

Every time I see the phrase “I was misquoted” or “I was misunderstood”, it does not even occur to me that the reporter got it wrong, I think, “Oh, regret already-lah.”

His attempts at “clarifying” were humorous:

“…usually, when there are street protests, I do not see the Chinese participating…” And to avoid a possible clash among Malays from PAS with Malays from Umno at the rally from “spreading to the other races”, he thought “it is better for the Chinese to stay back, that is all.”

Yet another forehead-slapping moment.

But this time I laughed.

Bersih is the Coalition for Clean & Fair Elections. If Ibrahim Ali was against a “Walk for Democracy” for Pete’s sake, the words “Malay” and “Chinese” should never have been uttered. Instead it should have been, “I’m an independent member of Parliament who does not give a hoot about transparency or accountability in an election.”

Ibrahim Ali has been annoying me for months now (keyword, “crusade”), and at times when I bring him up in conversations, people tell me “forget him”, “ignore him.”

But I can’t. Because there is a section of the community who thinks he is right. And these are the ones in moments of reflection I worry about. There is a group of people being influenced by stupidity and yes, I do take it personally because they are being told I don’t belong in this country.

I know not every Malay person thinks like Ibrahim Ali or wants what he wants. I know this. I have read your comments and heard your voices. And I have every confidence that Malaysians know better.

I have said it before and I shall say it again: How does he keep getting away with this? Why does he keep getting away with this?

Finally, in the words of Dr Toh Kin Woon, member of Bersih 2.0’s steering committee, on its website: “Opponents of the walk will do well to respect this basic right, failing which, all calls for the creation of a highly-developed country will come to naught.”

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 25 June 2011, 1:13 pm and is filed under
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DAP calls for immediate release of the 30 PSM members and an end to ridiculous police charade

DAP calls for the immediate release of the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaya (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr. Michael Jayakumar in Penang yesterday and an end to the ridiculous police charade that they are trying to revive communism.

I could not believe my eyes when just before being called to the rostrum to speak, I read the online news portal
The Malaysian Insider
a completely unbelievable news story, entitled
:”Bersih supporters nabbed for waging war against King”
.

The Yang di Pertuan Agong, the Prime Minister and the government-of-the-day can count on my loyalty and patriotism and that of the DAP in any treasonous war against the King, but we will not lend ourselves to any fictitious claims to justify gross abuse of power and blatant human rights  violations against patriotic Malaysians to prevent them from  peaceful and democratic exercise of free speech and free assembly.

I read with consternation The Malaysian Insider report and I believe this is also  the shocked outrage of Malaysians – with the question bulking large as to  how the country has swiftly descended to such macabre farce.

I call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ensure that good sense prevail in his government despite facing the mortal challenge of a peaceful Bersih 2.0 peaceful  rally on July 9 calling for free, fair and clean elections – as such a proposed peaceful rally cannot under any stretch of the imagination be equated to a “war against the King”.

In fighting for his political survival, the Najib government and Ministers should not so undermine public confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and professionalism of the key national institutions that these pillars of the national system of governance destroys all public and international confidence in them, resulting in loss of foreign investment and a precipitate economic decline.

(Speech at the  DAP Ubah Dialogue organised by Johore DAPSY at Hotel  Li Gardens in Masai, Johore Bahru on Sunday, 26th June 2011 at 5 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 8:28 pm and is filed under
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Hisham defends Bersih arrests, says activists had ulterior motives

By
 Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

HULU SELANGOR, June 26 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has defended the arrest of 30 Bersih activists in Penang under Section 122 of the Penal Code, saying today there were reasons to justify the police action.

The police said they are probing an alleged attempt by some Bersih activists to revive communism and are investigating 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jayakumar for “waging war against the Yang DiPertuan Agong.”

Hishamuddin, who is the Home Minister, said that he had yet to be briefed in detail on the arrests, but stated that preliminary reports showed that the activists had “other agendas” in mind.

“I have not received a detailed report. But preliminary reports show that the movement, which was said to be mainly a “peaceful” demonstration, (had) other agendas (in mind).

“I believe in facts. I will wait for a further report, but my orders to the police from the start was follow the law, take action to maintain peace and security,” he told reporters after opening the Hulu Selangor Umno division meeting here.

He did not elaborate on the reasons for the arrests, and stressed that it was the police who made the arrests and not him as he did not have the power to do so.

“It’s not me who arrested them. The police decide,” he said, adding that the public should look at the incident from a “wider perspective.”

Deputy Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said today that remand orders would be exercised in order to detain the 30 activists under Section 122 of the Penal Code.

The law was used to prosecute militant terrorist group Al Ma’unah who were involved in an audacious arms heist at an army camp and a tense standoff in the jungles of Perak in 2000.

Section 122 of the Penal Code states: “Whoever collects or attempts to collect men, arms or ammunition, or otherwise prepares to wage war with the intention of either waging or being prepared to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any of the Rulers or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or abets the waging or the preparation of such war, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

“It’s not as straightforward as the points (put forth) by Bersih … Why do you need to have roadshows (throughout) the country?” Hishamuddin said.

The government has said it will not issue permits for Bersih’s planned rally on July 9 that demands free and fair elections.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 7:00 pm and is filed under
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Hisham says cannot rule out ISA for July 9 rallies

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

HULU SELANGOR, June 26 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has not ruled out using the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the July 9 rallies, but said today the Home Ministry will use other security laws for now.

Election watchdog Bersih plans to hold a mass rally on July 9, while Perkasa and Umno Youth plan to hold counter-rallies on the same day. Police arrested 30 Bersih activists yesterday on grounds of waging war against the King.

The Home Minister stressed that action would be taken against anyone who causes havoc on July 9, and said that the police were impartial in the matter.

“If there is chaos, I am responsible to make sure that proper action following the law (will be taken) to control the situation.

“The ISA does not need (to be used) but can be used (but) to use the ISA (there) must be reasons that really threaten the country’s security and safety,” he told reporters here today.

The Home Minister pointed out that the act was only used in extreme circumstances, citing cases where it was used against Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Tamil Tiger militants.

“But if we take action in context that can be connected to politics, it can be exploited.

“(For now) other laws can be used. We have not reached that level … we will monitor the situation first,” he added.

Hishamuddin also said that the army might be brought in if things get out of hand on July 9.

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 Sunday, 26 June 2011, 7:02 pm and is filed under
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How far is BN willing to go?

By
Othman Wahab

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 26 — The strong-arm tactics have started and the trumped-up charges have started to flow.

I can imagine the headlines in tomorrow’s papers: “30 detained for waging war against King” and “Group trying to revive communism.”

And of course, the name of Chin Peng will be all over. I must say the Najib administration and the police are quite “imaginative.” They have gone one step further than the dictators and autocrats in Algeria or Syria, reviving the bogey of communism.

This gambit is aimed directly at the Malay electorate, hoping that this story about waging war against a Malay Ruler and the spectre of communism will tarnish Bersih and perhaps create confusion among PAS supporters as well as convince Malays that they should steer clear of Bersih.

I mean so far the government has portrayed Ambiga Sreenivasan as anti-Islam and anti-Malay. Over the next few days, serious looking ministers will be quoted on the national security “threat” facing the country.

Of course, this is all wayang. The threat, if any, comes from the morally-bankrupt Umno. History is replete with dictators and autocrats using all sorts of bogeymen to stay in power. Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe is a master at this craft.

The biggest threat to our country comes from this collection of Umno politicians who want to cling to power. If innocent people need to be locked up, so be it. If people need to be fixed up, so be it. If fathers and mothers need to be detained, so be it.

This plot to revive communism is as plausible as the plan by Christians to take over Malaysia. (Also hatched by Umno). We are entering a dark period in Malaysian history but we should not despair.

Good always triumphs over evil. Always.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 7:30 pm and is filed under
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Intelligent politicians, please

By
Ali Kadir

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 26 — Wanted: some individuals with some modicum of intelligence and competence to lead Malaysia.

Muhyiddin Yassin and Shafie Apdal (among Umno’s best and brightest judging by fact that one is the second in line to govern the country and the other is the third in line) need not apply.

The two senior ministers are evidence of how hollow the ranks of leaders in Umno are. Today, Shafie Apdal gave credence to the line that it is best to keep silent and keep up the illusion of competence rather than open your mouth and shatter it.

Now everyone with primary education knows that the Bersih rally is about highligthing election fraud and forcing the government to play fair. This means that the current system is skewed and untrustworthy.

Easy to understand? Not for Shafie Apdal. He says that instead of demonstrating Pakatan Rakyat state governments in Kelantan, Penang, Selangor and Kedah should dissolve the state assemblies and contest the polls.

Now why would they do that when they don’t have trust in the fairness of the election system. It is precisely because of election fraud that the Pakatan Rakyat state governments know that they are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.

So for Shafie to offer this pearl of wisdom only means that he either chooses not to understand what Bersih is about or he is just plain unintelligent. But he does not have to worry very much about losing out to Muhyiddin. This politician is not the brightest spark in the room either.

He says that the government knows that the Bersih rally is all about politics. Wow, this is really enlightening.

And stuffing the ballot box, phantom voters and widening the base of postal voters is about what, exactly. Is it about keeping Muhyiddin, Shafie, Noh Omar, Hishammuddin Hussein, Khaled Nordin, Kong Chong Ha, Ng Yen Yen, Palanivel, Nazri Aziz employed?

The fact that is shocking is that not only do we have to deal with corruption, abuse of power. But we are asked to suffer fools.

We would not tolerate some of these people as our subordinates. Why are we letting them govern us?

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 12:01 pm and is filed under
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Kota, kedai and kopitiam

By
Zubin Mohamad

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 26 — Over the years, I have been going back to Kelantan either to visit my parents and family or to do research on Kelantan performance. During one of the trips, I took a friend to visit some old cemeteries and traditional villages near Kota Baru. After the trip, she said, “Next we should visit the kota-kota in Kelantan.” Kota usually refers to fort, mostly referring to the old fort surrounding a palace or town like Kota Melaka, Kota Kuala Muda in Kedah or Kota Malawati in Kuala Selangor. Kota also refers to a city like Kota Kinabalu or Kota Baru. But perhaps both are related as the old palace or town is usually surrounded by a wall, ie. fully fortified.

In Kelantan, there are a few places with the word kota in front of it such as Kota Kubang Labu, Kota Jelasin, Kota Jembal, Kota Mahligai or Kota Salor, mostly related to the old royal palaces before the present royal administration. They could be related to one another but may have been at war with each other at some time or existed one after the other.

However, the history of these places is scattered here and there, and incomplete. But at least nowadays we are able to trace the locations of these places quickly, without much difficulty. Just Google them, and you might find something in Wikipedia, Wikimapia, or even personal blogs to whet your appetite for the history of the place.

While researching the various kota in Kelantan, I discovered an old book in my friend’s library: Place-Names in Peninsular Malaysia by S.Durai Raja Singam, first published in 1925 and the book has been reprinted for five times until the last edition in 1980. I managed to find Kota Baru, Kota Jelasin (spelled Kota Jalasin) and Kota Kubang Labu, but not others like Kota Jembal, Kota Mahligai and Kota Salor. Kota Kubang Labu is translated as “a mud-pool of gourds” and described as the ruins near Wakaf Bharu in the Tumpat district. This was the seat of Kelantan rulers between 1756 and 1762. Long Pandak, the ruler at Kubang Labu, stabbed his wife to death because of jealousy. In retaliation, Long Ghaffar, the cousin of his wife, killed him. Long Mohamad, the brother of Long Pandak, was the last ruler at Kubang Labu. The seat of Kelantan rulers moved across the river to Kota Baru after that. And that is just one example of a particular incident that triggered the change of seat and location. Kota Jembal, another important name in Kelantan history, was formerly known as Kedai Lalat in the 19th and 20th century. In the past, kedai referred to pekan (little town) or pasar (market) just like Kedai Mulong, Kedai Buloh or Kedai Salor in Kota Baru.

But most of these kedais have their own history, related to kota. Some people believe that the name Kedai Lalat was given due to the large number of people who flocked to the market every day. I am also inclined to believe that the name lalat or flies was chosen to remember the time when the armies of the Melaka kingdom ransacked the place, killing many people. That incident forced Sultan Mansur of Kelantan to marry off his daughter, Onang Kuning, to Sultan Mahmud of Melaka in the 16th century and re-install Kelantan or Kota Jembal as the ruling seat. Tuan Guru Nik Aziz, the menteri besar of Kelantan, changed the name to Kota Jembal. Kota Jembal was the predecessor of Kota Kubang Labu, while Kota Mahligai was the predecessor of Kota Jembal. Not only do these places have a relation to Puteri Saadong and Che Siti Wan Kembang, the seat of Kota Jembal also has a close relation to Pattani queens in the 17th century as they were related to each other. Kota Jelasin, now known as Kampung Kota, not far from my birthplace, Kedai Salor, was the birthplace of Puteri Saadong. When she got married to Raja Abdullah, she moved to Kota Mahligai in Melur, not far from Kedai Mulong. If you were to drive from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru via Gua Musang and Kuala Krai, you would pass through Melur (Kota Mahligai) and Kedai Mulong, where Istana Nilam Puri is.

Nilam Puri housed Malaysia’s oldest mosque, known as Masjid Kampung Laut, built in the 1730s in Kampung Laut, in Tumpat district, not far from Kota Kubang Labu, but it was relocated to Nilam Puri after the 1960s after a series of big floods in Kelantan. Another interesting addition to Kedai Mulong is the Kedai Mulong Mosque. The mosque or masjid was originally an abandoned building in Kota Baru after World War II. But in 1958, the residents of Kedai Mulong bought the building and turned it into a mosque.

Kedai Mulong was another buzzing weekend market, about 8 kilometres from Kota Baru. Later I found out that the building was formerly the Balairong Seri or the throne hall of Raja Dewa Tuan Zainal Abidin, the prince of Sultan Muhamad III, built around 1900. Today, you can still find the road in Kota Baru, Jalan Raja Dewa, named after him, not far from the residence of Sultan Muhamad IV in Jalan Telipot. Local history is becoming an important way of piecing together the big puzzle of grand history of certain states or important civilizations. However, more often than not, local histories are being omitted from the construction of state or national history.

As a result, they only remain with the older generation of the place and if it is not handed down to their children or young pupils, the piece of important history is lost.

I was born in Kedai Salor, eight miles from Kota Baru and four miles from Pasir Mas town, and in the past, we had to take a motorboat that served as a ferry to cross the Kelantan River. My late mother told me that her father used to run the boat and sand business in Pasir Mas.

When she was starting her married life, she had to sell all her gold jewellery from the hantaran (dowry) from her father to purchase two lots of pre-war shophouses in Kedai Salor.

The shops were built in three rows in a horseshoe shape with an open market occupying half of the middle space. Our shops were situated right at the corner facing the road. Kedai Salor died out after the completion of Sultan Yahya Bridge in 1969. I was told that the market was thriving before and after World War II, during the British colonial period. Kedai Salor was not only known as the market centre of Kota Baru district, but also for the Zapin dance known as Zapin Salor, performed regularly at the Kelantan palace.

Perhaps this was due to its close relation with the Kelantan princes, especially during the reign of Sultan Sir Ibrahim (1944-1960). Pasir Mas Salor was also known for the sand mining business due to its excessive sand on both banks of the river. A mile from Kedai Salor, there is this place called Gertak Lembu, referring to a wooden bridge, probably used as  as a cattle crossing. In the past, I was told that people ferried the cattle from Pasir Mas district, as it was more rural and served as supplier of cows and farmers’ products. The cows were slaughtered in Gertak Lembu due to its proximity to the river and channel, and then the meat was taken to Kedai Salor market to be sold. By the early 1970s, the market was already dead. Only a few shops survived, while the market building became a badminton court for aspiring Thomas Cup players. Television had clearly replaced the “live” performances of Wayang Kulit, Main Peteri, Mak Yong, Menora, Dikir Barat, Zapin and Kertok (percussion instrument made of coconut shells and bamboo).

In the family album, I saw pictures of travelling Malay film stars in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Saloma, P. Ramlee, Normadiah, Aziz Jaafar, Rahmah Rahmat and etc. performing at the Pasaria (fun fair) in Salor. My parents were running a kopitiam or coffee shop to raise their eight children. So, I grew up playing in the coffee shop, meeting many people, and listened to many stories about fights, weddings, births and deaths.

When I was in secondary school in the late 1970s, my parents stopped the coffee shop business as all my siblings were already out of school and working. But they decided to start a less demanding shop, a grocery shop, selling jasmine rice, brown and white sugar as well as glutinous rice, all purchased from across the border in Sungai Golok. Salor and the nearby areas like Dewan Beta and Kemubu were known as the big rice fields in Kelantan due to its location to the water source, flat land and very fertile soil. Gertak Lembu probably had the biggest kilang padi (rice mill) in the whole district, where they processed the yellow padi to white rice. During the monsoon season at the end of the year, the rice plateau would become a sea of fresh water, a combination of rainwater and water from the Kelantan River.

Gertak Lembu would be the first place to be flooded due to its proximity to the Salor channel. We would take out our wooden boat to the rice field filled with at least two meters high water. Years later, we became less competent in rowing the boat as we moved to using a motorised fiberglass boat.

For many years I didn’t realise that salor actually referred to the channel connecting the Kelantan River with the rice plateau, and the channel has probably been there for many centuries. Little did I know that salor is a very important facility for rice cultivation in the district. When I visited Cambodia and Angkor for the first time in 1995, I realized that the court of Indravarman III (1295-1307) at Angkor had an unusual feature. During the month of July to November, when the Mekong is in full flood, it reverses direction and flows back into the Tonle Sap (a great man-made lake reservoir in Siem Riep).

It was recorded that “floating rice” grew in the lake in summer time, in effect, Nature did the transplanting, a crucial step in rice cultivation.

It is of great historical importance as it gives a clue as to how rice cultivation began in Asia, the launching of agricultural revolution. Genetic studies also show that the oldest rice species are found in the monsoon belt, including the Mekong, which includes Tonle Sap. As the climatic conditions in the northern latitudes were unsuitable for agriculture, they moved south to the Fertile Crescent, the birthplace of agriculture.

Langkasuka, spanning from the 2nd century to the 14th century, covering the geographical area from the Isthmus Kra all the way down to the great lake in the middle of the Malay peninsula, has strong connections with the Angkor kingdom and earlier kingdoms like Chenla, Champa and Funan.

We can see that our artforms, from textile weaving to carving to shadow puppets, silver, gold and wood, are more similar to Cambodia than Thailand (Siam) and Indonesia (Majapahit and Sailendra). According to I-Ching, the Chinese Buddhist scholar, the voyage involving from the Cambodian coast to the Malay peninsula across the Gulf of Siam, only took two days.

A few Malaysian archaeologists and historians have also indicated that there’s an old fort, referred to as “Kota Salor”, not far from Gertak Lembu. We, the people in Salor, refer to the place as Bawah Lembah as the level of the land was much lower or sunken, just next to the riverbank.

I was once taken there to watch a Manora performance when I was a young child. I was told that there was an old chandi (wat) near there. That’s why they were still performing the Manora there even though the chandi vanished a long time ago.

Another story I read in Dian, an old Kelantan magazine published by Pustaka Antara Kota Bharu, years ago, mentioned that there was a palace there as the Kelantan History Society found a few old burial grounds there. But I have not heard anything more.

When I asked my father about Kota Salor, he only remembers that there was a story of Raja Salor being attacked by Siam; they threw their gold and silver into the well to hide from the enemy. Many people were killed and captured, only a few managed to hide and run away.

These stories of kota, kedai and kopitiam should be constructed and reconstructed to complete the puzzle of our cosmopolitan history that is not being told and recorded in our history books..

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 11:58 am and is filed under
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Najib: Bersih ploy to stop BN ‘momentum’

By
Hazlan Zakaria

Jun 26, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak explained away the planned mammoth Bersih 2.0 rally as nothing more than an attempt to “wrest back political momentum from the BN”.

“It has nothing to do with a memorandum to the Agong. It has nothing to do with allegedly crooked elections,” alleged the PM.

“They resolved that if they want to stop us, this is how they can wrest back the political momentum,” he told over 2,500 delegates attending the PPP annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur today.

Najib who opened the BN component party’s AGM, claimed that the opposition was trying to “reverse the trend” favouring BN in recent by-elections.

“We have won in most of the by-elections, we only lost one in Sibu. But we won more. We also won in the Sarawak state election with more than two-thirds majority.

“Independent analysts also said that the government is on the right track with our transformation programmes,” he said.

He argued it is because of this, that the opposition had to look for a way to win back the rakyat, and were using the planned electoral reform rally to swing the momentum their way.

The premier refuted Bersih’s claims of electoral irregularities saying that if indeed BN is rigging the elections, they might as well make sure they win in all states and not allow Pakatan to win five states as in the last polls.

‘If you are man enough, contest’

Najib also chided the rally’s organisers on their choice of means to fight for the people, saying that street demonstrations was not the way.

“The power is in the hands of the rakyat, it is not in the streets (demonstrations),” sniped the BN chairperson.

He challenged those behind Bersih to instead go head to head with BN in what he claimed was a more suitable arena.

“If you are man enough, during the elections, you contest. If you don’t have the guts, do your street demonstrations, but be prepared to face the consequences.”

But he warned that BN and the government will not stay still in the face of activities that may cause havoc.

“We will fight it to the end, but not like gangsters, we use laws and in the proper way,” Najib said in his fiery speech which drew applause.

In his welcome speech earlier, PPP president M Kayveas (right) also urged the government to take stern measures against the Bersih rally which he said was the wrong way to make perfectly sound demands.

“I support the the eight Bersih demands, but I do not support the way they choose to convey it,” he said.

Clean up

While he did not name names, Najib also took a dig at PKR defacto leader Anwar Ibrahim whom he alluded as the brains behind Bersih.

“How can he become defacto leader, when he never contested at all in his own party? But before he wants to clean up our elections, he should clean up his party first.

“Look at what happen during their party elections, they say it is about reformasi, but it ended with baling kerusi ( chairs being thrown),” jibed Najib.

Najib also recounted how some PKR leaders like former federal minister Zaid Ibrahim who once supported the party, had left in disappointment, disheartened by its lack of direction.

The Bersih 2.0 rally is a follow up from the first demonstration in November 2007, which saw close to 40,000 people take to the streets of the federal capital to push the government and the Election Commission (EC) to implement electoral reforms.

The proposed July 9 rally while receiving the support of civil society and the opposition, has been criticised by the BN-led federal government and police who have promised stern action against those taking part in what they already declared as an illegal gathering.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 6:54 pm and is filed under
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Opposition leader: Land for Taib’s brother? Why?

By
Ang Ngan Toh

Jun 25, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Bukit Assek state assemblyperson Wong Ho Leng has demanded to know why a huge parcel of land was alienated to a company owned by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s brother, Ibrahim, and Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Tiong Thai King.

Wong, also Sarawak state legislative assembly opposition leader, said Ibrahim and Tiong, who is also Lanang member of parliament, are already “multi billionaires”.

The 3,000-acre land should have been alienated to PJ Green Field Sdn Bhd, a reputable agriculture company, and not to Victoria Square Development Sdn Bhd, he said.

He added that PJ Green Field Sdn Bhd with some 90 farmers had applied for the alienation of the land located at the south of Loba Kabong forest reserve, about 9km northwest of Sibu town, for mixed crop agricultural development.

Wong was speaking yesterday during the debate on the motion of thanks after Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhamad Salahuddin Abang Barieng’s opening address.

“The proposed area is classified as a mixed zone land.

“The company proposed to plant mandarin oranges, coffee and aloe vera,” he said, adding that these agriculture activities will create employment and rejuvenate the entire west bank of Batang Igan.

Big dreams, big plans, big letdown

The application, dated Nov 28, 2003, was rejected in October 2006.

Wong said the company then learnt that the land in question was alienated as Lot 63 Block 6 Engkilo Land District to Victoria Square Development Sdn Bhd in April 2007.

He said: “Why are people of different spectrum treated differently? The land ought to be given to the farmers.”

He added that on Dec 12, 2007, slightly over a year later, PJ Green Field was informed that the land that they had applied for was likely subject to native customary rights .

“This is a lie. How can native customary rights not be determinable by 2007?

“Above all else, how could this land be likely subject to native customary rights when it could be alienated to Victoria Square Development Sdn Bhd eight months earlier?” he asked.

Wong asked Taib, who is also the minister of planning and resource management, to inform the House whether political reasons underlay the alienation exercise.

He said the government should encourage reputable farmers to apply for agriculture land, since there are so much suitable state reserve land available.

“I have said before in this House that our state must encourage agricultural activities as well as diversify,” he said, adding that the state must spread into other agriculture sectors and not just focus on oil palm alone as the international price of palm oil fluctuates.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 11:48 am and is filed under
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Pakatan aims for 11 states in GE13, says Kit Siang

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is targeting to control 11 states in the upcoming general elections, says Lim Kit Siang.

The DAP parliamentary leader said the coalition has targeted on retaining Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan and winning back Perak. He also said that PR is planning on taking over Negri Sembilan, Johor, Malacca, Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis from Barisan Nasional (BN).

“The forthcoming 13th General Election will be the battle of the century as at stake will not only be the state governments of all the 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia but  federal power in Putrajaya as well,” said Lim at a dinner in Teluk Intan last night.

Lim said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was aware of the “high stakes” involved in the upcoming polls, which is why he had “reminded” the Selayang Umno division yesterday that in a general election there is no such term as a runner-up.

“Najib is fully aware that a 5 per cent swing in votes in the next general election as compared to the 2008 general election will see a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya and Umno and Barisan Nasional taking their places in the parliamentary opposition benches. The same odds apply for the state elections as well,” said Lim.

The last 2008 general election saw the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition lose its grip on its two-thirds parliamentary majority to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as well as five states — Selangor, Penang, Kelantan, Kedah and Perak.

Adding on, Lim said that if BN continued to resort to undemocratic and oppressive means like a crack down on the July 9 Bersih rally, then they would be “creating the very conditions which would ensure a 5 per cent swing against Umno and BN in the next general election” and inadvertently a change of federal power in Putrajaya.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 11:42 am and is filed under
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Pakatan Rakyat’s 3 state targets in next general elections

Pakatan Rakyat has three targets for the states in the next general elections, viz:

To retain the four Pakatan Rakyat states of Penang, Kedah, Selangor  and Kelantan;

To win back Perak state government which was illegally, unconstitutionally and undemocratically robbed from the people and the Pakatan Rakyat; and

To form the state government in the six states of Negri Sembilan, Johore, Malacca, Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis.

The forthcoming 13th General Election will be the battle of the century as at stake will not only  be the state governments of all the 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia but  federal power in Putrajaya as well.

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is fully aware of the highest stakes involved in the next general elections, which is why he is so indecisive on the dates for the national polls, setting off repeated speculations as to when the next general elections would be held.

I think we can rule out the possibility of general elections in the third quarter of this year.  The next general elections will be either at the end of this year or next year.

The 13th General Elections will be unprecedented, as it will be the first general election in the nation’s history where the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional  under UMNO hegemony, will be facing a life-and-death battle.

In the last 12 general elections from 1959 to 2008, UMNO and the ruling coalition had gone into the hustings with supreme confidence, not only about retaining power but doing so with a great margin of  victory.

In fact, there was not a single general election in the past five decades where UMNO had not contested with supreme confidence that it would be able to win power with comfortable two-thirds parliamentary majority.

Until the 308 “political tsunami” of the 2008 general elections when UMNO and Barisan Nasional suffered their worst electoral debacle, losing two-thirds parliamentary majority and clinging precariously to power thanks to the two “fixed deposit” states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Umno and BN will be fighting a “life-and-death” battle in the 13th General Election, not just about whether they can regain two-thirds  parliamentary majority lost in 2008, but whether they could be returned to power or would have to occupy the Opposition benches for the first time in their experience.

This is why Najib reminded the Selayang UMNO division today that in a general  election there is no such term as runner-up like in other contests, as either UMNO and BN retain power in Putrajaya or they are relegated to the Opposition benches.

This applies to the state elections and the state governments as well.

This is probably the reason why the UMNO and BN leaders are so panicky about the Bersih 2.0 peaceful rally on July 9 for fair, free and clean elections for they fear that Bersih 2.0 will be even more successful manifold than the first Bersih rally in 2007.

Najib is fully aware that a 5% swing in votes in the next general election as compared to the 2008 general election will see a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya and UMNO and Barisan Nasional taking their places in the parliamentary opposition  benches. The same odds apply for the state elections as well.

However, Najib and his election strategists should realise that if the BN government decides to resort to high-handed, repressive and undemocratic measures to use the police to crack down on the peaceful Berish 2.0 rally for free,  fair and clean general elections, they may be creating the very conditions which would ensure a 5% swing against UMNO and BN in the next general election – setting the stage for a change of federal power in Putrajaya for the first time in the nation’s history.

* Speech at the Teluk Intan DAP Anniversary Dinner held at San Min School hall, Teluk Intan on Saturday, June 25, 2011

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 8:37 am and is filed under
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Police intensify clampdown on pre-rally roadshow

by
Regina Lee

Malaysiakini

Jun 25, 11

The police have intensified its efforts to clamp down on polls watchdog Bersih’s pre-rally roadshow as it kicked off nationwide yesterday.

Supposed to begin in Uptown market in Shah Alam last night with a series of speeches, the police had cordoned off the commercial centre as early as 5pm as well as erecting roadblocks around the city.

The law enforcers made their presence felt by bringing along three police trucks and 50 police personnel together with scores of other plainclothes police officers.

One of the speakers, PKR Youth deputy chief Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin, was quickly arrested and whisked off by the police 10 minutes after he arrived, even though he was “doing nothing” in the area, according to him.

“I was having tea alone at the food court area, which was not very near the cordoned place when three plainclothes police approached me,” he told Malaysiakini.

He said that the three took him near the stage before 10 policemen surrounded him and handcuffed him before taking him to the Shah Alam district police headquarters.

While he said that the police never told him why he was arrested, Khairul reckoned that it was because of the Bersih T-shirt that he was wearing at time.

He was later released at close to 2 in the morning.

Khairul also said that other invited speakers including former Malaysian Trade Unions Congress president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud – also a PKR division leader – were milling around the area but they were not arrested.

“(The police) barricaded the stage and cordoned off the entire Uptown market. There was really nothing anyone can do,” decried Khairul.

Apart from that, it was also reported that two other people were arrested yesterday but released later for wearing the Bersih’s distinctive yellow T-shirt.

According to Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s official Twitter account @bersih2, seven people were arrested yesterday in Kluang, Johor, while they were out distributing leaflets about the rally.

Kit Siang: Stop the madness

Despite the early flexing of muscles by the police, Bersih 2.0 still vowed to trudge on with their roadshow ahead of the massive rally, planned in two weeks.

Slamming the arrests earlier as ‘ridiculous’, Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah (right) said that the roadshow comprising eight stops still yet to be carried out, including the ones later today in Johor Baru and Kuala Selangor.

“I hope that the police won’t abuse their power because all our roadshows are meant to be peaceful.

“All we want to do is just explain our list of eight demands to the people,” she said.

Meanwhile, DAP politician Lim Kit Siang urged Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to “stop the madness where a person can be detained by the police for wearing the Bersih T-shirt as if he/she is more dangerous than Osama bin Laden”.

Bersih 2.0 is planning to hold a massive rally on July 9 to push for electoral reforms and to hand over a petition of demands to the Istana Negara.

At the same time, Umno Youth as well as Malay rights NGO Perkasa have announced their plans to organise counter-rallies on the same day.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 7:23 am and is filed under
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Police: PSM ‘communists’ waging war on King

By
Hazlan Zakaria

Jun 26, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Penang deputy police chief Abdul Rahim Jaafar today said the 31 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) activists arrested yesterday while aboard a bus at the Sungai Dua toll plaza have been charged under Section 122 of the Penal Code.

The activists were participating in the northern leg of the party’s “Udah La Tu Bersaralah” roadshow campaign which kicked off on June 24 as part of the work-up to the upcoming Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 for electoral reform.

Those arrested included Sungai Siput parliamentarian D Jeyakumar. One was subsequently released as he was under-aged.

According to a Bernama today, Abdul Rahim told reporters that the 30 were being charged with ‘waging war against the King’ based on police findings that the group is trying to resurrect Communism in the country.

“Based on paraphernalia seized by police from the activists, it can be seen that they have connections with the Malaysian Communist Party (MCP) ideology.

“These include leaflets and T-shirts printed with the names Chin Peng, Rashid Maidin and Suriani Abdullah, all of whom are linked to the MCP,” said Abdul Rahim.

Abdul Rahim said he believes that the PSM activist were trying to revive the communist ideology by distributing the paraphernalia to the people in the state.

This, he added, prompted authorities to arrest those involved because their seditious activities threatened to turn the people against the government.

In an immediate response, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan (below) described the police’ actions as “ridiculous and far-fetched” and accused them of trying to paint the political party as a bogeyman to scare the public.

“It’s ridiculous and farfetched. They are trying to create a tense situation with these imaginary threats,” Arutchelvan told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

Rubbishing the charge, the secretary-general pointed out that there has been a peace accord between Malaysia and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP).

The country maintains democratic relations with communist countries whose leaders have had audiences with the Agong Mizan Zainal Abidin and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Arutchelvan also confirmed that the 30 party members arrested in Kepala Batas, Penang, were transferred to the Butterworth district courthouse, the premises of which have been ringed by police with road blocks set-up and the public prohibited from approaching.

“PSM will issue a formal statement about this issue soon. We are holding an emergency meeting about it now,” he added.

Initially 31 party members, 14 females and 17 males, were sent to the Seberang Perai Utara district police headquarters after their arrest, to have their statements taken.

While the minor was released, the rest were remanded to assist police investigations. Their remand order was issued by the Butterworth magistrate court earlier today.

The arrests are part of a nationwide police crackdown on pre-Bersih activities and reported ban on political events.

In addition to those arrested in Penang, 28 people were yesterday arrested in Tangkak, Johor, in the southern leg of the campaign. Arutchelven was among those detained.

At 4am, all 28 were released on police bail. It is believed that they were investigated under Sedition Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Last night, a Bersih roadshow in Shah Alam, Selangor, was interrupted by police, who arrested one person.

They were detained for distributing leaflets on the gathering which aims to promote a free and fair election, and organisers plan to submit an 18-point memorandum to the King.

In Ampang today, eight men were detained after they were found wearing yellow t-shirts with ‘Bersih 2.0’ written in the Malay Jawi script at Taman Kosas.

Ampang Jaya Police Chief ACP Amiruddin Jamaluddin said all eight were detained as their t-shirts reflected their support for the illegal July 9 rally.

“They were also found to have disrupted public order while riding on their motorcycles in the area. It was the reason for their arrest,” he told Bernama.

Amiruddin said they were being detained at the Ampang police station and police would release them after recording statements from them.

Arrests unabated

Meanwhile late into the night the arrests have not seen an end, as a Bersih Twitter message at 10.55pm reported a youth in Gombak Baru, Kuala Lumpur being arrested for wearing a Berish T-shirt.

Bersih 2.0 executive director Maria Chin Abdullah later added, “(There are) more arrests in Ampang and Gombak, and Bersih 2.0 is arranging for legal advice for them.

“We have many brave lawyers volunteering themselves to take up cases in the event of arrests,” she said, adding, ”The walk for democracy still goes on.”

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 6:57 pm and is filed under
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Pua slams ‘ridiculous’ Bersih arrests in Penang

By
Melissa Chi

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — DAP’s Tony Pua hit out today against the arrests of 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, saying the police were out to “create an atmosphere of intimidation” ahead of the Bersih rally planned for July 9.

DAP and their allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) support the rally calling for free and fair elections.

“I think it is completely ridiculous. Anyone out there conducting any political act is immediately arrested despite the fact that they are not inciting violence, not holding arms, not doing anything of that sort that will threaten the security of the people around them.

“The police are clearly trying to create an atmosphere of intimidation to frighten anybody who has any thought of turning up for the Bersih rally or joining the action around the country to promote free and fair elections,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

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

Malay rights group Perkasa has threatened a counter rally if Bersih continues with its plans while Umno Youth said it would hold a rally in support of the Election Commission, which is the subject of Bersih’s demands.

PAS has asked for one million members to take to the streets on July 9 to support Bersih, which has also organised rallies in several cities around the world.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said everything that the police had done to create obstacles for the highly-anticipated rally is working in their favour.

“They are creating more publicity for the rally. The people who don’t know about this are now thinking about joining the rally. The fact that police are taking harsh action and giving repeated warnings to the public over participating land a greater determination of the people who may be interested to voice their support and join the rally,” he said.

The police said earlier today they are probing an alleged attempt by some Bersih activists to revive communism, and are investigating 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jayakumar for “waging war against the Yang DiPertuan Agong.”

Deputy Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar was quoted by Astro Awani as saying today that remand orders would be exercised to detain the 30 activists under Section 122 of the Penal Code.

Section 122 of the Penal Code states: “Whoever collects or attempts to collect men, arms or ammunition, or otherwise prepares to wage war with the intention of either waging or being prepared to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any of the Rulers or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or abets the waging or the preparation of such war, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

It is understood that the 30 activists were detained at the Sungai Dua toll plaza near Kepala Batas in Penang while on their way to a gathering in support of the Bersih rally planned for July 9.

The government has said it will not issue permits for Bersih’s planned rally nor to the counter groups.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 7:43 pm and is filed under
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Something rotten at the Duta courts

by
Hafiz Yatim

Malaysiakini

Jun 25, 11

Shakespeare wrote in the play ‘Hamlet’ that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. Court of Appeal judge NH Chan had also made similar remarks when he wrote the Ayer Molek Rubber Co Bhd vs Insas Bhd judgment in 1995, where he described the case he was presiding over as being about an injustice perpetrated by a court of law.

Can yesterday’s conviction of the infamous ‘Datuk T’ trio be said a travesty of justice deserving the local version that goes “something is rotten in Duta courts” resulting in possibly another charge looming over Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim?

Anwar had yesterday maintained the government’s conspiracy in the matter, asking how can one respect a government when its instruments are so blatantly used politically.

Let’s back-track a bit before returning to the conviction. The video was screened on March 21 at the posh and historical Carcosa Seri Negara Hotel by the Datuk T for several invited editors and journalists in a room booked under the name of former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, who is also Risda chairperson.

Rahim is part of the Datuk T trio that also comprised businessperson Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and former MP Shuib Lazim – all three later claimed responsibility for the event. The three protagonists had called on Anwar to resign.

This led to Anwar issuing a statement on the same day, March 21, denying that he was the man in the video and lodged a police report the next day.

As a result, the trio was called in and it was during this time Eskay said he had handed the only copy of the sex tape to the police.

However, parts of the clip made their way online just before the Sarawak state elections, only to resurface last month, this time in full. It also made its way to the homes of village headmen and politicians via post.

After a period of silence, Eskay took a religious oath at a Sentul mosque – complete with bullet-proof vest – to swear that Anwar was the man in the video.

He repeated himself yesterday when the facts of the case were being read out in court, telling the court that the man in the video who resembles Anwar, was indeed the politician.

 Subsequently the trio pleaded guilty to be fined a total of RM5,500.

Discrepancy before yesterday

 When Eskay told reporters on Wednesday that he would be charged on Friday, several parliament reporters claimed that they spotted Rahim apparently meeting Prime Minister Najib Razak in the august House.

While Najib denied the meeting took place, Anwar maintains it did indeed happen, suggesting that it would probably lead to the charge being reduced, thus adding muscle to his assertion of a political conspiracy.

The trio – Eskay, Rahim and Shuib – were the main actors along with DPPs Kamaludin Md Said and Mohd Hanafiah Zakaria and respected lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as well as two other defence lawyers.

 Another bombshell dropped before the Datuk T trio were charged was when Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia published a story yesterday quoting Eskay as saying he was ready for any outcome with the article aptly titled ‘Kami sedia apa saja hukuman’ (We are prepared to face any punishment).

So Utusan had a scoop, probably because they knew the high possibility of all three preparing to plead guilty.

 The same report stated that the trio would be charged under Section 5 of the Film Censorship Act, for circulating, exhibiting, distributing and displaying an obscene film, which is punishable by a fine of not less than RM10,000 and not more than RM50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both.

Utusan however got that charge wrong when prosecution filed a lesser charge against Datuk T. Anwar pounced on this to back his political conspiracy accusation.

Proceedings in court

 Before the arrival of the accused, reporters somehow knew in advance that the case would be heard at magistrate’s court three and rushed up there.

 Normally, a case would have to be registered first, only then will the courtroom be known. That is the normal procedure any lawyer will tell you to ensure that there is no fixing of judge or magistrate.

 It could not be determined if the case had been registered first when the counter opened at 8am and that Eskay and co were told to arrive at that time, but they instead presented themselves sometime around 9.15am in court.

 According to reporters covering the trial, two widescreen televisions were already placed in court as a possible prelude to the video being screened.

 Some lawyers who were not watching the case but were in the massive court complex were heard murmuring that the protests outside the court in support of Datuk T and the charging were merely a sideshow – a show which has entranced and held the whole nation captive as the three-and-a-half hour proceedings rolled on.

Another point of oddity was when the charge was read out under section 292 of the Penal Code, all three had asked for a break to consult their counsel, as this was “a new charge”.

When the case was recalled, they pleaded guilty and suprisingly, the facts of case had already been conveniently prepared.

The normal proceedings in such cases in a magistrate’s court is that when a person pleads guilty, the prosecutors would seek more time – usually a few hours or in the afternoon and sometimes the next day to prepare the statement.

 However, in this case, after a 45-minute interval, the charge was read again and all three entered their plea with the statement of facts ready to be read out in court.

The five-page fact sheet appeared to have been carefully crafted to implicate Anwar in the video as his name was mentioned at least five times right from the first paragraph.

Then came the real jolt when Shafee and not the prosecution told the magistrate that according to case laws, many such cases had been thrown out on appeal because the obscene material had not been screened.

He then applied for the 20-minute sex-clip to be shown in court. The prosecution and other defence counsel raised no objections.

The tape then appeared on the two big screens, which had been been placed there earlier.

Then Shafee began his lengthy submission in mitigation, representing the third defendant, Rahim.

He stated that the revelation of video was made in the defence of the public good and his client’s role was merely booking the hotel room. The other two counsel then delivered their submissions.

Merely coincidences or conspiracy

 Putting together all the incidents, what is a sane person to assume – that they were merely coincidences or a meticulously crafted consipiracy as claimed by Anwar?

This despite the foreign expert findings that the person performing the sex act resembled the opposition leader.

 The tape was shot before the crucial Sarawak election and the other point is that Anwar, who is facing an ongoing sodomy trial at that time, had successful block the admission of three crucial evidence retrieved in the police lock-up – the toothbrush, the mineral water bottle and white towel.

 The other point not mentioned earlier is that Eskay himself was embroiled in a legal battle involving a RM20 million suit he filed against Merong Mahawangsa Sdn Bhd and one of its directors, over the construction of the Johor Baru crooked bridge. The High Court ruled against him.

 It is strange that the sex tape investigations took three months as according to a retired senior police officer, in such cases the person caught would be charged within a week. The clip was also widely distributed after Eskay had handed what he claimed as the only copy to the police.

 Were hidden hands at work when what was reportedly a charge under the Film Censorship Act as was highlighted in Utusan was reduced to a lesser offence under the Penal Code?

 Is it a coincidence that big screen televisions were placed in court before the start of proceedings and the facts of case conveniently prepared.

As the facts present themselves, the readers can decide whether something rotten really happened at the Duta Court yesterday.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 26 June 2011, 7:16 am and is filed under
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Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the Case for BERSIH’s March

By
Dr Lim Teck Ghee
 | 27 June 2011

CPIASIA

Many Malaysians may be unaware of the considerable research work by social scientists – both local and foreign – that have unequivocally concluded that the country’s record on free and fair elections has been abysmal. Analysis of this remarkable record of trickery, manipulation and gerrymandering by first the Alliance, followed by Barisan Nasional (BN), goes back for more than 50 years – in fact soon after the country received its independence.

Dishonest election conduct takes the following main forms:

the manipulation of electoral boundaries or gerrymandering

the vast disparity of voter numbers among the constituencies

the contamination of electoral rolls with phantom voters and other fraud

the grossly unfair use of the governmental machinery and resources in support of ruling party candidates

impersonation, multiple voting, ballot stuffing and other frauds in polling, counting and tabulation

the rigid and opaque postal voting system

the short campaigning period and selective restriction on campaign freedom

the biased and distorted official media coverage

the inadequate and outdated regulations on election expenses and funding

the ineffectiveness of or limitation in judicial remedy

Adding to the above is the impotency of the Electoral Commission. Lately, there has been an upsurge of political hooliganism which is increasingly coming from high levels and aimed at suppressing any expression of concern over the fair conduct of elections. Thus, it is not surprising that the leaders of the ruling party are confident BN will remain in power – by hook or by crook – for the next 50 years.

Malaysians interested in how the ruling parties have manipulated the electoral process to their advantage are spoilt for choice in the matter of reading material. Reference to the work of any of the following scholars will provide facts and figures on the truth behind the facade of ‘democratic’ elections in the country. Among them are: Sothi Rachagan, Mavis Puthucheary, Noraini Othman, Lim Hong Hai, Wong Chin Huat, Harold Crouch, James Jesudason, John Funston, Rainer Heufers, Bridget Welsh, Ong Kian Meng, Mustafa K. Anuar, James Chin, William Case, Francis Loh Kok Wah, Andrew Aeria, Dan Slater, Simon Barraclough, Gordon P. Means and Diane Mauzy.

A selection of excerpts from some recent published work is provided in the annex (see below).

Unfortunately such accounts have been deliberately obliterated from national media coverage whilst the antics of Ibrahim Ali as well as diversionary issues are prominently broadcast and splashed in the papers. The commentaries of media sycophants focusing on the purported economic losses likely from traffic disruption (aren’t these columnists capable of finding better reasons to explain why the planned march should not take place!) are merely to hoodwink Malaysians whereas the more belligerent editorials resort to intimidation to discourage Bersih supporters marching.

Reading the independent and scholarly work on Malaysian elections should lead most in the country to conclude that the Bersih march has good reason to go ahead, if only to show to the rest of the world that BN’s claim of democratic elections has been one of the oldest – if not the oldest – lie in Malaysian politics.

ANNEX

Excerpts from recent academic writing on elections

“…Thus, the electoral system contained built-in advantages for the Malay community. There was no realistic possibility of a non-bumiputra party’s or coalition’s “going it alone” and winning an election. The only way for Chinese and Indian politicians to participate in government was by allying themselves with Malays, inevitably as junior partners. In practice, only two types of government could emerge from elections: an all-Malay government or a Malay dominated coalition…”

Crouch, Harold (1996)

Government and Society in Malaysia.

St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin Australia

“…Malaysia has institutionalised a semi-democratic political system. It does engage in elections, which provide for free choices, and the opposition has won seats. Yet the contest is not a fair one, given state dominance of the media, bias in government funding toward the incumbent BN, continuing electoral irregularities, and constituencies that are constructed to favour BN…”

Welsh, Bridget (2007)

‘Malaysia at 50: Midlife Crisis Ahead?’

Current History pp.106, 699

“…We have demonstrated how the Barisan Nasional has managed to perpetuate its rule through various forms of electoral manipulation and administrative repressions. On one hand, its initial electoral strengths have been entrenched through control of franchise, alternation of international and administrative boundaries, malapportionment and gerrymandering of electoral constituencies, controlled electoral campaigns and polling irregularities. On the other hand, political opposition is disempowered with infringement of civil and political liberties, extensive patronage networks and abuse of federal apparatus to suppress intergovernmental competition. The opposition state governments are discriminated against and in some cases overthrown through direct federal intervention, while the local elections which the ruling coalition had largely failed to win were outright terminated since 1965…”

Wong, Chin-Huat, Chin, James and Othman, Norani (2010)

‘Malaysia – towards a topology of an electoral one-party state’,

Democratization, 17: 5, 920- 949

“…In Malaysia, elections are not fair since basic political rights and civil liberties are restricted. Limitations to press freedom and to the right to associate and assemble, malapportionment, gerrymandering, and the financial advantages of the ruling parties are testimony to the systematic violation of fairness principles…”

Ufen, Andreas (2009)

‘The transformation of political party opposition in Malaysia and its implications for the electoral authoritarian regime’,

Democratization, 16:3, 604-627

“..On average in eleven general elections in Malaysia, the opposition wins 45 percent of the votes, but due to the limits on the opposition within the electoral system, through gerrymandering, malapportionment and the impact of a first-past-the post system, and constraints on political organization for the opposition, holds less than 15 percent of the seats in parliament. In the 2004 election the BN won 63.4 percent of the popular vote, but won 91 percent of the overall seats…”

Welsh, Bridget, Suffian, Ibrahim & Aeria, Andrew (2007)

‘Malaysia country report.’ Asian Barometer

“…All mainstream media are directly controlled by either the government, such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM), or by companies that have a close link with the BN’s top leadership, such as Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times, TV3, and Ntv7. Their relationships with leadership make them favourable to the ruling BN…”

Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani (2009)

‘The Emergence of new politics in Malaysia

– from consociational to deliberative democracy.’

Taiwan Journal of Democracy, Vol. 5, No. 2: 97-125

“The Malaysian electoral system . . . [has been] so heavily loaded in favour of the government that it is hard to imagine that [it] . . . could be defeated in an election.”

Crouch, Harold (1996)

Malaysian Government: Authoritarian Repression and Democratic Responsiveness.

Ithaca: Cornell University Press

“…Further, these iterative electoral victories have extended some legitimating cover for the government’s often sly legislation, habitual amendments to the constitution, manipulation of standing orders and question time, and elevation of loyalists to the largely ceremonial upper house. In sum, while the government can claim that Malaysia holds the longest unbroken record of elections in the region, it has not been established competitively. As Tun Razak noted in 1971: “So long as the form is preserved, the substance can be changed to suit conditions of a particular country…”

Case, William (1996)

‘Can the “Halfway House’ stand?

Semi-democracy and elite theory in three Southeast Asian countries’. Comparative Politics, Vol. 28, No.4, pp.437-464

“…A further package of factors working in Umno’s favour included an electoral redistribution, changes to electoral laws, and a ‘cleansing’ of the electoral roll. An electoral redistribution carried out by the Election Commission (EC) added 26 seats to parliament, most in areas favourable to Umno in the south (Johor from 20 to 26, Selangor 17 to 22), and Sabah (20 to 25). The northern states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah had no additions. Furthermore, several seats in Kedah won by PAS in 1999 were reorganised with a higher proportion of non-Malay voters, making a repeat PAS victory unlikely.

“…Traditionally, not issues but the ‘three Ms’ – media, money and machinery – are the key determinants of Malaysian elections. (It used to be the ‘four Ms’, before Mahathir retired.) The BN controls all television and radio stations, and all major newspapers, either through its control of government or party ownership. It uses this control to sell the virtues of the BN, and denigrate the opposition. An independent voice does exist in the form of the online newspaper Malaysiakini. Some opposition parties and NGOs also have their own publications on the internet and/or in hard copy. But such publications cannot reach a large audience.

“…The most controversial aspect of the 2004 election campaign was its management by the EC. The elections were the most disorganised and contested ever. In some cases this may simply have reflected incompetence, but EC activities frequently provided direct benefits to the BN, as they had in the revisions of electoral boundaries and membership of the electoral roll.

In the face of very broad concern over EC activities its chairman proposed an independent inquiry into EC conduct. Prime Minister Abdullah quickly rejected this, telling the EC to conduct its own internal inquiry…”

Funston, J. (2006)

‘The Malay Electorate in 2004: Reversing the 1999 Result?’,

in Saw Swee-Hock and K. Kesavapany (ed.),

Malaysia: Recent Trends and Challenges,

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, p. 313

                This entry was posted on Monday, 27 June 2011, 11:33 am and is filed under
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Are activists more dangerous than criminals?

By P Ramakrishnan | Aliran’s President

The way the police hound and harass activists engaged in social issues gives the impression that they are more dangerous than the criminals who cause hell for peace-loving citizens.

The number of police engaged in this activity makes one wonder why the police are running after these activists instead of the criminals who are lurking among our midst committing all kinds of crimes, some even resulting in death.

More and more Malaysians are beginning to believe that the police are no longer what they used to be in the past when they were professional in their duty and were not seen as political tools of the ruling party.

The change in perception occurred during the Mahathir years as witnessed during the Refomasi days and while Anwar’s first sodomy trial dragged on when the police were harsh and brutal in dealing with the crowd who stood up against a cruel regime.

We have seen how heavy-handed the police were during the Bersih 1.0 and Hindraf rallies in November 2007. They continue to behave in that same fashion right up to today.

Yesterday (25-6-11), 31 PSM members, including the Sungai Siput MP, Jeyakumar Devaraj, were detained at the Sungai Dua toll plaza at about 3.45pm. They were on their way to Penang after leafleting in Kedah when they were apprehended.

These activists were then taken to Kepala Batas Police Station in Seberang Perai Utara for questioning. Top-ranking Penang state police officers were seen at the police station.

According to Jeyakumar, they were expecting to be released on police bail, but all of them were then detained in lock-ups. The women were detained at the Kepala Batas police station, while the men were taken to the Butterworth police station.

About the same time as the activists were detained at the Sungai Dua toll plaza in the north, PSM activists who had been leafleting in the south were detained in Tangkak and taken to the Ledang police station and subjected to the same harrowing experience. But they were released at 4.00am this morning, after 12 hours with the police.

One is tempted to ask, is this the reason why we have a police force – to deny the fundamental rights of citizens, making the constitutional provisions granting them these rights meaningless?

This is a sheer waste of time for everybody concerned in this episode. The police should not be tied down in a case where there was clearly no threat to the nation. The activists should not be wasting their precious time doing nothing when they have their work to carry out which has been unfairly disrupted.

Four lawyers who had turned up at the Kepala Batas Police Station last night were blocked from meeting the detainees. This is completely unwarranted; it is a basic right of detainees to have access to their lawyers. There is no justification for this refusal; it goes against natural justice.

The activists have now been remanded for seven days, the application granted at the Butterworth Magistrates Court. They are now being demonised in the media.

All these activists were engaged in legitimate, democratic activity which is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. Leafleting is not criminal; educating the public on issues is not an offence. They are not engaged in violent or armed struggle.

The police have been going after activists similarly engaged in Johor and Shah Alam. And anyone wearing a T-shirt with the word Bersih (Clean) is hauled away. What have we come to? Why are the police targeting this group of people?

It is tied to BN’s fear of the Bersih 2.0’s Walk for Democracy Rally on 9 July.

This rally promises to draw unprecedented huge crowds. The sheer number of participants will debunk the BN’s claim that Malay support has swung back to Umno. It would be such a humiliation for Umno, which is pretending to be brave and masquerading as the champion of the Malays.

July 9 will be the defining moment in Malaysian politics. Umno is not prepared to face this truth.

So the BN is using the police to stop the Bersh 2.0 rally on 9 July. It has to be stopped at all costs for the survival of the BN.

We will know on 9 July whether Malaysians have been cowed by fear; whether they will choose to snivel and quiver or will cast aside their shackles once and for all.

Will 9 July be an epoch-making day? Only time will tell.

P Ramakrishnan

                This entry was posted on Monday, 27 June 2011, 10:43 am and is filed under
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Gani Patail playing judge in Altantuya case, says Mat Zain

By
Shannon Teoh
 | June 27, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — A retired senior policeman has accused Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail of superceding the courts by dismissing private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s statutory declarations (SD) regarding the murder of Altantuya Shariibuu.

Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said in an open letter to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar today that the Attorney-General was trying to ensure that the Mongolian’s murder case is not reopened.

The Shah Alam High Court ended a 159-day trial in April 2009, meting out death sentences to two police officers who are now appealing the judgment.

“The question now is what right does Gani Patail (picture) have to decide that the contradictions in the two Bala SDs will not affect the Altantuya case.

“Or maybe he would like to admit that he is also acting as the Chief Judge hearing the case,” said the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief.

In July 2008, Balasubramaniam created headlines when he made public his SD linking then-Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with Altantuya.

He made assertions about the relationship conveyed to him by both the Mongolian and Najib’s associate Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted of abetting the murder.

Barely 24 hours after making the serious allegations, he created a second round of shockwaves when he made a second SD retracting his first, claiming that he was forced to make his earlier declaration under duress.

However, Balasubramaniam made another about-turn after going into exile, insisting his first SD was genuine and challenged the A-G to prosecute him in court.

The issue arose again in Parliament last week when the government said that it would not be taking any further action on Balasubramaniam’s SDs.

Opposition MPs criticised the decision, accusing the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration of being unable to prove that the private investigator’s first SD was false.

Mat Zain, who headed the 1998 police probe into former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s black-eye case, has repeatedly accused Abdul Gani of having deceived the federal government.

He recently called for a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the Attorney-General’s role in destroying public confidence in the police.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 27 June 2011, 5:25 pm and is filed under
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