Has MCA’s soul searching taken it full circle?

by Nigel Aw & Lu Wei Hoong

Malaysiakini

Oct 21, 2012

Over four years after MCA suffered its worst electoral debacle since the formation of BN, the party at its annual general assembly meeting today appeared to have confidently settled on its agenda ahead of the national polls that must be called by early next year.

Following the charged anti-Pakatan and particularly anti-DAP rhetoric of its Youth and Women wings’ AGMs yesterday, the main AGM today was carefully crafted from beginning to end as a rallying cry before a general election described as the party’s “life and death” battle.

From breaking its decade-long tradition of white uniforms in favour of BN’s blue tees, to political banners decorating the MCA headquarters, the message in the words of MCA president Chua Soi Lek was simple: “We are ready for war.”

Chua during his closing remarks said, “In the over 20 years of AGMs that I have attended, this is the first time I have seen so many people remaining in this hall.”

The lucky draw and souvenirs for those who stayed back and the pouring rain outside may have helped to retain over 1,000 delegates of the 1,689 who attended today, but it was still a commendable achievement for any political party’s AGM and reflects the careful planning behind the gathering.

DAP bashing and hudud law took centre stage, as it did at MCA’s AGM last year after the party came out of its post-political tsunami wilderness, and today it was rammed home with greater ferocity than before.

Thus MCA’s soul-searching days appear to be over; it now has a firm, if familiar, game plan.

‘New politics’ forgotten

Prior to last year, MCA chiefs Chua and his predecessor Ong Tee Keat had contemplated going beyond the parochial concerns of advocating for Chinese temples and schools, or hammering at its Chinese-majority arch rival DAP and the perceived Islamic threat from PAS.

They had called it the “new politics”.

However, unwittingly or otherwise, the party in its haste to pull its act together has returned to the same platform it used when it entered the 2008 general election that saw the party’s parliamentary seat halved from 31 to 15.

Chua, however, defended this at the AGM.

“We feel that this is not the time to talk about policy because the GE can just be about two to three months away; your guess is as good as mine.

“So the important thing is we should talk about unity, about winning the GE,”  he said.

Delegates in high spirits at the AGM today also believed despite the same old formula, this time would be different, as Kelana Jaya division youth chief Lee You Hin (right) pointed out.

“I think hudud is affecting the Chinese’s future. We need to talk about this. If the Chinese understand the entire (issue), they will support us,” he said.

Speaking to Malaysiakini on the sidelines, Indera Mahkota division Wanita chief Kwong Swee Yuen (below) echoed Lee’s sentiments and denied the party had gone in a circle.

“I don’t think this is recycling old things. We want to remind Chinese voters that a theocratic state is bad and a threat to us,” she said.

The party could however be treading dangerous ground with their newfound determination to hammer home the anti-hudud agenda.

For while MCA may be seeking different results with the same strategy, the dynamics have indeed changed: a majority of the party’s parliamentary seats or nine of 15, are Malay-majority constituencies.

In contrast, of the 16 parliamentary seats it lost in the last general election, almost two-thirds or 10 were Chinese-majority constituencies.

Will fear factor backfire?

Predictably, MCA’s aggressive drive against hudud law has angered some in the Malay-Muslim community, including Malay-rights group Perkasa, which responded by calling it “haram” to vote for the Chinese party.

MCA’s former Seri Kembangan state assemblyperson Liew Yuen Keong (left) concedes that it may hurt the party’s Malay support, but says the party has its eyes on Chinese-majority seats.

“Especially in places like Malay-majority Bangi (under the Serdang parliamentary seat), our anti-hudud stance may bring some negative impact.

“But as a whole, Malays make up 39 percent in Serdang,” he said.

Going into the next general election, MCA’s do-or-die strategy appears to hinge on regaining Chinese support from an old game plan pumped up on viagra.

It will be interesting to not just see whether MCA can pull it off, but how it will walk the tightrope with the Malay-Muslim voters who have kept MCA’s head above water in the last polls, and who may find their present strategy offensive.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 25 October 2012, 2:39 pm and is filed under
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MCA’s long day’s journey into night

S Thayaparan

Malaysiakini

Oct 24, 2012

“Sometimes… it’s better for a man just to walk away.

But if you can’t walk away?

I guess that’s when it’s tough.” – Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman)

COMMENT

MCA president Chua Soi Lek may think that everyone has a role to play in this coming “war”, which is the upcoming general election, but the only role the MCA is going to play is that of cannon fodder in the ultimate showdown between Umno and their arch nemesis Anwar Ibrahim.

I get it. I really do. Malaysians are constantly being told to be grateful. Each community has been brainwashed into thinking they should be grateful for different reasons but above all their gratitude should be directed at Barisan National.

The opposition thinks that non-Malay Malaysians have woken up but the reality is that the MIC and MCA fell asleep on the job. Dereliction of duty when it came to the communal interests of the non-Malays at the expense of Umno hegemony is what has caused the downfall of these component parties. That and of course the infighting, corruption and hubris of being the only game in town.

What is really destroying the MCA is not the propaganda of the DAP but the acceptance by a large voting demographic of the Chinese community that no representation in the government is better than MCA representation.

However, in an intellectually dishonest and morally reprehensible way, Malaysian Chinese should be grateful to the MCA. After all this group of plutocrats held up their end of the power sharing deal (getting rich in the process)  but also protecting the rights of the Chinese community far better than their fellow BN comrades, the MIC.

Everyone was only out for his or her own for decades and MCA was the ever-willing enabler of a corrupt system that paradoxically vilified and nourished the Chinese community.

As an old DAP hand often tells me, “Thank god, the Chinese have made their stand instead of the old way of using the DAP as a counter balance to the MCA”.  This was what the recently concluded AGM was really about. The realisation behind the bluster and sabre-rattling, that the Chinese have abandoned the MCA for a party that was not afraid to take on the Umno machine.

I have argued of the futility of the MCA playing the hudud card but Wanita MCA chairperson Yu Chok Tow fears of Muslim solidarity hijacking of the federal constitution is not unfounded. Long-time watchers of Malaysian Muslim politics say much the same thing.

Umno fearing a total loss of power may decide that the Muslim state option is a viable alternative to political annihilation. After all, there are more than enough examples of “Islamic” regimes where democratic front men carry on playing their corrupt games all the while cloaked in piety of their mullah handlers. Chua Soi Lek was right that most failed states have Islam (or hudud) as a commonality.

‘Agree to disagree’ position

However, he was wrong when he claimed that the DAP had managed to convince the Chinese that “hudud” would reduce crime and corruption in this country. As far as I can tell the DAP’s official policy has always been that in no way does it support the implementation of hudud although PAS continues to see this as an “agree to disagree” position.

The only people convinced that “hudud” is an effective tool against crime and corruption are the kool aid drinkers of Pakatan who are more than willing to commit to any position as long as it is in opposition to Umno.

All this Muslim baiting just goes to show how out of touch the MCA is with the shifting political and cultural attitudes in this country or more accurately in their voting base. At a time when the DAP is mocked by pro-Umno blogs for reaching out to the Muslim community through PAS, the MCA chooses to accuse the most revered Muslim leader in this country of sanctioning the rape of non-Muslim/Malay women.

At a time when a large section of the voting Chinese public are eagerly embracing the rough and tumble politics of forming consensus and making allies in a diverse political alliance, all the while being mocked as being arrogant and rude; the MCA continues to embrace the sycophantic model of engagement with Umno as evidenced by the embarrassing adulation thrown Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s way when he graced the AGM.

Didn’t the MCA public relations flacks tell Chua that donning the blue of BN further adds to the perception that the MCA is willing to sublimate Chinese identity to the dictates of Umno?  This brings us to another important point. Chinese identity has evolved beyond the stereotype that the MCA has always relied on. Bread and butter issues have become more sophisticated than the usual Chinese school education and a larger slice of the economic pie.

Issues such as corruption, systemic discrimination, the erosion of religious freedoms and the dysfunction of public institutions have become important issues, which cut across class lines, but more importantly acts as common ground for a certain section of the voting public looking for an alternative – any alternative – to Umno/BN.

MCA by interpreting these issues as hate speech and by underestimating the “multicultural/racial” underpinnings of the opposition (even though it may merely be lip service) has painted itself into a corner by reducing the worth of the party as a collection of infighting groups hell bent on reclaiming populist Chinese support when the community’s definition of “populist” has changed.

A good example of this is the anti-hudud posturing of the MCA does not translate to a pro-Christian stance. Whereas Pakatan has a pro-religion – as in every religion is vigorously “defended” – dialectic going on, MCA has to continue to play the appeasement game with the hard liners in Umno at the expense of a valuable new awakened Christian voting bloc.

Whereas the DAP has been actively seeking the Christian vote and in the process reminding them of their constitutional rights, the MCA has been chastising these efforts as another example of the DAP disrupting the Umno peace with “hate”. Did the MCA forget that in this changed political climate the Chinese vote and Christian vote is not necessarily mutually exclusive?

Delegate Tiew Geok Siew unintentionally lets the cat out of the bag when she claimed that the “poorly educated” join the DAP. As I said, the MCA has always been a party of plutocrats who remained relevant as long as the Chinese community was willing to scramble over each other to gain the favours of the party’s warlords.

Finer points of crony capitalism

This was not a political party as such but rather a business club where members learnt the finer points of crony capitalism. In addition, to say nothing of the fact that political parties think that “education” is a necessary tool for indoctrination of students to prostrate themselves before their political betters.

The class tensions within the Chinese community which were never addressed by anyone except the DAP have proved to be a boon for the opposition party.

While post-2008 tsunami, the MCA has been struggling to find relevance, the DAP together with her partners have managed to turn racial issues into populist class issues. This is why the MCA and other BN component parties have been vilified as “racists” merely because they doggedly stick to the original “power sharing formula” game plan.

If you are a mainstream political party and you are no threat to Umno, then the conventional thinking goes, you are no use to anyone. This is the most important lesson of “change” that the MCA has failed to learn.

——————————————————————————–

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 25 October 2012, 12:41 am and is filed under
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Ministerial moral insight: A brief comment

— Clive Kessler

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 25, 2012

OCT 25 — The infliction of the hudud punishments will not affect, or have any impact upon, non-Muslims, the minister has sought to assure everybody (
“Hudud will not impact non-Muslims, minister says”
, The Malaysian Insider, October 24).

Just consider for a moment.

The state will inflict the hudud punishments on some of its citizens. On their bodies, and brutally.

Since it will be acting as the state, and not as some instrument of private punishment or vengeful enforcement, it will be doing so in the name of all of its citizens. That is what, by definition, modern states are.

So all of the state’s citizens, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, will be complicit in, and will share moral responsibility for, the infliction of those punishments.

And, as a result, their nature as “moral agents” will be transformed by that complicity, by their dragooned participation in and shared authorship of those mandatory stonings, amputations and the like.

Yet the minister says that these non-Muslim citizens will be in no way affected, or “impacted.”

It is an assurance that is entirely unconvincing. One that is patently inadequate, ill-founded and wrong.

People are entitled to expect more — and better, both in intellectual credibility and moral sensibility — from a leading minister of the government of the day.

If he and his government seriously want to proceed in that dire direction, they will have to devise some better, and far more serious, arguments than that weak claim.

The pathetic inadequacy of this reasoning will be readily apparent to any intelligent high school student or undergraduate.

So how can it convince a minister and prove acceptable to the entire Cabinet of which he is a member?

In political life there is no end to bizarre mysteries.

One is sometimes tempted to think that the more outrageously daft ministerial statements are simply practical jokes by a wickedly playful cosmic comedian.

* Clive Kessler is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 25 October 2012, 10:07 am and is filed under
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Muhyiddin’s boys target Nov 30

Toffee Rodrigo | October 25, 2012

Free Malaysia Today

According to Muhyiddin Yassin’s camp, campaigning in December will give BN a strategic advantage, given that the middle-class and Christians will be distracted.

COMMENT

Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin’s boys want the general election this year. They are pushing Muhyiddin to pressure Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to dissolve Parliament by Nov 30.

Muhyiddin’s supporters feel Nov 30 should be the latest date, or else Umno and Barisan Nasional will be in trouble.

According to them, campaigning in December will give BN a strategic advantage.

The strategic advantage they are talking about is in East Malaysia. A December poll, they believe, will give the Christians (read opposition) less time to campaign, they will be busy with Christmas and have little time to dwell on politics.

And this will be good for the BN as far as Sarawak is concerned as the natives will be also too busy with the festivities to seek out the alternative media. They will thus depend on the propaganda dished out by the government-controlled mass media especially the radio and TV.

In West Malaysia, the middle class, which is seen to be anti-establishment, will be busy taking holidays. Many of them may not be around even to vote if the election is called in December.

And this is what BN needs to win back states like Selangor and Penang.

The Christians in West Malaysia, too, will have little time having to prepare for Christmas, schooling for the children and holidays and may not be around in their respective constituencies.

Muhyddin may get the boot

Najib, on the other hand, does not think so. He believes he is gaining ground with the Christians and needs their support.

Najib reckons MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s peddling of the hudud around every nook and corner will compel Christians to opt for the BN even though many in their ranks deplore the BN.

Now within Umno there are two groups with different views.

Muhyiddin’s supporters are convinced that Najib is just wasting time as he knows this is his last term.

Muhyiddin himself is growing increasingly frustrated. He is confident of an even worse showing for Umno-BN than in 2008.

He is sure to make moves to push Najib out sooner than later.

Najib, meanwhile, is fully aware of his plight but does not see himself being ousted the way former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi went.

Najib is as such preparing to remove Muhyiddin from the deputy’s position and has in mind Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to replace him.

Najib believes Zahid has done a good job in handling the Suaram onslaught against him and he wants to reward Zahid.

And Najib has precedence to support him.

Zahid’s as ambitious as Mukhriz

He is doing what former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad did to his deputy Anwar Ibrahim.

This move, if carried out, will sideline waiting Mukhriz Mahathir who has thrown his lot behind Muhyiddin.

Zahid is no novice and will not settle to being a “stop gap” deputy. He will be gunning for leadership and is more apt to win than Mukhriz.

Muhyiddin is hoping to do to Najib what the latter’s father did to Tunku Abdul Rahman.

While Najib does not command the grassroots the same way his father did, Muhyiddin does.

And to Muhyiddin’s advantage he has also the support of others who have clout over their respective grassroots.

How that battle plays out is left to be seen as all ministerial appointments will be the prerogative of the prime minister, and Najib may use that to his advantage.

In the meantime, both Najib and Muhydiin are playing out the best wayang kulit in town.

Toffee Rodrigo is a businessman who spends his free time writing to create awareness. He blogs at Toffee’sTurn

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 25 October 2012, 10:00 am and is filed under
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Refsa on subsidies: Still off the mark

Dr Lim Teck Ghee

CPI

The
response by Research for Social Advancement (Refsa) institute
to my note is disappointing. It provides little value added to the current knowledge on subsidies in Malaysia; repeats various motherhood statements about the need to rein in subsidies and selectively focuses on so-called various ivory tower statements that they have detected in my note to triumphantly declare victory.

The major contention
in my note
is necessary to repeat:

It is necessary to remind the REFSA-IDEAS team that subsidies have an important role to play in providing a safety net for vulnerable groups. They help bring down the cost of living as well as enable access to health, education, transport and other necessities.

They are a necessary burden in a highly skewed capitalist economy such as Malaysia’s where the lower classes of labour do not get the fair remuneration that they are entitled to or deserve.

We already have one of the highest levels of income inequality in the region. In pushing for a free market system without due attention to the structural defects of our political economy, proponents of a neo-liberal ideology run the risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

For Refsa (and the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs / IDEAS) to be taken seriously, they need to address these concerns directly. They also need to buttress their stand on subsidies with some of the following:

1.	Empirical verification for the major assertions made in their initial joint note

2.	Details of the subsidies that need to be reduced or abolished (by sector, in ringgit and sen, etc)

3.	Practical strategies to effectively implement phasing out of subsidies

4.	Clear socio-economic justification for the cuts, and their effects to the economy and society

In the 1970s, Jacob Meerman produced a classic work on “Public Expenditure in Malaysia: Who Benefits and Why” (New York, Oxford University Press, 1979). His study utilized a sample survey to generate data on the household consumption of education, medical care agriculture, public utilities and welfare transfers – in other words on the entire range of subsidies. The results provided an estimate of government spending on households for the various services, particularly by income, region, ethnic community and other variables. His approach was not that simply of narrow income accounting. It also provided an analysis of the benefits of benefit incidence in terms of the locus of the benefits, their duration and their valuation.

Unfortunately Meerman’s work has not been replicated so that many are groping in the dark whilst pontificating about how the poor man on his motorcycle is really subsidizing the rich man in his BMW!

Meerman’s study can be a model for the work that Refsa/IDEAS should engage in, hopefully by way of a grant or subsidy from the government or other benefactors.

Should that work be deemed beyond their capabilities, I propose that Refsa/IDEAS go after various lower hanging fruit that have contributed more to our financial crisis. Should my initial proposal of a cutback in the civil service be seen as politically unpalatable or incorrect, then they may want to research on the capitalist and rentier captains who have adroitly manipulated the subsidy system to give it such an undeservedly bad name.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 25 October 2012, 12:20 am and is filed under
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10 Qualities of A Great Nation

By Thomas Fann

October 26, 2012

With an upcoming General Election that is expected to be the most hotly contested one ever since independence and the formation of our relatively young nation, Malaysia is at a crossroad. Perhaps for the first time the prospect of a change in government is realistic and both coalitions sense it.

Hearing the empty rhetorics of some leaders of the current coalition, one can only come to the conclusion that they are bankrupt. Certainly not of material wealth but of ideas.

What if there is a change in government and we have a chance to rebuild and reshape this nation? What kind of a nation would we want to build? What are the qualities that would make Malaysia a great nation?

Let me state clearly that I for one do not believe that change for the better will come overnight for two reasons. You can’t undo a political, administrative and social mindset that has been skewed towards a regime overnight. It will be a slow uphill task that requires perseverance. Secondly, the new government does not necessarily be different in ability and even integrity from the old or have all the answers. The difference is that there is a chance for real reform and for the voices and aspirations of the people to be heard, and that is, if we choose to actively and constructively engage the new administration.

I would like to suggest 10 qualities that would make Malaysia a great nation, a place that we would be proud to call home and where we would see a reversal of the brain drain?.

1
FREEDOM
 – Freedom to choose and to be who you want to be.

Bertrand Russell, the English thinker said, “Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires”.  Freedom has to be the bedrock of a prosperous nation for without freedom, the shackles which hold us from reaching for the impossible and exploring the unexplored remain. People must be free to think, free to dream, free to explore, free to express, free to change, and even free to fail.  Freedom has its risks but it is my belief that these can be mitigated by the other values like justice, graciousness, morality, truthfulness and many more.

2
JUSTICE
 – The strong desire to ensure fairness and equality in our society, making sure that the rights of everyone are protected regardless.

New laws enacted and old laws amended or repealed must show a commitment to justice and meritocracy. The enforcement and interpretation of these laws must do so impartially by unshackling the judiciary from any influence of the Executive. The presence of justice in a society brings about a sense of security in its citizenry, promoting what is right and deterring what is wrong.

3
GRACIOUSNESS
 – A society where people consider the interest of and give way to others even though they don’t have to. The opposite of this is selfishness.

When we stop to consider how our actions might impact those around us, something magical happens. This world can suddenly become a better place.  Driving becomes less stressful, streets become cleaner, courtesy and consideration become the order of the day. This value might be one of the most challenging to flesh out but certainly not impossible and definitely worth striving for.  This quality in a nation is often a reflection of the leaders.  Leaders can lead the way in forging this value by displaying grace whenever there is opportunity.  This is the quality that makes us a civil or civilised society.

4
MORALITY
 – A clear sense of morality that resides in the hearts of people, guiding them like an inner compass as to what is right and wrong even when no one can see or know.

It is a concern for the substance of our heart rather than an outward conformity that is important.  In a pluralistic society like Malaysia, where various religions are practiced or not practiced, it is not just about embracing a particular religion and living a devout life.  It is about embracing a higher level of morality.  Better is the man who has no religion but lives a highly moral life than one who has religion but denies the requirements of that religion. We need to have a firm moral base to support all that we do so that we can eradicate corruption, criminal activities, social ills and family breakdown.

5
MERCIFUL
 – A society that looks after the poor and needy without judging their status or why they are in that situation.

Being merciful is to be able to get under the skin of the person in need of mercy and rendering the necessary assistance. In every society, there will always be those who fall through the cracks and struggle to make ends meet. Such a society would have social safety nets to ensure that help is readily available and its citizens are on the lookout for those that may need help. Helping the poor and needy is not just the right thing to do but is a reflection of the kind of people we are.

6
TRUTHFULNESS
 – Where truth is sought after in all areas, manifesting itself in transparency, integrity and honesty in all governmental and private dealings.

Al Gore said, “A commitment  to openness, truthfulness, and accountability helps our country avoid many serious mistakes that we would otherwise make”.  The lack of truthfulness emboldens those who wish to hide their evil deeds in the shadow of legitimacy. Having open and transparent tenders for all government projects and passing Freedom of Information legislations would be a step in the right direction. In such a society, leaders would be honest about mistakes made and actions would be taken without fear or favour.

7
VALUE OF LIFE
 – A high value is placed on all life and no effort is spared to ensure that lives are preserved and extended.

Regardless of one’s ethnicity, religion, social status, and physiological condition, all lives would be equally valuable and not measured with money.  The rescue of the thirty-three miners in Chile after 69 days underground in 2010 illustrates this quality clearly.  No cost was spared to bring them out safely and their rescue celebrated the value of human life, a triumph over the prevailing trend of the world where decisions are mainly made based on monetary considerations only. Once we start valuing lives, we would start to look into issues of safety and health.

8
CREATIVITY
 – Where creativity flourishes as people seek better ways to express and to serve each other.

Robert E. Franken in his book Human Motivation, defined creativity as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others.  Again, this value can be applied in all sectors, from the arts, to industry, to education, to government and to business. Entrepreneurship and innovations would flourish as people seek for new and better ways to overcome problems, meet the needs of society, and to add value and quality to life. This quality is closely tied to freedom.

9
EXCELLENCE
 – People work with all their heart and take pride in what they do.

People would find dignity in their work and produce the best products and services.  It is an excellence that is not motivated by fear of losing or the need to be numero uno, instead, it is motivated by a sense of self-achievement and recognition by consumers and recipients of our efforts.  Producers would not cut corners to maximize profit, products made will be of good quality and design, queues at government offices would be eliminated, waiters would serve with efficiency, and food would taste great!  People find dignity in what they do and we give them recognition!

10
STEWARDSHIP
 – A nation where properties, resources and the environment would be looked after for the enjoyment of future generations.

It would be a nation where conservation of our natural resources is not just a public relation exercise but birthed out of our deep conviction that saving the planet is saving our children’s lives. It would be a place where we hate wastages in the form of unnecessary and unsustainable projects; and where we want to maintain what we already have, like parks, buildings and roads. Such a society would willingly sacrifice any economic gain if it would threaten our environment.

These ten qualities of a great nation are by no means exhaustive nor are they quantifiable. But they are, I believe, the common yearnings of all human beings.  If the people of a nation are united in the  pursuit of these qualities, then they are surely attainable.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

A story was told about the late Walt Disney’s vision for Disney World, the mega theme park in Florida.  By the time the theme park opened in 1971, Walt Disney had already passed away five years earlier.  At the opening ceremony, a guest remarked to one of Disney’s directors that it was a shame that Walt himself was not able to be there to witness the realization of his vision.  To that, the director replied that Walt indeed saw Disney World, for otherwise we would not see it.

We need to have a vision of what Malaysia would look like even before we start building it.  Let us begin to see it and start working towards it.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither would Malaysia.  It would take years, decades and generations even, but if we have a clear vision of what we want, we can build on the foundations laid by others and pass on the baton to the next generation when our time has expired.  Surely we can do it, surely we must!

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 October 2012, 10:49 am and is filed under
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A punch-drunk party?

Rom Nain

Malaysiakini

Oct 25, 2012

If the reports are to believed, after a weekend of coming up with absolutely nothing in terms of policy strategies and directions for the country and incessantly bashing PAS, DAP and hudud instead, the MCA annual general meeting, clearly in need of sustenance, resorted to Malaysia’s favourite pastime, sex.

Or, rather, talking about sex.

Or, even more accurately, talking about other people having sex.

Indeed, leading up to the two-day, weekend meeting, the MCA’s mouthpiece, The Star, chose to relegate whatever build-up there might have been to the inside pages, and stormed ahead with its expose of these two naughty Malaysian souls, Alvin and Vivian.

For three whole days, their photographs – individually or together – were prominently featured on the cover page of the paper. Fully clothed, fortunately.

Together with the voyeurism, there was so much predictable tut-tutting by all and sundry. These ranged from the paper’s ‘agonising’ aunty, to quickly-interviewed shocked and appalled Malaysians, including parents, to even ‘experts’, psychiatrists dispensing their wisdom from kilometres away without the need of their couches. Or the need to talk to these two ‘celebrities’.

And at the MCA weekend retreat, too, their frolicking did not go unnoticed. Both the MCA Youth and Wanita meetings were spiced up with condemnations of the couple’s very-public performances.

And the wholesome twosome simply basked in all that attention they received.

Then, almost abruptly, the coverage stopped.

Of course, this came about at around the same time that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) decided not to approve the airing of a couple of radio interviews with the duo; interviews, surprise, surprise, conducted by two radio stations under The Star Media Group.

Yep, the same group that owns the The People’s Paper.

A bit of a role model

Coincidentally, I’m sure, the coverage also stopped when it was reported (not in The Star) that Amazing Alvin saw the MCA president, Chua Soi Lek, as a bit of a role model.

He had declared, according to some reports (again not in The Star), that Dr Chua had been quite the inspiration, sexually, for him.

Quite likely, tongue firmly lodged in his cheek, impish Alvin was recalling the exploits of the MCA chief in a hotel room not so long ago that were taped and distributed far and wide.

And, like it or not, that episode, unfortunately for the MCA president and his members, continues to haunt the party in its attempts to rise from the ashes and come back to anywhere near where they were under the departed Tan Cheng Loke and Tan Siew Sin.

It is a party that was clearly decimated in the 2008 tsunami, having only 15 MPs in parliament today.

By any measure, this is an abysmal number, certainly as compared to the  31 MPs that the MCA had in parliament prior to 2008.

And of these, who really is the MCA known for? Who really are the newsmakers?

The list, unfortunately, is quite unenviable. And even those being mentioned here are more infamous than they are famous.

Not surprisingly, the ones who have made the news are the ministers and deputy ministers. The first that comes to mind surely must be Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen (left).

Yes, Ng Yen Yen of the RM381 million Tourism Malaysia advertising contract; the same Yen Yen who sought Australian PR status 17 years ago; the one whose ministry reportedly spent RM1.8 million to set up six Facebook pages.

The same Dr Ng, indeed, who has been called the tourist minister by those in the opposition for her quite substantial – and expensive – trips overseas.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, heading a ministry that has traditionally been helmed by an MP from the MCA, has also been in the news a couple of times over the past two years.

Unfortunately for him, they were for the wrong reasons.

The first was in relation to Bersih 2.0, when the police fired tear gas into the compound of Tung Shin Hospital in the middle of KL. Despite eyewitness accounts and recorded footage of the incident from numerous sources, Tiong Lai went on record (and into the history books) as saying that no tear gas had been fired into the hospital compound.

More recently, of course, he was embroiled in a farcical controversy of having bid RM24,000 for a fancy vehicle number plate, WWW15, apparently for his official car. Questions subsequently were raised about where the money came from and why the need for such a fancy number for an official government car.

The president’s son, Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Chua Tee Yong, most recently has burst onto the (media) scene, principally for his Talam exploits.

Indeed, despite being the deputy minister, instead of providing some kind of insight into an agricultural cock-up, as it were, such as the quite massive National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal, he chose to train his sights on the Selangor state government.

Allegations met with derision

His allegations of financial mismanagement as regards the Talam dealings have since been met with derision by economists and politicians from the other side, accusing him of not understanding basic accounting.

While the dust perhaps has not settled on this affair, the fact that it has gone all quiet for a while now suggests that it might all have been a lot of hot air and nothing else. If that turns out to be the case, he might have to sorok muka for a while until the coast is clear. If he isn’t doing so already.

Top of the party’s tree, as it were, although he is not an MP, is the MCA president himself. A survivor whose past continues to dog him, the other thing that Chua Soi Lek is known for is his current, persistent, ongoing attack on hudud.

Despite all the evidence put forth to illustrate that enacting such laws would be well-nigh impossible under present circumstances, Soi Lek goes on bashing the opposition, especially the DAP and PAS, using the anti-hudud bat.

Recently, he made a claim on his video blog (he evidently likes videos) that the implementation of hudud would result in the loss of 1.2 million Malaysian jobs.

Was this assertion based on some scientific study conducted by his party?

Not quite. Incredibly, it was based on an anonymous sms he received earlier in the morning. Making bald assertions based on an anonymous sms certainly doesn’t reflect well of the leader of an established party with intellectuals and think-tanks at his disposal.

Granted, opposing hudud (which, coincidentally, only MCA appears to believe is a very real eventuality) seems to have become MCA’s battle cry. And, thus far, its only battle cry. But it’s an empty, nonsensical battle cry because it does not argue its case out.

It’s all fearmongering and nothing else.

With all those monkeys on its back, its inability to stand up to its bigger brother, Umno, its apparent refusal to condemn Umno-linked racist groups like Perkasa, the MCA needs something more substantial to make itself even sound relevant.

Post-2008 Malaysians from all ethnic groups are more concerned these days with how political parties will confront and get rid of very real, troubling issues.

Issues like rampant, blatant corruption by our so-called, indeed shameless, leaders.

Issues such as increasing inequality, not only between races but also, significantly, within ethnic groups; between regions and states, such as between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak; between the urban population and the rural; between gender groupings.

Issues related to institutionalised discrimination, equal access to social services such as education and, increasingly, in the light of the ongoing failure of our security services, issues of personal safety and security.

Unfortunately, with only fearmongering as its ‘weapon’ and a frontline that arguably consists of a bunch of self-serving deadweights,  it is quite likely that the MCA will remain irrelevant and out of touch with a growing, truly multicultural Malaysia.

——————————————————————————–

ROM NAIN is a media analyst and academic who is weary of incompetent, unethical leaders and their apologists and spin doctors in the media who try to get away with murder while professing to rub shoulders with God’s angels.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 October 2012, 11:55 am and is filed under
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Before meddling with subsidies, ask why we need subsidies

by Pak Sako

26th Oct 2012

Two groups, CPI and REFSA-IDEAS, are debating government subsidies.

This debate is critical because politicians are taking their cues from it.

It is important that good judgement prevails. Much is at stake.

But first, what is a subsidy? Why do we need it?

Some believe subsidies are government money spent on primary healthcare, infrastructure, culture or the environment.

But these are not subsidies. These are fundamental public provisions that a decent society would collectively provide for all its members in most ordinary circumstances.

A subsidy is different. It is a special kind of public expenditure.

A subsidy is designed to support a disadvantaged group that cannot secure the needs and necessities for survival because an underlying condition is persistently preventing their fulfillment.

When we get a burn, we run cold water over it and bandage. It is lousy policy to do away with running water and bandages without properly attending to the cause, which is contact with fire.

Similarly, subsidies may be essential to make life bearable for vulnerable groups and the needy as long as the root causes that provoke the subsidies are still there.

Don’t like subsidies? Address the underlying structural faults.

To reduce (or even increase) a subsidy, study it and consider the data. Manoeuvring in the dark without information can be harmful.

Now what are the underlying reasons that necessitate subsidies?

There are of course sociological and behavioural factors.

But a major reason is that we operate in an economic system that is systematically biased in favour of capitalist interests.

In this pro-capitalist system, the lower income classes often do not get their fair share of the economic wealth that comes from economic growth.

Business enterprises generate profits by shifting all sorts of hidden social costs onto society— an additional level of disenfranchisement.

When a government allies itself with big businesses, it is all the more unfortunate.

Creating “free markets” in this kind of political-economic condition will not remove the conditions that demand subsidies. It aggravates them.

That is why the REFSA-IDEAS proposal must be regarded with caution. Their motivation may be good, but their approach is narrow.

IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs) is a free-market, neoliberal think-tank.

Neoliberals believe that the market system is a magical mechanism: if it operates freely, without interference, it should ensure everybody’s wellbeing.

Hence why neoliberals tend to maintain that subsidies ought to be reduced or eliminated.

For them, subsidies are bad ‘government interventions’. Neoliberals would propose that individual citizens keep the money instead and spend it themselves to best satisfy their wants or needs through ‘efficient’ free markets.

But markets are neither magical nor self-correcting.

Not all things in life can, or should, be marketised and monetised into packages to be allocated by markets. Many essentials are best secured for everyone through government or other collective ways, not individually via markets.

CPI (Center for Policy Initiatives) is a social democratic think-tank.

It proposes that we be careful when trying to adjust subsidies. It holds that subsidies have a role to play (e.g., as a safety net for the vulnerable) given the unfair structural defects of our political economy.

CPI says policy actions on subsidies should be evidence-based. We should inquire beforehand into the empirical facts, figures and the potential effect of changes in subsidy levels on the various actors.

CPI’s position is more reasonable. It suggests tackling the issue of subsidies logically and scientifically.

The point is to analyse subsidies as well as their context prior to taking action.

Subsidies may be required until we consciously create that better state of being in which subsidies become less pressing or necessary.

We should be asking what are the alternative measures to take so we do not rely on subsidies.

This might call for radical changes to the set-up of ‘the system’.

History tells us that becoming more and more market-oriented and capitalistic is not the solution.

That view has been discredited. Recall the 2008 economic meltdown and its after-effects.

To tackle complex real-life problems, we need to take a holistic look and use all the tools available at our disposal.

We do not swing the “free market” hammer at everything.

Ask the right questions, see the underlying defects of ‘the system’, check out the figures, think creatively about alternatives, then talk about ‘reforming’ subsidies. First things first.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 October 2012, 11:34 am and is filed under
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Change of government needed to undo all the adverse effects of 25-year Operation Lalang on democracy, human rights and national institutions

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of Operation Lalang which brought about  the  darkest days for democracy and human rights in the nation’s history.

There was not only the arrest of 106 Malaysians, including opposition leaders – 16 of whom were from the DAP, including MPs and State Assemblymen – trade unionists, social activists, environmentalists, Chinese educationists and religious workers, there was also the wholesale attacks on press freedom with the closure of three newspapers, the merciless attacks on the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law resulting in the sacking of the Lord President and two Supreme Court judges and the series  of undemocratic legislation which caused a tectonic shift in the Malaysian political landscape, subordinating the legislative and judicial branches to the Executive or to be more exact to the fiat of  one person, the Prime Minister of the day.

The Government Transformation Programme of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has promised to make Malaysia “the best democracy of the world”, but after more than 42 months of his premiership, Malaysia falls far short of the conditions to be a “normal democracy” let alone the “world’s best democracy”, as illustrated by the refusal by the Prime Minister and the ruling UMNO/BN coalition to make a public commitment that they would fully accept the verdict of the voters in the 13th General Election and would peacefully and smoothly transfer Federal  power to Pakatan Rakyat if this is the verdict of the Malaysian electorate in the ballot box.

It is clear that a change of government at the national level, for the first time in 55 years, is needed to undo all the ravages and  adverse effects of the 25-year Operation Lalang on democracy, human rights and the national institutions – whether it be the restoration of a truly independent judiciary and a just rule of law; the unshackling of Executive usurpation of powers of Parliament and the Judiciary; the flourishing of a free and responsible media and the fundamental rights of freedom of speech, expression and information;  proper check-and-balance mechanisms to end corruption and abuses of power; and the restoration to all national institutions their impartiality, independence and professionalism.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Operation Lalang, let all Malaysians reaffirm their resolve  to undo all the ravages of the Operation Lalang catastrophe in 1987 by a united effort to strengthen democracy, human rights and national institutions so that there could be no recurrence of a Operation Lalang in future by voting solidly for a national change of government in the coming general election.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 October 2012, 4:04 pm and is filed under
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Hudud will not impact non-Muslims, minister says

by Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Hudud will not have an impact on non-Muslims in Malaysia, Umno minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom has said, disputing the repeated warnings by political ally MCA to the Chinese community on the controversial Islamic penal code.

In a written reply to Tan Tee Beng (IND-Nibong Tebal), the minister for Islamic affairs, explained that hudud, which prescribes the amputation of hands for theft, could only be applied to those who come under the jurisdiction of the Syariah court — Muslims.

“Therefore, hudud law will not impact non-Muslims,” he concluded.

MCA has been using the hudud issue to warn the non-Muslim community away from voting for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the coming polls, insisting that the pact’s “dominant” partner PAS would insist on its implementation despite its ties with secular DAP and PKR.

Hudud has remained a sensitive touch point in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy, which has a 60 per cent Muslim population, with political parties continuing to spar over the subject in the run-up to the 13th general election.

The idea of an Islamic criminal code has been used to either scare the minority Chinese voters, or shore up support among the majority Malay-Muslim community.

The Malay community is seen today as split three-ways among the ruling BN’s mainstay and the country’s biggest Malay party, Umno, the opposition’s Islamist PAS, and PKR, which is seen as an urban liberal party.

MCA had also previously warned that Muslim MPs would unite to amend the Federal Constitution in favour of hudud and the Islamic state if PR takes over, but DAP’s Kit Siang had dismissed it as a “lie” to stop the Chinese community from voting for the opposition.

“As an Islamic nation, the government always respects every law and order prescribed by Allah in the al-Quran and al-Sunnah, including hudud.

“Even so, the government is aware that there are differences of opinion on the matter among Islamic scholars and jurists, over the strategy to implement the hudud,” Jamil (picture) said in his reply.

The minister said the government felt that a comprehensive study must first be conduction by the country’s Islamic scholars and jurists before any form of hudud law could be implemented here.

“This is to ensure that the penal code is fair to all, complies with Allah’s conditions and is in accordance with the country’s legal system,” he said.

Jamil explained that according to the Federal Constitution, Islamic law falls under the jurisdiction of each state and is only applicable to Muslims.

He added that Section 2 of the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 limits jail sentences to not more than three years, fines of not more than RM5,000 and not more than six strokes of the rotan.

“Therefore, if hudud is to be implemented in Malaysia, then the Syariah Court would only have jurisdiction over those who practise Islam in accordance with the Federal Constitution,” Jamil Khir said.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 October 2012, 11:01 am and is filed under
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‘Indian gangsters’ or just lost souls?

 — Choo Sing Chye

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 25, 2012

OCT 25 — The other day, at a dinner, I met a former PPP supporter who, upon recognising me, came over to my table for a chat.

But before saying anything, he quickly declared that he had switched parties, from PPP to a full-fledged MIC member.

I asked him: “What’s the difference?”

He did not answer, but switched subject to talk about the good old days. Then suddenly at one juncture he asked me whether I had admitted any Indian gangsters during my watch as Perak DAP organising secretary.

“No!” I replied.

“Hey, don’t ‘ali-utart’ (bluff) me lah, just admit it bro,” he reacted.

I looked at him and responded, “I never come across any Indians who had filled the little dotted line under “Occupation” with the word “Gangster”, when joining the DAP.

“So, to you when you see an Indian beating another, you call him a gangster and when a rich man or top politician’s son bashing another, you just say, boys will be boys, right?” I retorted. “Is this the way MIC solves the Indian problem?”

This is a true story that happened a very long time ago.

Looking back at my childhood days, I remember when we were a group of eight- to nine-year-olds, a healthy mix of Malays, Indians and I, would congregate at a small patch of land near the mortuary playing football until sunset. I tell you, it was unadulterated fun back then, which I do not see much these days.

When we were tired from all the playing, we would sit down to rest and it was always at this moment in time that a 18-year-old boy by the name of Arikiam would suddenly appear and sit beside us uninvited.

Sensing that our eyes were fixed on him, he would suddenly leap up and kick off his story-telling in the most animated way he could, just to make an impression on us.

Once he rode an elephant to the hospital quarters where we lived. As children we were stunned to see him riding on the huge animal and immediately followed him wherever he went.

Once in a while, we would work up a little courage and sneak a pat or two on the elephant’s leg. Later, we found out he was working for the Brazilian Circus which was in Ipoh at that time.

Until today, I still do not know how he managed to ride the elephant out of the circus, taking a huge risk just to impress us, kids.

Did he make an impression on us? Yes, he did, back then.

Today, we have forgotten him and his stories about how he allegedly fought with the police and his rivals whom he called bad guys. But his imitation of John Wayne’s walk still lingers in my mind.

Many years had passed since I saw him, but one fine day while waiting on my motorbike at a junction for the traffic lights to turn green, I noticed a man behaving rather strangely. Then, he started to walk towards me and I thought he wanted to cross the road.

As he neared me, he stretched out his hands and gave me a brotherly hug; in an instant I recognised him — he was none other than the boy who had entertained us with his exploits all through the years when we were growing up.

We went to the side of the road and had a long chat. As time flew by, I said to him that I had to go; suddenly, I could see his eyes starting to mist. He knew that this would be the last goodbye and we would never meet again.

He walked away without the usual John Wayne walk that he used to do when we were around.

On that day, I felt that the hug was just his way of saying thank you for listening to his stories and also getting the respect that no other had given him when he was young.

Many years after that meeting, I heard from my friend that he had died, apparently from all the injuries he had sustained through the years.

Sad as it is, he died a nobody. I never judged him as a gangster, but a young boy yearning to be heard and his cry for help was interwoven into his stories. He was just a lost soul, lost in a society that instead of holding out its hand to help him just cordoned him off into the abyss of misery and hopelessness, a very long time ago.

The police cannot do much about “Indian gangsterism” because they are dealing with the end-stage of our societal disease caused by greedy and uncaring politicians from the Barisan Nasional.

The recent call by Lim Kit Siang for a “high-powered” commission of inquiry to address the issue of gangsterism involving Indian Malaysian youths is timely. According to him, the commission should involve all sectors of Malaysian society to highlight the causes and solutions to the problem.

Yes, very true indeed; let this be the start of a new era to end the anguish and the pain of the poor Indian Malaysians and to welcome them back into the fold of mainstream society.

After trillions spent on 10 Malaysia Plans spanning over 50 years, the problem of “Indian gangsterism” in society still persists. And it is getting worse, thanks to the Barisan Nasional government. — singchyeblog.blogspot.com

* Choo Sing Chye served as political secretary to the late DAP politician P. Patto and is a former state assembly member.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 October 2012, 10:53 am and is filed under
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Jaclyn Victor’s ‘Harapan’ is my ‘Harapan’ too

— Terence Martin

The Malaysian Insider

October 27, 2012

OCT 27 — Jaclyn Victor sang “Harapan Bangsa”.

Jaclyn Victor’s a Christian.

It’s a Christian song of praise and worship.

No one ever pretended it was not.

Perkasa is now out with pitchforks and torches to lynch somebody, anybody; but preferably Jaclyn Victor.

Whatever is next?

No worship services for Christians in Malay in this country?

Or perhaps a government official will make audio, video and photographic recordings of each and every service in Malay in this country? Just to find evidence of conversion, conspiracy and the like?

Or maybe set up an anti-Christian panel comprising people like Ibrahim Ali, Helen Ang, Syed Akbar Ali and the like to put the Christians “in their rightful place”?

The serenity prayer thus reads:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

“The courage to change the things I can,

“And the wisdom to know the difference.”

I know what I cannot change and what I can.

The wimpy leaders and politicians who allow all this to happen unchecked, that I can change.

And change we will.

Change we must.

For I have as much a right to co-exist peacefully in Malaysia to practise my religious beliefs.

As does Jaclyn Victor.

That hope she sang in the song. That hope I sing in my heart.

* Terence Martin was born into a Christian family, baptised a Christian and will die a Christian. And he loves Malaysia wholeheartedly even with the racists and bigots running wild sowing seeds of division and hatred unchecked.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 27 October 2012, 4:47 pm and is filed under
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The lust for power sustained through the ISA

by P Ramakrishnan

Aliran

27 October 2012

Twenty five years ago, Malaysia witnessed what one person could do to sustain his lust for power. His unabated lust for power unleashed the worst traits in the Barisan Nasional to imprison 106 innocent Malaysians to keep the BN in power.

The man behind this dark episode in our history was none other than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

On 27 October 1987 the rule of law was discarded, natural justice was ignored, the role of the judiciary was overridden, parliamentary democracy was sidelined so that he could cling on to power at all costs and by all means.

As Prime Minister, Home Minister and Justice Minister, Mahathir rode roughshod so that his position would remain safe and sound and that there would be no one to challenge him.

Today, more than ever, we must remember this shameful part of our history and wonder whether this will be repeated when the results of the 13th general election are announced.

The BN is on a very weak wicket and the possibility of a change in government is very imminent and staring in the face of the BN. Will the sixth Prime Minister emulate the shameful conduct of Mahathir in order to cling on to power by all means?

When one is addicted to power it is difficult to give it up in the name of democracy. This is the problem with the BN.

As long as Najib refuses to solemnly pledge that there will be a peaceful transfer of power should the Opposition secure a win following the 13th General Election, Malaysians should remain vigilant and ensure that the victory of the Opposition will be by a wide margin. As long as the margin of victory is respectable, there is hope that democracy will prevail.

But if the victory is by a very narrow, flimsy margin, then we must expect the worst to happen.

On this day, it is important for Malaysians to recall that dark episode in our history and pledge to ensure that we will never allow a repeat of that day of infamy. Democracy must never be derailed again.

Let’s remember that only a change in government will prevent this from happening.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 27 October 2012, 9:43 pm and is filed under
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Guan Eng calls for apology on Ops Lalang anniversary

Malaysiakini

Oct 27, 2012

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has called on the government to apologise and provide closure for all Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of Operasi Lalang.

Furthermore, Lim said all remaining detainees should also be immediately freed to put an end to the ISA saga.

The mass arrest action, Operasi Lalang in 1987, saw 106 politicians and activists incarcerated but also for the first time prodded public consciousness to the ISA issue.

“25 years ago on 27 October 1987, I was among the first victims of Operasi Lalang detained under the ISA by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“I remember as a newly-elected MP for Kota Melaka, how stunned I was to hear that I was a threat to national security who would cause the country to descend into chaos, ruin and riots if I was not arrested.

“Then followed the dark days of solitary confinement, endless interrogation and intimidation to force me to recant which I managed to endure, survive and prevail,” hesaid in a statement today.

‘Dark chapter in history’

Lim, who is now Penang Chief Minister, said even though current premier Najib Abdul Razak has bowed to pressure by abolishing the ISA, there is still a need for proper closure to a dark chapter in history.

As such, he also proposed that the Kamunting detention camp be converted into a museum.

“Turning the hated Kamunting detention camp into a museum will serve as a timely reminder of the importance of freedom and human rights as well as heal the nation of the trauma of arbitrary detention without trial merely for opposing the BN,” he said.

In an unprecedented move on Malaysia Day eve last year, Najib had announced the repeal of the more than half century old law that had allowed indefinite detention without trial.

The Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) which replaced it early this year no longer allows for indefinite detention without trial but provides for the continued detention of existing ISA detainees.

Thus far, 29 more detainees are still being held at the Kamunting detention camp.

On top of asking for their freedom , Lim said the Sosma should also reviewed and certain sections repealed to ensure that it does not become a reincarnation of the ISA.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 28 October 2012, 11:11 am and is filed under
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Ops Lalang

By Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 28 October 2012, 10:53 am and is filed under
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Twenty-five years later, camaraderie in adversity

Liew Chin Tong

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 27, 2012

OCT 27 — The collective adversity suffered by the DAP, PAS and civil society leaders in 1987 ironically built the steely resolve for change and the deep camaraderie to see it through.

This day 25 years ago, October 27, 1987, was one of the darkest days in Malaysian history when 106 politicians and social activists were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Operation Lalang. Printing permits for three newspapers, namely The Star, Sinchew and Watan, were withdrawn.

The security crackdown that shocked the nation and marked the end of the boisterous, often mistaken as democratic, first phase of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership that began in 1981. Dr Mahathir succeeded Tun Hussein Oon with a weak base in Umno and virtually no one to trust.

By pitting Musa Hitam against Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in Umno’s deputy presidential elections of 1981 and 1984, Dr Mahathir bought himself time and space. But the chickens came home to roost by 1987 when Tengku Razaleigh teamed up with Musa to challenge the Dr Mahathir-Ghafar Baba ticket.

The election on April 24 saw Tengku Razaleigh losing to Dr Mahathir by a mere 43 votes, allegedly after a suspicious blackout at the vote-counting centre.

Umno continued to flounder after the party polls with Dr Mahathir’s legitimacy seriously dented. The purging of Team B supporters such as Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Rais Yatim, Shahrir Samad and Radzi Sheikh Ahmad from the Cabinet and government further de-stabilised the situation.

While Dr Mahathir’s base was weak his style was anything but consultative. Further, the various ideas that he bulldozed were more often than not half-baked, resulting in multiple and major financial scandals in just a few years of his rule. Civil society activism emerged from the more discerning and critical urban populace.

The Islamic revival movement was birthed as the rallying point for those who frowned upon Umno-style get-rich-quick materialism.

Further, Dr Mahathir not only pitted Umno leaders against each other, he was manipulating ethnic sentiments against each other. In October 1987, the Chinese educationist cause mobilised against a policy of placing teachers who had no proficiency in Mandarin to head Chinese schools. Umno Youth was counter-mobilised to whip up Malay sentiment.

Between the April Umno election and October, the Mahathir government drifted purposelessly while his party opponents started a permanent campaign to remove Dr Mahathir in the next party election due in three years’ time.

The rift was felt. Mercury rose.

On October 18, one Private Adam ran amok in Chow Kit with an M16 rifle as Umno Youth was mobilising for a November 1 show of force.

Dr Mahathir seized the timely excuse. On October 27, Ops Lalang was launched to arrest his fiercest external critics including the then Leader of the Opposition Lim Kit Siang and 16 DAP elected reps. Not only Dr Mahathir did paralyse the opposition, he terrified the nation and, more importantly, his Umno opponents.

(In the same way on a smaller scale, the arrest of the Reformasi activists in April 2001 was meant to revive Dr Mahathir’s authority after his administration was shaken for half a year, if not longer, after the shocking defeat at the multiethnic Lunas by-election on November 29, 2000.)

A quarter of a century later, as we look back at Dr Mahathir’s mass detention camp of 1987 while on the cusp a possible change of government, there is a sense of poetic justice that Operation Lalang “united” Barisan Nasional’s opponents and gave them a steely resolve to oppose like never before.

Lim Guan Eng, Mat Sabu and many others were young activists at a time when opposition parties and movements were against Barisan Nasional for very different reasons, and often contradictory causes.

But in Kamunting, whatever their causes, they were all behind bars as human beings and as Malaysians for an extended period. They came to realise that Barisan Nasional benefited from mobilising racial and religious tensions to strike a blow against its political foes.

The ruling coalition controls media resources to set an agenda favouring the establishment. With BN’s ample financial resources and armada of draconian laws, the opposition was divided and conquered.

The only way to break through was to find common ground and fight for political democratisation.

This is one of the noteworthy reasons to remember October 1987. That, and the sufferings of those arrested and their families, who have not suffered in vain.

The camaraderie forged in adversity continues to solidify the movement to bring forth a new and better Malaysia for all.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 28 October 2012, 11:05 am and is filed under
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Barisan Nasional has lost all credibility,  legitimacy and moral authority to continue to  rule in Malaysia

The latest report to emanate from the Barisan Nasional camp is that in the 13th General Election, it expects to win more than the 140 parliamentary seats it took in the 2008 General Election and that its worst-case scenario is winning just over 120 seats.

But this is only one of the many projections making their rounds with the worst-case scenario for the Barisan Nasional ranging from the  bleak one of  losing majority control of Parliament to the even more dismal one  which would give Barisan Nasional a total of  less than 100 parliamentary seats.

For the first time in the nation’s 55-year history and in thirteen General Elections, Malaysian voters have within their hands the power to decide whether the time has come for a change of Federal government although this would be heavily dependent on  whether the next general election is a free, fair and clean one.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not confident that he will survive unscathed to continue as the sixth Prime Minister after the 13GE, and this is why he had dillied and dallied for almost  two years over when to call for general election although he cannot be unaware of the pressure from the ignominy of being the longest unelected Prime Minister without his own national mandate for the highest office in the land.

Whatever the electorate’s verdict in the 13GE, what is becoming increasingly evident is that Barisan Nasional has lost all credibility,  legitimacy and moral authority to continue to  rule in Malaysia because it is prepared to undermine the Malaysian nation-building process  with contradictory lies, deceit and hypocrisy when campaigning to different racial groups.

To the Malays, UMNO leaders and propagandists spread lies and falsehoods as warning that DAP will be the real power if Pakatan Rakyat forms the federal government in the 13GE, that the Malays will lose political power and become “beggars in their own land”, the position of Islam as the official religion of the country would be displaced with Malaysia becoming a Christian state, the Rulers would be abolished and Malaysia become a Republic.

To the Chinese, MCA leaders and propagandists spread lies and falsehoods as warning  that PAS will be the real power if Pakatan Rakyat forms the federal government in the 13 GE, hudud laws would be implemented resulting in the further undermining of non-Muslim rights and interests while non-Muslim women would no more be safe as they could be raped by Muslims –  all reminiscent of the MCA and Gerakan lies and falsehoods  in the 1999 General Election that a vote for DAP was a vote for PAS and an Islamic State where there will be no pork, no alcohol, no temples, no Chinese schools, beautiful women would not be able to find jobs and there would be a chopping of hands and feet.

UMNO leaders and propagandists do not believe in the lies, falsehoods and deceit perpetrated by the MCA among the Chinese, just as MCA leaders and propagandists do not believe in the lies, falsehoods and deceit perpetrated by UMNO among the Malays – but they are not prepared to expose or deny  the respective lies and falsehoods as it serves the objective of trying to frighten the different racial groups and stampede them to vote for Barisan Nasional in the 13GE.

This is where Pakatan Rakyat differs from Barisan Nasional. We do not send out different messages to different groups of Malaysians, whether racial, religious or geographical.

Pakatan Rakyat and the component parties of DAP, PKR and PAS  have only one and the same message for all Malaysians – to restore justice, freedom, democracy and good governance and to uphold the fundamental features of the Malaysian Constitution.

In contrast, Barisan Nasional continues its divisive and destructive role to perpetuate its “divide and rule” tactics, sowing the politics of hate and conflict with conflicting and contradictory messages for different ethnic and religious groups in the country.

How can the Barisan Nasional reconcile the lies, falsehoods and deceit spread by UMNO among Malays with the lies, falsehoods and deceit spread by MCA among the Chinese?

This is why I say that the Barisan Nasional has lost all credibility,  legitimacy and moral authority to continue to  rule in Malaysia because it is prepared to undermine Malaysian nation-building  with contradictory lies, deceit and hypocrisy when campaigning to different racial groups – which tear into smithereens Najib’s high-falutin but meaningless 1Malaysia slogan and policy!

This is also why Barisan Nasional deserves to be defeated and replaced by Pakatan Rakyat as the new federal government in Putrajaya in the 13GE.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 October 2012, 3:23 pm and is filed under
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Now, DAP unveils its own election war truck

By
Nigel Aw
 | 11:02AM Oct 29, 2012

Malaysiakini

DAP has launched its very own war truck ahead of what pundits expect to be the most competitive general election ever, with fierce campaigning everywhere.

The red trailer launched in Seremban yesterday by party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is wrapped with a giant image of DAP’s hornbill mascot Ubah, with the words ‘Ubah! Bersihkan Malaysia’.

“Basically, the truck will be a mobile ceramah stage that is equipped with a big back drop and some lighting,” Negeri Sembilan DAP chairperson Anthony Loke said when contacted.

Loke who is also DAP Youth chief, said the truck, dubbed “Dream Machine” is also aimed at grabbing attention whenever it hits the roads, particularly during the election campaigning period.

Asked about the significance of the truck’s name, Loke replied: “The name was coined by our secretary-general. It means that the truck brings us hope and will help to realise the dreams of Malaysians for a change of government.”

The move comes almost two months after PKR launched its very own campaign trailer and bus.

PKR’s campaign bus, plastered with the face of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, has been the target of political violence since its launch.

‘Mobile shop and office’

However, for DAP, the Dream Machine will not be lonely as it will be accompanied by two smaller trucks.

“One of the small trucks will be used to sell merchandises, such as Ubah toys. It’s mobile so it is useful and we don’t need to set up a stall to display our merchandise.

“The other is a multi-purpose truck, that will serve as a mobile office and can also be used for purposes such as a press conference,” said Loke.

The trucks, he said, was loaned and refurbished by DAP supporters and will serve the party until the next general election.

“We do not own the trucks, we did not invest anything. There is a group of supporters loaned the vehicles to us and modified them according to our needs,” said Loke, the Rasah MP and Lobak state assemblyperson.

The trucks are expected to make their debut at a Pakatan Rakyat rally in Seremban Jaya on Nov 3.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 October 2012, 11:43 am and is filed under
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BR1M – Betrayal Rakyat 1M’sia

by Mariam Mokhtar

Malaysiakini

Oct 29, 2012

Without any surgical instruments, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has managed to create the Malay master-race. Dr Josef Mengele, the Nazi ‘Angel of Death’, would have been proud of him.

Mengele is best remembered for his work to create an Aryan master-race, befitting the Third Reich. During WWII, he performed experiments on inmates at Nazi concentration camps, many of which had no scientific basis.

 People were operated on without anaesthetics. Mengele was motivated by the desire for racial purification and he satisfied his passion for the study of genetics, by experimenting on twins.

These experiments started during WWII and continued in Argentina, after his escape from Germany.

We are aware that Mahathir has a morbid obsession with all things Jewish. He has a special mention of the Jews in his book ‘The Malay Dilemma’; he blamed the 1997 financial crisis on a Jewish conspiracy; and, in 2003, his anti-Semitic speech caused an international outcry.

Last week, he reiterated his stance that the Jews “created many problems for us and the rest of the world” but then, appeared to distance himself from the comments of his former cabinet minister, Sanusi Junid, who said Mahathir’s economic policies were anti-Jewish.

In their youth, both Mengele and Mahathir were both intelligent and popular men, but within a few years of finishing their medical degrees, their racist views shaped their future lives.

In Nazi Germany, the Sturmabteilung or ‘Brownshirts’ played an important role in bringing Adolf Hitler to power in the 1920s and 1930s. They provided the security during Nazi rallies and assemblies, created trouble for the opposition and harassed the Jewish community. Young boys between 14 and18 years of age were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth movement.

The parallels with the Malaysian scene are uncanny. Extremist groups aligned with Umno, harass NGOs and the opposition. Teenagers in secondary schools are allegedly encouraged to join Umno Youth organisations. Some are allegedly told that their prospects of a job and advancement in their chosen career will be higher.

Many Malaysians see Mahathir as unrepentant, unforgiving, dismissive, divisive and irrational, when they read newspaper reports about him. Umno is in dire straits but when Mahathir attacks the current premier, Najib Abdul Razak, one feels that Mahathir has designs on the premiership.

Mahathir and Najib may play the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine, but make no mistake, their objective is the same: to create fear in the divided Malay population and make them vote Umno.

If Umno wins, even by a whisker, Mahathir will be safe.

If Umno falls, then everyone in Umno, MCA and MIC will be in trouble; but the chief engineer of the Malay master-race, Mahathir will be doomed.

Umno indoctrination

Mahathir bullies and confuses the Malays with conflicting views. He says they are strong and respected, but then changes his mind and describes them as greedy and beggars in their own land.

He blames everyone, including the Jews for the failure of the Malays, but he ignores two things – himself as the chief architect of the denigration of the Malay mind, and Umno, the party which he manipulated to support him, his family and his cronies.

Malaysia is defined by its multicultural diversity but Mahathir took away our tolerance and uniqueness, and he left us without any shared values. Without shared values, no country can move forward, as we focus only on our particular racial interests.

Mahathir introduced a system of patronage and cronyism that puts those in other banana republics to shame. He bought off individuals and groups. He and his party continued to renege on their promises. The poor get poorer while the middle classes are increasingly isolated. The inability of the government agencies to tackle corruption, drives everyone to despair.

Mahathir is conscious that Najib has lost his grip on Umno and the country. Recently, members of the KL Taxi Association threatened Najib that they would vote for the opposition if Umno does not accede to their demands. Groups such as these, which Umno cultivated in the past, have lost confidence in Umno.

This is where the taxi drivers are wrong. They are nothing more than blackmailers. They should only vote for the opposition if they think their policies will benefit them and their children’s future.

This is what Mahathir has done to a majority of the Malays; he has disengaged their brains.

For generations, the Malays were indoctrinated by Umno with handouts and cheap gimmicks. Malays functioned by demanding or bullying others into doing something for them, because they were the master-race.

Now that Malaysians are coming out of the cycle of dependence, Mahathir’s greatest fear is not that he will be jailed or punished for his past deeds. An egotist like Mahathir is more afraid that his ‘legacy’ will be lost.

There are two things Mahathir dreads.

First, that the people he trusted will betray him. In the run-up to GE13, Mahathir is afraid of people who will reveal details of how they were instigated to follow his instructions. These people are watching from the sidelines, wondering who will be first to expose his past deeds.

Mahathir’s second fear is that people will realise that he has betrayed them; he sold them a lie, and that three generations have been mired in that lie.

The evidence is available for all to see.

The New Economic Policy has been a failure; Mahathir’s heavy industries have failed; we don’t have a decent national transport network; our once-proud national airline is floundering; our education is in the doldrums; mega-projects like the Bakun dam only benefit the cronies; our cost of living has increased because whenever we pay for almost any commodity or service, a levy to some crony is included in the price.

The confessions of people, coupled with the sense of betrayal, will be enough to annihilate Umno and erase all traces of Mahathir’s legacy.

Mahathir has betrayed the rakyat but the irony is that he himself would feel betrayed, if his legacy were not continued and his son does not inherit the country. As far as Mahathir is concerned, that would be the ultimate Betrayal Rakyat 1Malaysia.

——————————————————————————–

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 30 October 2012, 1:13 pm and is filed under
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Controversial ‘Tanda Putera’ film release shelved indefinitely, say sources

By Jahabar Sadiq

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 31, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 ― The public release of the “Tanda Putera” film that deals with the May 13 race riots has been put off indefinitely and now may hit the silver screen after the next general election, say sources.

The Malaysian Insider understands that senior government officials and the Najib administration did not want any distractions and potential flashpoints in the run up to the polls, which is likely to be held in the first quarter of 2013 after the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysian 2.0 (BR1M) is paid out.

The RM4.8 million film, financed with public funds, was first due to be released last September 13 but it was later pushed to November 17.

“There is too much controversy about the film and the authorities have decided on a later release date,” a government source told The Malaysian Insider.

One source added the government had no say in the script although it financed the film that had caused an uproar over the unflattering portrayal of people based on several opposition leaders.

“Putrajaya just wants to head off a potential problem. The people’s feelings are more important than the film production company,” he said.

“Tanda Putera” depicts second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and his deputy, Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, during the post-May 13 period. It was produced by Pesona Pictures Sdn Bhd in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS), which provided the financing together with the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC).

Abdul Razak’s eldest son, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is the current prime minister.

The film’s director, Datuk Shuhaimi Baba, confirmed yesterday that the film will not be screened on November 15 as previously planned.

“No screening, because (the) Nov 15 (date) has been cancelled. The new date will be in 2013. There is no more slots for this year,” Shuhaimi told the Malaysiakini news portal in a text message.

But she and producer Aida Fitri Buyong declined to state the reasons for the postponement.

“It is better if this matter is referred to the FINAS director Naguib Razak or (Information, Communications And Culture Ministry) secretary-general Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf for reasons (for the delay),” Shuhaimi said.

A focus group had previewed the film in July while its online trailer received considerable brickbats over some of the scenes depicting May 13. Shuhaimi had previously denied claims that the release date for the film was linked to the general election.

Last week, Putrajaya had defended its approval of “Tanda Putera”, saying it felt it was necessary to remind Malaysians of the bloody tragedy in 1969.

Deputy Minister Senator Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz told the Dewan Rakyat on October 23 that the government believed that with the level of maturity of today’s youths, such historical events should be depicted in a most “effective and realistic” manner.

“Although it touches on a sensitive racial issue, the May 13 tragedy has become an important incident that Malaysians must take heed of and use as an example of how important racial harmony is to the country,” he said during Question Time.

He also gave his assurance that the government, through FINAS, reserved the right to reject any film production that violates the guidelines of local censors.

Shuhaimi had denied that “Tanda Putera” promoted a pro-Malay agenda or that it featured a character based on DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang who was portrayed in a negative light in scenes depicting the May 13, 1969 race riots, as suggested by some Umno blogs to the chagrin of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders.

Earlier this year, an administrator of film-makers Pesona Pictures’ Facebook fan page had posted a photograph of Lim being “manhandled”, with a caption asserting it was taken after the opposition leader allegedly urinated on the flagpole in the then-Selangor mentri besar’s residential compound in Kuala Lumpur before the May 13, 1969 riots.

The picture was removed last month, after personal attacks and threats were allegedly made against the cast and crew of “Tanda Putera”.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 31 October 2012, 10:13 am and is filed under
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Kong Cho Ha would have no choice but to resign as Transport Minister if there is a majority of at least 112 out of 222 MPs supporting the suspension of AES

In the past 24 hours, two UMNO MPs have broken ranks and swung their support for Pakatan Rakyat’s call for the immediate suspension of the Automatic Enforcement System (AEA) for traffic offences, pending full study of various public interest issues related to its implementation.

The first to do so is the UMNO Youth leader and MP for Rembau Khairy Jamaluddin who, after a meeting of the UMNO Youth executive council yesterday, called for the government to defer the implementation of AES as a review of the system was necessary to rectify weaknesses in it.

Today, a UMNO MP for Sabah, Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, who is also Deputy Chairman of Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC)  also crossed the political divide to back the PR call for suspension of AES.

The Pakatan Rakyat state governments of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have already suspended approval for the implementation of the AES until conclusion of full study and a proper consultation process with all the relevant stakeholders.

The question now is whether there is any MCA MP, Deputy Minister or Minister who dare  to break ranks to call for immediate suspension of AES to produce the first fruit of MCA’s two-year-old “high profile politics” or whether all the boasts of “high profile politics” are just bunkum.

Since the Transport Minister, Datuk Kong Cho Ha has refused to listen to the legitimate concerns about the implementation of the AES, I call on all Barisan Nasional MPs, whether Minister, Deputy Minister or ordinary backbencher; whether UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC or other BN component parties; whether from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak, to follow the example of Khairy and Bung Mokhtar to support the call for the immediate suspension of AES.

MPs from both PR and BN can effect an immediate suspension of the AES by adopting a common position during the committee stage of the 2013 Budget debate on the Transport Ministry on 20th November 2012.

Pakatan Rakyat has 76 MPs and if there are at least another 36 MPs from Barisan Nasional and Independents who support the suspension of the AES to make a total of a parliamentary majority of at least 112 out of 222 MPs, then Kong Cho Ha would have no  choice but to resign as Transport Minister if he refuses to heed the voice of the majority of MPs to immediately suspend AES.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 31 October 2012, 4:55 pm and is filed under
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Najib’s Achilles heel and poison arrow

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | October 31, 2012

Free Malaysia Today

Every Umno leader knows that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad blames Rosmah Mansor for the position Umno and Najib Razak find themselves in today
.

COMMENT

It’s none of our concern if Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s attacks on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak are tactical or real. What we know is that they are all masters and practitioners of subterfuge and deception.

I suspect the Umno camp is really worried about the attacks on their man that they have to do a spin on the whole works.

That’s Umno thinking for you. When something is not working for them, they will manufacture a preferred storyline.

Hence the story line they come out with is that Mahathir is doing his usual reverse psychology.

Every Umno leader knows that Mahathir blames Rosmah Mansor for the position Umno finds itself today.

Rosmah is the heel to Najib’s Achilles. Mahathir is the poison arrow.

Mahathir never ceases to bully Malays into believing they are inadequate and therefore the solution is to entrust their future in the hands of good people like him.

Social evils, intoned Mahathir, arise from the activities of evil people and if only known devils like him and the band of marauders and plunderers are in control, Malaysia is safe.

What is wrong with this kind of thinking? Well, it only requires one to be unthinking and self-praising.

Mahathir likes to self-praise although he has a round-about way of doing it. The medical doctor uses self-deprecation to disarm and defeat opponents.

Malay disengagement scares Mahathir

So what’s really bothering Mahathir?

Mahathir’s biggest fear is that the process of Malay disengagement has spread so widely that it is threatening Umno’s stranglehold on the people.

Let look at the situation before us and perhaps help Mahathir make peace with himself.

First, Malaysians have acquired a new tradition of embracing democratic values and the sense of importance and self-worth.

These are natural outcomes of economic and social advancements with our own borders and also arise as a result of an almost complete removal of artificial physical barriers between nations.

Advances in the internet have demolished almost all barriers set up by autocratic government and has allowed people to learn and make comparisons.

Governments established by using autocratic means are finding themselves under increasing assaults from civil rights groups and people.

And that is happening to Umno and BN who have thrived on unchallenged autocracy.

Malaysians have acquired new values and traditions- that of liberty and liberal values.

The second force checking Umno’s hegemony and autocracy is simply its own success.

Mindless Umno leaders

Umno is a victim of its own success.

Once Umno and BN acquired a false sense of invincibility, they become victims to the baneful influence of corruption and power abuses.

Umno and BN have become a corrupt government.

The government endorses, incubates, nurture and encourage rampant and rapacious corruption buoyed by its believe in its own invincibility.

The desire to stop a corrupt government has become both a unifying and motivating force for Malaysians.

So Mahathir harangues the public with simplistic takes.

If Umno is vanquished, Malays will be finished. So, Malays need to continue to place their future in the hand of good people like Umno people.

Associating Umno with all the goodness is easy to do. It needs only an appeal to the emotions.

And that is what Mahathir and the menagerie of Umno political animals do.

To reason with people requires overcoming prejudices and subordinating the emotions.

That would require analysis and a thought process. And that is something that Umno people and its cyber troopers sorely lack.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman but has now joined DAP. He is a FMT columnist.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 31 October 2012, 10:26 am and is filed under
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