PTPTN: We didn’t start the fire

by Praba Ganesan

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 19, 2012

APRIL 19 — When I jumped off the bus at noon to register at UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) not many noticed the scraggly looking teenager with a mega-large bag. It was so large; it had clothes, a chess set and even a typewriter. It was the early Nineties and Kurt Cobain was alive making music.

Every student had about 20 family members coming to send them off. It was that big a deal, going to a public university. There were no private universities and the private “colleges” were only offering twinning programmes at best.

The old ethos: few go to university and many after secondary education join the employment market.

This changed with the great expansion before the millennium, around the time the PTPTN national loan system came around.

Mahathir’s Malaysia was to be a developed nation in record time, and millions of graduates have to line up and march in unison as people in the capital cheered them on with confetti drowning the uninitiated.

This vision required universities opening almost every month, in every state, in every way and many tuition centres around the Klang Valley turning into university colleges. Major government-linked companies were turning their training centres into universities, and Mahathir Mohamad was still riding horses.

The PTPTN answered the money issue. And now on the table sits the proposal to abolish it.

You don’t have to agree or disagree, but you have to realise that the issue is not straightforward. The overdrive the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is in to respond to is the indicator.

The loan-takers

Before reverting back to the loan agency, let’s look at the students, and those who have since graduated.

Some have good jobs and can pay the loan back. This group is the hardest to be defended by policy proponents. They also usually coincide being the first-class graduates who get a waiver on the loan.

On the face of it the basic argument that if you take a loan, then you pay back the loan remains. There are no grey areas, just greyness for being morally reprehensible not wanting to pay.

A bit more on that later.

There is a growing constituency of graduates who cannot find jobs commensurate to their education. The national stats show not high unemployment, but if the numbers were filtered to those having graduate-type jobs paying graduate-level pay, then the numbers will start to frighten.

There are graduates today managing only to become clerks. My local supermarket newsstand is manned by a microbiologist looking for a way out. I know some becoming cashiers at supermarkets. After four years in campus they only let you do counter arithmetic and give you a pay no engineering maths is necessary to spend.

There is frustration, and there is a sense of neglect.

They are tempted to ask, “If the degree does not get me a job better paying than a security guard, why pay for the degree? It seems like I have wasted four years just so I can be more indebted.”

As debtors that may be irresponsible of them, but when the state is the creditor then the dimensions shift somewhat.

Who’s saving who?

The PTPTN was the cash cow for many of these new universities.

This was because the government had promised millions of parents that their faith in BN will be met with higher grades in public schools, and then those with those higher grades excelling in universities, before hitting career peaks.

It was a necessary creature to feed the needs of a population told to imagine a future of grandeur for themselves and their families.

Vocational training, for instance, was not part of the great dream. No more plumbers, just doctors and engineers from here on.

However, university education is more expensive. The new universities were not short of students who met the minimum grade, but they were short of students with the minimum financing. PTPTN became the saviour.

Perhaps Malaysians have to bear some of the blame here. Not many raised their eyebrows when mere tuition centres were made into universities. It was rush, rush and more rush.

I am told there was a university certified to train doctors but there were insufficient cadavers. Abandoned malls, shophouses and even homes were turned into the campus. Buildings were constructed and university presidents were appointed.

The whole exercise had to be paid for with university admission. PTPTN loans filled the lecture theatres.

It is no surprise that these things were running parallel with the declining standards in local universities. Volume took over quality. There were that many teaching staff, that much know-how. All the universities zeroed in to getting students without any care about the students’ finances. They stopped worrying about the quality of the student and were anxious to get them signing their loan documents.

Universities run on admissions.

Questions then. Were the universities screened or measured? How many of the universities were taken off the preferred list after the quality of the education was suspect and their graduates struggling to find decent jobs?

Did PTPTN properly vet candidates? Their initial mandate was underprivileged applicants and overachievers. When they extended it to almost anyone going to university did they factor the candidate’s ability to benefit sufficiently from the loan.

PTPTN are not a purely commercial firm like a bank. They have a social agenda, so when students with borderline grades in an ever-slumping SPM (“O” levels equivalent) are taken in by less than scrupulous institutions just to maximise profits, have they taken the best interest of the student at heart or just appeasing their corporate friends?

Mind you, the PTPTN monies are dispensed through the universities. There is a nursing university in the Klang Valley which fines students for breaking curfew, and just lops off the amount from the loan it holds in trust for the students.

The PTPTN, Ministry of Higher Education and universities were working hand in hand to ensure the number of graduates went up, and the promise to an electorate kept.

It really did not matter if the universities were rundown or were just not able to provide value. Money was taken, time was spent, exams were given and certificates were issued. Unemployable graduates with no skills in their own course of study and missing English skills were just collateral damage.

Entitlement and getting while you can

The literal critic as I mentioned earlier needs to be tackled finally.

A loan is a loan on, hard to shake off that point.

It is now joined by the other refrain, nothing free is appreciated. When something is free then people will get used to it and in time claim it is a natural entitlement rather than having a time cap.

We are all citizens, and students on loan and those on it before are just as much citizens as the rest.

I’ll unsheathe the obvious give-away line, if others who have benefited from the state and theirs are amounts exponentially higher than all these students put together, can the students then claim to the state to go after the bigger players first?

This is one my old debate pal would say (and he has been saying so) that two wrongs don’t make a right.

Fine. But can they remain wrong till those with bigger means, better lawyers and more nest eggs settle first their grossly unfair grabs?

Grab is the right word. Some nations are lucky, others are luckier and then there is Malaysia.

If there is wealth in the state, and that wealth is currently misspent, how unacceptable is it for citizens to also make a play for what they can get while they can?

This reminds of the Umno Raya open house in the ‘80s. There food queues were just monstrous, and the monster in everyone emerged as everyone attacked whatever was brought in. Adults and young teenagers like me were just forcing our hands into the large trays of grilled satay. Every person for himself.

It is undignified, but that probably spells the feeling across the country. People know, as much as they support or don’t BN, that much is being distributed to those of a certain class of people. Human nature kicks in.

Students who have been shoddily trampled on through this conveyor-belt education might have a case.

There is wealth in the country, and unless those in power exhibit a willingness to judiciously manage that wealth, then many things can come unhinged.

So where then

I’ll admit I have not destroyed the “a loan is a loan” line. But even my critics have to concede, not all is straight and narrow in the PTPTN debacle.

The abysmal collection rate as of now underlines it. PTPTN is not just a company, it can even blacklist Malaysians from travelling, that’s not something your local bank can do to errant customers.

Many students have been left in the lurch, the universities have been largely protected by PTPTN rather than regulated and pressed by the government agency to give more value to the students, and in a state where state funds are very arbitrarily and selectively disbursed, then can the rest be demanded to stick to arrangements. What about kepimpinan melalu teladan (Leadership through example)?

PTPTN is a mess, but the kids did not start the fire.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 April 2012, 3:33 pm and is filed under
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Still a long way to freedom, say NUJ and CIJ

Stephanie Sta Maria | April 18, 2012

Free Malaysia Today

The two organisations call for a complete repeal of the PPPA.

PETALING JAYA: Journalism bodies in the country are unimpressed with the amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) and are calling for an outright repeal of the law.

The amendments, tabled for first reading in Parliament today, have removed the Home Minister’s absolute discretion over printing press licences as well as the printing and publishing of a newspaper.

Also, under the amendments, publishers will no longer have to renew their licences annually. A license will be valid until the minister revokes it, and the revocation can be challenged in court.

But the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) agree that these amendments were merely baby steps towards ensuring media freedom in Malaysia.

CIJ executive director Masjaliza Hamzah noted that printing permits would still be required and that the minister would have the right to revoke or suspend them. She said this meant that the government would still have effective control over the print media.

“This kind of control still gives power to executives to make decisions on who gets a permit,” Masjaliza told FMT.

“We welcome these minor amendments, but the fact that the PPPA needs to be amended and that there is a push to do so from within the government itself shows that the law is outdated and needs a complete review.”

CIJ pointed out in a press statement that newspapers would still be subjected to show-cause letters and that this could be used as a political tool by the ruling government, such as through the intimidation of editors. This would be inconsistent with the concept of a free media serving public interest through fair reporting, the statement added.

“The proposed amendments also do not address the fact that most major Malaysian newspapers are owned by political parties,” CIJ said.

“The PPPA in its entirety should be repealed and newspapers should be free to publish without the need for a government permit. There are sufficient laws in place to deal with newspapers that publish false news without the need for ministerial oversight.”

NUJ secretary-general V Anbalagan shares CIJ’s position. He believes that no union member would be satisfied with the amendments.

Anbalagan said the print media was already losing ground to online media and maintaining the current law would not stop the readership slide.

“The amendments are baby steps forward and we’re hoping that the government doesn’t rush through it,” Anbalagan said. “We don’t want piecemeal solutions this time.”

“Licences for newspapers should be completely and unconditionally removed. If the newspaper or a journalist has committed an offence then, let the courts deal with it.”

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 April 2012, 7:31 pm and is filed under
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To vote or not to vote?

— Mohd Iqbal (loyarburok.com)

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 19, 2012

APRIL 19 — The Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms (“PSC”) recently completed its report on the improvement and reform of the parliamentary process in Malaysia. This report was tabled and passed by the august House on April 2, 2012, alas, without any debate due to a commotion caused by the opposition during the proceedings. The main grievance of the opposition was that the Speaker had rejected their motion to table a minority report on the PSC. Sadly, despite various international precedents on this procedure of presenting a minority report, the Speaker decided to ignore this motion.

What perhaps started as a new hope for Malaysians when the establishment of the PSC was announced by the prime minister in August 2011 as part of his political transformation programme has turned out to be a huge disappointment. Immediately, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) dismissed the report, inter alia, on the ground that only one out of their eight demands was addressed.

Bersih also announced that it will organise a sit-in protest on April 28,2012 across the country, and in various locations worldwide. The main venue for the sit-in protest will be at Dataran Merdeka with the title “Duduk Bantah”.

It is pertinent for us to revisit election history in Malaysia before we discuss the democratic process of choosing the government of the day. Barisan Nasional (BN) (previously known as Perikatan) has ruled this country for over 50 years without ever losing a general election. The 12th general election in 2008 was also the only time that BN lost its customary two-thirds majority. It may sound incredulous that a coalition can win every election in a democratic country, and BN is in fact the longest serving government in world history.

With the advent of a new opposition coalition known as Pakatan Rakyat (PR), Malaysia is suddenly facing the possibility of a change in federal government for the first time. PR also provides the backdrop for a new two-party system which will provide a real alternative for public to elect a new government. The impact of PR is acknowledged by the prime minister, who declared that the 13th general election will be the mother of all elections. Hence the apprehension by the opposition specifically, and the public in general, that the 13th general election may be fraught with issues to ensure that BN will retain power.

There are many issues with regard to the electoral process in Malaysia and its organiser, the Election Commission (EC). Chief amongst these are the cleanup of the electoral roll and the alleged existence of phantom voters. Postal votes are also in the limelight due to strong suggestions by some to replace it with the implementation of early voting to cater for security personnel and EC workers. The uncertainty regarding the time to call for the election and campaign procedure, together with access to public all add up to heavy concerns on behalf of the Malaysian public.

Another interesting issue is the apathy of the young generation to register as voters. It has been reported that more than three million have yet to register as voters despite the efforts by the EC and political parties. Could it be the low quality of the parliamentary debates and wayward behaviour of parliamentarians that has resulted in them being disinterested? Or perhaps civic awareness is low and they have not fully understood the responsibility of casting their votes to select leaders who will chart the future of this country. Aside from the non-registration of voters, among those registered, only about 70 per cent to 80 per cent will cast their votes during any election. Where are the rest?

Various proposals have been put forward to improve the electoral process. Automatic registration is surprisingly still ignored, and the voting age remains at 21. So, in Malaysia, people can legally get married and have kids but cannot exercise their democratic right to vote.

What Malaysia needs is confidence in the electoral process. There is no point in having various committees, minor changes to the system or amendments to the procedures if at the end of the day, the Malaysian public still have doubts about the electoral process itself.

The first step to democracy is a proper electoral process. Without this, the government of the day will lose its credibility. Abraham Lincoln’s famous phrase “government of the people, from the people and for the people” shall be the guiding principle. Let us ensure that Malaysians truly believe that the winning party is elected fairly in a clean contest for power.

To vote or not to vote? It is your future at stake. — loyarburok.com

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 April 2012, 12:36 pm and is filed under
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British role in the distortion of Malaysian history

— Centre for Policy Initiatives

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 20, 2012

APRIL 20 — We are reproducing excerpts from two recent articles in The Guardian exposing attempts by the departing British government to cover up records of embarrassing state crimes carried out during the final years of its empire, including in colonial Malaya.

The newspaper reports concern the discovery of sequestered records that have put the British colonial authorities in a scandalous and shameful light. These include records on the conduct of the war against the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), and the involvement of British troops and police in various atrocities and abuses, including the Batang Kali massacre.

More interestingly, these revealing records acknowledge the nationalist and anti-colonial nature of the insurgency carried out by the MCP. Meanwhile other damning records had been purposely scrubbed or destroyed so that it might appear as if Her Majesty’s government had scrupulously kept her hands clean and ethical standards unsullied during the days when Britannia ruled the seas.

The newly unearthed papers await the attention of a new generation of Malaysian scholars and researchers despite the shocking scale of the operation to purge the colonial files, and the extent of the British Foreign Office’s deliberate erasure of history.

The Guardian a couple of days ago revealed how an official review found that “thousands of papers detailing shameful acts were culled, while others were kept secret illegally”.

The newspaper reported the conclusion of an official review that thousands of documents detailing some of the most shameful acts and crimes committed were systematically destroyed to prevent them falling into the hands of post-independence governments in 37 former British colonies.

A group of Kenyans who had been detained and allegedly tortured during the Mau Mau rebellion had previously won the right to sue the British government, following which the Foreign Office was compelled to release the 8,800 files it held in its secret vaults.

The first of these files were made available to the British public on Wednesday at the National Archive at Kew, Surrey with the remainder expected to be transferred by the end of 2013.

“The papers at Hanslope Park [where the Foreign Office its secret archive] include monthly intelligence reports on the ‘elimination’ of the colonial authority’s enemies in 1950s Malaya; records showing ministers in London were aware of the torture and murder of Mau Mau insurgents in Kenya, including a case of Aman said to have been ‘roasted alive’; and papers detailing the lengths to which the UK went to forcibly remove islanders from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

“However, among the documents are a handful which show that many of the most sensitive papers from Britain’s late colonial era were not hidden away, but simply destroyed. These papers give the instructions for systematic destruction issued in 1961 after Iain Macleod, secretary of state for the colonies, directed that post-independence governments should not get any material that ‘might embarrass Her Majesty’s government’, that could ‘embarrass members of the police, military forces, public servants or others e.g. police informers’, that might compromise intelligence sources, or that might ‘be used unethically by ministers in the successor government’.”

Not only were sensitive documents disposed of, there was also the instruction to the departing British diplomats and officers that when such documents were burned, “the waste should be reduced to ash and the ashes broken up”. This information on the emphasis placed upon the destruction of the files is gleaned from a handful of instruction documents that survived the culling.

The Guardian also reported that documents which survive from Malaya “suggest a far more haphazard destruction process, with relatively junior officials being permitted to decide what should be burned and what should be sent to London” on the eve of decolonisation.

The missing Batang Kali papers

A preceding article in the newspaper on Tuesday (April 17) is headlined “Colonial Office files detail ‘eliminations’ to choke Malayan insurgency” and exposes the British’s favoured method of targeted assassination.

Excerpts:

“The ‘elimination of ranking terrorists’ was a repeated theme in secret monthly reports on casualty figures circulated by the director of intelligence in British-controlled Malaya during the 1950s.

“Long-lost files from the Emergency period, when insurgents attempted to drive out colonial occupiers, reveal how the protracted jungle war was fought to drive communist groups into submission and deprive them of food and support.

“The first tranche of documents belatedly transferred from the Foreign Office depository in Hanslope park, near Milton Keynes, to the National Archives in Kew, show how British officials in Kuala Lumpur interpreted virtually all anti-colonial protests as evidence of a planned communist takeover.

“But many potentially embarrassing documents, including probably some of those relating to the alleged 1948 massacre by Scots Guards of 24 villagers in Batang Kali, appear to be missing.

“These missing papers could have been among scores of files listed for destruction in the colony’s final months.

“A compensation claim by relatives and survivors of the killings — described by some as the ‘British My Lai massacre’, after the US troop killings in Vietnam — is due to come to trial in London in May.

“Among documents that survived the transfer are reports issued monthly from the director of intelligence in the Federation of Malaya.

“‘The last month of 1956 brought a total of 41 eliminations of terrorists, which is average for the year,’ the director, G.C. Madoc, noted. ‘During the year, 287 terrorists were killed, 52 were captured and 134 surrendered. The [communist] politburo policy of avoiding contacts and conserving terrorist strength remains in force.’

“Madoc added: ‘In spite of the considerable difficulties of creating underground control organisations from the jungle, it is known that the MCP [Malayan Communist party] is striving continuously to implement directives on subversion in town and villages …’

“Hence the need to maintain constant watch over the gullible and ambitious opponents [of] the existing regime who are natural and probably unconscious targets for subtle forms of subversion.”

“Casualty tables written for December 1956 record: ‘Ranking terrorists eliminated — 8.’ The phrase “eliminated” is used repeatedly to describe the killing of insurgents. In January the following year, Madoc recorded: ‘In Selangor a small but important success was achieved when the whole of the Ampang branch, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, was eliminated.’

“In March 1957, less than six months before the colony’s formal independence, a monthly intelligence assessment observed: ‘By the standards of the last year the number of terrorist eliminations may be considered satisfactory’.”

There is much to learn from these boxes of Top Secret files that have only now come to light due to the Kenyan lawsuit. The process of culling and purging the record practised in other colonies besides Kenya was one that deliberately sought to remove incriminating evidence.

Here is a chance for Malaysians to sift through and determine what really happened in our recent history that has oft been the victim of official propaganda.

This evident distortion of reality was not only done by our former colonial master but also acquiesced by the Alliance government that Britain cultivated, nurtured and felt to be a safe enough pair of hands to which to pass the baton. — Centre for Policy Initiatives

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 5:32 pm and is filed under
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Call for repeal of PPPA as amendments to draconian press law are  “baby steps” if Najib is serious about wanting Malaysia to be world’s best democracy

We welcome the amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA)  to remove the annual licensing for newspapers as well as to provide for judicial review for the exercise of the Ministerial powers under the Act.

However, the manner in which the PPPA Amendment Bill is being rushed through Parliament, with very limited and inadequate  debate in the early hours of the morning, the tabling of the Bill only on Wednesday and without any consultation with the concerned stakeholders, raise serious questions as how serious is the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in wanting to usher in a political transformation and  make Malaysia the world’s “best democracy”.

The PPPA amendments are just “baby steps” if the Prime Minister is serious about Malaysia becoming the world’s “best democracy”.  What we want is for the total repeal of the  PPPA  as there are adequate existing laws to deal with any press abuses.

Last month, the Prime Minister claimed that his three-year premiership had brought about more media freedom which has been acknowledged internationally. This is a most self-serving argument.

True, Malaysia’s Press Freedom Index 2011/2012 according to international watchdog Reporters Without Borders  has moved up 19 places to 122nd placing compared to 141st ranking in the 2010 index.

But this is not because of anything that Najib has done to bring about as “transformation” in media freedom in his three years as Prime Minister. In actual fact, Malaysia had performed worse in the area of press freedom in 2011 compared to the year before, with a worse score for press freedom as compared to the previous years.

Malaysia has been able to improve its press freedom ranking despite a worsening press freedom score solely thanks to the downward spirals in other countries wracked by unrest, like the 29-place plunge of Indonesia because of violence against newspapers.

Malaysia press freedom score is miles behind top Asian country Japan, ranking 22nd out of 179 countries, and second highest-ranked Asian country Hong Kong at number 54.

There have been many negative developments inimical to the expansion of media freedom in the past year under Najib’s premiership, including:

*Malaysia was again refused a newspaper licence.

*A television cameraman died on duty in hostile conditions in a needless and shadowy adventure sponsored by  a member of the Prime Minister’s Department.

*Nanyang Siang Pau and the Star were hounded by the Home Ministry for errors that impingeed on religious sensitivies, while Utusan Malaysia whipped up racial and religious tensions with abandon.

*Media Prima took over the New Straits Times Press, and the prime minister’s press secretary was appointed to a senior  editorial position to supervise NSTP newspapers, further concentrating press ownership and control.

This is why journalist organisations  in the country are unimpressed with the PPPA amendments and  are calling for an outright repeal of the law.

Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) executive director Masjaliza Hamzah noted that printing permits would still be required and that the minister would have the right to revoke or suspend them. This meant that the government would still have effective control over the print media as the Executive will make the decisions on who gets a permit.

The proposed amendments also do not address the fact that most major Malaysian newspapers are owned by political parties.

CIJ said: “The PPPA in its entirety should be repealed and newspapers should be free to publish without the need for a government permit. There are sufficient laws in place to deal with newspapers that publish false news without the need for ministerial oversight.”

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretary-general V Anbalagan is of the same view. He said said the print media was already losing ground to online media and maintaining the current law would not stop the readership slide.

He said: “The amendments are baby steps forward and we’re hoping that the government doesn’t rush through it. We don’t want piecemeal solutions this time.

“Licences for newspapers should be completely and unconditionally removed. If the newspaper or a journalist has committed an offence then, let the courts deal with it.”

Is the government prepared to heed these calls for genuine media freedom reforms?

(Speech on the  Printing Presses and Publications (Amendment) Bill in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday, 19th April 2012)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 4:30 pm and is filed under
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Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan the worst racist and biggest liar in Parliament

An example of the draconian powers that remain in the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 despite the present batch of amendments and which are open to grave abuses are the “offences” provisions in the parent Act, like Section 8A on “false news” under which the  Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng was once a victim, being jailed for 18 months and deprived of his parliamentary status as well as his civil liberties.

How many cases of “false news” prosecutions have been instituted under the PPPA in the past 18 years?

All these years, the “false news” provisions have been used to victimise and oppress the critics of Barisan Nasional government, while Barisan Nasional leaders and publications enjoy immunity and impunity for all the lies and fasehoods they had perpetrated regardless of the adverse consequences to nation-building or national unity.

A good example is the UMNO organ, Utusan Malaysia which is the worst offender in concocting “false news”, for example in its lies  about DAP wanting a Christian Prime Minister and a Christian Malaysia and the falsehoods that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers.

An example of such “false news” is the Utusan Malaysia report today
“Kit Siang tertekan digelar rasis”
, which among other things, reported:

Menurut Abdul Rahman (BN Kota Belud), sifat Kit Siang terbukti apabila pada kira-kira pukul 4.30 petang, 16 Julai 2009 telah menyeru semua menteri berbangsa Cina dari MCA dan Gerakan mendesak Perdana Menteri menubuhkan suruhanjaya diraja bagi menyiasat kematian Beng Hock.

“Apa kena mengena menteri-menteri Kabinet yang dikaitkan oleh Ipoh Timur?

“Kalau Ipoh Timur rasa perlu ada suruhanjaya siasatan diraja pada waktu itu sudah tentu kena minta dengan Menteri Dalam Negeri dan Ahli Parlimen Padang Rengas yang menjaga hal ehwal Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuan Malaysia (SPRM),” katanya ketika membahaskan Rang Undang-Undang Keterangan (Pindaan) yang di-bacakan buat kali kedua.

I have here the draft Hansard of what the Barisan Nasional Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan said in Parliament yesterday, viz:

Saya masih ingat lagi, saya mengikut Twitter Yang Berhomat Ipoh Timur. Pada awalnya, Yang Berhormat IpohTimur pada waktu itu membuat tweet yang dia begitu marah, kenapa mendiang Teoh Beng Hock itu terbunuh. Saya membaca dalam timeline saya, bertubi-tubi Twitter beliau, dan saya tidak membuat komen kerana saya pun faham bagaimana perasaan seseorang apabila pegawai partinya itu terbunuh atau meninggal dunia, saya faham.

Daripada pagi dia marah dan bermacam-macam tuduhan dibuat, saya diam. Akan tetapi hampir lebih kurang pukul 4 petang pada hari kejadian tersebut, setelah the dust has settle a little bit, Twitternya muncul.

Apa di kata dalam Twitter, “Saya mencabar Koh Tsu Koon dan Menteri-menteri daripada MCA untuk berdiri, meminta, demand the Prime Minister to do RCI”. Apa kena mengena Menteri-menteri Cina di dalam Kabinet yang dikaitkan oleh Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur?

Kalau pun Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur merasakan perlu ada RCI pada waktu itu, sudah tentunya ianya mesti minta daripada Menteri Dalam Negeri, Yang Berhormat Sembrong dan juga Yang Berhormat Padang Rengas yang menjaga SPRM untuk meminta dalam Kabinet. Kenapa perlu kata, MCA dan Gerakan,kerana apa? He wants to take political score…

If this is not racism, I don’t know what it is.

What Abdul Rahman alleged in Parliament yesterday is utterly irresponsible for it is totally untrue and a figment of his imagination.

In fact, it showed that the MP for Kota Belud is the worst racist and biggest liar in Parliament.

I have here the tweets which I penned on that sad day of July 16, 2009 when Teoh Beng Hock was murdered at the SPRM, which proved that Abdul Rahman is the worst racist and  biggest liar in Parliament.

He said that he had “understood” my feelings when I had tweeted in anger about Beng Hock’s death in the morning of that fateful day, but by 4 pm I had begun to be a racist when I challenged Koh Tsu Koon and the MCA Ministers to demand that a Royal Commission of Inquiry be formed.

In the first place, I was not aware in the morning of of July 16, 2009 that Beng Hock had been killed. (May be, Abdul Rahman had special information about Beng Hock’s death that morning, which he should have revealed in a full investigation). Secondly, even by 4 pm that day, I was still unaware of Beng Hock’s death.

My first tweet on Beng Hock’s death was at 5.03 pm that day – which exposes that  Abdul Rahman had brazenly lied when spoke in Parliament yesterday.

These are my tweets on 16th July 2009, together with the time lines:

Is there now the first case of death in custody, not police but MACC? If so, heads must roll!

Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:03

Am in Penang or I would have rushed over to MACC Selangor hqrs in Shah Alam. Awaiting full report of tragedy. What has this country come to?

Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:05

For 90 minutes, not a single MACC officer in Selangor MACC Shah Alam hqrs 14th floor would confirm or deny whether there is death in custody

Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:23

At Shah Alam MACC now are Sel. Exco Auyong, Ronnie Liu, Speaker Teng Assemblyman Swee Lin. Is MACC acting outside the law?

Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:24

How did Sel Exco/Serdang SA Ean Yong Hian Wah’s political secretary Teo Beng Hock in custody at 14th fl Sel MACC Hqrs died from fall?

Thursday, July 16, 2009 17:37

What was MACC investigating 2 take a life? RM12.5b PKFZ scandal? No. Alleged state assembly rep constituency allocations!

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:04

Will take 1st flight from Penang tmr n be at Selangor MACC Shah Alam hqrs 10 am to find out more about Teo BengHock’s death in MACC custody

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:10

Anwar n other Pakatan Rakyat leaders will also be at Selangor MACC Shah Alam hqrs at 10 am. MACC must prove it has not become another monster

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:12

Imagine MACC investigating “corruption” over cars n cows n a death in MACC custody takes place! Is this acceptable? Let there be no cover up!

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:15

Spoke 2BengHock elder brother BengKee 33 who rushed over from his workplace in ShahAlam. BengHock from Alor Gajah is 2register 4wedding tmr

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:43

Kerk Kim Hock, exDAP SG n MP is related to BengHock. Phoned n expressed his disbelief n shock. Nationwide outrage. How come MACC!

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:52

Ronnie Liu still at Selangor MACC hqrs. 4 3 hrs Selangor DAP Excos MPs Speaker SAs n BengHock’s brother not allowed 2have sight of body.

Thursday, July 16, 2009 18:55

Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo phoned from MACC Shah Alam. Police have brought in second forensic team. We r asking 4independent forensic exam

07/16/2009 07:49 PM

Kerk in Alor Gajah w BengHock’s parents. BengHock’s mother crying non-stop since told of his death at 5 pm. Family n relatives in shock

07/16/2009 08:10 PM

BengHock family/relatives demand justice which is the demand of all justice-loving Malaysians regardless of race/religion. MACC in the dock

07/16/2009 08:17 PM

As 1st MACC n unusual death, acid test 4 MACC, Police n PM Najib. Will Najib order public inquiry inline with “People 1st. Performance Now”?

07/16/2009 08:20 PM

Spoke 2 aggrieved father, TeohLeongHwee taxidriver in shock He wants to know what actually happened – like all Malaysians. Blackday 4Malaysia

07/16/2009 08:32 PM

Arrogant MACC officer on TV said innocent will be freed n wrongdoers charged. Why not 1 BN Minister Dy Min, MB, CM, Exco treated this way?

07/16/2009 08:38 PM

Will MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said visit TeohLengHwee family 2explain how BengHock died in MACC? Can MACC disclaim responsibility?

07/16/2009 08:49 PM

Nazri said don’t blame MACC for TeoBengHock’s death at MACC. Should blame b directed at Nazri as Minister in charge or PM Najib himself?

07/16/2009 09:20 PM

An instant peaceful multiracial demonstrations by hundreds against unusual death of TeoBengHock at MACC going on now at Shah Alam MACC hqrs

07/16/2009 09:24 PM

MB Khalid, Excos Teresa, Auyong, Ronnie, MPs Gobind Tony Nie Ching SAs Jenice Nik Nazmi at the demo. Police light strike force just arrived

07/16/2009 09:37 PM

Crowd getting bigger. Klang MP Charles Santiago spoke. State Assemblyman Weng San speaking. Asked MACC on Khir Toyo.

07/16/2009 09:51 PM

Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud: MP Kota Raja speaking

07/16/2009 09:53 PM

Flowers candles and pictures of TeoBengHock. Assemblywoman for Subang Jaya Hannah Yeoh weeping

07/16/2009 09:56 PM

MACC now says TeohBengHock merely a witness, why was he treated like criminal n interrogated from 7pm till 4am? What happened 2criminals?

07/16/2009 10:07 PM

These are my tweets on the day of Beng Hock’s murder on July 16, 2009 – from 5.03 pm to 10.07 p.m. – incontrovertible proof that Abdul Rahman had brazenly lied when he  concocted allegations about my tweets that day.

Right from the first day of the Teoh Beng Hock murder scandal, I had focussed on the MACC, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and even the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz on their responsibility  to ensure that there should be no “cover up” on who killed Beng Hock and to ensure that justice is done in the case.

As is very clear from my tweets on the first day of Beng Hock’s death, I made no mention whatsoever about MCA and Gerakan Ministers – which have completely nailed Abdul Rahman’s lies.

I did criticise the role of MCA and Gerakan Ministers on the fourth day of Beng Hock’s death, i.e. July 19, after a MCA Minister had come out with a “wishy-washy” position on whether the Cabinet should call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Beng Hock’s death.

In fact, this was contained in my media statement of 19th July 2009, where I said:

But what is most disappointing are the public positions taken by two Cabinet Ministers, one by the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the other by the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

After keeping a thunderous silence on Thursday and Friday, Ong has come out with a wishy-washy position that the Cabinet will ‘explore’ whether there should be a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh’s death.

“What is there to ‘explore’? What the public want is that Ong and the three other MCA Ministers, as well as Gerakan President, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon should take a firm stand in Cabinet that a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh’s death should be set up – and that there is no two ways about it.

If on Teoh’s death, Ong and his team of four MCA Ministers and Koh cannot convince the Cabinet to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry, what is the use of their remaining in the Cabinet?

Abdul Rahman is the worst racist in Parliament if he could see racism in my espousing the call for justice for Teoh Beng Hock’s murder at MACC and the biggest liar when he could concoct total falsehoods on my tweets on the first day of Beng Hock’s death.

Is Abdul Rahman prepared to admit that what he had said in Parliament on Wednesday about my tweets on the first day of Beng Hock’s death is a pack of lies and to tender a fulsome apology?

[Speech (2) by on the Printing Presses and Publications Act (Amendment) Bill in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday 19th April 2012]

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 1:58 pm and is filed under
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Kuasa bukannya hak milik kekal, ia hanya TOL sahaja

 — Aspan Alias

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 20, 2012

20 APRIL — Negara kita semakin hari semakin bercelaru dengan berkembangnya budaya samseng dan semua samseng-samseng ini adalah mereka yang menyebelahi pihak berkuasa. Pihak yang berkuasa sedang dalam keadaann desperado untuk mempertahankan kuasa dan mereka sedang mabuk dengan kuasa itu. Tindakan sekumpulan samseng memukul dan membelasah mahasiswa-mahasiswa yang sedang menuntut keadilan untuk masa depan mereka di Dataran Merdeka semalam amat menyayat hati. Mungkin sekarang ramai yang tidak merasa apa-apa tetapi orang yang miskin seperti saya dan ramai yang lain amat memahami perasaan mereka.

Nampaknya tidak ada siapa yang boleh menuntut apa-apa yang mereka anggap hak mereka dalam negara kita lagi. Sesungguhnya inilah kesilapan orang Melayu khasnya dan rakyat Malaysia amnya yang selama ini terlalu memberi muka kepada BN untuk memerintah negara ini sejak merdeka. Sebagaimana yang saya sebut selalu pihak berkuasa seolah-olah tidak boleh dipersoalkan lagi kerana mereka menganggap negara ini adalah hak mereka sahaja untuk berkuasa maka siapa sahaja yang mempunyai pendapat yang berlainan akan dipukul dan dicederakan.

Apabila mereka merasakan kuasa akan hilang maka mereka bertindak bukan sahaja membiarkan samseng-samseng melakukan apa sahaja ke atas anak-anak muda yang sedang menuntut keadilan dan berjuang untuk masa depan mereka dalam negara mereka sendiri. Pemimpin-pemimpin yang tidak bertanggungjawab pula membuat kenyataan-kenyataan yang memihak kepada samseng-samseng ini dan mengutuk tindakan mahasiswa untuk melakukan apa yang mereka wajar lakukan.

Dengan apa yang berlaku di Dataran Merdeka semalam ianya menunjukkan bukti jelas yang parti yang sedang memerintah benar-benar dalam keadaan tersepit dengan puluhan isu besar-besar yang sedang menghadapi mereka. Tuntutan mahasiswa ini merupakan isu besar kerana ia melibatkan setiap ibu bapa yang mempunyai anak-anak yang bakal menghadapi zaman pendidikan tinggi dan isu ini menusuk dalam  sanubari mereka.

Dengan apa yang berlaku di Dataran Merdeka itu juga menunjukkan yang selama ini kita tidak pernah menyangka yang apa yang berlaku dinegara-negara mundur telah berlaku dinegara kita sendiri. Tekanan terhadap masyarakat marhean sudah menjadi kebiasaan di akhir-akhir ini dan nampaknya kita sedang menuju kearah sistem di negara-negara Afrika dan negara-negara mundur di dunia ini.

Tidak ada satu pihak pun yang menyalahkan kumpulan samseng-samseng ini seolah-olah mereka memang memihak kepada mereka (samseng-samseng) ini. Menteri Pendidkan Tinggi, Khaled Nordin, menyatakan bahawa tidak ada siapa yang menyuruh mahasiswa untuk berdemonstrasi dan kenyataan beliau itu seolah-olah memberi gambaran yang mahasiswa ini memang patut dibelasah oleh kumpulan-kumpulan samseng ini.

Dimanakah pihak polis dan anggota-anggota keselamatan yang lain? Tidakkah pihak polis faham bahawa mereka itu adalah polis kepada rakyat dan bukannya polis untuk mempertahankan pihak yang berkuasa tanpa mengira salah benarnya? Inikah sistem dan cara pemerintah yang patut dikekalkan untuk menjamin keselamatan masa depan anak-anak dan cucu-cucu kita?

Saya memberikan pandangan yang lebih serius kali ini. Jika inilah budaya yang dibenarkan berkembang oleh pemerintah hari ini maka sudah menjadi kewajipan dan fardhu kifayah untuk kita menolak habis-habisan parti pemerintah yang membiarkan perkembangan budaya gila ini. Kita tidak boleh membiarkan samseng-samseng memerintah kita. Kita mahukan pemerintah yang memerintah kita dengan daya pemikiran, bukannya dengan menggunakan lengan dan buku lima atau dengan otot-otot besar.

Kalau sekarang keadaan sudah begini buruk, adakah budaya ini akan berkurangan jika mereka ini terus dibiarkan mendapat mandat rakyat? Parti pemerintah mesti faham yang perasaan dan pemikiran tidak boleh ditekan. Lagi ditekan ia akan mendapat reaksi yang bersalah-salahan. Itu adalah “nature”.

Politik samseng ini merupakan satu petanda politik yang bankrap. Cara ini adalah cara politik pihak yang terdesak. Politik cara ini adalah politik zaman batu. Dan politik secara ini adalah politik tidak bertamaddun. Politik sepatutnya ada perlawanan saikoloji dan persepsi. Ini bukannya politik siapa yang mempunyai otot yang besar. Politik menggunakan otot ini adalah politik bacul dan ianya berlaku sebelum tamaddun manusia bermula.

Kalau kita sudah merasakan akan tewas dalam politik bertamaddun, kita mesti memperbaiki politik itu dengan politik yang lebih bertamaddun mengikut waktu dan zamannya. Jika tertewas dalam politik ia merupakan kemenangan kepada pihak lawan dalam sistem demokrasi. Jika kita sudah tidak dapat lagi mandat rakyat kita mesti membuat introspeksi ke dalam diri kita sendiri. “There must be a cause for a cause.”

Itulah sebabnya demokrasi ini merupakan sistem yang adil. Dalam sistem ini yang menang akan menerajui pemerintahan dan yang kalah mesti menerimanya kerana bukan mereka yang punya kuasa itu. Kuasa itu kepunyaan rakyat dan tidak boleh sesiapa atau mana-mana pihak untuk menekan dan memaksa mereka menyokong kita.

Kuasa pemerintahan dalam sistem demokrasi bukannya hak milik kekal. Kuasa yang kita pegang itu hanyalah pegangan sementara atau pun lebih mudah dikenali sebagai TOL sahaja. Kalau kita mempunyai lesen untuk memegang kuasa sementara sahaja kita perlu mengikut undang-undang dan syarat yang ditetapkan.

Dalam kontek kerajaan kita, kerajaan mesti jangan rasuah dan menekan rakyat yang telah memberikan mereka kuasa sementara tadi. Jika kita lakukan juga rakyat boleh mengambil kembali lesen TOL itu dan memberikan pihak lain pula lesen untuk menduduki tanah TOL itu.

Tetapi parti pemerintah hari ini menganggap lesen TOL itu sebagai hak milik kekal. DAN dalam kontek Umno dan BN mereka menekan pula pihak yang memberikan menumpang di tanah TOL itu tadi. Ini budaya apa?

Nampaknya pihak berkuasa terminta-minta sangat mereka diusir dari tanah TOL itu. Tidak mengapa. Apabila mereka datang untuk memperbaharui lesen TOL itu nanti, jangan kita sambung lagi. Itu sahaja cara kita untuk memberi tahu mereka bahawa mereka selama ini hanya duduk di tanah TOL sahaja, bukannya di tanah milik kekal.

Pengakhir kata, elok kita nasihatkan pihak yang sedang mabuk dengan kuasa ini supaya jangan berperang dengan rakyat yang merupakan empunya kuasa. Rakyatlah yang menentukan kepada siapa yang mereka hendak mandatkan pemerintahan dalam pilihanraya yang akan datang ini. Kalau masih inginkan kuasa, jangan berperang dengan rakyat. Tunjukan fe’el dan kelakuan yang setimpal dengan kehendak pemimpin yang punya tamaddun yang tinggi. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 11:53 am and is filed under
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Media law amended amid opposition uproar for its repeal

By Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 20, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Parliament approved in a harried fashion early this morning a critical legislative amendment governing media freedom, agreeing to strip Putrajaya of its absolute powers over publishing licences and scrapping the need for annual renewal of the permits.

The Printing Presses and Publications (Amendment) Bill 2012 was approved by the Lower House at 2.15am even after federal opposition lawmakers raged against the inconvenient hour and short time given to debate the law.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor), who took the floor first to open the policy stage debate, thundered to the Dewan Rakyat that the amendments were merely “baby steps” towards greater media freedom.

The septuagenarian, speaking off-the-cuff with his hands locked behind his back, was in top form as he kicked off his speech by accusing the Barisan Nasional (BN) government of being insincere in its promises to reform crucial policies.

“The Bill, that it has to be debated in such a short time, shows that the government is not interested in political transformation. And it was done without consultation… all this talk of transformation is just political mimicry,” he said.

The experienced Lim, who has seen through the harsher days of Malaysia’s restrictive media laws, said that the PPPA amendments fell short of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pledges for media freedom.

“The PPPA in its entirety should be repealed! Abolish PPPA! And newspapers should be free to publish without a need for government permit.

“There are sufficient laws in place to deal with newspapers that publish false news without need for ministerial review,” he said.

Lim then read off a checklist of instances which he accused the government of abusing its powers to usurp press freedom.

“Malaysiakini was again refused newspaper licence — why? Why be so afraid to issue a newspaper licence to Malaysiakini?

“A television cameraman died on duty in hostile conditions, in a needless and showy adventure sponsored by a member of the PM’s Department.

“Nanyang Siang Pau and The Star were hounded by the Home Ministry for errors that impinged on religious sensitivities while Utusan Malaysia whipped up racial and religious sentiments with abandon. Why?” he charged.

“The police hounded a young blogger who made facetious remarks of people in high places when there were reports already carried by other blogs.

“Media Prima took over the New Straits Times Press and PM’s press secretary was appointed to a senior editorial position to supervise NSTP newspapers, further concentrating press ownership and control,” he added.

The DAP adviser also cited statements from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), both which had criticised the PPPA amendments as lacking in true reform.

The CIJ, he said, had pointed out that despite the amendments, newspapers would still be required publishing permits and the home minister would still have the power to revoke or suspend them.

“This control would still give powers to the executive to decide who gets the permit,” Lim said.

“We welcome these minor amendments but the fact that the PPPA needs to be amended and the push to do so by the government itself shows that the law is outdated and needs a complete review,” he added.

Further to this, Lim said the PPPA amendments were still silent over media ownership, pointing out that most major Malaysian media are owned by leading political parties.

His comment earned loud table thumps from the opposition bench and shouts of “Yeah!” from those in agreement.

Cutting in, Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR-Lembah Pantai) told the House that she had earlier received notice that her motion calling for the repeal of the PPPA had been rejected.

“What is your view, do you think there is no political will from the present government to truly implement political reforms as promised a short while back?” she asked Lim.

“Clearly there is no political will to bring political transformation.

“What we are seeing are baby steps. Baby steps towards the coming elections,” Lim responded even as the House erupted with shouts of disagreement from the BN backbenchers.

After several other MPs rose to debate, the Bill, the last of eight slotted in yesterday’s Order Paper, was later pushed through committee stage and approved by the Dewan Rakyat by voice vote.

The sitting, said to be the final before elections, had to be extended via a “stop the clock” motion after midnight yesterday to accommodate debates on all the Bills on the agenda.

The PPPA is seen as a major obstacle for press freedom in Malaysia, where most print news media are either owned or indirectly controlled by the ruling coalition.

The amendments passed include a provision “… to remove the reference to the minister’s ‘absolute discretion’ in granting or refusing a printing press licence. This amendment also seeks to remove the power of the minister to specify in the licence the period of validity of such licence”.

The amendments also remove the home minister’s absolute discretion on whether to allow newspapers from Singapore, so far barred from Malaysia, to be distributed here.

The Bill also adds that “a person who has been granted a licence or permit… shall be given an opportunity to be heard before a decision to revoke or suspend” the permission is made.

Prime Minister Najib announced in his Malaysia Day address last year that Putrajaya would amend the PPPA so newspapers no longer had to apply for a yearly printing permit.

Critics claim the federal requirement encourages newspapers to self-censor and is largely responsible for eroding the independence of the media.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 9:28 am and is filed under
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Parti yang busuk sampai ke usus …

 — Sakmongkol AK47

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 20, 2012

20 APRIL — Kadang-kadang saya rasa jurublog yang menyokong Umno ini terdiri dari orang tongong. Mungkin itu sebabnya, Dr Mahathir kata yang tinggal dalam Umno orang bingung dan half-past six. Adakah munasabah jika saya hendak menentang Umno dan BN, saya tidak di beri bercakap mengenai Datuk Najib dan Dr Mahathir atau mana mana pimpinan Umno? Bukankah mereka ini semua manusia, kalau kentot pun, busuk juga?

Ini macam mengajak saya bergocoh tapi nak ikat tangan saya di belakang. Bolehlah kamu belasah orang yang tangan diikat di belakang. Geng dan gerombolan Umno ini apa yang tidak mereka kata kepada Nik Aziz, Haji Hadi, Guan Eng, Kit Siang dan Anwar Ibrahim? Saya rasa istilah dalam kamus perkataan jijik dan kotor pun sudah tidak ada. Kita kena buat kamus special untuk pendukong Umno.

Kalau nak ikut membontot orang, Dato Najiblah yang berada di depan sekali — bukankah dia jadi naib ketua Umno Malaysia dahulu dengan membontot di belakang Anwar?

Kita ini semua nak berlawan berhujjah. Menyampaikan buah fikiran dan pandangan kepada pembaca dan pengundi. Biarlah mereka yang melakukan pengadilan. Pendukong Umno dan penyokong Umno tulislah sepuas hati dalam blog mereka sendiri. Tentu mereka ada pembaca setia dan audiens. Tidak perlu bersusah payah membaca Sakmongkol. Mereka mengunjung juga ke blog Sakmongkol sebab mereka tahu, kalau pandangan mereka saya siarkan, mereka mendapat respectability. Dalam blog geng2 mereka, siapa nak membaca nya? Penuh dengan caci nista, maki wa hamun dan pandangan-pandangan yang dangkal. Kalau apa yang kita kemukakan kepada pembaca dan pengundi tidak betul, mereka akan menolak kita.

Kalau kita faham rukun berbeza pendapat, semua orang akan puas hati. Bila Umno kalah dalam PRU nanti mereka akan puas hati dan di kalangan Pakatan Rakyat yang menang, kita akan puas hati jugak.

Yang orang Umno takut sangat desakan kita mahukan daftar pengundi disemak dan di bersihkan kenapa? Bukankah kita mengkhianati negara jika kita beri Mykad segera kepada Mat Myanmar, Mat Nepal, Mat Bangla, Indon dan lain-lain PATI?

Sebab itu saya kata, apa perlunya kita membesarkan anggota RELA? Nak jaga keselamatan siapa? Semua PATI kita terima dengan tangan terbuka. Kita sambut dengan nyanyian dan tabur bunga rampai. Kita kata lagi selamat datang, ahlan wa sahlan. Sebab bila Sabah dan Sarawak tidak lagi jadi simpanan tetap, gerombolan Umno menjadikan FELDA dan PATI sebagai simpanan tetap. Umno hanya menang dengan cara menipu.

PM kata nak jadikan Malaysia demokrasi terbaik. Maka jangan sekat semua parti politik di beri masa udara untuk menyampaikan pandangan. BN ada semua alat sibaran am — TV dan radio dan entah apa lagi — mana mungkin tidak terdaya berlawan hujjah dengan pihak pembangkang?

Kita guna dakwat kekal untuk mengelak penipuan. Kalau tak, ada orang boleh undi 4-5 kali. Dan kita mantapkan kaedah undi pos. ini tuntutan yang valid dan sahih. Yang Umno berlagak macam parti yang reaksioner tidak mahu mengujudkan rukun demokrasi yang baik, kenapa?

Jadi Datuk Najib jangan ek lah nak bercakap mengenai demokrasi terbaik dalam dunia dan bongkak pula menyatakan pemansuhan ISA sebagai pengorbanan kepada rakyat. Bukankah kita ada institusi perundangan dan penghakiman dan kepolisian? Atau mungkinkah PM dari Umno ni pun turut sangsi tentang integrity institusi yang di ujudkan oleh kerajaan nya?

Saya hendak semua orang faham bahawa semua jawatan dan kedudukan politik bersifat TOL. PM duduk di Putrajaya atas aturan TOL. Lesen Pendudukan Sementara bukan hak milik kekal.  Semua nya bergantung keatas sokongan rakyat dan rakyat berhak menilai semual setiap 5 tahun.

Pihak keselamatan mesti menjaga keselamatan rakyat bukan keselamatan Umno. Jika identity penyerang penuntut di kenali tangkap mereka dan dedahkan siapa mereka. Baru kita tahu siapa yang mendalangi serangan tersebut. Dimanakah pihak polis ketika samseng-samseng mengasari pelajar yang bermukim di Dataran Merdeka? Pelajar bermukim untuk menuntut pemansuhan PTPTN bukan nak buat bonfire. Ini kerja matlaon Umno dan agent provocateurs lain.

Apalah sangat pemansuhan PTPTN di bandingkan dengan kemaafan yang di berikan kepada Tajudin Ramli? Apalah sangat jumlah pembiayaan PTPTN di bandingkan dengan sabsidi yang di beri kepada syarikat pengendalian TOL, IPP dan sebagainya? Jika kita menyuruh pelajar-pelajar memulangkan balik pinjaman PTPTN, maka kita mesti juga menyuruh Mirzan Mahathir memulangkan kembali 1.8 billion duit Petronas yang di pakainya untuk menyelamatkan syarikat perkapalannya suatu ketika dahulu. Petronas bukannya lender of last resort dan harta peribadi keluarga Dr Mahathir.

Saya hendak ibu bapa, saudara mara dan sahabat handai pelajar-pelajar yang di kasari dan di pukul, ingat baik baik kezaliman ini. terjemahkan kemarahan anda semua dengan mengundi Umno dan BN keluar dari tampuk kuasa. Mengundi mereka bererti memberi lesen kepada mereka untuk membuli anak-anak kita. Budak-budak yang kena pukul ini tidak ada ibu-bapakah untuk di perlakukan sedemikian rupa?

Artikel saya sebelum ini menulis mengenai tebiat Dr Mahathir. Dialah orang yang paling takut jika Umno dan BN kalah. Bila Umno kalah kita akan bongkar segala onar dan mungkar yang di lakukan oleh Umno dan BN sejak 1981. TOL jalan raya, pelabuhan, IPP — semua wajib di bongkar supaya rakyat tahu.

Dan instincts saya mengidentifikasikan Dr Mahathir ternyata tepat. Sekarang ini dia sibuk berkempen online menggesa pengundi memilih Umno dan BN. Untuk apa Dr? Untuk memberi lesen kepada Umno terus merompak dan melanun rakyat Malaysia dan memperkudakan orang Melayu? Kita heran kenapa Dr Mahathir mahu mempertahankan parti yang rotten to the core dan parti yang mengetuai kerajaan yang korap dari yang paling tinggi hingga ke pemimpin peringkat cawangan? Kenapa kita mahu beri mandate kepada Umno dan BN?

Jika tidak kerana manipulasi persempadanan kawasan parlimen, Umno dan BN telah lama berkubur. Sekarang dalam saat hendak lemas dan nazak, Umno menggunakan segala kumpulan reaksioner untuk membuli rakyat. Maka benarlah seperti yang di nyatakan oleh Pendita Zaaba.

Rakyat Malaysia dan bangsa Melayu…mereka telah di perabdikan dan kena picit dan perah dan ramas di tangan pemerintah-pemerintah yang pada zaman dahulu itu, iaitu pemerintah-pemerintah dari bangsa mereka sendiri… — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

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

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 12:04 pm and is filed under
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PPPA amendments get nod after much acrimony

S Pathmawathy and Hazlan Zakaria | 10:38AM Apr 20, 2012

Malaysiakini

Parliament adopted the amendments to the Printing, Presses and Publication Act (PPPA) at 2.15am today as BN and opposition MPs fired verbal barbs at each other in a heated atmosphere.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Barat) questioned the gvernment’s intentions to “truly allow for freedom of the press” ,dismissing the amendments to the PPPA as “mere baby steps”.

The major amendments include provisions to do way with the annual renewal of printing licences and publication permits as well as remove the absolute discretion of the minister on deciding whether to approve new applications or revoke existing ones.

“The Bill is to be debated in such a short time shows that the government is not interested in political transformation and the amendments were done without consultation, all the talk of transformation is just political mimicry,” Lim charged.

“These are just baby steps to press freedom. The prime minister has said under his leadership there is more press freedom and it was internationally recognised.

“Malaysia’s press freedom index was at 122 in 2011 compared to 141 last year (2010), but the question is are the changes in the press index due to Najib’s leadership?

Benefitting from others’ woes

 Lim said the that annual press freedom index climbed 19 spots last year “thanks to the downward spirals in the countries being wracked by unrest”.

He said that it was not because Malaysia was better but “because it is worse in other countries”.

Clear examples of freedom being curtailed in the country were the Home Ministry’s objection to Internet news portal Malaysiakini’s printing license and the “hounding” of Nan Yang Siau Pau and The Star for being “insensitive”.

Among others he also said efforts by Media Prima in taking over New Straits Time Press and the appointment of the prime minister’s aide to a senior editorial position, also impinged on press freedom.

“The PPPA in its entirety should be repealed and no newspaper should need a permit.

“There are sufficient laws in place to deal with newspapers that deal with false news,” stressed Lim, slamming the “piecemeal solutions”.

Lim also turned on Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) for tagging the DAP parliament leader as a racist.

Smear bid blows up in face

The BN MP labelled Lim racist as such because oft the latter’s tweets on the day of political aide Teoh Beng Hock’s death, calling on MCA and Gerakan leaders to pressure the government into setting up a royal commission for inquiry into that tragedy.

Abdul Rahman had alleged that Lim’s mention of MCA and Gerekan was meant to incite racial sentiments by playing on the anger of the Chinese at Teoh’s death.

However, Lim had come armed with a printout of his Twitter timeline from July 16, 2009, and proceeded to read each tweet out loud in the Dewan Rakyat.

This provoked an altercation with Abdul Rahman and other backbenchers, triggering opposition MPs to jump into the fray.

The uproar forced Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Jaafar to step in  and chastise both sides.

“YBs (yang berhormat) it is already late at night, some of us may have gone deaf. I think we have had enough fun let us return to a semblance of a Parliament.

“I would like to remind you that while we have suspended Standing Order 12, others still stand,” he said, reminding the MPs to focus their attention on debating the Bill.

Once order was restored, Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) took the floor flaying Lim’s remarks about “ultimate” press freedom.

“If I remember correctly the Penang state assembly had passed a resolution to ban Utusan (Malaysia) reporters from covering the state assembly.

“PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim would point to TV3 journalists and call them the despicable tools (alat keji) of the BN.

“This is harassment. Our journalist are prevented from doing their jobs and derided,” Khairy lashed out.

Deputy Home Minister Abu Seman Yusop, in winding up the debate, refused to entertain any interruption from either side, finally putting the debate to rest.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 April 2012, 11:46 am and is filed under
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Ambiga: ‘Whirlwind’ of law reforms pointless without clean polls

By Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 21, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The sudden “whirlwind” of legislative reforms to the country’s restrictive laws has left Malaysians both elated and disappointed in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government ahead of the 13th general election, Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan has said.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his team may have earned plus points for daring to slacken the government’s leash over civil freedom, a historical point in Malaysian politics, but the prime minister’s failed attempt at electoral reform had hurtled him back to square one, she said.

The vocal civil society leader added that although crucial restrictive legal provisions were removed in recent months, they were forced down the throats of Malaysians in a rushed manner, drawing suspicion over the government’s true motive for reform.

“To me, the speed at which new laws and amendments were suddenly being pushed through Parliament, without consideration at all for consultation and opposition viewpoints, I think, reeks of suspicion.

“All it shows is that the elections are close,” Ambiga told The Malaysian Insider recently.

“We are in a bit of a whirlwind, really, with these legislations being passed through in such a rushed manner.

“Some people say it’s a good thing… but to many, you (the government) are only doing this because of the elections.

“This how it would just enforce the insincerity of the government,” she said.

In the span of two Dewan Rakyat sittings and about six months, the government had pushed through a record number of critical amendments to laws long described as draconian by civil society groups and those in the opposition camp.

Key among these was the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA), the 1960 anti-Communist insurgency law which critics have accused the government of misusing to threaten and quell opposition dissent.

A new legislation, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, was proposed in its place, removing the government’s power under the ISA to throw a person behind bars for up to two years without trial.

Last November, both Houses of Parliament approved the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011, a fresh law mooted by the government to permit public gatherings after the authorities arrested over 1,600 individuals and sprayed tear gas and chemical-laced water to disperse Bersih 2.0’s peaceful rally for free and fair elections last July 9.

On the final day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Thursday, the government also lifted the over four-decade-old ban on student participation in politics after approving amendments to the highly-criticised University and University Colleges Act 1971.

In a rare show of unity, both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers even unanimously agreed to widen academic freedom by voting positively on a motion to allow university students to hold posts in both political parties and on-campus organisations.

Adding to the growing list, Dewan Rakyat also agreed to loosen government control over media freedom slightly, passing during the historic sitting at 2.15am yesterday amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Despite the Bill’s harried manner of approval and uproar from the opposition bench, the amendment effectively clips Putrajaya’s wings over the granting of publishing permits and scraps the annual permit renewal requirement earlier imposed on publications in the PPPA.

Other significant legislative reforms include earlier amendments to the Police Act, the repeal of the Banishment Act 1959 and Restricted Residence Act 1933, the lifting of three Emergency Declarations and the tabling of the Malaysia Volunteers Corps (RELA) Bill 2012, a new law that removes the organisation’s powers of arrest and firearms possession.

But these legislative reforms, said Ambiga, merely offer a “psychological boost” in the people’s support and trust in Najib and BN.

She said some may celebrate them, but others would eventually realise that the key to a truly democratic nation that respects civil freedom was a clean and fair election process.

This, Ambiga charged, was Najib’s biggest and greatest failure in his “whirlwind” of reforms.

“To me, there are plus points for the amendments, which are definitely liberalising. But… there are many pertinent complaints as well.

“There is a lot of unhappiness all around about the election process… will there be free and fair elections next? We are doubtful. Because this, in my view, has not been addressed,” she said.

Another reformist move taken by Najib was to form the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for electoral reform last October, tasking it to look into key demands made by Bersih and opposition lawmakers on how to clean up the election process.

But when its six-month tenure was up, the bipartisan panel tabled on April 2 what Ambiga and PR representatives have described as a report lacking in true reform to the many discrepancies they have uncovered in the electoral roll.

“The glaring absence of true reform speaks volumes. Even worse, the report was rushed through Parliament without debate.

“So many things could have otherwise been trashed out,” she said.

“The most obvious shortcoming is that the report did not state a deadline for the reforms. If there is commitment to implement the PSC’s 22 recommendations before the 13th general election… then everything would be resolved.”

Ambiga added that BN had missed a grand opportunity to coax voter support.

“I have said in the past and I mean it still today – if they are committed to electoral reform, their popularity would grow. But they reformed many other things and the part about elections, they completely failed,” she said.

“Now, they are back to square one.”

Bersih 3.0, which has received the backing of PR parties of PAS, PKR and DAP, will kick off at 2pm next Saturday at Dataran Merdeka in the capital city.

The government has given the green light for the rally, in the spirit of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011 but City Hall yesterday rejected the group’s plan to use the historic square for a non-violent sit-down show of civil disobedience.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 April 2012, 5:31 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 3 to herald Bersih Spring to bring about vital changes for an united progressive and prosperous Malaysia

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

DAP life advisor

BERSIH 3 will herald the Bersih Spring which will sweep throughout the country and bring about the changes to create a free, just and democratic multiracial, multilingual and multireligious society.

The people have long hungered for a new society where all Malaysians are equal, and have equal opportunities to be educated and to be prosperous.

The people will all be Malaysians who are equal under the Malaysian sun.  There will be one people –  who are all ketuanan rakyat,  all equals whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and others,  allowing for Malays and the indigenous peoples   to be the first among equals.

The Bersih Spring will promote unity and solidarity among the people.  We shall be one and our political, economic and social progress will advance rapidly.  We shall become one the main players  of the new Asian Century.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that on April 28, all Malaysians must unite and gather together by the hundreds of thousands throughout the country and demand for clean, free and fair elections.

With clean, free and fair elections,  Pakatan Rakyat will have a good chance of winning the  13th  General Elections, form the government and bring the changes for a better society.

Bersih 3 on 28th April is a vital occasion. If the people meet by the hundreds of thousands throughout the country and demand clean, free and fair elections, we can make Prime Minister Najib Razak listen to our demands. We can create a new, united and prosperous Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 April 2012, 5:09 pm and is filed under
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Beyond bare minimum — From a Reformasi Mum to her Boy Named Justice

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 21, 2012

APRIL 17—My dearest son:

We all know that when taking care of a healthy child, the bare minimum required is proper food and shelter. And of course, where possible, lots of love and care.

When the child is sick, the bar of bare minimum is raised to include proper medication and tender care. In most cases, it is the usual Panadol, anti-histamine and cough syrup.

But if the child’s sickness is prolonged, the bar is raised again to include a doctor’s attention.

Any thing further than this and the child will need to be taken for diagnostic tests and observation which may even include hospitalisation and other extensive/aggressive medical attention.

Anything less and the child may run the risk of lifelong impaired health, or even death.

In every step of the way, the attending adult caregivers are duty- bound to properly raise the bar of proper and adequate response; failing which he/she is in danger of dereliction of duty as a responsible caregiver. Such an offence is grievous to natural justice.

Similarly, as responsible  citizens of this country, to register ourselves to become voters and then to do the necessary in order to cast our votes on polling day is the bare minimum anyone of us can do.

In order to cast our votes wisely, we raise the bar by informing ourselves through the media (be it mainstream or alternative), attending ceramahs, getting to know the candidates, familiarising ourselves with the respective party or coalition’s manifestos, etc.

But when we know that the electoral process of which we are a part is rigged with untold corruption and massive fraud, to fulfil just the bare minimum as mentioned above is no longer adequate or enough.

For anyone of sound mind to continue thinking that the bare minimum alone is still enough at this point is faulty thinking. Because the chronic illness in the fraudulent system cannot be dealt with just the bare minimum. Lack of political will combined with wilful stranglehold on power can and must be dealt with using “unconventional” methods. Not unlawful, just unconventional, at least in our local context.

A fraudulent electoral process is unjust and immoral because it undermines the very basic tenets of democracy. It is a show of contempt towards the people’s ability to make sound and wise choices for themselves.

In a case of clear electoral crisis such as ours, for us to not raise the bar from bare minimum responsibility is to be fatalistic about the power that is in our hands. It is akin to fighting cancer with medicine meant for flu, which obviously is not going to work. An unusual illness requires unusual intervention and treatment.

In the electoral disease we are faced with,  BERSIH is one such intervention. However, the success of such an intervention is dependent upon the cooperation of its stakeholders. In this case, the stakeholders are all the citizens who have a right and the right to decide a government of their own choosing.  If we have been keeping to only the bare minimum thus far and are still not seeing the reforms that ought to have taken place all these while, then it is time we raise the bar and step beyond. There can be no other way but to fight the systemic cancer the way it must be done. Any less and it is a grave disservice to ourselves, our children and our country.

On 28 April 2012, 2pm, Dataran Merdeka, YOU AND I, my dearest son, will STEP BEYOND THE BARE MINIMUM!

 (From
www.dontsaycannot.wordpress.com
)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 April 2012, 3:36 pm and is filed under
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BN could suffer for attack on students

Kee Thuan Chye

Free Malaysia Today

April 21, 2012

Perception is what counts in politics. And the perception that has already set in among the discerning public, not only discerning students, is that Umno hired the thugs.

COMMENT

Barisan Nasional has probably just lost the votes of university students who are bright, perceptive and can think for themselves.

These students would have been reviled by the recent attack on the student protesters camped out at Dataran Merdeka by a gang of 50 thugs. They would have seen this as a shameful act of violence against their fellow students, who were helpless and defenceless.

They would have seen this as an act to frighten the students into ending their protest calling for PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) loans to be written off.

Those who are bright and up to speed about politics in this country would automatically assume that this is the work of forces bigger than the thugs. For why should thugs randomly attack the students and beat some of them up, including women? What would be their motive for doing so?

The assumption would most likely be that the forces behind the attack are members of the ruling party – for who, more than anyone else, would want to see the protest end sooner?

That being so, it’s bad news for BN. Rightly or wrongly, the first suspicion would be that BN – or, more specifically, Umno – is behind this.

Even if it’s not the case in reality, it doesn’t matter. Perception is what counts in politics. And the perception that has already set in among the discerning public, not only discerning students, is that Umno hired the thugs.

This was the perception too when thugs also violently disrupted a Solidariti Mahasiswa talk in Klang last February.

So rampant have violent disruptions of political events been of late – particularly those that are deemed adversarial to the ruling party – that it has become common belief that Umno is responsible for them.

It has come to be seen as a modus operandi for intimidating opponents. Increasingly, with each new violent disruption, the image of Umno and BN has suffered. The perception is that the ruling party knows no other way than intimidation to deal with challenges to its authority and policies. Instead of adhering to democratic principles, it employs anti-democratic means.

This perception is supported by the fact that Umno has resorted to threats and violence a few times before in the past.

Umno Youth members threatened to burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in 2000 unless the Chinese Malaysian Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) retracted its 17-point appeal for improvements in some national policies.

Umno Youth members stormed an Asia-Pacific Coalition for East Timor II conference in Kuala Lumpur in 1996, broke down the doors of the conference halls, threw chairs and verbally and physically abused the participants.

In 2006, a forum on Article 11 of the Federal Constitution held in Penang was made to end abruptly by the vehement protest of a group of Umno Youth members at the forum venue. The police intervened by telling the forum organisers to cut short the forum.

Nothing from police probes

In recent times, we have seen the same modus operandi at work on a few occasions.

Last August, Umno senator Ezam Mohd Nor threatened to burn down the offices of Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider for what he said was their false reporting against Islam. This was, to say the least, a most unbecoming utterance from a senator.

Last January, the ceramah in Shah Alam organised by Anything But Umno (ABU) and Hindraf was gate-crashed by a gang of thugs who rode their motorcycles into the hall, threw leaflets and bottles around and verbally abused the audience.

In Penang last February, a group identified as Umno Youth and Perkasa members attacked anti-Lynas protesters at Speakers’ Corner, resulting in injury to two journalists. Even Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who spoke at the event, was harassed.

The police who were present reportedly looked on and did nothing. Later, Penang Chief Police Officer Ayub Yaakob blamed the organisers for not informing the police about their event.

Must one have prepared the police beforehand before the latter can perform their duty of restoring order when a fracas breaks out? If they have not been duly informed, do they just pretend they are not there?

What KPI should the police get for this, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak?

To be sure, the police have so far not been seen to be impartial in handling the various attacks. Their investigations after the fact have often led to nothing. No one has yet been charged in court, although in the Shah Alam incident, the attack was serious enough to cause a man to be hospitalised.

Even when there is video evidence to support the claim of violent action, the police have been known to say that nothing violent was committed.

In this current case of the attack at Dataran Merdeka, the students claim that the police stood and watched while the attack was going on. To this, the police counter-claim that they responded by sending 10 personnel to the scene within five to six minutes.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohmad Salleh says two plainclothes policemen were already at the scene when the attack started at 2.40am. So why didn’t these two plunge straight into breaking it up?

Only one attacker was arrested out of the 50 or so. This is poor pickings by any standard.

What was Mohmad’s excuse? “It was early in the morning and we could not differentiate the attackers from those already there.” One might well interpret from that statement that the attackers must have just been standing around with their arms folded. Or perhaps the cops were sleeping on the job.

Are we to believe the claim made by the Government body Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit) that the crime rate has gone down when our police have shown their level of efficiency in this case?

Are we to believe Pemandu’s declaration that Malaysia is now the safest and most peaceful country in Malaysia when innocent, defenceless students can be attacked by hired thugs?

Power of passive resistance

The whole incident has, as usual, been badly handled by the authorities.

Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin showed a lack of emotional quotient when he tweeted: “No one asked (the students) to camp out at Dataran Merdeka. When something happens, don’t go asking for sympathy.” He had to later give the pathetic excuse that he wrote it like that to keep within the 140-character limit.

If there is something exemplary to be remarked upon here, it is the students’ composure when they were being attacked.

In not physically retaliating against their attackers, they demonstrated the power of passive resistance. No wonder they have won much public sympathy since. And no doubt they have won the admiration of their peers as well.

The students may well prove to be a substantial thorn in BN’s side, that will haunt the coalition at the upcoming general election, but that’s what you get when students you have been oppressing for four decades are stirred and finally stand up to reclaim their rights.

A friend of mine often says that change will come when students start to take to the streets. This has now happened, and I hope he’s right.

Kee Thuan Chye is the author of No More Bullshit, Please, We’re All Malaysians, now available in major bookstores.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 April 2012, 7:47 pm and is filed under
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I am joining BERSIH 3.0 because I want my vote to count

by Mok Chuang Lian

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 21, 2012

APRIL 21 – I do not have confidence in the Malaysian electoral system.  I am not confident that my vote will count, and that my voice will be heard.  In a genuine, open democracy, each vote has equal value – every vote counts.

There are currently 42,051 known dubious names in the electoral roll and further irregularities: 79,098 voters are registered at a mere 354 addresses.  Although relatively small given the Malaysian voting age population, these numbers can make a huge difference in the outcome of elections.  Marginal seats can swing very easily with small numbers of votes.

The Election Commission’s response to these questionable electoral roll figures has been unimpressive.  The Chief of the Election Commission reportedly said that the Commission’s ‘hands were tied’ on cleaning up the electoral roll, and downplayed the importance of an accurate electoral roll.

For a democracy to function effectively there must be absolute faith in the electoral system, so that citizens will exercise their right to vote and make their voice heard.

One way of ensuring confidence in the electoral system is engaging independent international observers to monitor the elections.  Malaysian officials have previously observed elections in Thailand and other countries, demonstrating that the Malaysian government endorses this practice.  However the report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform made no mention of inviting international observers for the upcoming 13th General Elections.

This is why I will join BERSIH 3.0’s Duduk Bantah on 28 April 2012.  BERSIH 3.0 demands a cleaned up electoral roll and the engagement of independent international election observers.  This must be done before the 13th General Elections to send a clear message that Malaysia respects its citizens and is serious about ensuring a clean and accountable electoral system.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 April 2012, 2:41 pm and is filed under
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