Chinese voters must decide

ON THE BEAT WITH WONG CHUN WAI

Sunday Star

Sunday May 8, 2011

The question is whether the Chinese community wishes to be in the government or the opposition in the next general election.

IT’S a month now since the Sarawak state polls and Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, who was the target of the emotional election campaign, remains the Chief Minister.

He delivered 35 out of the 35 seats contested by Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu and convincingly won in his Asajaya stronghold, with his opponents losing their deposits.

The calls for Taib, the longest serving Chief Minister, to step down have since stopped.

Despite the cry for change, nothing has changed. Taib is still the man in charge and he still holds the key to the state’s 29 Barisan Nasional MPs in the safe deposit box.

Painful as it may sound, the reality is that the only change that has occurred is the Chinese voters have committed their representation to the opposition.

The fact is that Taib delivered in the state’s fiercest election, where over 200 candidates contested in 71 seats, and he made sure Barisan won with the two-thirds majority intact by winning 55 seats.

PKR, which contested the largest number of seats for Pakatan Rakyat, was a wash-out, managing to win only three of the 49 seats it went for.

PAS failed so badly, with some of its candidates losing their deposits.

The point is that the bulk of the Malay, Melanau and Dayak seats remained with the Barisan.

PKR generated much hype about capturing the state, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even declaring at mid-point of the campaign that Pakatan was looking beyond denying the Barisan the two-thirds majority.

It was a foregone conclusion even before the nominations that the urban Chinese voters would go to the DAP. And, as predicted, the DAP won 12 seats, almost wiping out SUPP.

It would not be wrong to deduce that Taib had gone to the polls knowing that the Chinese voters had abandoned him and SUPP could not deliver but the bumiputra votes would be solid.

Even in the suburbs of Kuching, where bumiputra voters are fully exposed to issues, they strongly backed the Barisan.

For all their euphoria, PKR and PAS could not deliver the bumiputra seats, and that meant capturing the state was impossible.

Essentially, the Chinese is now in the opposition.

The bottom line is that voting was along racial lines, much as some might wish to gloss over it. Even Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian – who was picked to be the new CM should Pakatan win but ended up as not even the state opposition chief – argued on the ethnic factor, snubbing the Pakatan Shadow Cabinet because he felt it did not have enough bumiputra representation.

Similarly, PAS has always consistently said its role is to push for an Islamic representation. It has always been honest about its goal and agenda.

Racial representation certainly does matter in any government, whether Barisan or Pakatan, as Baru Bian himself has acknowledged. And no matter how we argue, the DAP won in the Chinese areas.

The DAP has said that it makes no difference whether SUPP is in the state government or not. But that remains to be seen and evaluated in the next five years.

Now comes the question of the Chinese representation at federal level. Anti-establishment sentiments among the Chinese remain strong with their grouses pertaining to economic opportunities, places in public universities, career opportunities in public services, abuse of the affirmative actions and religious concerns.

The Chinese community has always placed strong emphasis on continued progression. Their migratory patterns to seek better lives have long been recorded. Even in countries that are predominantly Chinese – China, Taiwan and Singapore – the community always wants more.

Any politician who asks Chinese voters to be grateful would only commit political suicide, given the fact that the community makes up one of the largest group of personal income tax contributors in Malaysia.

Development is after all the duty of the government. That’s what politicians are supposed to do.

But it has also been frustrating for the MCA, the largest Chinese partner in the Barisan. It has a record in education which no Chinese-based party in Malaysia can match. Hundreds of thousands have graduated from Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman and now Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

It cannot be denied that even critics of the MCA have benefited in some ways from the party. As an example, many are sending their children to KTAR or Utar, which are heavily subsidised by the party and its supporters. It would be more acceptable to suggest that the MCA need to do more.

At the MCA headquarters, every day there is such a long queue of people seeking help from the party’s officials. It resembles a busy hospital scene.

Certainly, it has been dampening and even heart-wrenching for the party to be asked what it has done for the Chinese. It has now come to a head-on: Should the Chinese vote opposition but turn to the MCA for help?

It is clear that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is not accepting such an arrangement. The party has decided that should it fare worse than in the 2008 polls, the MCA would not accept any government position – not even municipal council, district committee or hospital advisory board posts.

The decision should be regarded not as a threat but as a matter of choice. The wishes of the community must be respected as massive defeats for the MCA in the next polls can only be seen as the wish of the voters to reject Chinese representation in government.

No dignified Chinese leader – whether MCA, Gerakan or SUPP – should accept a senator’s post after publicly pledging he would not accept any government post this time. It would be simply demeaning.

The MCA has readily admitted that it would have little legitimacy to be in government if it is rejected by the community. For sure, it would have little bargaining power if it is regarded as non-representative of the Chinese community.

If it does not perform well, then the MCA should pack up, accept the rejection, stay on the sidelines for the next five years and let its political opponent take up the interests of the Chinese community.

In the next general election, the likelihood is that the DAP has a good chance of retaining Penang. But there can never be a Penang factor elsewhere.

In Kedah, PAS is facing a strong challenge while in Perak, the political scenario has changed drastically with the Barisan regaining much ground.

Of the 222 parliamentary seats, only 40-odd seats are Chinese majority with over 65% Chinese votes. There are about 30-odd racially mixed seats. That means the Chinese political clout is restricted, and it has not helped with the population continuing to decline sharply.

In Selangor, the official statistic is that it is only 29% of the five million population, and in Penang with its more than one million population, the Chinese are reportedly no longer the majority.

In 1957, the Chinese made up 45% of the country’s population. But the projection is that by 2035, it will drop to 18.6% if the decline continues.

With the indication now that Malay and Indian votes have returned to the Barisan, the scenario is moving towards an unhealthy situation where Malays are in government and the Chinese are on the opposition.

PKR and PAS are fully aware of the Malay shift, with PKR re-emphasising its commitment to protecting Malay special rights while the Islamist party is expected to do the same at its general meeting next month in a move to regain the Malay votes.

The question is whether the Chinese community wishes to be the king-maker, to be in the government or the opposition, in the next general election

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 8 May 2011, 2:49 pm and is filed under
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Christian agenda claim “a serious matter”: Hishammuddin

The Sun

Sun, 08 May 2011

BESUT (May 7, 2011): Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has described as serious a purported meeting of pastors in Penang allegedly to discuss making Christianity the official religion of the federation.

He said any action by followers of a religion would invite reactions from followers of others.

“The same goes in racial issues. If certain races resorted to raising issues in an excessive manner, it will invite reactions from other races,” he told reporters after opening the Besut Umno division meeting, here today.

Hishammuddin, who is Umno vice-president, said he was now awaiting reports over what transpired at the meeting.

“But I prefer to face those who don’t understand the actual situation. We should give explanation over such issues that are being fanned by certain quarters.

“If they are adamant on creating disunity even after we have given explanations, then I think the police will make a decision (on the actions to be taken).

“It’s the police, not me, (who are taking actions), otherwise we’ll be accused of playing politics,” he said, adding that in handling such matters, the government gave priority to security.

“I will monitor, not just this group, but also extremists among Muslims who want to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden,” he said.

Hishammuddin was referring to a report in Utusan Malaysia today, which claimed that there was a conspiracy among Christian groups and the DAP to make changes to the Federal Constitution on the position of Islam.

The report based on unverified blog postings, claimed there was a meeting between DAP leaders and pastors on the matter. Several Christian and other religious groups have already come out to deny the original blog postings.

In another development, he said police would investigate claims about the existence of another sex video implicating an opposition leader believed to have been produced in Thailand.

“Police will investigate this and will take action against those found to have committed offences. No one is above the law,” he said.

Meanwhile in GEORGE TOWN, the Penang Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) has lodged a police report against Jelutong Member of Parliament, Jeff Ooi, who is alleged to be the organiser of a meeting of priests at a hotel at Jalan Macalister last Thursday.

The report was lodged by its North East chief, Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin at the Jalan Patani police station about 1.20pm today.

Mohd Rizuad said that based on a newspaper report in Utusan today, two blogsites had claimed that the meeting also discussed making Christian the official religion for the federation and to appoint a Christian as Prime Minister.

“This issue will destruct the racial unity that has been built for more than 50 years,” he told reporters after lodging the police report.

Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Datuk Zulkifli Noordin said there were young Muslims in the country who had gotten carried away with liberalism to the point of neglecting their own religion.

He said they were easily confused by the issue surrounding the use of the word “Allah” and attempts to convert Muslims to become Christians.

He added that these groups argued that the word “Allah” can be used by all religions and that changing of religions should be allowed.

“This should be given attention because these young minds are confused by those with self interest who are out to propagate their own religion,” he said.

“Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should engage these young people and explain to them so that they are clear about the agenda of certain quarters who wanted to propagate their religion among Muslims,” he said at the gathering of Muslim organisations organised by Pembela, a Muslim NGO, in Kuala Lumpur.

In Tumpat, Malay rights group Perkasa said it would lodged police reports nationwide over the alleged attempt to make Christianity the official religion of the federation.

Its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said until this evening, 10 police reports had been lodged, urging the authority to investigate the matter.

“This is about sensitivity and this is very serious. Perkasa calls on the police to investigate this.

“If it is true as reported, then Perkasa is very disappointed because this is about religion, a very sensitive issue,” he told reporters. — Bernama

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Church mulls legal action against Utusan for false reporting

By
Debra Chong

The Malaysian Insider

May 08, 2011

GEORGE TOWN, May 8 — Bishop Antony Selvanayagam (left) said Utusan Malaysia lied about the Penang Catholic Church’s role in an alleged plot to make Malaysia Christian, adding he will consult a lawyer to discuss legal options against the Umno newspaper.

The cleric said neither he nor the Catholic Church were aware of any Christian meeting taking place in Penang as reported by the Malay newspaper, which also said yesterday the meeting was to discuss changing the country’s highest law to put a Christian in place of a Muslim as prime minister.

“That report is not true. No such conference took place in any Catholic church or facility here. As bishop, I would know,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted last night.

“That is false reporting,” Selvanayagam said, adding that neither Utusan nor any other person, apart from The Malaysian Insider, had contacted him to verify the report before its publication or since.

Asked if he planned to take action against Utusan Malaysia, he said, “Immediately, I would not be able to say. I would need to consult the Catholic Church and my legal advisor.”

In the front-page article headlined “Malaysia negara Kristian? (Malaysia a Christian country?), the Malay daily reported that “Malam ini pula akan diadakan satu majlis di Pusat Kristian (Katolik) Pulau Pinang di sini dan satu ceramah perdana pula dianjurkan esok. Pertemuan itu dikatakan dianjurkan setiap tahun”.

[In English: “Tonight there will be a function at the Penang Christian Centre (Catholic) here and the inaugural lecture will take place tomorrow. The convention is organised every year.”]

The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) has clarified that the meeting reported by Utusan is the Unashamedly Ethical Conference it has co-organised with another group, Marketplace Penang, and two others, including Global Day of Prayer and the Penang Pastors Fellowship.

The NECF stressed that it was not a religious event and the convention was aimed at increasing Christian awareness of social ills, such as corruption, and finding ways to tackle them.

Selvanayagam, who has been bishop since 1980, also dismissed allegations connecting the Catholic Church to a political conspiracy to make Christianity the country’s official religion.

“As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, we are not involved,” he said, and strongly opposed attempts by Muslim groups to drag the Church into the controversy by raising the issue of the Herald’s court case on “Allah”.

Several Muslim organisations, including right-wing Malay rights group Perkasa, have lodged police reports after reading the Utusan report, which was based entirely on allegations by several anonymous bloggers known to be pro-Umno.

The bloggers have accused the DAP of sedition in an alleged conspiracy with Christians to change the country’s highest law to put a Christian in place of a Muslim as prime minister.

To back up their allegation, the bloggers pointed to a grainy photograph showing what they described to be a secret pact between the DAP’s Jelutong MP and pastors at a closed-door dinner party in a Penang hotel on Wednesday.

The DAP has vehemently denied the allegations and its secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, has directed its members to file police reports to counter them.

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GE: “We hear all your voices”, says PM Lee

By Chitra Rajaram | Posted: 08 May 2011 0401 hrs

www.channelnewsasia.com

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the voters have decided and he is “humbled” that they voted the PAP government back to power.

Speaking at a post-victory news conference after the General Election results were announced on Sunday, Mr Lee said voters had given the PAP a strong mandate but he is aware of the concerns and issues voters had put across.

“We hear all your voices,” said Mr Lee.

The PAP government was returned to power with a majority of 81 seats including five uncontested seats. The strong showing is a relief for Mr Lee, who was seeking his second mandate as Prime Minister.

Although it was a sweeping win in terms of seats, the PAP’s share of the popular vote slipped to 60.14 percent from 66.6 percent at the last election in 2006.

One of the most challenging contests in electoral history, the polls saw competition in 82 out of the 87 seats among seven political parties.

Sentiments were shifting towards the Workers’ Party and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in the last few days of campaigning, with talk that PAP could lose seven or eight seats especially hotbed Aljunied GRC and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

But the PAP ended with 81 out of 87 Parliament seats.

Mr Lee called this a watershed election – one that has taken place in a very different world and a very different Singapore from five years ago.

He said the election had heightened political consciousness and awareness among Singaporeans.

Mr Lee, who is also the Secretary General of the People’s Action Party, said the election marks a distinct shift that all Singaporeans, not just the political parties, must adjust to.

The nine days of intense campaigning focused on major issues such as the cost of living and housing and healthcare, and Singapore’s political system and values.

Mr Lee noted that people aired their frustrations and grievances — and he said that the government has heard them.

“The PAP will analyse the results of the election, learn from what has emerged from this General Election, put right what is wrong, improve what can be made better, and also improve ourselves to serve Singaporeans better,” he said.

Touching on the PAP’s loss to the Workers’ Party in Aljunied GRC, Mr Lee said Foreign Minister George Yeo and his team accepted and respected the voters’ decision.

“It will be a heavy loss to my Cabinet and my team of MPs not to have George, Lim Hwee Hua, Zainul Abidin, Cynthia Phua and Ong Ye Kung. They are five good men and women. But we too accept and respect the voters’ decision and we wish the new Workers’ Party MPs well in serving the Aljunied residents,” said Mr Lee.

Prime Minister Lee noted that there will be 81 PAP MPs and nine opposition MPs in the next Parliament — six elected from the Workers’ Party and three Non-Constituency MPs, if the opposition parties take up these seats.

He said the government looks forward to these opposition MPs offering alternative views and helping to improve debate in a constructive manner.

Summing up, Mr Lee said it is time to heal and move forward — not just for the parties, but for all Singaporeans.

“The political contest goes on in every country in one form or another. But in Singapore, we must make sure it’s harnessed for the good to make Singapore stronger and never to divide us. We are all fellow Singaporeans, so at the end of the General Election, let us close ranks to secure our future together,” said Mr Lee.

– CNA/ir

GE: Aljunied win a political landmark, says WP’s Low

Posted: 08 May 2011 0600 hrs

SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang has described his victory in Aljunied GRC as a political landmark in Singapore.

He said: “This is a political landmark in Singapore. You have cast doubts and fears and taken a leap of faith.

“Your votes tell us that Singapore is not just an economic success…but (also) your home.

“Your votes tell us that Singapore wants to mature as a democracy and tell the government that you want a responsible, inclusive and transparent government.

“You have entrusted us your mandate to serve you and we will do our best to honour your trust in us.”

The Workers’ Party won 54.71 per cent of the votes, leaving the People’s Action Party (PAP) with 45.29 per cent.

Besides Mr Low, the others in his team include Workers’ Party chairman and law lecturer Sylvia Lim, corporate lawyer Chen Show Mao, freelance counsellor Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, and post-graduate law student Pritam Singh.

Aljunied GRC was also hotly contested in 2006, with the PAP winning the GRC by a small margin. In 2006, the PAP won 56.1 per cent of the votes, while WP received 43.9 per cent.

– CNA/ir

GE: A new chapter has opened, says George Yeo

Posted: 08 May 2011 0214 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) — led by its Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang — has won the hotly contested Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

The win puts the most number of opposition members into Parliament.

WP won 54.71 per cent of the votes, leaving the People’s Action Party (PAP) with 45.29 per cent.

This means the PAP team has lost three office holders — Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo, Second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua, and Senior Minister of State Zainul Abidin Rasheed.

WP chief Low said in his victory speech: “This is a political landmark in Singapore. You have cast doubts and fears and taken a leap of faith.

“Your votes tell us that Singapore is not just an economic success…but (also) your home.

“Your votes tell us that Singapore wants to mature as a democracy and tell the government that you want a responsible, inclusive and transparent government.

“You have entrusted us your mandate to serve you and we will do our best to honour your trust in us.”

Meanwhile, Mr Yeo said: “Dear friends, my colleagues and I would like to congratulate Mr Low Thia Khiang and his colleagues.

“It was a great campaign. We fought hard but we had no regrets. And we respect the decision of the people of Aljunied.

“We want to thank the people of Aljunied for giving us the privilege to serve them all these years. We want to thank the thousands of supporters and grassroots leaders who have given us their affection.

“It was our great honour, our friendships will be life-long. A new chapter has opened in Singapore’s history.”

Along with WP chief Low Thia Khiang, WP chairman and law lecturer Sylvia Lim, corporate lawyer Chen Show Mao, freelance counsellor Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, and post-graduate law student Pritam Singh have now been elected as MPs.

Aljunied GRC was also hotly contested in 2006, with the PAP winning the GRC by a small margin. In 2006, the PAP won 56.1 per cent of the votes, while WP received 43.9 per cent.

-CNA/wk/ac

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IFJ backs Hata’s appeal against Utusan sacking

Jacqueline Park, IFJ

May 6, 11

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) fully supports a senior journalist and union leader in Malaysia who is appealing to Malaysia’s Industrial Relations Department to order his reinstatement at Utusan Malaysia newspaper.

Hata Wahari, president of IFJ affiliate the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM), was sacked by Utusan Melayu Berhad after it accused him of tarnishing the paper’s image when he publicly expressed concerns about partisan coverage by Utusan.

Hata was dismissed from his position on April 21, after being suspended on January 11.

A domestic inquiry by the media company’s management determined on April 14 that Wahari was “guilty” of eight accusations of “misconduct”.

Utusan is owned by Umno, the dominant political party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition.

The IFJ joins the NUJM in calling on Malaysia’s human resources minister to act promptly in referring Wahari’s appeal to the Industrial Court.

Jacqueline Park is Asia-Pacific director of IFJ, that represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

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Jeff Ooi takes ‘Christian conspiracy’ to police

Susan Loone | May 8, 11

Malaysiakini

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi has lodged a police report against Umno-linked Malay language daily Utusan Malaysia and a blogger BigDog.com, for what he described were “malicious” articles alleging he was involved in a purported Christian conspiracy to change the country’s official religion.

Ooi, who is DAP central executive committee member, wants the police to investigate Utusan over its front page articles on May 7 entitled ‘Kristian Agama Rasmi’ (Christianity the official religion?), ‘Dua halaman blog dedah ikrar paderi seluruh negara’ (Two blogs expose pledge by pastors nationwide), and ‘Jeff Ooi nafi anjur majlis’ (Jeff Ooi denies organising seminar).

On page five, Ooi noted two other articles on the same matter entitled “Malaysia negara Kristian? Dua blog dedah pertemuan paderi bincang agenda jadikan agama rasmi” (Christianity the official religion? Two blogs expose meeting between pastors discussing making Christianity the nation’s official religion).

He also said he wants the police to investigate another blog, called ‘Marahku’, that carried a similar allegation in his blog posting entitled ‘Agong under threat? DAP wants to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia?’.

Though conceding that he did not have much information about the blogger, Ooi said the articles suggested that Ooi had attended a meeting of Christian pastors in Penang on Friday, where the group had prayed for Christianity to be the official religion of the country and for a Christian to be prime minister.

Utusan Malaysia had based its articles on a blog posting by yet another pro-Umno blogger, Zakir Mohammed, titled ‘Making Christianity the official religion’, which alleged that Ooi had organised the meeting.

Zakir and anonymous blogger Marahku had carried a photo in their blog featuring a group of people in a circle praying with their heads bowed.

At a press conference at the Jalan Pattani police station, Ooi urged Zakir and Utusan Malaysia to apologise to all Christians within 24 hours for the said allegations.

“Apologise in 24 hours or else I will explain the matter to all Buddhist and Christian groups and ask them to vote wisely against extremism in the next election,” he told reporters.

He said that although Utusan Malaysia had quoted him as saying that he was merely a guest at the closed door dinner meeting, the daily had concluded that DAP was involved in a very dangerous act.

“(They accuse us of) bringing the Chinese chauvinistic political strategy to a very high and sensitive level,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ooi took Zakir to task for saying in his post that “The level … is thought to be much higher as compared to the post May 1969 general election where victorious Chinese chauvinists (from) DAP trotted around strategic places in Kuala Lumpur with brooms asking the Malays to ‘Balik Kampung, Tanam Jagung’ (Go home and plant corn).

“That sparked the bloody racial riot of the evening of 13 May,” Ooi cited Zakir as saying.

Ooi felt this was the blogger’s attempt to stir anti-Chinese sentiments among Malays although not everyone in the Chinese community are Christians.

“I deny all the allegations by Utusan Malaysia and BigDog but I believe (in) the coincidence that as May 13 draws nearer, the duo has (tried to) spark these anti-Chinese sentiments by bringing up the issue of May 13 and by hurling accusations that my party is Chinese chauvinistic.

“(They are) malicious and should be investigated under Penal Code section 499 (for defamation)”.

Ooi expressed hope that all religious leaders would appeal to their believers to stay calm, while urging pro-Malay rights pressure groups like Pembela and Perkasa to “stop playing with fire”.

He said Umno should take action against irresponsible editors in the newspaper who play up racial or religious sentiments.

“But would they take action since they dared to expel their own (dissenting) journalist?” he asked, referring to sacked journalist and National Union of Journalists chief Hata Wahari.

The articles has created waves, with Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein joining in the fray and expressing worries about the seriousness of the allegations were true.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has said the bloggers’ allegations should be referred to the Malaysians Communications and Multimedia Commission.

These happened even after a strongly-worded denial by the organisers of the pastors meeting, the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship.

The group described the articles as being “unfounded and totally untrue aimed at creating division and social disharmony in multi-ethnic society of Malaysia and appears to be seditious”.

NECF said the so-called special convention was in fact an unashamedly ethical marketplace seminar organised to discuss and address the issue of bribery and corruption in the marketplace and the Christians contribution in addressing such issues.

“It has nothing to do with political succession,” they said.

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Singapore’s Lee Retains Power With Smallest Margin Since 1965

Bloomberg Businessweek

By
Shamim Adam and Weiyi Lim

May 07, 2011, 4:08 PM EDT

May 8 (Bloomberg) — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s People’s Action Party retained power with the smallest margin of popular votes since independence amid a record turnout that tripled the number of opposition members in parliament.

The party that has ruled Singapore for more than five decades won 81 out of 87 parliamentary seats and 60.1 percent of the popular vote in yesterday’s polls, according to the Elections Department. A record 2 million ballots were counted.

The run-up to the election brought out tens of thousands of Singaporeans to rallies in support of the PAP and the opposition parties, which resonated with citizens complaining about the rising cost of living and competition with foreigners for jobs and housing. The result adds pressure on Lee, 59, to reach out to the growing number of Singaporeans who have questioned government policies.

“The political landscape has changed forever,” Suzaina Kadir, a senior lecturer at Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. “There’s serious questioning of the PAP’s continued dominance. Now the work begins for the opposition.”

Politicians competed in single-seat wards or multiple-seat districts called Group Representation Constituencies, or GRCs. The party that gets the most number of votes in a district sends all its members to parliament. The PAP lost a GRC for the first time in this election. A record 82 parliament seats were contested by six opposition parties.

Opposition Advances
The Workers’ Party won the five-seat district of Aljunied and the single-seat Hougang constituency, the only wins by opposition parties. Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang and Chairman Sylvia Lim, who called for a stronger voice in parliament and more affordable public housing, led the Aljunied effort, while Yaw Shin Leong won in Hougang.

“Your votes tell the world that you want Singapore to mature as a democracy, and you want to tell the government that you want a more responsible, inclusive, transparent, accountable government,” said Low, who has been in parliament since 1991.

The Workers’ Party also fielded lawyer Chen Show-Mao, who advised on deals like Agricultural Bank of China Ltd.’s $22.1 billion initial share sale, in Aljunied.

The only uncontested constituency was that of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, 87, the Cambridge University-trained lawyer who led the island from British rule and was its first premier. He’s also the father of the current prime minister.

Popular Vote
The parliament dissolved last month had 82 PAP lawmakers, two elected opposition politicians and 10 non-elected members. The PAP won about 66.6 percent of the votes cast in 2006, down from 75.3 percent in the 2001 elections. The worst showing for the PAP before yesterday was 1991, when it won 61 percent of the popular vote.

The PAP has ruled Singapore for more than five decades and delivered a 41-fold jump in gross domestic product, combining a focus on education, homeownership, business friendliness and strict laws to boost the wealth of citizens. Lee’s more recent efforts to spur the economy include the opening of two casino resorts, bringing Formula One races to the island and attracting foreign workers. GDP grew a record 14.5 percent last year.

The party encountered a more vocal electorate than before, prompting a rare apology from Lee for failing to build enough public housing and expand transport links as the population grew. “If we didn’t quite get it right, I am sorry but we will try and do better the next time,” he said at a rally on May 3.

“While voters have given the PAP a strong mandate, many voters including some of those who have voted for us have also clearly expressed their significant concerns, both on issues and on our approach to government,” Prime Minister Lee said in a speech after the victory. “We hear all your voices.”

Ministerial Casualties

Foreign Minister George Yeo, who lost his seat in Aljunied, had promised to lead a push for reform within the party. He was one of two cabinet ministers who lost power in the election, the other one being Lim Hwee Hua.

“There is considerable resentment against the government and its policies and some of them run deep,” Yeo said in an interview with the Straits Times on May 5. “We have to listen harder to what people say.”

Singapore’s economic success has widened the income gap, with the world’s highest share of dollar-millionaire households contributing to higher property and consumer prices, leaving some citizens behind.

Singapore’s Gini coefficient, a gauge of income inequality, rose to 0.48 last year from 0.444 in 2000, according to the statistics department. A reading of zero means income equality, while a reading of one means complete inequality. Inflation accelerated to a two-year high of 5.5 percent in January.

Foreign Workers

The growth and widening income gap has also been fueled by an influx of foreign workers to expand industries such as construction, shipbuilding, hospitality and banking. Foreigners make up more than a third of the population, with only 3.2 million citizens out of 5.1 million inhabitants.

Singapore’s gross domestic product was about S$285 billion ($231 billion) last year, compared with S$6.9 billion in 1960, based on 2005 market prices. The government plans to spend S$6.6 billion on benefits for citizens in this year’s budget to ease the burden of inflation.

“Policies will still be on track, except the big difference is the government will have to articulate them better and communicate them to the citizens better,” said Song Seng- Wun, an economist at CIMB Research Pte. in Singapore.

–Editors: Lars Klemming, Linus Chua.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 8 May 2011, 5:51 am and is filed under
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Singapore’s democratic opening

Bridget Welsh
| May 6, 11 1:54pm

Malaysiakini

COMMENT

Singapore’s 2011 general election campaign has been historic, and signals a major transformation in the country’s political landscape. The intensity and tone of this campaign has been unprecedented as the ruling PAP’s (People’s Action Party) record has come under attack.

Given the impressive management of the 2008 global financial crisis and record GDP growth of 14.5% in 2010, this election should have given Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) a strong mandate and seen as a celebration of Singapore’s success.

Instead, from the first day of the campaign when thousands thronged Hougang Stadium to attend an opposition rally organised by the Worker’s Party, the PAP has been on the defensive.

A few days ago, the Singaporean premier, in a brave and unprecedented display of humility, apologised for the mistakes of ministers and failings of his government – repeatedly. This move represented an acknowledgment that all is not right in Singapore and that the concerns of many Singaporeans are not been adequately addressed.

In fact, the mood on the ground in Singapore has been one of angst, sometimes anger, as this general election campaign has stirred a revolutionary outpouring of open criticism towards the PAP.

Bold opposition campaign

As the campaign began, the focus initially was on the credibility of the opposition. The opposition – comprised of a handful of parties – is unified in their focus on the PAP, with only one of the contests a three-cornered fight. The minimal infighting bolstered the opposition’s chances.

All the seats were contested, except for the group representative constituency of Tanjong Pagar, the constituency of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. There, the opposition candidates were disqualified for filing their papers 35 seconds late.

Singapore’s opposition has made a bold move to move its old stalwarts Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang from single-member constituencies – single candidate contests have been whittled down in size through the repeated gerrymandering that happens before every election and is announced only a few months in advance – to the larger group representatives constituency (GRC) where there are four to five representatives contesting.

The opposition fielded arguably its strongest slate in Singapore’s history, featuring the talented Chen Show Mao (left), a lawyer of international fame, and former private secretary to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Tan Jee Say.

While many of the opposition teams are not even and there is considerable variation in the candidate caliber nationally – which is also the case for the PAP – the opposition has neutralised the PAP claim that it is the only one capable of representing Singaporeans.

The focus has centred on the ‘A Team’ contest in Aljunied (a GRC that represents the heartland of Singapore), which was won narrowly by the PAP in 1997, and is seen as the strongest possible chance for the opposition to break the monopoly of the PAP on GRCs, which comprise the majority of seats and essentially assure the PAP a two-thirds majority.

From the onset, the opposition presented the majority of Singaporeans with an alternative choice. In giving more Singaporeans real choices at the polls this election, the opposition has helped expand democratic space.

Seeking voice and representation

Time and again, the opposition used the analogy of the “co-driver”, calling for the need to have more review of the single dominant party to check mistakes and share alternative views.

Speakers at rallies have pointed to the need to “slap the driver if he falls asleep and talk to him when he is awake”, to open up dialogue with different perspectives and stop the government from going in the wrong direction.

This image – which captures the experience of many ordinary Singaporeans who feel that they have not had a seat in the car, let alone the front, has reinforced a key theme of this campaign – is used to illustrate the need to have a genuinely representative opposition.

To neutralise this, the PAP changed the composition of the Parliament before the polls to include more nominated members of Parliament (NMP), to allow for approved and chosen alternative voices.

With the driver analogy, the opposition has attacked this practice, pointing to the need to have voting members on all matters involving governance. This idea of having a check on power has taken root, with calls for a First World Parliament with different perspectives, and more openness in dialogue.

At the core of the opposition calls for a stronger watchdog role are real concerns about the lack of adequate consultation on policies, such as the construction of two casinos over considerable protest and lingering anger, and need for more transparency in the PAP government.

The attitude that “government knows best” is being fundamentally challenged by the demand for the government be more accountable and consultative. There are real questions being raised by the failure of some PAP ministers to be accountable for mistakes in areas such as the escape of suspected terrorist Mas Selamat, for example.

The high salaries of PAP ministers (and bonuses) have continued to come under attack. Underscoring concerns about accountability is a perceived growing distance of PAP leaders from the concerns of ordinary public. Many speak about the first visit of a PAP member of parliament in their lifetime during the campaign, revealing the lack of connection to local communities of many ruling elites, especially to those living in the government HDB flats.

The recent Facebook chat by PM Lee shows how disconnected the PAP has been from online social media, which has expanded discussion and engagement in Singapore.

Issues and governance

The opposition has tapped into the perception of PAP elite distance effectively in its messaging.

Firstly, the opposition as a whole, led by the popular Workers Party and newcomer Reform Party, has come to the centre, appealing to the middle ground. Traditionally the opposition in Singapore has been marginalised and discredited, and often painted as existing on the fringe.

The surprising dimension of this campaign is how the opposition as a whole has unified under a more inclusive group, capturing the concerns from bread-and-butter issues to political freedoms, all under the “opposition umbrella”. This unity and shared message has minimised differences among the component parties.

Where the opposition has hit hardest is by tapping into the struggles of ordinary Singaporeans. The dominant concerns have been the high cost of living, affordable housing and accessible healthcare. These issues have become common rallying cries for the opposition, and forced PAP ministers to go on the defensive.

The intensity of the public response to these issues highlights the shortcomings the PAP has faced in policy-making. Behind these issues is a reality that not all Singaporeans have shared equally in the success of the country.

Singapore – along with Malaysia – has one of the highest levels of inequality in Southeast Asia. Today there are homeless on the streets of Singapore despite its impressive economic growth, and many hardworking families are being squeezed by inflation – especially those taking care of elderly parents and children.

From a policy perspective, Singapore has to face the reality that its social welfare system is not working and that many of its people are falling through the cracks. And, everyone in the small country like Singapore, sees it.

Personally, I have seen the struggles of the elderly in hospital grappling with unmanageable health costs, as the refrain that is commonly stated in Singapore is that you can die, but you cannot fall sick in Singapore.

This problem by the way is not unique to Singapore as the recent health-care debate in the US has shown. The ability to live a life with dignity and basic affordable health-care is a demand worldwide and developed countries are being called on to provide better policies.

What has happened in this campaign is a questioning of the narrow economic focus of policy for the elites and a challenge to the development model of trickle down benefits without an adequate social safety net. So many people talk about the “pressure” of living in Singapore, which has been tied to intense competition to perform in a system where there is no protection for the weak and diversity in performance.

No matter what happens in the final results tomorrow, Singaporeans have unselfishly called on the government to look out for everyone, not just the few.

Immigration a hot-button issue

Most of the media attention this election has centred on the issue of immigration. In some ways, it ties into the pragmatic concerns of Singaporeans, who are concerned with competition with jobs and the increased demand on services that have strained quality output.

Civil servants who have traditionally operated with personal care and attention have been overwhelmed by the level of new demands in recent years. This is most obvious in public transportation, but extends to all walks of life.

Yet, as a foreign worker in Singapore who fondly remembers the Singapore of old, there is more going on than pragmatic concerns. The entire demographic of Singaporean society has changed, and many Singaporeans feel that they are being left out. They resent the perceived favouritism given to foreigners, who are not asked to make the same level of sacrifice in the form of National Service for example to the country.

In this deeply proud country, the influx of foreign workers has fostered a sense of displacement and in some ways been seen to undercut national identity. This was captured by the commentary of 24-year-old opposition candidate, National Solidarity Party’s Nicole Seah (left), who remarked that she was “living in a foreign country”.

This is not an easy task for the PAP to manage the need for labour and investment with changing identity and interests. The speed at which the demographic change has occurred without adequate appreciation and acknowledgment of the important role of Singaporeans from all walks of life has made this issue very real.

This election campaign points to the need to move beyond thinking about governance in economic terms, but moving toward a broader sense of humanity and inclusion.

Engaging the new media

All of this has played out on the social media. As the campaign has been scheduled during student exams, it has been less viable for many working families to attend rallies. Instead, many have turned to Facebook and YouTube, as speeches have been shared and discussed.

PAP leaders, such as George Yeo and Vivian Balakrishnan, have made personal appeals to voters, especially younger voters who will be decisive in this election as they comprise 25% of the electorate. This is Singapore’s first ‘new media’ election and the level of engagement is unprecedented. Even the mainstream media have adopted more new media tools.

While many continue to rely on the Straits Times and other arms of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for news, the level of dialogue has deepened. What is important that much of this dialogue has largely focused on real issues rather than character assassinations, although there has been a fair amount of “he said, she said”.

The real change is that Singaporeans – largely seen to be apathetic politically – have stepped up and shown that they are attuned to developments politically in their country and they care. Across the political spectrum and backgrounds, Singaporeans have been shown that they care about the country’s future.

By law, they are required to vote and more and more are going into the voting booth having experienced a broader range of debate.

Obstacles and political opening

The obstacles to winning seats for the opposition in Singapore are high. These are well-known – constituency delineation, media control and lack of resources.

In this campaign, the opposition has defined the debate and provided a real challenge to the government. The issues are now on the table and will have to be addressed, from inequality and inclusion to policy reevaluations, irrespective of the final outcome in seats.

Minimally, the PAP faces a likely loss in popular support and will not emerge with as strong as a mandate as the past. As to how many seats it will lose, it is too hard to call but chances are we shall see the strongest opposition gains since the 1991 election.

The main groups that will determine the election are younger voters, middle-class voters who comprise the silent majority that largely did not attend rallies and importantly, the Malay community, which has traditionally voted for the PAP in recent elections and been decisive in hot seats in the past.

The PAP’s initiatives in the last stages of the campaign – the Facebook appeal to younger voters, the repeated apologies and more frequent speeches in Malay – reveal how close some of the contests are. They have embraced humility as a tactic, combined with the reminders of their successes and a call by minister mentor not to have to “repent” by voting for the opposition.

Today is the cooling-off period – a day for reflection. In this campaign, Singaporeans have shown confidence in themselves by allowing and encouraging discussion. This has been led by both sides of the divide as democracy is expanding in Singapore through dialogue and greater political engagement.

Voters in Singapore will decide tomorrow whether to continue with the incumbent dominance – to reward the ruling party for the impressive economic gains and management of financial crisis – or to opt for diversity and change, a stronger check on the monopoly of power.

The global and regional trends toward democratic openings suggest that even Singapore is not immune from change. They have already shown that even in arguably one of the most successfully governed states in the world, the demand for greater representation and better governance lives on.

DR BRIDGET WELSH is associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University and she can be reached at
[email protected]
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                This entry was posted on Sunday, 8 May 2011, 6:13 am and is filed under
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S’pore’s political awakening likely to impact Johor

Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
| May 6, 11 5:32pm

Malaysiakini

With more than half a million Malaysians working in Singapore, the apparent political shift in the Singapore election campaign is set to shake Malaysia’s political landscape, especially in the southern state of Johor – deemed to be Umno last bastion in the peninsula.

In this polls, described by many as the toughest battle faced by ruling party People’s Action Party (PAP) since 1960s, the opposition campaign had gained impressive momentum, reflected by the attendance of animated crowds numbering in the tens of thousands at their mega-rallies over the past few days.

It has not only rung the PAP’s alarm bell but also received wide coverage from both the international and Malaysian media.

“No question, Singapore’s political opening will shape all those who are here to see politics differently, whether they are from Malaysia or Indonesia,” said Bridget Welsh, an associate professor in political science at the Singapore Management University.

She pointed out that the island republic’s good governance, security, better salaries and better provision of social services, which remain challenges in Malaysia, will have salience in Malaysian politics.

“My own view is that Johor will be one of the battleground areas for the Malaysia’s next general election, as Sarawak was recently,” she said.

Umno was founded in Johor and the state remained a BN stronghold, weathering the ‘political tsunami’ of the polls.

Effects of close proximity

Most Malaysians working in Singapore are either residing in Johor or originate from the southern state and travel daily to the island through the 1km-long causeway.

The influence of Singapore on Johor is strengthened by the fact that Chinese Johoreans, especially those living at the southern part of the state, are loyal audience of Singapore’s Mandarin TV channels.

Therefore, some quarters used to attribute the Chinese Johoreans’ long-time loyalty to the BN to the influence of Singapore’s paternalistic politics practised by the ruling PAP.

On the other hand, observers of both Malaysia and Singapore politics believe that the ‘political tsunami’ in Malaysia 2008 general election and the opposition historic breakthrough in the recent Sarawak state polls have contributed partly to the sudden surge in support for the opposition in Singapore.

“I do believe that there has been an international symbolic affect on the strengthening of the opposition in Singapore, especially the impact of Malaysia,” said Welsh (left).

She pointed out that the Singapore opposition, comprising six major parties, has seen the need to be unified and work together from Malaysia.

“It has seen the importance of common messaging from places such as Malaysia and Taiwan.

“The Pakatan Rakyat governments of Penang and Selangor have opened the eyes of Singaporeans, that alternatives do not necessarily fail,” said Welsh in an email interview with Malaysiakini.

Changes spread by air

“It is important not to discount the ‘AirAsia’ effect of greater exposure to diversity in the neighbourhood and broader global media coverage of changes in places such as the Middle East,” she added, referring to Malaysia’s low-cost air carrier providing budget flights to Southeast Asian countries.

Senior fellow with Singapore-based Institute of South East Asia Studies (ISEAS) Ooi Kee Beng concurred.

“It is hard to say it doesn’t connect (to Malaysia politics). There are half a million Malaysians here and Malaysia is the country that is most reported about by the mainstream media here,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Due to the frequent interaction between the peoples of both countries, it is believed the election results announced tomorrow will have reciprocal impact on Malaysian politics.

“I do believe that the core issues of Singapore’s campaign – inequality, cost of living, housing and healthcare – have extreme salience in Malaysia.

“They were very powerful in 2008 and are likely to be so in any future campaign in Malaysia. These issues affect all ethnic communities across races,” said Welsh.

Singapore’s experience, she said, has made many Malaysians there to understand the need for a social welfare system that works and for a fairer system, even amidst economic success.

“Economic growth is not enough for quality of life. Those being left out need to be addressed,” she added.

Cyberspace kicks in hard

Meanwhile, Ooi  pointed out that the two countries, separated in 1965 due to a political divide, shared much common ground in their elections, particularly the emergence of the new generation of voters who, empowered by online new media, are willing to stand up to traditional authority.

“Regardless of the election results, something had already happened here. The culture of fear is broken, people do not fear threats anymore,” said Ooi, adding that this polls will be a watershed in Singapore’s political history.

“I also see the impact of the new media and a greater willingness to speak out as most recently in the Middle East and earlier in Malaysia,” added Welsh.

Similar to Malaysia, due to the muzzled mainstream media and the emergence of information technology-savvy young voters, new media like Facebook and Twitter have become an important platform for the opposition campaign.

The Internet effect in Singapore played a more significant role than in Malaysia as it is one of the countries with highest smart phone penetration in the world.

Ooi observed that the new media had forced the Singapore mainstream media to allow space for issues and messages hotly debated in cyberspace.

“If they don’t say things there (in the Internet), they would look silly.”

Indeed the state-controlled mainstream media had adopted some bold actions in this election such as airing live debates of representatives from both sides and giving more coverage to the opposition.

However Ooi noted that its election coverage was still lopsided with the ratio of ruling and opposition news standing at 70:30.

Bloated egos may get comeuppance

Although bread-and-butter issue compounded by the huge influx of immigrants in recent years resonated well with voter sentiment, Ooi believed that the political elitism and arrogance demonstrated by PAP leaders will be the major factor that may swing the votes away from PAP.

“The ministers replied to the issues raised by the opposition in a strange matter. They seemed disconnected from what the people worry about.”

The same arrogance and elitism had been reflected by the BN and Umno in Malaysia’s last polls that cost them their two-thirds parliamentary majority.

However, Ooi observed that PAP’s campaign managed to adapt itself to the new political reality faster unlike their Malaysian counterparts.

“They moved much faster compared to Umno, more pre-emptive… They have the ability to adjust.”

This was illustrated by the quick response of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (right) to distance the party from his father and Singapore founding father Lee Kuan Yew, after the latter warned the voters of hot-seat Aljunied that they would have “five years to live and repent” should they vote against the PAP.

The son who is also PAP secretary-general responded by saying that the strongman politics practised by his father was no longer suitable for Singapore.

This was followed by an open apology to Singaporeans for the government’s mistakes and gaffes since the last polls, including the escape of suspected terrorist Mas Selamat and the Orchard Road flooding.

On this, Ooi pointed out that PAP leadership has already started the process of softening its political approach since 1990s under the leadership of the then prime minister Goh Chok Tong, gradually moving away from the old paternalistic style leadership.

Nevertheless, while Malaysians are experiencing the emergence of a vibrant two-party system after 2008, their neighbours still have a long way to go before catching up.

“They are only prepared to have an opposition that they can take seriously,” Ooi said.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 8 May 2011, 6:22 am and is filed under
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‘Think of it as a duty roster than a shadow cabinet’

Susan Loone | May 8, 11

Malaysiakini

Sarawak DAP state representatives played down the current spat between the party and PKR over the shadow cabinet issue, saying the temporary crisis would not mess up the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

DAP Sarawak secretary Chong Chieng Jen (right) described the issue which recently pitted the two Pakatan allies as a ‘minor hiccup’ which will not affect the existing relationship between the duo.

Chong, who is Kota Sentosa MP, explained that the problem has cropped up because the two parties viewed the issue differently.

Chong said the DAP viewed the exercise as a “portfolio distribution’, where every assemblyperson would get to flex his or her muscle in areas where they excelled or have expertise in.

“PKR, however, viewed it as a reflection of a future ministerial cabinet (where the candidates would eventually assume the ministerial post should Pakatan seize Petrajaya in the coming election),” he said.

“So to avoid controversy, perhaps we can call this line-up by another name…for example…a duty roster?” he added, at the conclusion of the party’s mega-ceramah in Penang last night.

‘Man to man marking’

Padungan assemblyperson Wong King Wei even went as far as to described it as similar to the man to man marking system in football.

“This means certain assemblypersons would be responsible for guarding a particular opponent,” he said.

However inside the Pakatan top leadership, the crisis seems to be far from over.

Yesterday, state DAP chairperson Wong Ho Leng (left) fired a salvo at PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, saying his statement over the issue was “baseless and irresponsible”.

Wong was dismayed by Azmin’s alleged insinuations that the Sarawak shadow cabinet line-up is ‘dominated by one race’ and lacking diversity.

He said the statement indirectly implied that the DAP is a party only for one particular community, which he denied.

Both parties became embroiled in the controversy when Wong – as opposition leader for the state assembly – announced that Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak had formed a shadow cabinet for the current term.

PKR, under its state chief and newly-elected Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson Baru Bian, shot down the line-up saying there was no consultation with the party over the matter.

Bewildered at times

About 1,000 people attended the DAP ceramah, in which Mandarin was mostly used, leaving those who didn’t speak the language bewildered at times.

Themed ‘Taking On Najib’s Fixed Deposit’, the three-hour ceramah included speakers from Penang DAP – Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, state exco and Tanjung MP Chow Kon Yeow, and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi.

State reps from Sarawak included Chong Chieng Jen (Kota Sentosa), Chew Chiu Sing (Kidurong), Christina Chew (Batu Kawah), Wong King Wei (Padungan) and Ling Sie Kiong (Piasau), who all gave rousing speeches, praising Penangites for their courage to vote in a Pakatan government in the 2008 polls.

But the night was not over until Sarawakian reps confronted another nagging issue in their midst, the DAP-SNAP (Sarawak National Party) proposed merger.

The idea was mooted by DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang (left) following the state polls last month.

He said the merger would be in the interest of the present opposition pact and was no threat to any party in the grouping.

Not everyone thought of it quite that way, though.

PKR, who is at odds with the Sarawak opposition party, felt that such a development would affect the already shaky link between Pakatan allies.

However, Chew said that the reason why SNAP was considered for a merger is due to its long-time engagement with the Ibans.

“A merger between DAP and SNAP would expediate the change in government,” he added.

“However, we need to have a common framework and ideology…and if we have common enemies, then why not merge?” he reasoned.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 8 May 2011, 5:52 pm and is filed under
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A ‘new McCarthyism’ on the rise, warns Bishop

Terence Netto | May 8, 11

Malaysiakini

Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing warned of the rise of a “new McCarthyism” in Malaysia where failed politicians engage in “witch-hunts and “scaremongering” as diversions from the problem of their sinking popularity.

In comments made to Malaysiakini on the emergence of allegations that Christian groups were out to undermine the status of Islam as the official religion, the Bishop of Melaka-Johor, who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, said:

“The last time a calumny like this was visited on Malaysian Christians was in the early 1970s when a past president of Pas described us as greater national security threat than were the Communists,” recalled the Jesuit-trained prelate.

“Fortunately, that was a lone instance and reflected one individual’s fevered imagination. But now we see various groups of politicians intent on resurrecting this bogey to divert attention from the problem of their slumping popularity,” commented Bishop Paul Tan.

“Instead of dealing with the obvious causes of their sinking popularity, like widespread corruption, racism and intolerable economic inequities in society, they engage in witch-hunts against assorted scapegoats,” he continued.

Christians the flavour of the month

“It appears their flavour of the month is the Christians whom these scaremongers have rounded on and perhaps now regard as a soft target,” said Tan.

He warned that Christians will not be daunted by the “rise of this new McCarthyism in Malaysian society” where everyone else is blamed except those most culpable for the worrisome situation.

“In the face of demagogic threats to their loyalty to the country and the federal constitution, Christians must renew their determination to join people of goodwill to tackle the country’s manifold problems which have arrived at a level responsible citizens find deeply unsettling,” he asserted.

He urged Christians to make fidelity to the federal constitution a touchstone of their faith in the country and its future.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 7:25 am and is filed under
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Arrest ‘inflammatory’ liars to maintain credibility, Putrajaya told

By
Yow Hong Chieh

May 08, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Putrajaya must “apprehend” those behind the baseless Utusan Malaysia report of a Christian plot to supplant Islam or risk losing its credibility among the public, an ex-senior civil servant said today.

Former Transport Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the Malay daily’s “highly irresponsible” and “inflammatory” claims not only bordered on seditious but ran counter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept, which stressed national integration and unity.

“Therefore, I now urge the government to take urgent action and apprehend all those responsible for all these extreme statements and hold them wholly accountable for these baseless and sensitive allegations,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

The former Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president warned that if the government did not act swiftly against the perpetrators, it would alienate the public and open itself up to accusations of double standards in administering justice.

Umno-owned Utusan carried a front-page article yesterday titled “Malaysia, a Christian country?” (Malaysia, negara Kristian?) based entirely on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers.

The bloggers had charged the DAP with sedition for allegedly trying to change the country’s laws to allow a Christian prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described as a secret pact between the opposition party and pastors at a hotel in Penang on Wednesday.

In a posting headlined “Agong under threat? DAP wants to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia?” blogger Marahku (marahku.blogspot.com) accused the DAP of trying to amend the Federal Constitution so that a Christian could assume the post of prime minister.

“The whole point of changing the official religion is to allow a Christian to become prime minister of this country,” the blogger said.

On bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com, another blogger claimed to have received a message that DAP’s Jeff Ooi had organised a dinner for pastors from both Sarawak and abroad at Red Rock Hotel on Jalan Macalister, Penang.

“Among the activities that night included the 35 pastors taking a group oath. They formed a circle, touched each other’s shoulders and vowed in English to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and put a Christian prime minister in office,” the anonymous writer said in his blog under the headline “Making Christianity the official religion?”

He also pointed to the same grainy picture he posted at the top of his blog page, which he had captioned “Partying pastors or pastors doing the party do and vowing to have a Christian as Malaysian prime minister”.

The blogger further alleged that the DAP had labelled the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as an “anti-Christ agent” in the run-up to polls in Sarawak, showing the opposition party was “openly against BN on religious grounds and they are now making it their clarion call, their rabble rousing horn”.

He said it was a seditious and religiously divisive statement that was never investigated by the police “or at least they did not tell us about any investigations into the matter”.

The blogger called on the authorities to investigate the allegations of sedition, warning that if the authorities failed in their duty the country may be “shattered again”.

The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies, and refuted the bloggers’ allegations last night.

Similarly, Ooi said the dinner had been organised by the Christian pastors in recognition of the DAP team who had visited them while in Sarawak for the state election and that the prayer sessions — one before dinner and one at the end — were a usual part of their worship, and not a pledge as alleged

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 8:16 pm and is filed under
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Australia must call off asylum seeker “outsourcing” deal with Malaysia

Statement by Lawyers for Liberty

May 9, 2011

On 7.5.2011, Australia and Malaysia announced a bilateral agreement which sought to transfer up to 800 asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia by sea to Malaysia while their asylum claims are being processed by the UNHCR. In return, Australia will resettle 4,000 refugees currently residing in Malaysia over a period of four years.

While Australia’s agreement to accept more refugees for resettlement is commendable, Lawyers for Liberty is however extremely shocked and concerned with Australia’s plan to forcefully deport asylum seekers and “outsource” its international obligation to protect refugees as defined under international law including the 1951 Refugee Convention which Australia is a party to.

Let there be no doubt: Malaysia has a horrendous track record – infamous for its ill and brutal treatment of refugees and other undocumented migrants and has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s worst place for refugees to be in.

Malaysia is not a state party to the Refugee Convention and in the absence of a comprehensive national legal and administrative framework for the protection of refugees, this transfer deal will certainly violate the rights of the refugees including the right not to be forcefully deported; the right to life, liberty and security of the person; and the right to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

In Malaysia, refugees and asylum seekers are still treated as undocumented migrants and subjected to harsh immigration laws and policies. Without documents, they are unable to work legally and live in perpetual fear of raids, arrest and harassment. Consequently, they live in the margins of society, constantly in hiding and living in poverty.

When arrested they are detained at detention centres for several months (sometimes even years) before being charged, jailed, whipped (men only) and deported, mainly to the Thai border – and some find themselves sold to human traffickers.

In May and September 2009, eight Burmese detainees died in two detention centres due to Leptospirosis, an infectious disease caused by water or food contaminated with animal urine. Detention conditions are deplorable and inhumane – overcrowding, sweltering, lack bedding, poor hygiene and sanitation, insufficient and poor quality food, irregular access to clean water and medical treatment, all of which fall far short of minimum international standards. Serious abuse by detention centre staff is also common, including arbitrary beatings.

Then Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar reported to Parliament that between 1999 and 2008, there were 2,571 detainee deaths in prisons, rehabilitation centres and immigration detention centres. In December 2008, former Suhakam Commissioner Datuk Siva Subramaniam said 1,300 foreigners died in detention during the past six years due to lack of medical treatment and neglect.

How can the Australian government be blind to Malaysia’s severe and brutal treatment of undocumented migrants and refugees and “outsource” its responsibility, without seriously undermining the rights, well being and safety of the refugees?

Australia, being a state party to the Refugee Convention, instead of working hand in hand with Malaysia to punish and deter refugees, should strive to formulate policies that are protective of refugees and consistent with its international obligation. It can start by calling off this terrible outsourcing deal.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 3:42 pm and is filed under
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Baptising M’sia: PAS calls it hogwash

By
Tarani Palani

May 9, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: PAS leaders have rubbished a media report regarding an alleged Christian plot, so much so that the Islamic party did not even bother seeking a clarification from its ally DAP.

Instead, they gave the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia, which broke the news on its front-page last week, a baptism of fire for peddling propaganda.

PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali said: “It is a propoganda designed to attack DAP and PAS at the same time. It will not work because we have an understanding between us.”

He said PAS also did not believe the report which claimed that DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and to eventually install a Christian prime minister.

According to the daily, which quoted two blogs, this was discussed during a closed-door meeting in the DAP-run state of Penang.

“Usually they will call us or we will call them to seek clarification,” said Mustafa. “But not this time. We don’t believe in the report.”

PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said that the Umno-owned daily was making “irresponsible allegations.”

“The race and religion cards are the last resort in trying to win back Malay support,” he said.

Asked if DAP had contacted PAS over the controversy, Salahuddin replied that there was a meeting held last week but there were “no problems”.

“We must not be trapped in their political games,” he said.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 8:24 pm and is filed under
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BN to blame for any attack against Christians, says DAP

By
Clara Chooi
 May 09, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — The DAP warned Barisan Nasional (BN) today that it will have to bear responsibility for any undesirable consequences that may befall the Christian community resulting from its endorsement of Utusan Malaysia’s Christian Malaysia reports.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the ruling pact has deliberately refused to punish the Umno-owned daily for propagating its “hate campaign of lies” against the Christian community.

“By failing to stop the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia from continuing this hate campaign of lies, the BN government is inciting hate against the minority Christian community.

“DAP expresses grave concern that this hate campaign against Christians by Utusan Malaysia may not just stop at verbal attacks.

“The BN government has to bear full responsibility for any undesirable consequences on the Christian community in Malaysia based on Utusan’s hate campaign of lies,” Lim (picture) said in a statement today.

The Penang chief minister also criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for promising to probe the report without stating that action would be taken against the daily for reporting false news.

“Clearly, the BN government has not only failed to stop Utusan Malaysia from continuing with such baseless attacks but has even encouraged them by promising action against Christian pastors and the DAP if found to be true.

“Why has the BN government not promised to take stern action against Utusan Malaysia when Utusan’s lies are exposed?” he asked.

Lim questioned if Utusan Malaysia now enjoys full immunity to spread unqualified allegations without facing the possibility of being punished for false reporting.

“It is utterly irresponsible of Umno to play with fire by spreading such lies through their newspaper Utusan Malaysia just to win Malay support at any cost.

“Many Christian leaders have expressed utter dismay at these provocative lies and denied vehemently that there are groups of Christian pastors working with DAP to create a Christian state and prime minister,” he said.

He added that the DAP has always endorsed Islam as the federal religion of Malaysia as enshrined in the Constitution and has always opposed the establishment of any theocratic state from any religion.

“This position of supporting Islam as stated in our Federal Constitution is even included in the DAP party constitution,” he said.

On a separate issue, Lim slammed Umno for leading a demonstration against him in Butterworth yesterday on the state government’s proposed toll-free alternative road from Jalan Bagan 29 to Jalan Siram.

He pointed out that the proposed road, which was initially set to cost RM5 million, had been brought down to cost only RM3.3 million after the state used an open tender system to source for contractors for the project.

“The contractor who won the project was a Malay contractor who brought down the cost further by another RM800,000 to RM2.5 million through close monitoring by Penang state executive councillor Lim Hock Seng.

“This is a classic case of a state government project costing less than the awarded tender price; that would never happen in a BN state, which would invariably cost more than the tendered price,” he said.

However, Lim said that BN and Umno had every right to oppose the project as it proves the difference in BN’s and Pakatan Rakyat’s policies.

“But no one has a right to run a campaign based on lies and Umno has no right to protest against something that is just not true.

“Or else, where would this end? If our country is built on lies, then collapse is certain,” he said, referring again to the Utusan Malaysia report.

“Malaysians regardless of race and religion must stand up together against Umno and Utusan Malaysia who are playing with fire and are ready to burn 1 Malaysia with the racist agenda of 1 Melayu-1 Bumi, 1 Cina of MCA or 1 India of MIC,” he added.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 2:05 pm and is filed under
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Christian leaders want PM to act against Utusan

By
Debra Chong

May 09, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

GEORGE TOWN, May 9 — The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) said today it is “aggrieved” that Utusan Malaysia has been allowed to publish and spread what it called “dangerous lies” that have stirred religious unrest, and wants the prime minister to take immediate action against the Umno-owned paper.

In a joint statement with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, the Christian umbrella body, representing over 90 per cent of churches in the country, said they were concerned that the Malay-language daily has been “spreading dangerous lies that make Christians the object of hate and incite hatred against Christians that may lead to undesirable consequences”.

“We sincerely and strongly urge the prime minister and the home minister to take action against Utusan Malaysia for printing and spreading such dangerous lies that have disturbed the multi-religious harmony of society, created fear and uneasiness amongst Malaysians, especially Christians,” it said.

The CFM, which counts the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia (NECF) in its membership, said Christian pastors and churches have always prayed for the nation’s peace, unity and harmony among all races as well as a leadership that is honest and just.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, also denied that he and his party had asked the clerics to pray for divine intervention or to form a Christian state and have a Christian become prime minister.

Lim said as chief minister he will continue to meet with Christian leaders, bishops or pastors just as he has been meeting with Muslim clerics, Buddhist or Hindu monks.

Utusan carried a front-page article on Saturday claiming the DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as the country’s official religion.

The report, based on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers, had charged the DAP with sedition for allegedly trying to change the country’s laws to allow a Christian prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described as a secret pact between the opposition party and pastors at a hotel in Penang on Wednesday.

The NECF, together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies, and has refuted the bloggers’ allegations.

Similarly, DAP leaders have denied the report and have accused Utusan of lying and have lodged police reports over the matter.

But the newspaper has continued pushing its unsubstantiated racial and religious rhetoric despite the explanations.

“Now there are attempts by some quarters to anger the majority of this country… the suggestion for Christianity to be made an official religion of the country as well as a Christian prime minister from that religious group cannot be accepted,” Utusan said in an editorial today.

The editorial insisted that Islam is the official religion of the country under Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, and that other races had no choice but to accept this as a fact.

“For over 50 years since our country achieved its independence, what is in our minds is that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia… this cannot be changed without amendments on the parliamentary level and sanctioned by the Conference of Rulers. We believe this is unlikely to happen,” the editorial said.

But Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution only states that “Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.”

Likewise, Article 43(2)(a) of the constitution states “the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint as Perdana Menteri (Prime Minister) to preside over the Cabinet a member of the House of Representatives who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of that House”.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 5:07 pm and is filed under
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Christian state: Utusan blowing hot air, says don

Hazlan Zakaria | May 8, 11

Malaysiakin
i

Renowned constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari has dismissed Utusan Malaysia’s article on a supposed conspiracy to make Christianity Malaysia’s official religion as “ridiculous”.

“Constitutionally it is just illogical. It cannot happen, just impossible. Even if Pakatan controlled hundred percent of the Dewan Rakyat.

“Remember that the Senate which has similar powers to the lower house when it comes to constitutional amendments, is not under their control as some of the senators belong to Umno-BN.”

He argued that technically the upper house can block the amendment passed by the Dewan Rakyat.

Abdul Aziz contended that the provisions on the subject matters – monarchy, Islam and the Malays – are simply beyond the ordinary political process.

“Under the constitution the Conference of Rulers have the veto power on these matters. Even if Parliament – which means the two houses – pass the amendment it can only take effect if the Rulers agree.

“That is why it is almost impossible to abolish the position of the rulers and Islam.”

A fact that he said even Premier Najib Razak attested to in his address to the Umno General Asembly last year.

“PM Najib said all those provisions were ‘terkunci mati’ which means they could not be taken away by anybody. So who is actually in charge? PM or Utusan? 1Malaysia or 1Melayu?

“Was Utusan suggesting that the rulers are out of mind and unable to protect the provisions?” asked the IIUM law professor.

On another legal standpoint, Abdul Aziz urged police to investigate Utusan and the blogs that initially carried the reports and ascertain their allegations.

“It looks like the headline (Kristian ugama rasmi?) needs to be investigated. Reports have been lodged so the police must start the process immediately.”

‘Church, Pakatan can sue Utusan’

He also believed that the Catholic Church and Pakatan can also initiate legal action and take the Malay daily and the blogs who accused them to court.

After all, Pakatan has already stated clearly in its ‘Orange Book’ that it respects Islam as the religion of the federation.

“In short, actions – both civil and criminal – may be taken against Utusan. There are provisions in the Sedition Act 1948, Printing Presses Act 1984 (publishing false news) and even the Penal Code for the purpose,” pointed out the professor.

Yesterday the Malay language daily headlined a news story, accusing DAP of colluding with Christian pastors to make Christianity the country’s official religion so that a Christian can become prime minister.

Utusan immediately came under fire from political leaders across partisan divide and the Catholic Church for the report.

Curiously the government seem to be taking the Umno-owned Malay daily’s report at face value, despite the report being based on unsubstantiated tales published on Umno-friendly blogs.

Information, Culture and Communication Minister Rais Yatim (left) has warned errant parties not to trifle with the special position of Islam and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is quoted as saying that he viewed the “Christian agenda” as serious.

The police however seem to have taken a more cautionary stance, what with the deputy IGP,Khalid Abu Bakar, saying that they will investigate the bloggers who initially published the story to ascertain its veracity, warning all parties not to play up sensitive issues and jeopardise Malaysia’s harmony.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 7:15 am and is filed under
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Climbing a tree to catch a fish

By
Neil Khor
 | Malaysiakini

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has made it clear that if it did not get support from the Chinese electorate, the party will withdraw from active participation in government.

Its ministers and key allies in the mainstream media have said that this is not a threat but a statement of fact.

It cannot claim to represent the Chinese when it does not have support from the majority of Chinese voters.

The reality is that the MCA has not enjoyed support from the majority of the Chinese Malaysian electorate for a very long time. In fact, since 1969, when Gerakan edged it out of Penang, the MCA never recovered its position of parity with Umno in the Alliance government.

More crucially, throughout the 1970s, when the MCA went through an internal crisis leading to the expulsion of Lim Keng Yaik (right) and the “young turks”, the party has been bleeding Chinese support.

However, despite not enjoying majority Chinese support, the MCA continued to participate in “forming” the government. The loss of “Chinese” support is often measured in the number of seats the MCA can deliver to the BN.

Urban areas

As the Chinese were concentrated in urban areas and the latter were the hotbed for political activisim, the MCA found it very difficult to deliver those seats.

The party was put in an even more disadvantageous position when the Alliance was enlarged to form the Barisan Nasional by the co-opting political parties that were made up of people who were once in the MCA but left to form other parties.

Gerakan, for example, was led by two ex-MCA members, Dr Lim Chong Eu (right) (MCA president in 1959) and Dr Lim Keng Yaik (a young MCA minister in the 1970s.

The MCA not only has to fend-off rivals within the BN, it has had to square-off with the DAP and other Opposition parties.

As urban-based political parties, it is not surprising that the MCA and Gerakan have lost significant support from their voter base, one that is becoming more critical and multi-racial.

A casual survey of all traditional MCA seats reveal that they are mostly in highly-urbanised or semi-urban seats.

Like the SUPP in Sarawak, the MCA could very well face a grey dawn in the next general election as urban voters are more critical and highly-likely to vote for anything but the BN; hence, the “statement of fact” that if the Chinese want representation in the cabinet, they had better think twice before voting for the Opposition.

Another argument put forward by the MCA is that the Chinese voter base is shrinking owing to the smaller population of the ethnic Chinese.

That if they wanted to have some influence over government policy, they had better vote the MCA. Together with the earlier “statement of fact”, the MCA hopes to win those who are still undecided about how they would vote in the next general election.

Four reasons

There are four reasons why this reasoning is faulty and will most likely backfire on the MCA.

Firstly, the attempt to convince ethnic Malaysian Chinese to buy into the “us or them” argument is a tired cliche. On the one hand, the MCA ministers accuse the DAP of being “racists” and “Chinese chauvinists” but on the other, they are calling for the ethnic Chinese to be united under their “Chinese platform”.

The DAP is still finding it hard to recruit non-Chinese members but at least its platform is multi-ethnic.

Recent gains in Sarawak, especially in semi-rural areas where a significant number of non-Chinese voted for the DAP, may not have been enough to win power but sets the pace for the expansion of the multi-ethnic platform.

This is far more appealing to the urban Chinese voters than the MCA’s exclusivist “Chinese-only” platform.

The second argument is based on the assumption that the BN will always be in power.

The recent shake-up in Singapore and the on-going unraveling of once invincible governments in the Middle East; all globally experienced “first-hand” through the Internet and social-networking sites have convinced voters that their voices and votes count.

The MCA’s “statement of fact” is only true if one adopts a race-based perspective meaning that Chinese interests are best represented by ethnic Chinese political parties. Here the game becomes double-edged.

By pitting itself against the DAP, the MCA’s “statement of fact” is not only directed at the Chinese but also at non-Chinese voters. Vote for the Opposition if you want to compromise your “rights and privileges”.

Unfortunately, the MCA logic only works if the BN is destined to win the next general elections. Most likely they will but with a much reduced majority; which means more losses for Umno.

It is very unlikely that Umno will be able to do what Taib Mahmud did in Sarawak, which was to deliver the Malay and Melanau votes en block.

A stronger showing by the Opposition in the next general election will see larger expansion of Malay votes as the Chinese votes for the Opposition is very near its maximum swing.

The BN’s fragile hold on power will be bitterly tested and unless there is an upswing in the global economy and the trickle-down is genuinely felt in the next six months, the governing coalition may be faced with a real struggle to remain in power.

Old ways won’t work

Thirdly, the MCA would have us all believe that Chinese interests cannot be represented by non-Chinese representatives.

The reality on the ground is that with the advent of social networking and greater openness in governmental policy, the old way of securing votes by keeping the electorate dependent is well and truly over.

Moreover, Chinese voters are mostly in urban areas where Malays are now a majority.

In this case, Dr Chua’s “statement of fact” is reminiscent of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s (left) misguided warning to voters not to spend the “next five years repenting”.

Chinese voters like all urban voters know that the government cannot afford to ignore cities because the latter are the engines of growth. By 2020, 70 percent of Malaysians, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, will be living in urban areas.

No government can afford to ignore them. As such, it does not matter who is voted in, the Chinese no longer respond to narrow ethnic arguments because this does not solve the problem of inflation, traffic congestion and poor educational facilities.

Lastly, the MCA is reminding Malaysians of its contributions to the community. At least this time round, no one suggested that the Chinese be grateful for what they have.

But this does not absolve the MCA from moderating its big brother Umno or take a stand when blatantly racist statements are made by certain mainstream newspapers associated with the latter.

A well-known academic Dr Chandra Muzaffar wrote an article recently asking “what do the Chinese want?” The answer seems to be not the MCA or Gerakan.

This does not mean that the Chinese reject the so-called “moderate” politics these two parties allegedly promote.

Instead, the Chinese community like their Malaysian brethrens wants good government, intelligent people at the helm and an end to non-productive polemics.

Brand has lost its lustre

Perhaps the MCA should seek the advice of the deputy prime minister who once said that if he were Chinese, he would not vote the MCA.

Albeit the internal party struggle may have subsided for now but bear in mind what sort of brand the MCA is at this moment.

A party represented by a president who is still being dragged down by the infamous videotape scandal; a former president edged out because he blew the lid on the PKFZ fiasco; another former president and a Tun now facing charges in court for misleading a former prime minister; and more recently, a former deputy president facing the same charges as the latter; all because the MCA has worked so hard and so well to defend the rights of the Chinese.

There is a famous Chinese saying: “Climbing a tree to catch a fish”. The MCA should heed this ancient Chinese proverb and moderate its “statement of fact”.

By letting the Chinese community and indeed all Malaysians know that it is a party that fights exclusively for the Chinese, it will be interesting to see how many fish would care to take its bait in the next general election.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 10:44 am and is filed under
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Fresh religious tensions brewing in Malaysia

Houston Chronicle

By
SEAN YOONG Associated Press © 2011 The Associated Press

May 9, 2011, 1:38AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s government sought to defuse new religious tensions Monday following allegations that church leaders were conspiring to make Christianity the official religion in this Muslim-majority country.

Christian officials insist the accusation is a lie intended to create suspicion between ethnic Malay Muslims and religious minorities, but several Muslim activists have filed police complaints demanding an investigation into what they consider a threat to the position of Islam.

A string of religious disputes in recent years, often involving minority complaints of discrimination, has triggered persistent feelings of insecurity among both Malaysian Muslims and minorities about their religious rights in a country that prides itself on multiethnic peace.

The allegation by two anonymous political bloggers about a plot by Christian leaders received little attention until the country’s leading Malay-language newspaper reported it on its front page Saturday under the headline “Malaysia a Christian nation?”

The Utusan Malaysia newspaper is owned by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Malay-dominated ruling party. It said dozens of pastors were believed to have pledged at a recent meeting to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and have a prime minister elected from the Christian community, which comprises about 10 percent of Malaysia’s 28 million people.

Najib said late Sunday authorities will investigate the claim, but stressed the issue should not be sensationalized.

“Calm down until we get the facts,” Najib said. “If there is anyone who tries to jeopardize national peace, we will not allow it to happen because what is important is national harmony.”

Christian groups acknowledge there was a meeting last week, but say it was meant to honor some Christian pastors and discuss regular religious issues, not politics.

The accusations are “insidious, provocative and malicious lies” that have “the effect of creating religious disharmony, inciting hatred and heaping odium on Christians,” Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, who heads the Catholic Church in peninsular Malaysia, said in a statement.

Opposition politician Lim Guan Eng warned Monday that the government would have to “bear full responsibility for any undesirable consequences on the Christian community in Malaysia” because of Utusan’s report.

Tensions surged briefly last January when 11 churches suffered firebomb attacks and vandalism amid anger among some Muslims over a court verdict allowing minorities to use “Allah” as a translation for God. Some Muslims say the use of “Allah” in Christian literature could be used to convert Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the population.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 9 May 2011, 3:38 pm and is filed under
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