Terrible price being paid by Malaysians for Abdullah’s failure to establish IPCMC

Two ghastly news within 24 hours –the robbery-cum-murder of  Thor Joo Lee, wife of former Penang State Assemblyman for Bukit Tambun, Lai Chew Hock at her Tambun Indah house in Penang and the robbery of
Datin Chang Lee Lee
, wife of former Penang Exco and Pulau Tikus Assemblyman Datuk Dr. Teng Hock Nan in her Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman house in Penang.

These two cases of robbery (and one  murder) of the wife of two former Penang Assemblymen are  horrible reminders of the terrible costs being paid by Malaysians for the failure by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri  Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  to heed the important recommendation of the Police Royal Commission to establish  the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)  to create an efficient, professional and world-class police service to keep crime low in the country.

As a result, it has become an important factor why Malaysia is losing out in the international competiveness stakes  to other countries  in attracting foreign investment as low crime, personal safety and security of property always rank as one of the top considerations for any foreign investor  in  the important decision-making process  whether to invest in a country or not.

I have no doubt that Malaysia would have broken the back of the worsening crime problem  if the IPCMC had been fully accepted and started  functioning from May 2006 as recommended by the Royal Police Commission, making Malaysia a safe haven  not only for Malaysian citizens, but also for investors and tourists.

Abdullah has failed as Home Minister for eight years from 2001-2008 as he presided over a worsening crime situation in the country with Malaysians, investors and tourists unable to feel safe whether in the streets, public places or in the privacy of their homes.

The current Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar is also heading for another dismal failure as a Home Minister as he has not been able to inspire public confidence that his No. 1 responsibility is to reverse the rising tide of the crime index in the past decade to make Malaysia a safe country for her citizens, investors and tourists.

In his more than six months as Home Minister, Hamid has shown that he has a completely misplaced sense of priorities, misusing and abusing his powers whether under the Internal Security Act or in threatening newspapers with show cause notices.

After the Barisan Nasional’s “thrashing” in the March 8 general election, Abdullah had pledged to implement his many abandoned reform programmes, one of which is police reform and the establishment of the IPCMC.

There have  been no signs in the past six months that the government is prepared to present in Parliament an urgent bill to set up the IPCMC without any delay.

Abdullah seems to be totally overwhelmed by the battle to fight for his political life instead of making life safe and a quality one for Malaysians, tourists and investors.

Malaysians have a right to demand that Abdullah and Hamid stop dilly-dallying and be serious about the intolerable state of rampant crime in the country, jeopardising the security of Malaysians and frightening away tourists and investors to Malaysia.

Let Malaysians get a clear-cut and forthright answer from Abdullah and Hamid – are they going to honour the pledge to establish the IPCMC  immediately without any further delay?

Or is the IPCMC dead so long as there is a Barisan Nasional government and the only way an IPCMC could be established is to have a Pakatan Rakyat  federal government?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 25 September 2008, 8:16 am and is filed under
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Abdullah’s mid-2010 transition plan scuttled – can he salvage his premiership when the writing is on the wall?

The fifth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is now on his last leg.  He has at most six months. The end could come even faster, in a matter of weeks.

A coup d’etat was staged at this morning’s emergency UMNO Supreme Council meeting, where Abdullah’s mid-2010 power-transition plan was scuttled for good.

Although Abdullah  declared after the meeting that he had not decided whether to defend the Umno President’s post in March next year, asserting that “The decision is mine, you can go on guessing”, these are empty brave words as the  writing is clearly on the wall of another Prime Minister and Umno President being forced out of office.

Can Abdullah salvage his premiership to leave behind some honourable legacy to future generations?

It is a great disappointment bordering on grave breach of national trust that the emergency UMNO Supreme Council meeting today had only time for  the political future of Abdullah and the Umno war-lords, but no time or thought for  the deepening multiple crisis of confidence confronting the nation in the past seven months since the March 8 general election.

When the Umno Supreme Council could hold an emergency meeting over the political future of Abdullah and the Umno warlords, but no time for the multiple  national challenges on the political,  economic, educational, institutional,  good governance and nation-building fronts, Malaysians are being told in no uncertain terms as to how irrelevant the Umno leadership have become to the popular hopes and national aspirations of the people in Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 September 2008, 3:35 pm and is filed under
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Emergency Umno Supreme Council meeting – for the sake of Abdullah or Malaysia?

Today’s emergency UMNO Supreme Council meeting, second in a week, exposes  Umno in a white-heat crisis to Malaysians.

There were all sorts of rumours last week, including the quite “unbelievable” one (which I mentioned in my blog) that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had been given up to
Sept. 26
to step down as Prime Minister –  although nobody was able to explain why Sept. 26 as the deadline for at least a clear-cut announcement of his retirement intention  rather than the more believable Oct. 9.

But as they say, there is no smoke without fire!  This explains  the emergency Umno Supreme Council meeting today.

The full effects of the political tsunami of the March 8 general election, which dealt a fatal blow to Umno political hegemony, destroyed the hitherto unchallenged Barisan Nasional mould of race and money politics, and gave heart  to Malaysians that there is hope after all for Malaysia to fulfill her great potential and promise of  human, intellectual  and natural resources, end and reverse the costly brain-drain, taking her rightful place in the global community – have still to be played out.

These are the pains, trials and tribulations of Malaysia becoming a more normal country after 51 years of nationhood so that Malaysia can truly join the ranks of the fully-developed nations.

But is the Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting today just for the sake of Abdullah and the UMNO warlords or is it going to grapple with the weighty national issues for the sake of returning Malaysia to her promise and potential as a great nation?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 26 September 2008, 11:33 am and is filed under
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Anwar Ibrahim
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Abdullah’s premiership de facto ended yesterday (26.9.08)

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s premiership
de facto
 ended yesterday, September 26, 2008  – 54 months after scoring the most stunning landslide electoral victory for any Prime Minister in the nation’s  51-year history.

How far and how fast Abdullah has fallen!

All the Umno heavyweights are now  engaged in a marionette play – how to plunge  the dagger into Abdullah’s back without blood being seen to be drawn or better still even camouflaging from the Malaysian public the act of  dagger-stabbing altogether.

Although Abdullah claimed that it would be his decision, “whether to contest or not” the post of Umno President, there could be no doubt that if Abdullah departs from the script and fails to announce by before October 9 that he would not be offering himself as a candidate as Umno President, the marionette play would be abandoned and the dagger-stabbing would be a very public and bloody one.

Even the sweet-sounding praises by  Umno leaders yesterday over the scuttling of  Abdullah’s original mid-2010 power-transition plan and the postponement of the Umno general assembly from December to March next year sounded rather ominous if Abdullah ignores the unmistakable signal that he should not dilly-dally any more in making his exit.

For instance, when asked whether he was satisfied with the outcome of the Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting yesterday although there was no clearcut indication of an exist date, the most  hawkish of the Umno leaders against Abdullah,
Tan Sri Muhyidddin Yassin
, commented: “I think it is good enough.  You need to have trust. There must be a certain element of trust in whatever decision the leadership Is making today.”

Abdullah must be aware that he would be regarded as lacking  “a certain element of trust” if he failed to announce that he would not be offering  his candidacy for Umno President by the Oct. 9 deadline.

In the circumstances, Abdullah has three options before him:

•	Announce before the October 9 deadline his intention to contest for the post of Umno President, retaining the initiative in his hands as to his own timeline to effect the power transition;

•	Announce  that he would not be contesting for the Umno President in the Umno party election  in March, which also mark the end of his premiership; and

•	Announce his retirement as Prime Minister by Oct. 9.

In the first option, Abdullah would be fighting for his political life as he would have to prove  first that he is capable of winning 58 or one-third of the Umno division nominations for the post of Umno President.

This may be a very tall order and he must be prepared to suffer the ignominy of an incumbent Prime Minister and Umno President who could not secure adequate nominations to contest for the post of Umno President.

In the second option, Abdullah would be a lame-duck Prime Minister for six months.

Apart from the third option of immediate retirement as Prime Minister, is there a fourth option open to Abdullah?

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 27 September 2008, 10:51 am and is filed under
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2 more options, increasing to  5, open to Abdullah to mull over  his political future

The month of September has given birth to two momentous  dates – first “916” and then “926”.

“916” signifies  political “sky-change”.  Its importance does not lie in whether the change in  federal power takes place on Sept. 16  but in the sea-change in the political mindset, attitudes and expectations of Malaysians about power change.

Six months ago, the Barisan Nasional was so monolithic and impregnable that it was unthinkable and impossible to envisage that it could be toppled from the federal government level.

In the past six months however, the dream and possibility of change of federal power have spread like a prarie fire  among Malaysians that it is no exaggeration to say that today the overwhelmingly majority of Malaysians believe that change of federal power is possible while a clear majority would want such a change to take effect immediately.

This is what is most important about the “916” magic – not whether the “skychange” took  place on September 16, 2008  (which it did not) but that the political moment in Malaysia  has arrived when change of federal power is no more an impossible dream but has become a practical possibility  and it is only a matter of time when this “skychange” transforms the political landscape in the country.

When the “916 skychange” takes place remains a very immediate political agenda in Malaysia – whether 1016, 1116, 1216 or in an early 13th general election.

“926” is another momentous date, for a coup d’etat was staged  on September 26 in the Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting where  Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was given the ultimatum to abandon his mid-June 2010 power-transition plan and to agree to relinquish his posts as Umno President and Prime Minister in March next year or he would be packed off from  the Putrajaya  corridors of power summarily and ignominiously.

Abdullah appears to have  three options before him:-

Firstly, before the October 9 deadline  when Umno divisions begin their month-long process  to submit  nominations for the various Umno party elections to declare  his intention to contest for the post of Umno President so as  retain the initiative in his hands as to his own timeline to effect the power transition.

Would Abdullah dare to fight  for his political life when his first hurdle is to  prove  that he is capable of winning 58 or one-third of the Umno division nominations for the post of Umno President.

This is not going to be an easy accomplishment for Abdullah and he must be prepared to suffer the ignominy of the first  incumbent Prime Minister and Umno President who could not secure adequate nominations to contest for the post of Umno President and the disgrace of being stripped of the premiership.

Secondly,  to bow to the pressures of the  “926” Umno Supreme Council meeting and announce  that he would not contest for  the Umno President’s post, becoming  a lame-duck Prime Minister for the next six months until March 2009 – after a completely lacklustre premiership for five years!

Thirdly, to announce his retirement as Prime Minister by Oct. 9.

There are two further options open to Abdullah:

•	Advise the Yang di Pertuan Agong for a dissolution of Parliament for the holding of  fresh general election to end the seven-month political uncertainty in the country in the past seven months since the 12th general election on March 8, so as to give the Malaysian electorate an opportunity to decide whether they want a continuation of the Barisan Nasional government or a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government; or

•	Co-operate with Pakatan Rakyat to bring about a change of federal government so that the country can end seven months of drift and lack of direction,  which have compounded  the multiple crisis of confidence afflicting the country.

Abdullah  has less than 12 days to mull over the options  available to him. It is important that  his decision must hinge on the   primary consideration of  what is in the best interest for the nation and Malaysians  at this hour of national crisis and need rather than on what would be in his own best interest and that of his family.

(Speech at the Perak DAP 5,000-People Solidarity Dinner in Ipoh on  Saturday, 27th September 2008 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 28 September 2008, 12:18 pm and is filed under
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P. Patto –  Pioneer warrior of Makkal Sakti

I thank the Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin who in  his speech declared  his support for naming a road in Ipoh to honour the late P. Patto for his contributions and sacrifices for the welfare of Malaysians in the service of Ipoh, Perak and Malaysia.

Patto was the pioneer warrior of Makkal Sakti who  had dedicated his life to “People’s Power” for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

He was at various times elected as Perak State Assemblyman for Gopeng, MP for Menglembu and MP for Bagan (Penang).

In DAP, he rose to become Deputy Secretary-General and had served as National Organising Secretary,  Editor of Rocket and DAPSY National Secretary.

In 1978, he kept me company when we were  arrested, charged and convicted under the Official Secrets Act in connection with my expose of the scandal in the purchase of four Swedish-made SPICA-M fast strike crafts by the Royal Malaysian Navy though we  effected a RM9 million reduction in the final contract.

In 1987, Patto and I were among  DAP MPs who  were detained under the Internal Security Act in Operation Lalang and served time in Kamunting Detention Centre.

Other DAP MPs who “graduated” from Kamunting Detention Centre included Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, Lau Dak Kee and the late V. David.

DAP lost an outstanding  leader and the people a great Parliamentarian and a true Malaysian son when he suddenly died of a heart failure at the Ipoh General Hospital on 12th July 1995.

Let us fully honour Patto not only in Ipoh but also in other parts of Perak and Malaysia whether  by naming a road, a memorial park, a school or a scholarship after him so that his contribution, dedication and sacrifices will forever be an example to future generations.

(Speech at the Perak DAP 5,000-People Solidarity Dinner in Ipoh on  Saturday, 27th September 2008)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 28 September 2008, 7:26 pm and is filed under
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“916” Not A Failure

by
Bakri Musa

When (it appears less of an “if” now) Anwar Ibrahim takes over the government, he will face the monumental twin problems of undoing the damage wrecked upon our institutions as well as containing the inevitable implosion of UMNO.

            Failure in either would effectively doom Anwar, Pakatan, and Malaysia.  The good news is that both challenges could be handled simultaneously through the same strategy, and with the subsequent success benefiting all.

The blight on our institutions and governmental machinery, as well as the urgent need to rectify it, is well appreciated.  Less recognized is the need to manage UMNO’s certain breakup.

For those who venture that UMNO’s fate is the least of Anwar’s (or our) concern, consider this.  The tumultuous and unpredictable demise of the Soviet System may have ended the Cold War, but the world paid a severe price, one that could have been mitigated had the breakup been more orderly.

The world is still paying the price.  There is the recurring nightmare that the Soviet’s old nuclear warheads might fall into unscrupulous hands.  Those still unconvinced of the price being paid, just ask the Georgians and Ukrainians.

UMNO dominated Malaysia for over half a century; its implosion too will have unpredictable fallouts.  If not skillfully managed, the consequences on Malaysia would be on a scale similar to that inflicted on Eastern Europe by the collapse of the Soviets.

Unity of Purpose

Even if Anwar were to secure substantially more than the 31 promised crossovers in Parliament, his government would still be a coalition of political parties with diverse and often opposing ideals.  Besides, the parties have had only a very short experience of working together, not to mention their equally contrasting and conflicting personalities!

            Anwar could learn much from his predecessors.  In the 1950s, the distrust among the races was even greater, yet Tunku Abdul Rahman was able to forge an “Alliance” (the name of his coalition) of UMNO with the Chinese (MCA) and Indian (MIC) parties.

            He was able to overcome their considerable differences by focusing on the few agreed-upon objectives, among them the sharing of political power and seeking the end of colonial rule.  Each party had to make considerable concessions to secure their common goals.

            It helped that those early leaders genuinely liked each other, having shared their formative years together as students.  They knew each other’s families and attended each other’s social parties.  Consequently they harbored considerable personal goodwill towards each other that eased their inevitable policy differences.

            Anwar successfully used his awesome political skills to make his coalition partners concentrate on their commonalities and less on their differences.  Before the elections he made them focus on a singular objective:  denying Barisan its supra-majority.  He succeeded, and then some.  In governing, Anwar should similarly emphasize the twin objectives stated in my opening statement, and only on those two.

Anwar is also gifted with many of the charms and warmth of the Tunku.  It is no mean feat to have Hadi Awang and Lim Kit Siang share the same table!  Anwar should continue using that special talent not only on his Pakatan coalition leaders but also across the aisle.  He should consider his earlier tenure as an UMNO leader an asset, and leverage that to foster greater cooperation with its leaders.

He must adopt the personal philosophy of President Reagan:  party politics stops at 5 PM, and once you cross the border.  The Republican Reagan used to invite the Democrat Speaker O’Neill over to the White House in the evening to share a glass of Irish whiskey.  Reagan would also include many Democrats in his overseas trips.

Differences in policies and philosophies will always be there, but these ongoing social relationships would help lubricate those differences and prevent them from reducing us to shrill denunciations of each other.

If UMNO Youth leaders could play regular golf tournaments with their PAP counterparts, then surely Hadi Awang could listen to sermons by Abdullah Badawi, and vice versa.

Ramadan is a splendid opportunity for such social interactions by inviting non-Muslim fellow leaders in and out of Pakatan to a community iftar.  Others include the wonderful Malaysian tradition of “Open House” during festive seasons.  These would provide excellent occasions for our leaders to socialize with each other, and more importantly, to be seen doing so.  Such public gestures of goodwill would percolate down.

Government of National Reconciliation

Anwar could also take a leaf from another illustrious predecessor, Tun Razak.  Following the May 1969 riot, Tun Razak formed a government of national reconciliation by inviting all parties to participate in his much-expanded Barisan Nasional.

            Anwar need not necessarily expand his coalition but he could tap outstanding members from UMNO and other Barisan parties for his cabinet.  American presidents often have in their cabinet individuals from the other party, for example, Republican William Cohen serving under Democrat Bill Clinton.

Undoubtedly Anwar will encounter resistance from his side, especially those who consider ministerial appointments as the spoils of war, to be distributed only among the victors.  To help overcome this, Anwar must select only the most capable from the other side.  This would also demonstrate his commitment to meritocracy.

There will be resistance too from across the aisle, as evidenced by their refusal of Penang Chief Minister Lim’s offer.  Used to the culture of corruption, they would consider such good faith gestures as attempts at corrupting their members.  To overcome that, appeal to their sense of patriotism, that this would be a national service.  Also reassure them that they would still maintain their party affiliation.

One leading candidate to offer a cabinet position would be Zaid Ibrahim.  His commitment to reforming the judiciary matches that of Anwar and Pakatan.  Another would be Tengku Razaleigh, unless of course he wins UMNO’s Presidency this December.  His intimate knowledge of the economy and wide business experience would reassure the nation.  There are a few other promising candidates deep in the belly of UMNO Youth who have not yet succumbed to the corruption culture of their party.

Anwar should cast his talent net wide and deep.  There are many highly capable Malaysians in academia, the professions, and private sector.  A note of caution; they may have the knowledge and executive skills but they often lack the necessary political polish.  However, a brief tutelage by the master should equip them well.

            Inevitably there will be those over-exuberant members of Pakatan who would like to punch the final nail onto Barisan’s (UMNO specifically) coffin.  Resist the temptation.  Pakatan’s folks should value the importance of a viable and vibrant opposition.  Relishing the collapse of Barisan or UMNO would not be good for anyone.

            Unlike many, I do not consider the uneventful passing of “916” a failure.  On the contrary, Anwar is wise in being cautious and not stubbornly adhere to some artificial, self-imposed deadline.

            After over 50 years of domineering rule, UMNO’s imprint is strong everywhere, in the civil service, academies, military, and even the private sector.  Overcoming these considerable institutional inertias would be formidable.  Go easy; let those operatives get used first to the idea of change.

            Anwar’s assurance of no “witch hunting” is appropriate and timely.  Perhaps he could have a “Truth and Amnesty Commission” comparable to Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation Inquiry to ferret out corruption and abuse of power, granting amnesty to those who voluntarily come forward.  Apart from saving the nation’s precious resources in trying to investigate and prosecute, we might also learn something about the underlying mindset and culture.  The educational value of such an exercise would definitely be much more than any high-profile punitive prosecution.

            We do not need a tumultuous or worse, an unexpected switch.  That would be disorientating, and can be destabilizing.  Instead, let the existing establishment be the first to get fed up with the present power struggle and ensuing uncertainty.  Then they would be begging for someone, any one, to take charge!

            There is no need (as well as unwise) to involve the palace; it may come back to haunt you.  Instead wait for the palace to beg Pakatan to take over!  If nothing else, there is more class that way.  Similarly, dissolving Parliament and calling for fresh elections would not go well with the electorate.  Citizens would not welcome yet another season of politicking and campaigning; they want the mess cleaned up!  I am certain the palace is aware of voters’ sentiment.

            I would prefer that UMNO and Barisan collapse from within rather than through Pakatan’s instigation.  Pressure, yes, but not instigation.  The difference between the two?  Salesmanship, and thus public perception.

            Be patient, the infighting will intensify; UMNO and Barisan will implode.  When that happens, be ready to pick up the pieces.  Malaysians would be grateful to Pakatan for doing so.  However, if Pakatan were to initiate the downfall and in the process trigger political instability, it would not endear itself to citizens.  Public perception is supreme.

            This is a time to tread carefully.  UMNO’s leadership convention will come soon enough this December.  Relax and enjoy the expected fireworks.  Like an overripe durian, UMNO will fall.  Be careful that you are not underneath it when that happens.  Stay to the side; it will be yours for the picking when it falls under its own weight.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 September 2008, 8:42 am and is filed under
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Option 6 for Abdullah – Be a courageous reformist PM in his last six months in at least 10 areas which will be a lasting legacy for future Malaysians

Tonight, let us  explore another option open to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, faced with an ultimatum by the Umno Supreme Council’s “926” emergency meeting that he  abandon his mid-June 2010 power-transition plan and to relinquish his posts as Umno President and Prime Minister in March next year = his  decision to be  announced before the start of the Umno division meetings on October 9.

This may be described as his sixth option as I had last night referred to five options he would have to mull over in the next 12 days.

If Abdullah is not prepared to take on the Umno warlords by contesting for the Umno President’s post, be a lameduck Prime Minister for the next 12 months, immediately resign as Prime Minister, advise the Yang di Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament to hold new general election or co-operate with Pakatan Rakyat to establish a new federal government, there is one more option open to him.

This is to accept the Umno Supreme Council ultimatum that his premiership ends by March next year but ending his hitherto lacklustre premiership in a blaze of glory in the final six months  by leaving a lasting legacy for future Malaysians by being a courageous reformist Prime Minister.

Abdullah can begin his six-month programme of reform in the next Cabinet meeting by choosing to act in at least ten areas, viz:

1.	Police – Establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) by the end of the year, based on the Bill proposed by the Royal Police Commission, in order to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class service to restore to Malaysians their fundamental freedom to be free from crime and the fear of crime.

2.	No more foot-dragging with judicial reforms by ensuring that a Judicial Appointments Commission is established by the end of the year and that the country is not plunged into another era of judicial darkness and scandal with the appointment of the first Umno Chief Justice in the 51-year history of Malaysia.

3.	A total revamp of the Anti-Corruption Agency, which has proved to be an  utter failure with Malaysia’s Transparency International Corruption Perception Index plunging from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 47 in 2008, when we should have improved to at least No. 30 according to the National Integrity Plan – with the formation of a completely independent anti-corruption commission by the end of the year.

4.	Far-reaching parliamentary reforms including the introduction of a full-fledged  Parliamentary Select Committee system whereby every Ministry is shadowed by a Parliamentary Select Committee.

5.	Repeal of draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act to ensure press freedom and an independent media.

6.	Immediate release of Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the Hindraf Five and all other Internal Security Act detainees and the repeal of the ISA.

7.	Declaration of Malaysia Day on September 16 every year as a national public holiday.

8.	20% oil royalty to Sabah and Sarawak to be devoted solely for the development of the people in the two states and not for the enrichment of a handful of political parasites.

9.	Meritocracy as a national policy to reverse brain drain and to retain the best and brightest to transform Malaysia into a competitive global player in the international economic scene.

10.	Full acceptance of “Bangsa Malaysia” as primary nation-building objective and not ketuanan Melayu or any other communal, retrogressive  or obsolete concept.

[Speech (3) by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang at the DAP “Abolish ISA” ceramah at Serdang, Selangor on Sunday, 28th September 2008 at 9 pm]

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 September 2008, 2:59 pm and is filed under
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Ousting of Abdullah as PM  by next March – let MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP, Sabah/Sarawak BN parties take a stand

In his
speech
to the Federal Territory (FT) Gerakan Wanita and Youth delegates conference yesterday, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon rightly called for a meeting of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council to discuss the candidacy for the Umno President.

Koh said that although Umno party elections and post allocations are internal Umno matters, as  Umno is the backbone of Barisan Nasional and the UMNO President is the Prime Minister, there is a need for the Barisan Nasional component parties to participate in the discussion and to give input on this  issue in order for  a consensus to be reached.

I commend Koh for giving a correct analysis on what should be the respective positions of the other Barisan Nasional component parties vis-à-vis  the power struggle in Umno.

This is not an interference in the Umno internal party affairs, as Malaysians as a whole have an equal stake and interest as to who will become the Umno President as he will also be the Prime Minister so long as the federal government comes from the Umno-hegemonised Barisan Nasional.

The position taken by Koh should be the position for all other BN component parties, whether Gerakan, MCA, MIC, SUPP or other BN parties from  Sabah/Sarawak.

The only question is whether Koh and political leaders from all the other BN component parties apart from UMNO are prepared to take a stand and declare whether they  agree with the ousting of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister by March next year  by the Umno Supreme Council “926” emergency meeting.

It is clear that at the Sept. 26 emergency meeting of the Umno Supreme Coucil, Abdullah was  given an ultimatum that unless he agrees to abandon his mid-2010 power transition plan and relinquish his premiership by March next year, and  make clear that he would not to seek re-election as Umno President by October 9, he would be summarily and ignominiously evicted from the Putrajaya corridors of powers by his erstwhile Umno colleagues and subordinates!

Let MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and Sabah/Sarawak BN component parties declare whether they agree with the ousting of Abdullah as Prime Minister by March next year by the Umno Supreme Council “926” emergency meeting or are they totally irrelevant, impotent and non-existent on such a crucial and critical matter concerning who is to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia?

Will the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council have any say as to whether the Umno Supreme Council “926” decision to oust Abdullah as Prime Minister by March next year should be endorsed or rejected?

[Speech (2)  at the DAP “Abolish ISA” ceramah at Serdang, Selangor on Sunday, 28th September 2008 at 9 pm]

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 September 2008, 1:42 pm and is filed under
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Over 60% of grassroots in Gerakan, MCA, MIC and over 80% of members of  Sabah/Sarawak parties want to quit BN

The front-page headline in the evening edition  of tomorrow’s Chinese newspapers is the
speech
  by the Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon that at least 60 per cent of the grassroots in  Gerakan want the party to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) to be
“relieved of the heavy emotional burden of BN”
.

Speaking at the opening of the Federal Territory (FT) Gerakan Wanita and Youth delegates conference this morning, Koh said the Gerakan Central Committee would undertake a more objective and rational analysis of the  “quit BN” sentiments in the party.

I dare say without much fear of contradiction that if given the opportunity to voice out, it is not just over 60 per cent of the grassroots in Gerakan but also over 60 per cent of the membership in MCA and MIC would want their parties to leave Barisan Nasional – and the percentage will be even higher for many  Barisan Nasional component parties in Sabah and Sarawak, easily exceeding 80%.

This is because the UMNOputra  leadership, despite the major blow suffered by  UMNO political hegemony in the March 8 general election by a multi-racial and multi-religious Pakatan Rakyat, has proved to be utterly insensitive, blind and deaf to the legitimate aspirations of all Malaysians, including ordinary Malays.

Although the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had immediately declared after the March 8 “political tsunami” that he had finally heard the message from the voters and would deliver the  many reform pledges which he had failed to implement, things have gone from bad to worse with the widening and deepening of the multiple crisis of confidence in the country in the past seven months.

Recent events have highlighted the worsening multiple crisis of confidence on the political, economic, institutional and nation-building fronts like:

•	The 2008 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development World Investment Report that Malaysia’s foreign direct investment outflows surpassed inflows last year –  outflows surged by 82 per cent from 2006 to RM38 billion compared to inflows of RM29 billion, up 39 per cent. According to  HLeBroking Research,  foreign investors are exiting the country “at a worrying rate”, totaling  RM125 billion for the first half of 2008.

•	The plunge in the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index from an all-time high of 1,524 points in January to 1,157 shortly after the March general election, to a two-year low of 963 on September 18.

•	The 10-placing  plunge in Malaysia’s ranking in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index during the five-year premiership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 47 in 2008;

•	The recent gross abuse of the Internal Security Act in the arbitrary arrests of Sin Chew reporter, Tan Hoon Cheng, DAP MP and Senior Exco Teresa Kok (both since released) and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and the continued detention of the Hindraf Five and other ISA detainees.

•	Malay chauvinism and communalism rearing their ugly heads – evidenced by the emphasis on
ketuanan Melayu
in direct conflict with the Vision 2020 objective of Bangsa Malaysia, which should focus on
ketuanan rakyat Malaysia
 and the furore over Ahmad Ismail’s “penumpang” speech at the Permatang Pauh by-election.

With at least 60 per cent of the grassroots in Gerakan wanting  to quit  BN, is Koh and the Gerakan party leadership going to  respect and accept  these grassroots sentiments or are they  going to ride roughshod over these majority sentiments of the Gerakan grassroots by dismissing them as irrational and emotional?

This is of course a decision which would have to be decided by the Gerakan internally, but Malaysians at large are waiting and watching the outcome of the Gerakan “soul-searching”.

(Speech at the DAP “Abolish ISA” ceramah at Serdang, Selangor on Sunday, 28th September 2008 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 29 September 2008, 11:36 am and is filed under
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Hadhari, human rights, hypocrisy

by
Azly Rahman

The General Assembly proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member-States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.- Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948

Free Raja Petra Kamarudin and all the ISA detainees. Abolish the ISA. This is my appeal to the current regime.

How do we continue to live with the contradiction of being a ratifier of the UDHR and still hold on to the Internal Security Act (ISA) as an instrument of oppression? At home, how must we live with this hypocrisy of jailing without trial our noble citizens such as Raja Petra Kamaruddin and yet abroad speak out against Guantanamo Bay in the platform of world affairs?

When Malaysian leaders go abroad and give speeches at the United Nations or the Malaysian embassies for example, they often argue that Malaysians have their own way of dealing with human rights issues.

They say that culturally Malaysians are different than, say the American or the Britons. Human rights is a subjective issue that needs subjective interpretation, as the argument goes.

The way the government deals with freedom of speech for example includes the stubborn political will to keep the ISA intact as an instrument of the country’s ‘right’ to maintain peace and security.

When Malaysian leaders are abroad and speak to Malaysians at dinner gatherings, for example, they often argue that other countries do not have the right to meddle into the affairs of another nation.

The US therefore is warned not to comment on Malaysian politics. Al Gore and Condoleezza Rice  are to be scorned for making statements about the reformasi demonstrations on Malaysian streets and on the trial of Anwar Ibrahim, respectively.

At home, however, Malaysian leaders ironically love to rally for the cause of others – from the abolition of apartheid in South Africa or for the plight of the Palestinians. Well and good. These are universal issues of human rights of which we ought to be aware.

We speak up for the rights of the Bosnians, the Chechens, the Palestinians, and Pattani Malays. I do not know whether the former Yugoslavs, the Russians, the Israelis, and the Thais have warned Malaysians not to meddle into the politics of the respective countries.

Isn’t upholding and protecting of human rights the job of all citizens of the world? Did we not speak out against Guantanamo Bay, as millions of Americans have been doing; Americans who themselves are fed up with the war-mongering Bush-Cheney regime?

Refusal to understand

Herein lies our hypocrisy within the context of our proclaimed ideology of Islam Hadhari and the right to talk about human rights. We are living with an outdated version of the Mahathir-Lee Kuan Yew interpretation of human rights vis-a-vis political and economic stability.

The ISA is used on citizens these days as part of a way to ensure that power, ideology, and hegemony is maintained for the rights of the few and to sustain the right to dehumanise others.

The question for educators like me is: how will the continuing existence of the British colonial legacy of the ISA create a progressive, liberal, intelligent, wise, and just Malaysia? How do we mediate the false dichotomy between the ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ interpretations of human rights?

Malaysia is a signatory to the UDHR including:

– Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

– Article 10: Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

I believe the much trumpeted brand of Islam the current regime is promoting, Islam Hadhari, is anti-civilisation  in the way human right is vis-a-vis the ISA detentions.

It is anti-Islam when those who are detained are fighting for social, economic justice and as Islam requires, to speak truth to power in combating corruption.

To jail those who expose wrongdoings bring Islam Hadhari back to the age of pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah (Age of Ignorance). Indeed, we are being hypocrites when we continue to keep and use the instrument of oppression left behind by the oppressors. We continue to let the current regime refine the instrument.

Setting aside the truncated mindset of the Malaysian leaders, the people must recognise the critical importance of the awareness and maintenance of human rights throughout the world.

We must believe that the definition, creation, and dissemination of human rights norms can bridge the gaps between countries, ensure that individual’s human rights are respected, and pave the way for a more peaceful world.

And, as the countries of our world become increasingly more interconnected, the call for universal human rights standards could not be more important.

We are hypocrites living in an ideology of Hadhari. We seem to refuse to understand what the idea of the universality of human rights means. We cannot progress in this area unless we live by such principles of human rights – the one that we too ratified.

—

I APPEAL TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE RAJA PETRA KAMARUDIN IMMEDIATELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AND RELEASE ALL THE ISA DETAINEES AS WELL AND CONSEQUENTLY REPEAL THE ISA AND ALL OTHER INTOLERABLE ACTS

REPLACE THE ISA with the INTELLECTUAL SUSTAINABILITY ACT INSTEAD.

______________________________________________

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION:

http://www.petitiononline.com/isa1234/petition.html

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 11:10 am and is filed under
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Malaysia 2008 – “Nero fiddled while Rome burned”

by
Dr. Chen Man Hin

“NERO FIDDLED WHILE ROME BURNED” BEST DESCRIBES THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SCENARIO IN MALAYSIA.

Some political analysts were saying that pressure within the UMNO Supreme Council for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  to step down would make him a lame duck prime minister as his reign would wane as his power wanes.

As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister showed signs of being a lame duck as early as during the second half  of his previous term as prime minister

The signs of indecision and vacillation were already visible.

Promises of reforms to deal with corruption, increase of crime and judicial violations were easily forthcoming from the lips of the Prime Minister, but as easily forgotten and not implemented.

A clear example was the reaction to  the advice  of the independent commission on police mismanagement  and conduct, which after much deliberation recommended the establishment of a special commission to supervise the police force. The cabinet pondered over the recommendation and as quickly shelved it.

The March 8th general election returned Barisan Nasional  to power but with a reduced majority and loss of its two-third parliamentary  majority, but it sent a clear signal to Abdullah that the people want a new order. The people wanted democracy, justice  transparency and freedom of religion and they also sent a clear message to Abdullah of cross ethnic voting – where Malays voted for non-Malay candidates and non-Malay voters voted for Malay candidates.

Abdullah responded and promised reforms would be launched in accordance with the wishes of the people. Up till today the promises were again as empty as before.

UMNO and the Prime Minister have suffered a severe psychological hammering from which they have not recovered.

UMNO top leadership are in disarray and are not able to plan a new direction for the party. Unable to present a new policy and strategy for the party, the leaders went back to the old ways.

The Anti Corruption Act was ostensilby changed but the final authority of ACA remained in PM’s hands.

Instead of adopting a multiracial policy, it reverted back to its Malay agenda  and its ‘ketuanan Melayu’ or Malay supremacy objective.

Instead of being more democratic, Abdullah has used the ISA against a law-abiding Member of Parliament, a blogger and a news reporter. Ahmad Ismail, the man who uttered seditious words was not detained, but the reporter who disseminated  his words was.  This is topsy-turvy justice.!

Crime is on the increase and the crimes  are more brutal than in the past. No one is exempt, not even those who legislate laws like the wives of two ex-Penang state assemblymen and  top police officers. The criminals have become more contemptuous of the police .

The blame for all this must rest on the shoulders of  the Prime Minister and his cabinet for not implementing the recommendations of the royal police  commission to prevent crime.

Unfortunately the uncontrolled exacerbation of crime has infected even those who are supposed to uphold the law.

The Sodomy 2 charge against Anwar Ibrahim is a case in point. Because Anwar dared to ‘change government’ with the aim of building a better Malaysia, Sodomy 2 was implemented with the blessing of the cabinet.  other institutions like the courts and police are implicated in the grand conspiracy to destroy Anwar and his aim to take over the government through crossovers of Barisan Nasional  Members of Parliament. The conspiracy is an open secret. The whole world is aware of this subjecting Malaysia as  the laughing stock all over the world.

The economy is in the doldrums.  The huge spending of the 9th Malaysia Plan and the 2009 budget did not move the economy forward. The unpopular high increase of pump oil prices was a big factor for slowing the economy and causing financial distress to the man in the street.

The political, economic and social well being. is at its lowest.

The blame sits squarely on  a shocked and demoralised Barisan Nasional  leadership

The remedy is to have a ‘government change’ as proposed by Pakatan Rakyat.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 11:33 am and is filed under
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Peerless Patriot & Prince

By
Martin Jalleh

Umno’s “internal security” is being severely threatened. The Umno elite are scared stiff as their political survival is seriously at stake. Split into camps, they scramble to save themselves.

The PM and DPM put on a see-through smile together as they sit side-by-side – and struggle with the hidden question – who is going to sink or swim by the end of the “show”?

The sad and solitary-looking president of Umno is stunned and left speechless after the Umno supreme council made a decision to “smoothen” his early exit.

The bosses of the servile mainstream press continue to suck up to their political masters, giving stories a spin and a slant that suits, soothes and serves the Umno-dominated government.

As it slowly self-destructs, a desperate Umno begins yet another senseless season of intimidation with a slew of repressive laws to contain, cripple and crush legitimate dissent.

It is an open secret that since the days of Dr M, the ISA has been used as a weapon by the Umno elite to protect, perpetuate and preserve their own political power.

In fact Pak Lah had in the past slammed Dr M for using the ISA to “silence crtitics” and had solemnly added: “If we want to save Malaysia and Umno, Dr Mahathir must be removed…”

Now, Dr M wants Pak Lah removed. He shamelessly accuses and abuses the PM of the political gangrene that has set in – when he himself is guilty of gutter politics and digging Umno’s grave.

Thorn & Threat

No one has been such a thorn in Umno’s side as Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK). Umno has been hell bent on shutting up Bolehland’s Bravest Blogger, who has told them to “go to hell”.

They tried to “shut down” Malaysia Today but Raja Petra was the least petrified. Then they realized they had made suckers of themselves and ordered access to the blog to be reinstated.

On specious and spurious claims the police detained RPK under section 73(1) of the ISA. RPK sought the help of the courts. But Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, whom no one takes seriously these days, had something more up his sleeve.

On the night before RPK’s habeas corpus hearing in court, Syed Hamid slyly changed his detention order to section 8(1) of the ISA which supercedes the earlier section. RPK was sent to Kamunting for two years and the government did not have to explain why.

RPK’s lead lawyer Malik Imtiaz called the stealthy act “completely unacceptable”. Another lawyer said it was a “mean, dirty trick” that allows the government to “hide behind a veil of secrecy”.

RPK’s wife Marina Lee Abdullah, a woman of great courage, took it in her stride: “This is dirty foul play …but I was expecting this”. Indeed, Umno has become synonymous with slimeballs, slickers and scumbags!

“There are strong grounds for him to be further detained for two years in Kamunting” Syed Hamid stammered, stuttered and strained to make some sense, satisfying no one but himself.

His “grounds” kept on shifting. On Sept. 12 they said he was “a threat to public order and national security”. Later Syed Hamid would say it is “due to Raja Petra’s articles that ridiculed Islam which could arouse anger among Muslims”.

Syed Hamid was silent on the detailed justification of the new detention order. He shied away from giving any “damning evidence” – there was none – though there was solid evidence of the Minister being too asinine to understand what RPK had written!

RPK has already been charged with sedition and defamation after linking the DPM and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman. Silencing him under the ISA would seal his fate and of course, his mouth – so they thought!

The police warns us not to speculate on a government takeover. But they “speculate” on a person being a “national security threat”, arrest him/her first and only then carry out an investigation to justify the incarceration. It is easy to speculate on the reason for such blatant abuse by the police.

Model Muslim

Suffice to say, far from insulting or ridiculing Islam, RPK has been an exemplary Muslim, who has earned the respect of many non-Muslims and have often saved the good name of Islam from the country’s shallow-narrow-minded “little mullah napoleons”.

Compared to some “Muslims” in Umno, RPK does not shortchange the poor Malay and put the blame on non-Malays; he does not sell his country and stash his money overseas. He does not suck or bleed the country dry or gamble away the country with a racial-religious card.

RPK is seen by many as a principled Muslim who walks the talk – who cannot be bought over, bargained with, bribed, or bullied into submission, nor does he need to brandish a keris. His main concern has been genuine spirituality and not superiority!

RPK is a fearless Muslim. The PM’s Islam Hadhari has failed. Religious polarisation is worsening. This has led him to challenge Muslims in the country to do some serious soul searching that ultimately leads to the truth that Muslims could be their very own worst enemy.

In his writings on religion, RPK has spent his energies on what the PM sees as the role of religious scholars and intellectuals – “combating ignorance and the perversion of religion” and “broadening public understanding of religion, and its role in promoting justice and peace”.

The PM said this when he opened the “International Conference on Religion in the Quest for Global Justice and Peace”, in July this year. But the ignorant and insecure cannot stomach RPK’s uncompromising honesty and his significant role.

We are told that RPK will have to undergo “religious rehabilitation” by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) at Kamunting to enable his speedier release. Such an attempt would be like what he calls (in the title of an article) “spitting in the wind”.

In it he writes: “No, I am not a deviant or a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind. It is those in government who are. And I will uphold the true Islam and oppose these deviants till my last breath and the last drop of my blood.” Rehabilitation of RPK? Jakim might be sorry for trying!

Free & fearless

RPK has never been a respecter of persons. No one has been spared. He has been a critic of even Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Abdul Hadi Awang, and the parties that make up Pakatan Rakyat.

He does not succumb to nor shiver at the ploys of the powerful or Umno’s scare tactics, saber-rattling tricks, silly threats and sinister theatrics. His “no holds barred” brand of journalism has struck fear in the self-serving sycophants surrounding the PM.

RPK has exposed the sordid details of financial and moral scandals, “exhumed” long-hidden skeletons in the cupboards of Umno, and successfully exhorted whistleblowers to spill the beans in a press statement or statutory declaration.

When Pak Lah tried to sway public support with his four economic corridors, RPK was busy writing about the somnolent PM and his cronies in the “Corridors of Power”, and “chronicling” the stark reality of how the Umno elite has become corrupt to the core.

Umno was frustrated because it was not able to label RPK or lump him or lampoon him as a self-seeking politician. RPK does not gain anything for being a “cyber-warrior” – no political power, position, privilege…and definitely not the premiership! So they arrested him under the ISA.

RPK knew that the “less-travelled” road that he had so boldly chosen would ultimately lead to Kamunting. He has been standing up against the powers that be and prompting the citizens of Bolehland to stand up and be counted – which many did in March this year.

He knew he had to be ready to pay the price for his convictions or be accused of displaying the same hype and hypocrisy of BN and Umno. He had to bear the risks involved in going against a hegemony capable of the most heinous.

He challenged the careful, cautious and calculative middle-class who are often contented in their comfort zones to be courageous and concerned for all races and religions. In an interview in a new book March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up he would ask: “How big are your balls?”

RPK may be behind bars but he has started a ripple effect. He has stirred within the average Malaysian an indomitable spirit ready to take on the seemingly insurmountable odds and intimidation by Umno. More bloggers are willing to put their head on the block.

“We are not scared of the government. The government should be scared of us,” RPK once wrote. To a great extent this has become a reality today. People are willing to sacrifice their candle-light dinners to take part in a candle-light procession and to call for an end to the ISA.

RPK has earned the respect of countless in Bolehland and all over the world. Their synergy and solidarity with him cannot be contained – they transcend the walls of the Kamunting Detention Centre.

Selamat Hari Raya Raja Petra !

(30 Sept. 2008)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 2:23 pm and is filed under
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Selamat Hari Raya – Speak Truth To Power

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all  Muslims in Malaysia.

As all Malaysians, Muslim and non-Muslim, celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it is appropriate that thought should also be given to recent major developments in the country, including:

•	Blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin spending the Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Kamunting Detention Centre as an Internal Security Act detainee, not because RPK has committed any crime  but because of his great act of patriotism to speak truth to power.  Together with RPK in Kamunting Detention Centre are the Hindraf Five and some 60 other ISA detainees – all of whom should be released immediately and unconditionally.

•	The last Hari Raya Aidilfitri for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister as a  very clear message has been made in the “926” Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting that the “knives will be out” if he does not heed the ultimatum to announce before October 9 that he will relinquish the post of  Prime Minister by March next year and that he would not seek re-election as Umno President.  In case the message is not clear enough,  four UMNO divisions have publicly stated their intention to nominate Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as candidates for Umno President and Deputy President respectively. Will there be a stampede of Umno divisions declaring their intention to nominate Najib and Muhyideen for the two top Umno posts in the next seven days should Abdullah continue to be ambivalent whether to re-contest as  Umno President or not?

•	Whether the Prime Minister presiding over the Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year will be Najib or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim heading a new  Pakatan Rakyat federal government;  and

•	the unprecedented multiple crisis of confidence which had widened and deepened in the past seven months since the March 8 “political tsunami:”, whether political, economic, educational, good governance, nation-building, battle against corruption, eradication of poverty, international competitiveness, resulting  in drift and total lack of  national leadership and direction,  driving away FDIs and rendering the nation ill-prepared to face the financial meltdown looming in the international financial horizon.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 4:37 pm and is filed under
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Eidul Fitri in Prison

By
Farish A. Noor

This week marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan and the celebration of Eid’ul Fitri the world over. For more than a billion Muslims all over the planet the month of Ramadhan has been a time of personal reflection, contemplation and deliberation over their deeds and achievements over the year; a time of restraint and introspection; a time of reckoning. One only hopes that the leaders of the Muslim world have also taken this time off to do some serious soul-searching as well, and in particular to reflect on their deeds and misdeeds in the course of running the respective countries they have been elected to govern. (That is assuming that they were elected in the first place, for the quaint peculiarity of the Muslim world today is that quite a number of Muslim leaders have never been elected, and many of them regard the position of high office as if it was a God-given right to them and their families.)

During this month of Ramadhan quite a number of peculiar events have taken place all over the Muslim world. In Malaysia, the fasting month began with a right-wing leader of the conservative UMNO party making some rather repugnant remarks about the Malaysian Chinese community, referring to them as foreigners who can go back to China if they dont like things as they are in the country. Odd that such a remark could mark the start of the month of Ramadhan, when Muslims are meant to be controlling their emotions rather than letting them run riot in public. Odder still that a leader of the UMNO party can even make such a historically inaccurate and unqualified remark, oblivious to the simple fact that not only have the Chinese in Malaysia – and the rest of Southeast Asia – been in the region for more than five hundred years, it was also thanks to the missionary efforts of Chinese Muslim scholars that Islam came to some parts of the region like Java for instance.

The month of Ramadhan also witnessed a string of rather uncharitable actions being performed in the glare of the public eye: Teresa Kok, a member of Parliament and one of the leaders of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) of Malaysia, was arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on the grounds that she had made some inflammatory remarks concerning the volume of the azan, or call to prayer, emanating from the mosques in her constituency.
The member of Parliament was then detained under the ISA on the grounds that her own remarks were ‘provocative’, despite the fact that much of the hoo-haa that led to her arrest came from the pro-UMNO vernacular Malay media. During the course of her detention Teresa Kok maintained that she had never made any of the remarks or statements she was accused of, and that she was the victim of an orchestrated media campaign aimed at defaming her character instead.

Indicative of the lack of direction that prevails in the corridors of power in Malaysia today, the political leadership at the top of the Badawi administration was not even consistent in its stand on Teresa’s case and the MP has been released from detention without trial.

But the sordid spectacle of a media campaign used to whip up public anger and hatred against an individual is indicative of the culture of pogroms and black-listing that dates back to the Emergency era when laws such as the ISA were first created, designed to help bolster a (then) colonial British government on the brink of collapse. Since the 1950s hundreds of Malaysians have been the victims of the ISA and other colonial-era laws such as the Sedition Act, all in the name of national security and the stability of the country.

Malaysia’s use of such colonial laws is neither new nor unique: Similar laws were once used in countries like India, Pakistan and South Africa, and if the issue at hand is detention without trial then one can only conclude that this has been the norm is many Muslim societies dating well back into the pre-colonial era.

But it is during the time of Ramadhan that our thoughts go to those who are unfortunate enough to become the prey of such laws. Muslim history is replete with cases of such arbitrary modes of (in)justice at work, where countless Muslim scholars and intellectuals fell prey to the whim and fancy of despotic rulers and tyrants who ruled with an iron fist, and always in the name of God, needless to say.

One needs only to look to the case of one of the most famous scholars of Muslim history, Ibn Khaldun. During his lifetime Ibn Khaldun was imprisoned time and again by a succession of despotic rulers who found his critical ideas and deconstructive reading of official history somewhat trying. On more than one occasion he was framed, defamed and scandalised by his rivals and enemies who sought to discredit the scholar and to erase his contribution to scholarship for good. Time and again the unfortunate Khaldun found himself languishing in gaols and dungeons, to be kept there indefinitely according to the whim of the ruler of the day.

Yet despite the hardships he endured, including having to spend many a month of Ramadhan in isolation in his cell and away from his family, Khaldun persevered in his critical scholarship against the odds. At a time when official history was nothing more than courtly hagiography written to benefit and inflate the egos of rulers and noblemen, his humanist reading of history placed the ordinary individual at the centre of the process of history; insisting on the rational agency – and by extension power and responsibility – of the individual as the master of his own destiny. For the courtiers who grovelled at the feet of their rulers, this form of popular history was destructive and threatening to the order of things.

Centuries later, the rulers and kings who imprisoned Khaldun are all but forgotten. Nobody remembers their names despite the grand monuments they built to their own egos. Ibn Khaldun, on the other hand, has been immortalised as the founder of modern political sociology, a discipline that remains crucial in the political education of millions the world over. His imprint can be read in the works of Franz Fanon and Antonio Gramsci, and the humanist, materialist approach he took to the writing of history changed the rules of that discipline forever. It is thanks to the efforts of scholars like Ibn Khaldun that history today is and remains a political and politicised discipline, and not just a collection of happy fables to placate the demands of demagogues and dictators.

Like Khaldun, there are thousands who languish today in the prisons of the Muslim world as political prisoners who are deemed a danger to the prevailing order of power. Though history and hindsight may offer little consolation for those who are languishing in prison, it is important to remember that the pen is mightier than the sword and that the labours of the just will always prevail over the injustice of tyrants. History will see to it that they will be remembered, long after the names of the tyrants and dictators who abused them have been forgotten.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 10:02 pm and is filed under
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Plot to make Teresa anti-Malay & anti-Islam bogey

Teresa Kok Is Still On Their Target, But For a Different Reason Now

From
Malaysia Wave

The powers that be has failed. They attempt to use Teresa Kok as the bogeyman for Malays has failed. Their attempt to create feeling of anger and dissatisfaction among the Malays against DAP has failed.

What’s more important, the Malay dissatisfaction they fail to create has also resulted in their failure to convince PAS members that Barisan Nasional is the answer to the security and the future of Islam in Malaysia. THIS IS THEIR BIGGEST FAILURE.

Teresa Kok has successfully fend off all attempts to paint her as Anti Islam and Anti Malay. She issued a statement denying her involvement in the “azan” controversy long before she was arrested under ISA. Her Press Secretary writes very good Bahasa Malaysia too, so her statement was well understood and accurate.

After Teresa’s release, she attended a Buka Puasa while wearing a skirt on the compound of the Masjid. Suddenly all hell broke loose. Her skirt was suddenly painted as an abomination and Teresa was painted as someone with complete disrespect to Islam for entering a mosque compound wearing a skirt.

We now see that the conspirator’s scheme has not ended. After their series of failure, they now try to exact revenge.on Teresa Kok. The skirt issue is to raise doubts about her among the Malays of her anti Islam stance.

The truth of the matter is that it is the fault of the Mosque committee. It may have happened as a small mistake. If any, the Masjid committee should have prepared a robe for Teresa before she entered to masjid’s compound. Or, if they had no robe, they should have informed Teresa that she should not enter the masjid’s compound since she is not properly attired. That’s the rule that applies to all Muslims anyways.

But, I doubt that the Masjid’s committee thought of it as an issue since the ceremony is conducted in the “COMPOUND” of the masjid. Technically, the compound of the Masjid is NOT THE MASJID. Why? Because you only perform “I’tikaf” when u enter the masjid. And, no one performs “I’tikaf” while they are still in the compound of the Masjid, that is until they enter the actual Masjid.

When I was in the USA, the Muslim community would build Islamic Centers. It consists of everything from kitchens, administration office, compounds, meeting hall, basketball court, parking lots, and of course Masjid. In other words, the “Masjid” is just one part of the same building. Despite entering the same building, you are not necessarily have entered the masjid. You have to go the area where it is designated as Masjid before u can perform I’tikaf and other forms of submission.

So, in truth, this is not even an issue. The Masjid committee didn’t complain. They allowed her to enter the Masjid, the PAS people didn’t complain. If u read
Penarik Beca
article on this issue, he didn’t complain either.

My guess is they are afraid of Teresa Kok meeting with Malays and Muslims to explain her innocence. This will turn a lot of their “local agents” among the community to look like liars.

They need to protect their news-carrier credibility for other projects. Because for this particular project, their news-carriers have pushed to their limits in painting Teresa Kok as an anti Islam. If the UMNO news-carrier is tainted, their ability to start a new project will be heavily impaired.

Plus, now all of function involving Teresa Kok in the Malay areas are heavily attended by the Malays. They want to hear for themselves from the mouth of Teresa rather than what they heard from rumors.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 10:27 am and is filed under
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RPK from Kamunting cell

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH

By
Raja Petra Kamarudin

I was perturbed when I read YB Teresa Kok’s statement that the food under ISA detention is equivalent or slightly better than dog food.  It costs RM8 to feed a dog, according to the Malay Mail survey and only RM4.50 to feed on ISA detainees.

I feed my cats and fish premium food such as science diet and would never dream of feeding my pets the food that we are fed here.  I actually stopped eating the food here after the first couple of days because it gave me diarrhea.

A couple of nights ago I vomited after eating the food and now I cannot even stand the sight or smell of the trays that they send to our cell twice a day.

I now survive on dates and plain water and I suppose if that is good enough for camels to survive in the Arabian Desert, it should be good enough for me.

I was told camels have a healthy sex drive and I would like to believe it because of the date that is my staple food.  Of cause, there is no way I can test this theory until I come safely out of this place.

Actually, food is the least of my worries at this point of time.  I am presently in three months solitary confinement and the only pussy I get to see is this mangy cat that somehow has found its way into my cellblock to sleep outside my locked door.

It has not rained since I arrived here a week ago and I was told Kamunting has not seen any rain for the last few weeks.

The heat in the cell is unbearable and the air is very stuffy.

The uncomfortable environment does help to put your mind off your growling stomach.

I am what they call under orientation.  This three months’ orientation I suppose is to get me used to the 2 years I am going to spend here.

One of my favorite classics that I used to read in Standard 1 is the Tale of Two Cities, which is about the French Revolution.  I can now better appreciate the battle cry “give me liberty or give me death”.  They say you appreciate something only after it has been taken away from you.  Today, my liberty is at the top of my priority list.  But I know it shall not come soon and it shall not come easy and it shall only come if there is a change of government and if the new government fulfills its promise to abolish the ISA.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 8:52 am and is filed under
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What do we do with our “Churchills”?

(Good Hari Raya read and food for thought)

Was I really inferior to straight-A students?

The Electric Paper

September 27, 2008

By Ng Tze Yong

HE has walked the same cobblestones as JRR Tolkien, Margaret Thatcher, Steve Forbes and Bill Clinton.

Mr Lim Wah Guan, 28, belongs to a rare breed of Singaporeans to have studied at two of the world’s most prestigious universities – Oxford and Princeton.

Last year, Mr Lim, a happy-go-lucky chap with a hoot of a laugh, completed his master’s degree at Oxford in the UK. He is now a PhD student at Princeton in the US.

However, he did not take the usual Singaporean route to the hallowed hallways of these premier institutions.

He does not hold a prestigious scholarship. He is not a ‘GEPer’ (someone from the Gifted Education Programme). He does not even, well, come from a top junior college.

Mr Lim is, in his own words, an ‘NUS reject’.

He had to retake his A-level examination, after getting C, E and O grades for Mathematics C, Higher Chinese and History respectively. The second time round, he got B, D and D.

Four times, he applied for a spot at the arts faculty at the National University of Singapore (NUS) – and failed

Somewhere inside him was a hidden talent, one that was enough for the pinnacle of academia. But for a long while, that talent was undiscovered, not nurtured, and in danger of being lost forever.

Recently, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said that it was time for Singapore’s education system to evolve, to recognise students who learn in different ways.

Shortly afterwards, The New Paper columnist Reggie J raised the question of identifying the ‘Churchills’ in our midst – students who do not do well at their O and A levels, but who excel subsequently.

Mr Lim seems to be a ‘Churchill’.

Initially, he did well in school, scoring 252 for his Primary School Leaving Examination, and 12 points for his O-level exam. But those were mostly for maths and science subjects.

It was in junior college, when Mr Lim pursued his interest in the humanities, specifically theatre, history and Chinese literature, that his grades started to slide.

At National Junior College, he was the only one in his cohort with a combination of Mathematics C, Higher Chinese and History, and spent his years there like a nomad, moving from class to class for the lessons.

His Chinese teacher, Mr Ng Thian Lye, said: ‘He knew what his interests were at a young age. Not many students can say the same. Most students just followed the science stream without much thinking.’

Somehow, Mr Lim’s passion did not translate into aces. After his first attempt at the A-level exam, his relatives encouraged him to switch to the science stream because they thought ‘it was easier to score well in it’.

Mr Lim struggled with this dilemma but deep down, he believed his goal – a spot at the arts faculty at NUS – was attainable.

‘The arts faculty was a place people criticised as a ‘dumping ground’. It didn’t matter to me, but I thought I would at least be able to make it to such a place,’ he said.

Harsh reality

His idealism met with harsh reality when, a year later, Mr Lim’s improved grades still proved insufficient.

He said: ‘Looking back, it was ironic that I got the best grade both times for mathematics, the subject I had the least interest in. But I think it was because it was the subject which lent itself best to exams.’

Mr Lim applied to NUS four times, the final time with an appeal letter from his Member of Parliament.

‘I was still trying to find my way back into the system,’ he said. ‘In Singapore, if you’re not in the system, you aren’t anything at all.’

He could not help but look at his peers.

One of them, he remembered, was a straight-A student who had never heard of the Quran.

‘I could not understand why this was happening to me,’ he said. ‘I asked myself, was I really inferior to them?’

Mr Lim’s mother, Madam Lily Soon, 57, said: ‘He doesn’t learn well in a classroom and we were beginning to think that the Singapore system isn’t best suited for him.’

Still, when Mr Lim eventually decided to apply for the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia, his decision broke his mother’s heart. It was a tough decision then but today, Mr Lim jokingly describes his time at UNSW as when ‘I turned into Cinderella’.

Four years after his rejection from NUS, Mr Lim graduated from UNSW near the top of his cohort with a first class honours in Chinese and Theatre Studies.

In a referral letter, his supervisor, Dr Jon Kowallis, wrote that Mr Lim ‘is truly a unique student of the calibre that one comes across once every 10 or 15 years’.

Another, written by his Dean of Residents, Dr James Pietsch, said: ‘…it is not on the basis of his grades that I wish to recommend him for a postgraduate program – there are many residents here who can boast high grades.

‘However, Wah Guan stands apart in terms of his attitude to his study. Wah Guan has an intellectual inquisitiveness… (he is) not driven by grades or competition, but by a genuine desire to learn.’

Still, his glowing report card was muted by personal pain. In 2003, his parents’ business was hard-hit by the economic recession and a guilt-ridden Mr Lim forced himself to accelerate his study course to save money.

During his time abroad, he also missed the funerals of his grandmother and primary school teacher to whom he was very close.

There continued to be times when he saw himself as an ‘NUS reject’. ‘It was a huge mental block I needed to overcome,’ he said.

At Oxford, Mr Lim completed a master’s in Chinese Studies, focusing on the work of Gao Xingjian, the first Chinese recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and made it into the East Asian Studies PhD programme at Princeton University a year later.

His academic adviser, Professor Perry Link, praised Mr Lim as ‘better than the average among graduate students at Princeton – which is an extremely elite group.’

Usually eloquent, Mr Lim was stumped when asked just how exactly he made good.

‘I just don’t think a three-hour exam is the best way to test any student’s ability’ was what he finally said.

Does he plan to return to Singapore? Will he turn his back on a system that rejected him?

It is another question that vexes him. He misses home terribly, but it is evident he has not gotten over the disappointment. He will only say for now – maybe.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 5:50 am and is filed under
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An Eid in Jogjakarta

By
Farish A. Noor

Oct.1, 2008

It has been many years, more than two decades in fact, since I last enjoyed celebrating Eidul Fitri anywhere in the world. Over the past decade Eid has always been a poignant moment for me, as I reflect on how badly things have deteriorated for Muslims the world over. It is sad, to say the least, that despite all the efforts of legions of progressive Muslim academics, activists and leaders the world over the image of Islam and Muslims worldwide has taken such a battering in the wake of 11 September 2001. During my long stay in Europe Ramadhan was often a testing time when academic-activists like myself would be drawn into public debates about how Islam constituted a ‘threat’ to European identity (while of course the fact that the capitals of Western Europe have been colonised by scores of McDonalds and KFC outlets is seen as something perfectly normal, as if Chicken fried ala’ Kentucky state was as European as croissants, bratwurst or fish and chips…)

After twenty-one years of living in Europe and watching the slide to the extreme right in the politics of countries like Holland, Austria and Germany, it makes a huge difference to be back in Asia and in Java in particular, the home of my ancestors. The past two months however have been laborious as I was trekking across all of Java as part of my research project. Finally, after eight weeks of non-stop travel and fieldwork, I found myself tired, smelly, dirty but contented as I nestled back in my adopted hometown of Jogjakarta, just in time to catch the takbir that announced the end of Ramadhan and the coming of Eid.

What followed can only be described as spectacular in the most over-stated way: Within an hour of the maghrib azan, the streets of Jogja was crammed and overflowing with thousands of motorbikes as the student body of this campus-based town spilled into the streets. Boys and girls from Jogja’s many universities and colleges took to their bikes, claiming the city as the urban landscape turned into a riot of colours. Spontaneous street parades popped up from nowhere, neighbourhood street bands and school bands marched up and down every street and alley, fireworks popped and fizzed in the sky and every home was lit with a plethora of colours. The atmosphere was gay and electric, and in the main square a pop concert was held as rock musicians and religious preachers took to the microphone singing songs of God and Love. God and Love: this is the Islam that seldom, if ever, gets coverage in the international media that seems more obsessed with the image of Islam as a religion of hate and violence.

For outsiders, including Malaysians who live next door to Indonesia yet know little about their own neighbours, this would have been a revelation. How could Ramadhan and Eid be celebrated with such gusto and abandon? Could Islam really be as colourful and happy as this?

Yet I was there watching as hundred of kids ran about carrying lanterns and dragon and lion dance masks- Yes, dragon and lion dance masks that in neighbouring Malaysia or Singapore would be immediately identified as Chinese, and consequently non-Muslim. Yet here there were hundreds of Muslim kids playing around, laughing, cheering, smiling with dragon and lion dance masks without even thinking for a second that they could be signifiers of an alien culture. What after all, is alien about Chinese culture? Havent the Chinese in Indonesia been here for half a millenium already? To the everlasting credit of Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), President of the Nahdatul Ulama, he will forever be remembered as the Indonesian President who with a stroke of his pen immediately classified all the Chinese of Indonesia as natural citizens and pribumis, in recognition of their immense contribution to Indonesian history, politics and culture. This is what happens when you have a progressive, open, pluralist Muslim leader in power.

The Churches were lit in Jogja and the citizens of Jogja of all faith communities came out to celebrate Eid together, as one big family (keluarga besar) that lived, worked, loved and suffered together. Jogjakarta’s sense of identity is as strong as its neighbouring city of Surakarta – where I am also based as Professor at Muhamadiyah University Solo – and in both cities we see how Indonesians have managed to build a sense of common identity and solidarity on the basis of a shared Indonesian citizenship where race and ethnicity have become secondary. It is to the credit of my Indonesia activist-academic friends and comrades that in both Jogja and Solo we have set up a common alliance between Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist groups to counter all forms of facist, racist, communitarian and sectarian politics be it in the corridors of power, the media or even academia. These are my friends, brave souls every one of them, who work hard despite the pittance they earn as academics and activists; all for the love of knowledge and the hope that the reformasi movement in Indonesia will eventually reach its appointed destination of creating a country that is free, fair and equal for all.

In the midst of this Islam and activism go hand in hand, and it is for that reason that the Islamic culture we see in places like Jogja and Solo – despite the emergence of right-wing extremists in our midst – remains open, plural and democratic. Indonesia’s progressive Muslim intellectuals realise that piety cannot be reduced to empty slogans or stale formalism only, but needs to be put to practice. You cannot call yourself a Muslim if you stand passively by and watch the rise of facist racist politics before your very eyes, any more than a pious Muslim can stand by and watch a child be molested and raped while doing nothing.

The result of the combined efforts to keep Indonesian Islam alive, vibrant and dynamic were demonstrated last night as I watched this city celebrate Eid in a manner unmatched anywhere else on this planet. The laughter, humour, joy and spirit of celebration that was so tangible that you could taste it in the air is something that Muslims in many other parts of the world have lost or forgotten. For that reason alone, we should take time to ponder the many roads not taken in the development of a democratic, progressive, activist-oriented Islam elsewhere in the world.

For now, however, I am left with the happy prospect of relaxing for a few days in Jogja before returning to my humdrum labours back at the University. And while doing so, I thank Jogjakarta and Surakarta for giving me a glimpse to the past, and helping me recover the many Eids that I have lost over the years.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 2 October 2008, 8:17 am and is filed under
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“Prime Minister for all Malaysians” – Abdullah’s greatest failure

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s greatest failure is his inability to honour his most important pledge to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians.

This is why his
Hari Raya message
that “This country belongs to all of us, everyone of us” and that “No citizen is recognized as being of a higher status than another in this motherland” fell like a damp squib.

If Abdullah had expressed such sentiments in his first 100 days as Prime Minister, it would have taken  the country by  storm like his sonorous statements made in his first months in office, such as  “Work with me, not for me” and his pledge  to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians.

Now, all these high-sounding  statements fall flat, devoid of any inspirational quality, because Abdullah had  failed to deliver a single one  of the many grand promises for which he was given the unprecedented victory of over 91 per cent of parliamentary seats in the 2004 general election.

Abdullah’s Hari Raya message has only confirmed that the Prime Minister is suffering from a terminal form of denial syndrome when he said that the Barisan Nasional (BN) will not fail Malaysians and “whatever the circumstances”, the government is committed to discharging the trust and responsibility given it by the people.

How can Abdullah be unaware that it is precisely because the BN government had failed  Malaysians after the unprecedented mandate in the 2004 general election that the BN received such a thrashing in the March 8 general election – the first “political tsunami”?

How can Abdullah be unaware that it is  precisely because the BN government had continued to fail Malaysians that six months later, it received a second thrashing in the second politicial tsunami during  the Permatang Pauh by-election on August 26?

Furthermore, how can Abdullah be unaware that it is precisely because of the BN government’s failures resulting in widening and deepening of multiple crisis of confidence on all fronts which emboldened the “coup d’etat” in the Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting on Sept. 26, leaving him with seven days to decide whether to fight or bow down to pressures to end his premiership in six months’ time and withdraw from contest for the Umno Presidency?

Abdullah’s  Hari Raya message is pathetic  reading.

He said “it was saddening when racial issues which can tear apart the fabric of unity that has been woven together all this while were raised of late”.

What is even more saddening is his refusal to admit that those who  raised “racial issues which can tear apart the fabric of unity that has woven together all this while” had all come from inside Umno power centres, as witnessed the “penumpang”  furore created by Umno Bukit Bendera chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail who is lionized by Umno, and even appointed as Umno Bukit Bendera division, despite three-year suspension by Umno  Supreme Council.

Is Abdullah capable of redeeming even a single one of  his many grand and high-sounding Prime Ministerial pledges before he fades away from the Putrajaya corridors of power – which is likely to be sooner than later?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 2 October 2008, 11:34 am and is filed under
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Abdullah – “to be or not to be”

For the past week and the next five days, the nation’s top question is the Shakespearean one: “To Be Or Not To Be.”

Will Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi shock Umno and Malaysians by acting completely out of character by announcing before October 9 that he  has had enough of being pushed around  by Umno heavyweights, that the ultimatum of the  “926” Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting  is the “last straw” and he will defend the post of Umno President in the March Umno party elections?

The overwhelming majority of Malaysians do not  expect Abdullah to give such an answer to his Shakespearean dilemma of “To Be Or Not To Be” to  defend  the dignity of the office of Prime Minister from being publicly humiliated by party politicos – although there are  Putrajaya fourth-storey boys who are urging him to do just that.

Even if Abdullah is to bow to the ultimatum of the Umno warlords and announce before Oct. 9 that he will not defend the post of Umno President and will step down as Prime Minister next March, let Abdullah not exit as a lameduck Prime Minister but write a glorious reform programme for police, judiciary, anti-corruption, ISA and press freedom in his last six months in office.

The least Abdullah should do is to redeem the failures of his many reform pledges in the past five years by carrying out a wide-ranging reform programme in five areas in his last six months in office,  by ensuring that the following are accomplished before he leaves the Putrajaya corridors of power next March:

•	Police – establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

•	Judicial Appointments Commission and in the meanwhile, no appointment of an UMNO Chief Justice which will plunge the country into a new era of judicial darkness and scandal.

•	Total revamp of the Anti-Corruption Agency and the anti-corruption legislation to set Malaysia on the path as one of  the world’s least corrupt nations.

•	Release Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the Hindraf Five and all other Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees and repeal the ISA; and

•	Repeal Printing Presses and Publications Act and enact Freedom of Information Act to ensure a free and independent media to establish Malaysia as a cutting-edge information and knowledge nation.

Abdullah can make next Wednesday, October 8, a historic day by tabling in the Cabinet the six-month reform programme to commit every Minister to  support and implement the reform measures before the end of his premiership next March.

Ministers who are not prepared to give unequivocal support to the six-month reform programme should be asked to resign from the Cabinet or be sacked, to be replaced by those who are prepared to make the next six months a memorable half-year  in the 51-year history of the nation.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 3 October 2008, 9:28 am and is filed under
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I am at  Pulau Perhentian Kecil

Facebook friends are shocked that I  am at Pulau Perhentian  because they expect the region to be closed  because it is monsoon period.

I was of similar feeling and I was surprised when it was proposed that the DAP hqrs break be held at Pulau Perhentian as I expected the area to be unhabitable because of monster monsoon season at this period.

But not to be a wet blanket I went along, despite grave reservations.

I was very surprised that there was no storm whatsoever. The sea was so calm and clear that it was like sheet of glass.

I am told that until the last few years, Pulau Perhentian was virtually a closed area  because of public perceptions that monsoon in the East Coast begins in October.

But surprise of suprises, it is not so.  According to the
Bubu Long Beach Resort
 (Pulau Perhentian Kechil) operations manager, Zaidon Ismail, the climate calendar has changed. Maybe it is because of the global climate change.

The Bubu Long Beach Resort live-wire, Along Bubu, tells me that the climate is so changed that the authorities concerned is  confident of organising a Perhentian Island Challenge involving kayaking, jungle tracking and sea sports challenges and this will be held on 17 to 19 October.

This has been a hairs-down experience. I went snorkelling. I also went up to the wind mill. Many ask why I have choosen Pulau Perhentian Kecil and not Perhentian Besar or Pulau Redang.

It was not a conscious choice but I did not regret the final destination. It was unforgettable experience with great friends Zaidon and Along Bubu.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 4 October 2008, 9:53 pm and is filed under
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