Nazri acting as Super-ACA and Super-AG to declare Johari innocent of RM5.5 million corruption allegations

The “bohong” and “bodoh” outbursts  of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz in Parliament yesterday during question time on corruption in Malaysia
(video clip here)

was most shocking, but even more shocking should be his “day-dreaming” that  Malaysia is in the “premier league” among the 50 countries with the least corruption in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index  (CPI) 2006 when it is actually in “Tier 3”.

What should be most  shocking  of all is his mental preparedness for Malaysia to plunge further in the TI CPI 2007 towards the 50th ranking on the occasion of Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka anniversary.

This is the Bernama report of what Nazri said during question-time yesterday:

Malaysia In The `Premier League’ Of CPI

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said although the preception on corruption in this country is considered to be unfavourable, Malaysia is still included in the `premier league’ comprising 50 countries with the least corruption.

“When we have reached (the group of) 50, how can we go up further? We are already in the premier league, it is not easy to improve,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat when responding to a question from Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Keadilan-Permatang Pauh) who wanted to know the measures taken by the government in view of the decline in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for Malaysia prepared by Transparency International compared to countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.

In the first place, Malaysia’s is not in the “premier league” of TI CPI 2006 — which can only be reserved for the Top Ten countries regarded as least corrupt, namely  Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway,  Australia and  Netherlands.

Tier 2 will be the band of 20 countries led by  Austria,  Luxembourg.and United Kingdom ranked from No. 11 to No. 30 while Tier 3 for the countries, including Malaysia from No. 31 to  50 as Malaysia’s ranking is No. 44.

Secondly, Nazri appeared to be quite proud that Malaysia is ranked No. 44, even if lower so long as among the top 50 countries.

Thirdly, is this an indication that the Abdullah administration is aware and mentally prepared for a further plunge in the TI CPI 2007 from 44th towards 50th ranking?

Nazri should explain why he had resorted to the unprecedented and extraordinary action of clearing the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharum from RM5.5 million corruption allegations and in the process pre-empted the decisions of both the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Gani Patail.

This is because the ACA had conducted investigations into the RM5.5 million allegations and had submitted its report to the Attorney-General who has yet to make a decision on the ACA investigations.

Nazri has himself admitted that he had no information from the ACA and the Attorney-General.

Is Nazri’s action in Parliament yesterday pre-empting the ACA and Attorney-General Chambers by  unilaterally and arbitrarily clearing Johari of the RM5.5 million corruption allegations  an expression of his lack of confidence in both the ACA and the Attorney-General, especially when Nazri is the Minister responsible to  Parliament for both the ACA and the Attorney-General?

If Nazri has lost confidence in both the ACA and the Attorney-General, the honourable thing he should do is to ask the Prime Minister to take the necessary action.

Nazri should not act as Super-ACA and Super-AG to override both.  If Johari is to be declared innocent of the RM5.5 million corruption allegations, it must come from the ACA and AG and not Nazri.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 22 June 2007, 2:30 pm and is filed under
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Rampant crime and lawlessness – I apologise to JB people that Parliament has failed them

As Parliamentary Opposition Leader, I apologise to the people of Johore Baru that Parliament had failed them abysmally  in the past week to articulate their deepest fears and anxieties about their personal safety and those of their loved ones  and the  loss of their most fundamental citizenship  right to be able to feel safe whether at home or out  in the streets.

In my 33 years as Member of Parliament, I  had never felt more ashamed as a MP when my
urgent motion
 to get Parliament to debate the rampant crime and lawlessness in Johor Baru was rejected, for I felt that I had terribly  let down the people of Johor Baru and Malaysia as  Parliament has  again proved to be utterly  irrelevant and even indifferent to the most  burning concerns of the people.

I had tried not once but twice in the first week of Parliament which ended yesterday to bring the crisis of public confidence in police failure to control and reduce  crime to the floor of Parliament for emergency debate by way of two urgent motions, but both were rejected.

When the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah, rejected my urgent motion yesterday, I felt a great sense of personal failure.

I also  could not believe  or understand why  Barisan Nasonal MPs, particularly those from Johor Baru and Johore, could be so indifferent to the recent spate of brutal crimes such as robbery-cum-gang rapes that they do not want Parliament to be in the forefront to demand an  immediate and concrete action plan to restore law and order to Johor Baru and  wipe out its  notoriety as the nation’s capital of crime.

These MPs from JB and Johore  have not uttered a single word in Parliament for the whole of past week on the rampant crime and lawlessness which had become a daylight nightmare of everyone in Johor Baru and Johore? Can they explain why?

My sadness and sense of failure as an MP when my motion was rejected yesterday was compounded by  two other factors:

	the media reports yesterday of another two brutal crimes in Johor Baru the day before, involving gang rapes of a Malay and Chinese girl, bearing out the truth of a media headline   “Any race could be a victim”, that this is not a race or political problem but one of fundamental human and citizenship right;  and

	the disappointing result of the Wednesday Cabinet meeting which did not declare  anything new apart from talk of  a crackdown on crime in JB, as the announcement of 400 more cops in the streets in JB and new temporary police stations had already been announced two days earlier  in JB  by the Health Minister, Datuk Chua Soi Lek.

What the people of JB and Malaysia want are no more verbal assurances from the Cabinet that actions would be taken but immediate and concrete action where  they and their loved ones could immediately feel safe in the streets, public places and the privacy of their homes — today and tomorrow and  not in the future, whether three or six months’ time!

The people of JB and Malaysia are tired of too many assurances of “actions to be taken” in the past, whether by the Prime Minister or the Inspector-General of Police to fight crime but which had proved to be mere empty words.

For a start, what JB needs is an immediate deployment of at least 1,000  more cops and not just 400.

Johor Baru Selatan with  a population of 1,159,079 and 1,159 cops has a  policemen:population ratio of 1:1,000.   Johor Baru Utara with a population of 530,990 and 684 cops has a policemen:population ratio of 1:776.

With an increase of 400 more cops to the total Johor Baru police contingent of 1,843, the policemen-population ratio for Johor Baru (total  population: 1,690,069) will be improved to 1:753.

This is not only too late, but too little.  What is urgently needed is an immediate deployment of 1,000 more cops to Johor Baru to bring the policemen-population ratio to 1:595, which is still double the national policemen:population ratio of 1:275.

If  the Cabinet is not prepared to make such a decision to approve an  allocation for 1,000 more cops for JB, then let all MPs, regardless of party and region, stand as one to approve such an allocation, and apply the same principle to all the other hot-spots of crime in the country, such as  Klang Valley and Penang, so that Malaysians, tourists and investors enjoy the double freedoms of being  free from crime and the fear of crime.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 22 June 2007, 11:36 am and is filed under
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Double productivity of 1,800 JB police to fight crime apart from deploying 400 more cops

The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance will meet on Monday and two items on top of its agenda will be the worsening crime situation in the country particularly in the crime capitals like Johor Baru and Malaysia’s inclusion by the United States Government in “Tier 3” of the worst human trafficking offenders.

The challenge  of  the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance  is to ensure that the  increased police presence in Johor Baru  after the spate of brutal robbery-gang rape crimes that shook the nation is not short-lived, but sustained and results in  daily improvement of the crime situation in Johore and country.

The secretary of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance, Chong Eng (DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam) has proposed that the caucus visit Johor Baru to hold a public hearing to help the people of Johor Baru ensure that the war against crime will always be the priority concern of the government and police, and not when there is a public outcry after public patience  had been stretched to the limit and snapped with one brutal crime after another.

Although the people of Johor Baru welcome the deployment of an additional 400 cops,  200 police vehicles and establishment of temporary police stations, an equally important question is what strategy is there to ensure the doubling of the productivity of the present  1,800-strong police contingent in Johor Baru.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili said in Miri yesterday that the government wants to raise productivity of the civil servants and enhance the public service delivery system.

Let this much-promised but yet-to-be-delivered  increase in productivity of the public service delivery system start with the 1,800-strong police contingent, for if their productivity in controlling and reducing crime  in Johor Baru can be doubled, there should be an immediate improvement in the law-and-order situation with the additional deployment of 400 more cops.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 23 June 2007, 9:25 am and is filed under
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Port Klang Free Zone — Forlorn and pathetic air of another failed multi-billion ringgit mega-project

This morning, together with Ronnie Liu, Peter Tan, Tee Boon Hock and other DAP Klang  leaders, I visited the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), which has been shrouded in such secrecy despite being open to operation more than six months ago on November 1, 2006.

The PKFZ has  the forlorn and pathetic  air of another failed multi-billion ringgit mega project and  Malaysiakini reporters Fauwaz Abdul Aziz and Sabrina  Chan are right in coining the term “mega ghost-town” for it.

The PKFZ offers 512 standardised warehouse units, 260 ha of open land and four blocks of eight-storey office complexes.  After seven months of opening, there are only signs of two of the 512 warehouse units  being taken up but not yet utilized.  The only company that has visible presence of operations is the Norwegian oil and gas company Aker Kvaerner.   Otherwise, the 1,000-acre PKFZ is an expanse of empty office blocks, warehouse units and land blocks.

There is no vibration of activity or even sense of commercial life!

No wonder the authorities concerned were so upset when they received word that I was going to visit the Westports and a security detail was very rude in demanding to know what I was doing at PKFZ, inviting an earful as to why a visit by the Parliamentary Opposition Leader should be regarded as akin to trespass especially when Parliamentary sanction will have to be sought if there is to be a billion-ringgit bailout of the failed PKFZ.

Many questions swirl around the PKFZ for the past few years without answers, and it is time that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s pledge to lead an open, accountable and transparent administration be respected by his subordinates, particularly the following personalities:

1. The Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy should explain

	the viability, feasibility and integrity of the PKFZ; and

	why he appointed MCA MP and former Deputy Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung as the new Port Klang Authority (PKA) Chairman in April when he should have known that there would be a conflict of interest situation in view of Chor’s position as Deputy Chairman of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd (WBGB), an associated company with Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd., which sold the 1,000 acres of land for the PKFZ at the very inflated price of RM1.8 billion when it was bought for RM95 million and awarded a RM1.3 billion contract to develop the same piece of land.

2. The PKA Chairman Chor Chee Heung should explain whether he would relinquish either the post of PKA Chairman or Deputy Chairman of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd to resolve his  conflict-of-interest.

3. The main beneficiary of the PKFZ mega-project, Datuk Tiong King Sing, the MP for Bintulu, should clear the air over the many questions about the mega-project  right from the genesis of the project to its present day.  Tiong had made a name for himself for demand for transparency and outspokenness against organised crime in Sarawak. He must show he is fully committed to transparency in the PKFZ deal, as he is the main mover of the project being the person behind Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd and Wijaya stable of companies, directly involved in the RM1.8 billion land sale to PKFZ and the RM1.3 billion contract to develop the land.

The PKFZ was touted as modeled after the successful Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, to be the regional export and transshipment hub for manufactured goods. After expenditure of over RM3 billion ringgit, the PKFZ has nothing to show except “the forlorn and pathetic air of a failed mega-project”!

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 23 June 2007, 5:48 pm and is filed under
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Let us end 50 years of BN rule

by Richard Teo

For the first time in more than fifty years, when the next General Election comes, I am going to abandon the edict that it is better to vote for the devil that I know rather than the devil that I don’t Know.

This time round there will be no hesitation. I will be like the proverbial saying throw caution to the wind. There will be no turning back. There will be no second thoughts.

For the last fifty years I have faithfully chosen the safe path. I voted for the race-based party that belonged to the Barisan National.

I even encouraged and persuaded my relatives to vote along the same racial line to ensure a strong stable govt that will protect the interests of all races. But events of late has proven me wrong.

This govt that I and many others who placed their faith in is a corrupt, short-sighted, manipulative, racist and incompetent one. After fifty years they have not shown their abiltiy to govern with wisdom.

Instead they squandered our nation’s coffers, encouraged and perpetuated a corrupt civil service and continue to formulate economic and fiscal policies that will take our country down the road to destruction.

Enough is enough.

Our country could’nt be worse off than what it is now.The time has come to vote for a change.

After fifty years the present govt is complacent. We need to inject fresh blood with new vision to bring us further into this millennium or suffer and be left behind in this globalised world.

The choice to determine our direction and future is in our hands. Let us choose wisely and vote for any one/party that stand against B.N.

Even if we cannot win let us deny them the two-third majority that they enjoy for the last fifty years.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 24 June 2007, 9:24 am and is filed under
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Night-and-day police visibility – extend from JB to all crime ‘black areas” like Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh

The Chinese media gave front-page  news and photo coverage to the “show of force” of the police in Johore Baru in projecting high police  visibility in crime-prone areas, including night police patrols.

This is welcome by all, not only by the long-suffering people of Johore Baru from the reign of terror from rampaging crime wave, but also by  all Malaysians throughout the country — showing that the police is capable of responding to public opinion and pressures.

The visible police presence day-and-night in Johore Baru must not be a transient “PR exercise” which will be forgotten after the end of the current nation-wide outcry at police failure to control and reduce crime, but must be a permanent feature of policing not only in JB but nation-wide, especially in hot spots of crime like Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Klang, Penang and Ipoh.

As an immediate follow-up to the stepped-up police presence and visibility in the streets and public places in JB to fight crime, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan should also announce measures to duplicate such high night-and-day police visibility in the crime “black areas” of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Klang, Penang and Ipoh.

When over 250,000 signatures nation-wide responded to the 100,000-signature campaign launched in JB  to restore safety and security, it is a clear message to the police, government, Cabinet and Parliament that the Malaysian public are not prepared to keep silent anymore to be sitting targets and  victims of rampant crime and lawlessness, whether in JB or any part of the country.

The Police should commend the Malaysian public for their awareness and public-spirited response to the signature campaign, as well as praise the media, in particular the Chinese media, for their high standards of journalism in reporting the people’s legitimate cries for effective policing to control and reduce crime.

I will propose at the meeting of the  Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance tomorrow the holding of nation-wide public hearings not only in JB but also in other parts of the country, particularly the black areas of crime like the Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, Batu Pahat, Alor Star and  Sungai Petani to allow Malaysians to speak out their innermost fears and concerns about the crime situation.

Fighting crime to restore to Malaysians their fundamental right to be  doubly free from crime and free from the fear of crime must always remain the top national agenda and not be allowed to be sidetracked as minor issue, as it is critical to the quality of life of Malaysians as well as determining the economic future and prosperity of the country — in assuring tourists and investors that they are safe to visit Malaysia or choose Malaysia as their investment destination.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 24 June 2007, 12:18 pm and is filed under
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PTPTN – incompetence compounded

OMJ has sent me a copy of letter he had written to PTPTN on the unreasonable interest demanded for the balance of loan, illustrating that the PTPTN is suffering from “incompetence compounded”.

This is OMJ’s letter to PTPTN:

Dear sir,

i am OMJ,
(I/C given)
 a ptptn loan borrower. i previously got a loan from ptptn to further my studies and after i graduate i immediately sent an email to ptptn, asking your ministry to deduct my loan repayment from my salary, but there was no answer from your ministry until end of last year which said that you all will process my request but then i found out during the “no answer period”, i was being charged with interest which purely no fault of mine.

A few days ago i got another letter telling me that i still a balance of RM 355.90 unpaid. This is very unfair to me. I, an honest citizen, trying to repay my loan, but because due to your ministry’s ineffeciency, i have keep interest which i myself do not even know.

Is it how an honest person is being treated? And i have tried to check my balance on your website but i was always unable to load the page. SO i am kept in the dark of my balance while your ministry keep sending my letter, telling me of balances which i do not even know existed, to pay up.

This is very unfair to me. A letter was sent from your ministry to me asking me to send  RM 1779.50 in  5th February 2007 and i have sent a check on 12th February 2007. So what is this RM 355.90. Why am i being bullied for being a good citizen?

I am writing to you sir so i can able to bring up this matter, it’s not that students do not want to pay up but it’s the ptptn’s fault for not collecting the loan repayment and for oppressing good citizens like me who wants to pay back as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time.

With regards,

OMJ

p/s Monthly deduction from my salary for my loan repayment was started since march 2007, thus where did this RM 355.90 came from?

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 24 June 2007, 9:50 am and is filed under
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IGP – come out with “safe JB”, “safe KL”, “safe PJ’, “safe Penang”, “safe Ipoh” policing action plans

While the increased police visibility in Johor Baru is greatly welcomed and has brought relief to the long-suffering people of JB who had suffered for years from the runaway crime and lawlessness problem, the police and government should realize that this is only a short-term measure and can be no substitute for a sustained and long-term strategy to make the southern capital a “safe JB”.

I call on the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan to announce a concrete national policing  action plan  with a time-line to transform the crime “black areas” in the country  into “Safe JB”, “safe KL”, “safe PJ”, “safe Penang”, “safe Ipoh” to restore the confidence of Malaysians, visitors and investors that the police has regained control of the crime problem.

The crime situation is no more just about the fundamental right of Malaysians to feel safe in their own country, whether in the streets, public places or the privacy of their homes, but will affect the country’s economic development and prosperity.

This is because police control of the crime situation has become a negative factor for Malaysia’s competitiveness, turning away FDIs and tourists.

Crime and the lack of physical safety is one of the six factors cited by the European Commission Ambassador, Thierry Rommel, in his controversial speech on Thursday for dampening Malaysia’s investment climate and a reason for the decline in FDIs to Malaysia.

Yesterday, the New Sunday Times reported a
roundtable discussion
in Putrajaya to explore Malaysia’s potential as an international property destination, and even at such a discussion, the police loss of control of the crime situation became a major issue.

This is what one participant at this roundtable said:

“The perception is that the post-crime delivery system has failed in Malaysia.

“A few days ago in Melbourne, a city larger than Kuala Lumpur, a gunman shot three people. Within 20 minutes the policemen were there; within 10 minutes an ambulance arrived to take the injured to hospital.

“The police cordoned off the area and advised the people not to leave their offices. All of these were done within 45 minutes of the crime.

“This is the delivery system that is lacking in Malaysia.”

This is an illustration that the crime situation is no more a police problem but concerns the quality of life and economic well-being of Malaysian citizens as well as the economic prosperity and future of the country.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 25 June 2007, 12:50 pm and is filed under
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Urgent parliamentary debate on EU Ambassador’s critical speech on NEP, productivity and competitiveness

I have given notice to the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move a motion of urgent definite public importance on Wednesday on the controversial speech by the European Commission Ambassador to Malaysia Thierry Rommel critical of  the New Economic Policy and the country’s declining FDIs and competitiveness.

 The motion I have submitted is as follows:

“That under Standing Order 18(1), the House gives leave to Ketua Pembangkang  YB Lim Kit Siang to move a motion of urgent definite public importance, viz:  the speech by European Commission Ambassador to Malaysia Thierry Rommel critical of  the New Economic Policy  (NEP) and the country’s productivity and competitiveness losing out in foreign direct investment.

“Last Thursday, speaking at the EUMCCI luncheon talk of local and foreign businessmen, Rommel said the NEP was discriminatory and amounted to protectionism against foreign companies.

“He added that the Government was using the NEP as an excuse to practise ‘significant protectionism of its own market,’ including the automotive sector, steel, consumer goods, agricultural products, services and government contracts.

“In his speech, Rommel also gave a  ‘factual, non-emotional’ six-point critique of Malaysia’s productivity and  competitiveness, viz:

	human capital development and the public education system;

	the public service delivery system;

	transparency and predictability in the ‘rules of the game’ concerning government regulations, decisions affecting business, public procurement;

	corruption;

	the rule of law to everyone; and

	security – physical,  administrative and legal.

“The Deputy Prime Minister, the Education Minister and the Foreign Minister have accused Rommel of meddling  in the internal affairs  of the country and of being  ‘arrogant’ and having  ‘overstepped his authority’.

“Although the Deputy Prime Minister said Rommel’s speech was ‘factually disputable’, this has not been done. What does the government propose to do if Rommel can factually back up his  criticisms when summoned to explain his speech?

“It is more important for Malaysia’s international image as a democratic and progressive country prepared to face the challenges of globalization  that Rommel’s speech should be openly disputed than to shut him up.

“Parliament should have an urgent debate to show the world that the nation and government is prepared to face criticism.”

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said that Rommel’s remarks are
“factually disputable”
 while the Foreign Minister
Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
said that Rommel’s statement was not based on facts.

However, up to now, Najib, Hamid and Umno Youth leader
Datuk Seri Hisammuddin Hussein
, who is spearheading a Barisan Nasional youth protest against Rommel’s speech, have not laid out the facts to prove Rommel wrong, which should be the “smart” way of operation in an  information and knowledge era with the advent of information and communications technologies.

Hishammuddin should clarify whether he has the full authority of MCA Youth, Gerakan Youth, MIC Youth, SUPP Youth and youth wings of other Barisan Nasional parties to speak on their behalf on this issue — and if so, why the other BN Youth leaders have been so conspicuously silent.

I have no doubt that if Rommel had praised the NEP and the productivity and competitiveness policies of the Barisan Nasional government, there would  be no  protests but full of  praises and and even bouquets for Rommel.

Rommel
 has denied in today’s press that he had any intention to meddle in Malaysia’s domestic affairs and that it was not the rationale of his speech.

He clarified that the NEP would have bearing on the negotiations with the Free Trade Agreement between EU and ASEAN and that the bumiputra policy is an issue on the horizon, as it would limit room to manoeuvre for Malaysian negotiations due to the open nature of the FTA itself.

Instead of protests and saber-rattling by Hishammuddin and the Barisan Nasional Youth, the most sensible and productive response is to ask for full clarification from Rommel and to have a full debate in Parliament.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 25 June 2007, 12:02 pm and is filed under
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If not for people like Rommel, South Africa would still have Apartheid

by Richard Teo

South Africa would still continue to practise Apartheid if the international community had taken heed of DPM advice that outside parties should “not meddle in the affairs and domestic policies of the country”.Yet it was pressure from the international community which viewed apartheid with such revulsion that it eventually led to the downfall and dismantling of South Africa’s racist policies.

Yet in the same breath it was business as usual for our DPM and the P.M himself to offer unsolicited advice as to how southern Thailand should be governed in order to quell the daily violence. Not only were advice given unsparingly but it was open govt policy to provide sanctuary for Muslim militants who seem to have unhindered access to Malaysian borders.

Our leaders are always in a denial mode whenever there are legitimate criticisms levied at our govt or our policies while at the same time feeling they have a divine right to pinpoint the inadequacies of other less unfortunate countries.

Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein should learn to control his temperament and avoid making foolish statements that foreigners should not interfere in govt business without first knowing its history.

In this globalised, flat world we are living now no country can live in isolation and this borderless world will continue to invite criticisms if policies and governance are not in accordance with norms.

Instead of pretending that the criticisms are without merit, our leaders should focus on examining the virtues and vices of the  N.E.P policy in its present form.I f need be, there should be appropriate adjustments and revamp so that the international community will not view it as a discriminatory policy expressly for serving the purpose of only one race.

Dr.Thierry Rommel’s criticism of the N.E.P as head of the European Union delegation represent a unique departure of standard protocol but like the apartheid in South Africa it will not be the last until the vestige of its policy is finally dismantled.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 June 2007, 6:24 am and is filed under
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Is Abdullah’s government on auto-pilot – strongest possible protest to PM

I have today faxed a letter to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lodging the “strongest protest possible” at the most unsatisfactory reply to a parliamentary question in Malaysian parliamentary history which totally evaded the specific query posed.

My protest letter referred to Abdullah’s written reply to my parliamentary question yesterday asking “why public confidence in government ability to ensure low-crime Malaysia has reached a new low despite earlier favourable public responses to Royal Police Commission Report and to report on implementation of the commission’s 125 recommendations, in particular on IPCMC”.

In the
three-paragraph written answer
, Abdullah, who is also the Minister for Internal Security, said the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) had implemented the Five Year  Police Strategic Plan  (2007-2011) to address the problem of rising crime and public concerns about crime.

Among the programmes of  the RMP Strategic Plan  were the setting up of a Crime Prevention Department that involved all police stations apart from having an Internet website to be more customer-centric.

To ensure the people’s continued confidence in the police  to fight crime, other programmes  have also been implemented including  improving the beat and patrol functions with the cooperation of other agencies like local authorities, installation of closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) systems in high risk areas and having the Rakan Cop at all state police contingents.

Abdullah  also  said that although the crime rate had risen in terms of statistics, the solving rate for serious crimes had also improved from 58.88 per cent in 2005 to 60.11 per cent last year.

I told the Prime Minister that “it is most shocking and totally  unprecedented” that the written answer completely ignored the second part of the question  asking for a status report on the implementation of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission and in particular the key proposal for the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

This is the first time in my  33 years as Member of Parliament where there has been a clear evasion of the parliamentary question asked — in this case on the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission and in particular the IPCMC proposal.

In my letter, I said I appreciated that although the written answer was given in Abdullah’s  name, it had not been vetted by him.  I  also said that I believed that the dishonest reply in evading the specific query on the IPCMC and the Royal Police Commission recommendations had also not been seen by the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharum as I do not believe that with his parliamentary and political experience and background, Johari  would have countenanced such ministerial evasion and  parliamentary irresponsibility.

Clearly, the parliamentary reply was drafted by a civil servant who did not know how to respond to the question for a status report on the Royal Police Commission’s 125 recommendations and in particular on the IPCMC proposal, as they  have become political minefields, and  the officer must have thought it better part of valour to avoid answering it altogether.

This represents a most shocking plunge in the standard and quality  of governance particularly with regard to Ministerial responsibility to Parliament, setting a most awful example for all other Cabinet Ministers as the written answer is given in the name of the Prime Minister.

This is a setback  for Malaysia’s development as a vibrant and meaningful democracy with a First-World Parliament.

In fact, it raises the disturbing question whether we are having an anarchy instead of a disciplined, dedicated, high-performance quality government and Cabinet.

Is the administration of Abdullah now on auto-pilot?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 June 2007, 12:04 pm and is filed under
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Rommel reminder – urgent need for overhaul of public service  delivery system

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should not continue to defer a major shake-up of the public service delivery system as it has become a drag on the nation’s productivity and competitiveness because of its lack of efficiency and transparency.

More than three weeks ago on 1st June 2007, Abdullah had announced that he would be launching a
new government delivery system
on 14th June, 2007, and although he had instructed Ministers, Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers  “to ensure that the government machinery is prepared to implement the new government delivery system”, two weeks have passed without any news about the launching of the much-awaited new  public delivery system.

Has the launching fo the new government delivery system been postponed, and if so, why is there such a long postponement, or has the new public delivery system been aborted altogether?

In his controversial and critical speech to the EUMCCI (European Union — Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) last Thursday, “the capability of the administration to really be a public service delivery system, efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable” was cited by the European Commission Ambassador to Malaysia Thierry Rommel as one of the six factors undermining Malaysia’s productivity and competitiveness.

Was Rommel wrong and malicious in defaming Malaysia?

Not at all.  Rommel was saying nothing new as patriotic Malaysians have been identifying these causes of Malaysia’s poor productivity and declining competitiveness.  Malaysians do not need Rommel or any foreigner to tell them things that they do not know, but when Rommel or other foreigners make bona fide comments and criticisms of the country, there is no need for government leaders to fly off the handle,  over-react or resort to crude and irrational responses.

Let us thank Rommel for reminding Malaysians what we all know every well as our own national weaknesses in international competitiveness, rather than pretending that Rommel is disclosing something which is totally unknown or unheard of previously.

Lack of efficiency and transparency of the public delivery system must be  priority concerns of Malaysians, particularly when the Abdullah administration is embarking on a mega-project spree, with eleven mega projects carrying an astronomical RM90 billion tag — led by  the RM25 billion Trans-peninsular oil pipeline,  the RM10 billion JB-Padang Besar double-tracking, RM10 billion extension of existing LRT lines and the RM9 billion Bakun undersea cable.

However, almost everyday, Malaysians are reminded of one scandal after another of the lack of efficieincy or transparency of the public service delivery system.   In the last few days alone, we have the following scandals:

1.
Another “sick” new hos
pital – after a four-year delay, the RM90 million Pekan Hospital has been finally completed but with defects in the new building, especially leaking pipes.  The Pekan Hospital was initially scheduled for completion in 2003 at a cost of RM80 million.

2.	The RM2.1 billion SMART Tunnel which is not so smart after all. The people of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia are now told by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Drainage and Irrigation Department director-general Datuk Keizrul Abdullah that the Smart Tunnel is only capable of diverting 45% of floodwater from the city while the Smart Tunnel operations general manager Mohd Fuad Kamal Ariffin has claimed that the Smart tunnel is
only designed for storm floods but not flash floods
.

However, the people of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia were never told of these qualifications and conditions when the RM2.1 billion Smart Tunnel was first approved in 2003 as illustrated by the following newspaper headline
“No more floods in city centre by 2006”
>(NST 20.6.2003) which was never denied or corrected!

3.	The  mystery, secrecy and unaccountability which continue to surround the proposed  RM490 million Sports Training Centre at Tun Abdul Razak Rubber Research Centre (TARRC) in Brickendonbury outside London.

Sun
journalist,
R. Nadeswaran
, who recently visited TARRC has come back with a scathing exclusive yesterday entitled
“All talk, no action! — PROMISES MADE, RM800,000 SPENT, BUT NOTHING TO SHOW FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE TRAINING CENTRE”
.

Nadeswaran’s report giving point-by-point indictment of  the high-performance training centre in Brickendonbury as  “a catalogue of half-truths, contradictions and questionable expenditure of taxpayers’ money” would have caused the resignation of the Sports Minister in countries where there is a culture of responsibility rather than the culture of impunity.

Is Nadeswaran’s expose going to be tabled in the Cabinet meeting tomorrow and full public accounting given after the Cabinet meeting?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 June 2007, 1:17 pm and is filed under
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1st priority for PM on return from honeymoon –  first meeting with MTUC leaders in 44 months

I have today  given notice to the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah for an urgent parliamentary debate on the demand for minimum wage and cost of living (Cola) for private-sector workers in  a motion of urgent definite importance on Monday.

This is the motion I will move on Monday:

“That  under Standing Order 18(1), the House gives leave to Ketua Pembangkang YB Lim Kit Siang to move a motion of urgent, definite public importance, viz: the MTUC demand  for minimum wage and cost of living allowance (Cola) for private sector with potential to result in large-scale industrial action.

“On Monday, 25th June 2007,  Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) staged a 14-location nation-wide picketing by thousands of workers  after discussions with the government on its campaign for a minimum wage of RM900 a month and cost of living (Cola) of RM300 for private sector employees came to a deadlock.

“A week earlier, MTUC presented a seven-page memorandum to the Prime Minister asking for minimum wage and Cola for the private sector but  did not elicit any appropriate response.

“According to an MTUC study, some four million out of the 10 million workers it represents are earning below the poverty line.  Even in Johor Baru where cost of living is extremely high, industrial workers are paid as low as RM390. Even five-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur pay a basic wage of RM290 per month to cleaners and waiters.

“The Prime Minister should  initiate tripartite talks involving the government, MTUC and employer representatives on MTUC demand for minimum wage and Cola to avoid escalation of industrial action and ensure industrial peace with justice for three reasons:

	A follow-up to the recent 35% salary increase and 100% increase in Cola for public sector employees to ensure that private-sector workers, especially in low-wage categories, are assured of a decent living and  a basic fair wage;

	The flooding of the country with millions of migrant workers on low wages and poor working conditions;

	The loss of confidence of the MTUC in the Human Resources Minister YB Fong Chan Onn’s ability to resolve the issue.”

I am shocked to learn from the MTUC President, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud that in his 44 months as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had not had any single meeting with the MTUC leaders despite repeated MTUC   requests for such a dialogue.

I can understand the depth of disenchantment of the MTUC leaders  with Fong Chan Onn as the capability, influence and even seriousness of the  Human Resources Minister come under  grave question when he is  unable to arrange even a single meeting between the Prime Minister and  the MTUC leaders in 44 months.

Abdullah’s failure to meet with the MTUC leaders even for once in 44 months also casts an adverse reflection on the Prime Minister’s inclinations and sympathies, as a pro-labour Prime Minister would  have had several meetings with MTUC leaders already in the 3 years and 8 months that Abdullah had been Prime Minister.

This is a great failing iof Abdullah’s 3-year 8-month premiership which he should rectify  immediately.

For this reason, Abdullah’s first priority on his return from “honeymoon”-cum-official visit to Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy should be two-fold:

	to  meet up with MTUC leaders on their concerns and grievances; and

	to  initiate  a tripartite dialogue on MTUC demand for minimum wage and Cola for private-sector workers  to avert large-scale industrial action which would not be conducive to enhancing Malaysia’s much-troubled  international competitiveness.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 2:05 pm and is filed under
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“A person who had not been robbed is not a true JB-ite”

The people of Johor Baru and Johore state should make full use of the
public hearing
of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights in Johor Baru on Sunday, 8th July 2007 to voice out their hopes and fears about the crime situation in the southern capital and state.

The 250% exceeding of the target of the 100,000-signature campaign launched by the Johor Baru Chung Hua Association for the restoration of safety, law and order in the Johore capital, with 350,000 signatures collected from all over the country, including online, from all races, religions, classes, gender and age group,  illustrates the gravity of the problem of  the crime situation in JB, Johore and Malaysia.

It is commendable that the top police leadership is showing serious response, with the visit of the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan to Johor Baru yesterday and the Johore Chief Police Officer, Datuk Hussin Ismail himself going down to the “black areas” of crime in JB on night patrol.

There must be all-round determination that this time, the public revulsion against the high crime rate and rampant lawlessness in JB, must be a sustained and long-term commitment and not a short-term response to the public outcry.  This is for the safety of all Malaysian citizens and their loved ones, tourists and investors.

The notoriety of JB as the capital of crime must be wiped out, and the self-deprecating  and shameful definition that a person who had not been robbed is not a genuine resident of JB must be a thing of the past.

The Police should announce the “black areas” of crime in JB, Johore and the country which will enable the public to monitor the success of the police drive to turn them into “safe” crime-free and low-crime areas.

I hope the public hearing of  the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights in JB on July 8 can help to wipe out such a definition of a JB resident — a person who had been robbed at least once.

Johore Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Gani said yesterday that in the next two to four months, 1,274 new cops would be deployed to Johor Baru, improving the police-population ratio in Johor Baru from 1:1,500 to 1:650.

I had commented last week in reaction to the earlier announcement of an increase of 400 new cops to Johor Bahru that what JB needed is an immediate deployment of at least 1,000 more cops and not just 400.

I am glad that the Johore Mentri Besar has agreed with my assessment, although I am surprised by his figures of an improved police:policement ratio to 1:650 from the current 1:1,500  with an increase of 1,274 new cops by August.

At present there are 1,843 police personnel in Johor Baru with a population of 1,690,069 people or police:population ratio of 1:917 — made up of Johor Baru Selatan with a population of 1,159,079 and 1,159 cops or  policemen:population ratio of 1:1,000 and  Johor Baru Utara with a population of 530,990 and 684 cops or  a policemen:population ratio of 1:776.

With an increase of 1,274 new cops to the 1,843 present police contingent in JB, the police:population ratio will be 1:542 or more than double the national policemen:population ratio of 1:275.

May be the Inspector-General of Police or the Johore Chief Police Officer can straighten out these confusing and conflicting  figures of policemen-population ratio for JB at present and in a few months time when another 1,274 new cops are deployed to JB.

This is essential to establish the professionalism of the police, which has a bearing on public confidence in the police.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 2:26 pm and is filed under
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Tolerance my ass!

I have received the following  very angry email from MS, with a very ferocious heading which I am using – breaking a rule of this blog:

Couldnt help feeling this angry today. I know at my age, I am supposed to be mellowing out, looking forward to a nice chilled day and now what? I find myself with the same amount of righteous anger as I had when I was 16 – going through puberty and finding the world most unfair that my mum wouldnt allow me to have my first pair of cargo pants!

I was sitting in the banana leaf shop this morning having a roti and a coffee when a group of JAWI officers entered the premises. 10 officers to be exact, into this little shop. They spent a good 20 minutes going through the place (and it is a small place!) and finally one officer writes out a writ and gives it to the cashier. They then left. Curious, I asked the cashier what that was all about and he replied that they were not allowed to have their little altars and pictures of their deities in their shop “because otherwise, Muslims cannot come into their shops” . What utter nonsense! Are we still living in the Malaysia that is so “famed” for its “religious tolerance”?? The shop is not a mamak shop. It is an Indian Banana leaf shop. Why would it be surprising that they should have signs of their religious beliefs in their own space? I didnt think that sort of thing was illegal (please correct me if I am wrong). What is wrong with this picture? Will it come down to the point when my Muslim friends should not visit my home just because I have a cross or a chinese altar there? PLEASE!

Better yet, I discovered as I was leaving , that the JAWI personnel had targetted the other 3 banana leaf shops along that row of old shops (near the  vets office – off Jalan Maarof). There were at least 4 nos of vans for the officers , ALL double parked on the main road and causing an inconvenience to the other road users. Is there a separate set of laws that govern these people? Notwithstanding the fact that they are trampling all over the definition of religious tolerance in this country , they also flaunt the general laws of the land. This makes me really angry and sad about the state of our country.

I now find it difficult to speak up for Malaysia when there are arguments comparing Malaysia to other countries. It is sad that  we  can have the once world tallest building and still think like we came out of the jungle yesterday.

My Personal Big Sad Day today

MS

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 3:35 pm and is filed under
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JAWI raid on Indian restaurant for public display of Hindu deities – PM should stop the “Little Napoleons”

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must stop the
“Little Napoleons”
 in JAWI  from imposing a “reign of terror”  with their lack of understanding of the Merdeka social contract  and  contempt for the constitutional rights of all Malaysians, creating inter-religious tension and setting back inter-racial harmony and nation-building.

I refer to the multi-agency raid led  by
JAWI
(Jabatan Agama  Islam Wilayah Persekutuan) to the  eating shops in Lorong Maarof, Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 26th June 2007, at about 11.30 a.m., particularly an Indian restaurant and a mamak restaurant.

This blog yesterday had carried an email giving an
eye-witness account
.

Last night, I received an email from another public-spirited Malaysian who visited Lorong Maarof to check on the complaint.  This is  the account her email after the visit:

“I dropped by the two Indian restaurants at Lorong Maarof this afternoon to chat with the workers and to verify what exactly happened. The Star and another paper were already there yesterday, they said.

“I looked at the summons issued to Aiswari restaurant: The raid was done by the Bahagian Hub Halal of JAKIM, together with officials from other agencies, including JAWI, KPDN and HEP (? must be Kementerian P or D (not clear) Dalam Negeri; don’t know what HEP is) and DBKL. 10 of them came into the shop, but the cashier said there were about 15 others milling outside the streets.

“According to the summons, the officers came because of a complaint (choice of berkala/aduan/susulan). 4 jenis kesalahan were written down:

1. bukan pemegang sijil halal JAKIM (this means their halal logo is from some other source?)

2. arahan tidak boleh menggunakan logo halal dan perbahasan
[should be “perhiasan” – kit]
dalam premis (??)

3. Sita?? – ayat ayat Qur’an di buat oleh JAWI?? (four framed ayats, 2 big, 2 small were taken away)

4. tiada pekerja Muslim (? cashier and all workers are Muslim)

“The cashier who seems to be in charge was quite agitated, esp about the Muslim workers and halal meat served. He is an Indian (national) Muslim, showed the JAKIM ppl his passport with his Muslim name and all the 7 workers there were Muslim and so is the owner. The raiders questioned the ‘halal’ ness of the food served and took the halal certs issued by the meat suppliers. Said he and the workers and owner are all Muslim so why shd they serve non-halal meat and chicken.

“they also took away all the ayat Qur’an, but I can’t figure out what the offence is – ayat Qur’an dibuat oleh JAWI??? Maybe they allege this is not a genuine Halal Muslim place, so they have no right to display ayat Qur’an?

“At the corner restaurant where my friend’s niece ( the writer of the original email)  was eating, they inspected the place, checked the meat to see if its halal, took pictures,  took the halal certificate, and questioned why they have pictures of Hindu gods and candle on the mantlepiece behind the cashier when they serve Muslim customers. The guy said he told the JAKIM people the meat served is halal and showed him their halal cert from the supplier. Two other restaurants were closed.

“These seem to be neighbourhood hangouts and people of all races were there when I stopped by at 3 pm. If indeed they were doing the rounds to check on halal certification, why the heavy handed approach and comments and actions on display of religious symbols. (oh Ganesh was still very much there today on the wall, but the ayat Qur’an remains missing in the other place)

“My niece’s friend said it was very intimidating to have 10 officials walking around, taking pictures, asking questions, picking up food… and in these days of Lina Joy, Revathi, Subashini, Sharmala, it all points out to the same motive. How come everytime women complain about husbands not paying nafkah, or not appearing in court,  the courts keep saying they do not have enough enforcement officers to serve summons on errant husbands/fathers, but plenty of enforcement officers to go on khalwat and halal raids…”

This morning before coming to Parliament, together with DAP MPs Chong Eng (Bukit Mertajam) and Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah) and DAP Selangor state secretary Lau Weng San, I visited these two  Lorong Maarof restaurants, and verified the complaints and the facts that had been given in the two emails as true and accurate.

At the corner Indian restaurant, the JAWI-led raid team took away the “halal” sign and served a notice of its infringements, which I have yet to have sight as the owner was not in.

I understand that this is not an isolated case but such raids and offensive and insensitive remarks about the display of Hindu religious symbols in Indian restaurants had taken place in other parts of Kuala Lumpur.

The Prime Minister should cause an immediate investigation into the JAWI-led raids in utter disregard of the rights and sensitivities of non-Muslim Malaysian businesses and to suspend the errant officers from JAWI and other agencies like JAKIM.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 June 2007, 4:26 pm and is filed under
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PM – slash frequent overseas trips unless he can do justice as Internal Security and Finance Minister

In a written answer to the DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan yesterday, the Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar revealed that in his 3 years 8 months as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had made 83 official visits overseas (including his most recent visits to Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy)  —

2004 –  22

2005 –  25

2006 –  20

2007 –  16

One message from the answer is that Abdullah has not only three portfolios of Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister, he has a fourth portfolio as the traveling  de facto Foreign Minister.

Malaysians do not begrudge Abdullah making overseas visits but it must not at the expense of neglecting his duties as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister and in particular his 2004 general election pledge to head a clean, incorruptible, efficient, just, democratic, people-oriented administration prepared to hear the truth from the rakyat.

Abdullah should revamp his time-management to ensure that his frequent trips abroad does not result in his neglecting his duties as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister as there are more and more disturbing evidence of this happening, viz:

	The most important agenda of the Abdullah administration to wipe out corruption fizzling out, highlighted by the ignominous dismissal of the Eric Chia corruption case without defence being called because of the failure of the prosecution to establish a prima facie case but also by the relentless drop  of Malaysia’s ranking in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index from 37th to 44th placing from 2003 to 2006 and which is likely to plunge further this year;

	The failure to launch a new public service delivery system which is efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable — an important pillar in enhancing Malaysia’s international competitiveness.

	“First-World Infrastructure, Third-World Mentality” being replaced by “Third-World Infrastructure, Fourth-class Mentality, Ninth-rate Maintenance”  instead of “First-World Infrastructure, First-World Mentality” — illustrated by the latest mishap at the RM290 million world’s second largest court complex in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, the sagging ceiling at the Commercial Division High Court.

	The worst parliamentary answer given in the name of the Prime Minister in the 50-year history of the nation where the second half of the question on the implementation of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission and in particular the IPCMC proposal was completely ignored. Overall, the Prime Minister has not set the best  example to all Cabinet Ministers in giving proper respect and recognition to Parliament as the highest legislative chamber in the land  on Ministerial responsibility  and accountability.

	Malaysians feeling even more unsafe in the streets, public places and even in the privacy of their homes with rampant crime and lawlessness as compared to before Abdullah’s premiership.

	The failure of the Prime Minister to meet even once with the MTUC leaders in 44 months despite repeated MTUC requests.

Such a list of failures of the Abdullah premiership from the hopes and expectations that he had raised when he became Prime Minister and which was responsible for the unprecedented Barisan Nasional  landslide 2004 general election victory winning over 91 per cent of the parliamentary seats will be quite a long one.

It will include setbacks to nation-building process arising from worsening religious polarization because of the lack of political will and leadership to restore inter-religious dialogue as in the first three decades of nationhood particularly under the premiership of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn.

Abdullah should seriously consider cutting down his overseas trips until he has done justice to his responsibilities as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister —  especially when the country urgently needs  a Minister who is fully hands-on 24 hours a day on the important and critical portfolios of  Internal Security and  Finance.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 June 2007, 12:01 pm and is filed under
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Cabinet Committee on Integrity – what is it doing to turn back tide of corruption in Malaysia?

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is both right and wrong when he said that it is unfair to say the government is not serious in fighting corruption simply because Tan Sri Eric Chia has been acquitted.

He said yesterday that one should not judge the government’s earnestness in fighting graft based on a single case such as that of the former managing director of  Perwaja Steel Sdn. Bhd who was acquitted of criminal breach of trust charges involving RM76.4 million on Tuesday.

Najib is right that normally the government record whether in its battle against corruption or any other policy matter should not be judged on the basis of one case, except that the Eric Chia corruption trial bulked large as it  was hailed as the most high-profile evidence of the Abdullah administration’s resolve to launch a crackdown on corruption.

As  the most high-profile anti-corruption case that had been thrown out of court, especially after the failure to nab the 18 “big fishes” which the Abdullah administration had earlier promised to arrest and prosecute for corruption, Najib should realise that the Eric Chia case has assumed the epic proportion of the  test case of the Abdullah premiership to “walk the talk” to fight corruption.

The  circumstances of Eric Chia’s acquittal — where the defence was not called because the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case — was a most ignominous reflection on the government’s will to fight corruption as well as the professionalism of the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Gani Patial and his prosecutors.

As the Attorney-General is appealing against Eria Chia’s acquittal, Malaysians will have to suspend judgment until outcome of the appeal.

However, Najib and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  should realize why the government’s anti-corruption campaign is so intimately tied to  the outcome of the Eric Chia case — as there has been no other higher profile case in the past 44 months.

In the last general election, the overwhelming majority of Malaysians believed that Abdullah is a new broom to sweep out corruption in Malaysia.

Today, in a matter of three years, the overwhelming majority of Malaysians are disenchanted that Abdullah had failed them, as there is not only no seriousness to honour the  election pledge to wipe out corruption, the corruption situation had worsened with  Malaysia dropping  a further seven points from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 44 in the Transparency International (TI)  Corruption Perception Index (CPI), with all signs pointing to the country heading further south in the TI CPI 2007 towards  the No. 50th ranking  — ironically in conjunction with Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations.

Abdullah and Najib should stop  denying the undeniable — that Malaysia has gone  further  down the slippery slope of corruption in the past 44 months despite all the rhetoric of fighting corruption and promoting national integrity.

Hopefully the impasse and disarray of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity following the public resignation of Tan Sri Bernard Dompok as Chairman could be resolved before the end of the  current parliamentary meeting  on July  10.

There is a Cabinet Committee on Integrity headed by the Prime Minister. What is this Cabinet Committee on Integrity doing to turn back the tide of corruption in Malaysia, with so many questions about national integrity unresolved and  unanswered — whether the outcome of investigations into serious corruption allegations against the former  Anti-Corruption Agency director-general,  the Deputy Internal Security Minister or the Inspector-General of Police?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 29 June 2007, 7:56 pm and is filed under
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NEP not a global-friendly policy

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

THE NEP IS NOT GLOBAL FRIENDLY AND HAS CAUSED FOREIGN INVESTORS TO AVOID MALAYSIA AS A PLACE FOR INVESTMENT

The NEP has been under attack by many foreign investors the latest critic was Thierry Rommel, a top envoy from the European Union, who commented that trade relations with Malaysia has been hampered by its policy of bumiputraism which is racial and not acceptable by global standards.

What Rommel said was embodied in a 34 page European Commission report titled Malaysia-European Community Strategy Paper for the Period 2007-2013 which stated “Crucial policies are an open stance towards FDI, not least in the services sector which needs to be opened up; human capital development , innovation and research capabilities; more competition and less interference of government-enforced Bumiputra–related concerns in the functioning of markets.”

It is not only the European Union that is critical. The US Department of State also stated “one source of impediments to Malaysia’s economic growth is its complex network of racial preferences to promote the acquisition of economic assets by ethnic Malays (bumiputra). The public aim of these programs is to encourage a more even distribution of wealth among races. despite th stated goal of poverty alleviation, these raced based policies.. in practice wealthy and well-connected bumiputera receive the lion’s share of the benefits.  The resulting economic distortions in the property, labor and stock markets inhibit growth and deter both foreign and domestic investment.”

The world opinion of NEP is negative and is shown by statistics of  FDI inflows into Malaysia and other countries.

UNCTAD figures show that FDI  into Malaysia have been low for many years. In 2006 FDI to Malaysia was US$3.5 billion, by comparison Singapore US$30 billlion, China US$ 75 billion. The figures from UNCTAD indicate foreign investors do not have Malaysia on its radar.

UNCTAD ranked Malaysia as the 6th largest destination for FDI in 1995; based on final 2005 figures, Malaysia now ranks 62nd.

All these go to show that the NEP is not a global friendly policy. The trading countries of the world, most importantly USA and European Union have said so in clear distinct terms.

Malaysia should welcome the criticisms of friendly world countries, and take measures to correct its policy of NEP and bumiputraism.

If the NEP is stubbornly implemented, then the DAP hereby warns that the Malaysian economy would be affected severely, as in the case of the Proton car saga which did not follow a global strategy, and is now in deep soup, and is seeking  foreign car manufacturers to rescue it.

Back in Malaysia, there is widespread opposition to the NEP.  Within  the country the NEP which was launched in 1970 has been extended  although the 30 per cent target in corporate equity was achieved many years ago, it is allowed to continue. Opposition parties and Keadilan are opposed to the NEP and propose that for the poor a new form of affirmative policy could be implemented which would benefit poor Malaysians of all races.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 29 June 2007, 7:44 pm and is filed under
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Take leaf from new British PM – Pak Lah should  relinquish Internal Security and Finance Ministries

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should take a leaf from the new British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
and not hog the ministries of Internal Security and Finance but appoint Ministers who can provide  full-time hands-on leadership to  these two important portfolios.

Abdullah should give serious consideration to this proposal as in his  83 overseas trips in his 44 months as Prime Minister, five of them were to the United Kingdom.

On replacing Tony Blair as Prime Minister, Brown relinquished his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer to Alistair Darling who was moved from the Trade and Industry Ministry while appointing the first female Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith.

In contrast, Abdullah is hanging on as Minister for both portfolios although the past 44 months have proved beyond a shadow of doubt that he has neither  the time nor temperament to be a full-time hands-on Minster for either Ministry.

What are the reasons for the  Prime Minister to head another Ministry?

It must be  to stamp his personal authority on the Ministry whether policies, programmes or personnel.  As Abdullah is clearly incapable of doing this, whether in Internal Security or Finance, for the simple reason that he is unable to spare the time and attention, is it then the alternative explanation that he could not trust anyone else  to head the two  Ministries  which he regards as either too influential or sensitive?

Whatever the reason, Abdullah should realize that after more than three years it is clear that his trebling up as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister is not working out, especially with the country facing the worst crisis of security with rampant crime and lawlessess making  Malaysians feeling most unsafe in the streets, public places and the privacy of their homes.

Who is now exercising political authority and responsibility over the police, not in terms of theory but in actual operational terms?  The answer is nobody!

Abdullah had been Home Minister since January 1999 after the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad relinquished the portfolio with direct responsibility over the police  following national and international outcry and outrage over the Anwar Ibrahim “black eye” scandal.

Abdullah was stamping his personal  authority as Home Minister after he became Prime Minister in 2003 when he announced the establishment of the Royal Police Commission to create a world-class police service.

He would have left a great legacy to the country and future generations by establishing  the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the most important of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission and which Abdullah had publicly committed himself to implementing.

However, Abdullah backed down in the face of police opposition and revolt, to the extent that the subject of IPCMC is being avoided altogether in Parliament.

Worse still, Ministerial, Cabinet and Parliamentary  responsibility over the Police in the past two years suffered such grave and unprecedented damage to the extent that political authority over the police never seemed to have been so broken down now as compared to  any  other period in  the nation’s history — which is illustrated by the open warfare between the police and the Internal Security Deputy Minister, Datuk Johari Baharum, the de facto “Police Minister”.

It is time that the Prime Minister put his Cabinet “house” in order — starting by relinquishing his two positions as Internal Security and Finance Minister.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 29 June 2007, 8:23 pm and is filed under
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British English vs Malaysian English

(For a laugh. Thanks Huang for forwarding the following email:)

Who says our English is teruk.?    Just see below –

Ours is simple, short, concise, straight-to-point, effective etc:

WHEN GIVING A CUSTOMER BAD NEWS

Britons: I’m sorry, Sir, but we don’t seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.

Malaysians: No Stock.

RETURNING A CALL

Britons: Hello, this is John Smith. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago?

Malaysians: Hello, who page?

ASKING SOMEONE TO MAKE WAY

Britons: Excuse me, I’d like to get by. Would you please make way?

Malaysians: S-kew me

WHEN SOMEONE OFFERS TO PAY

Britons: Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me.

Malaysians:No-need, lah.

WHEN ASKING FOR PERMISSION

Britons: Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door?

Malaysians: (pointing the door) can ar?

WHEN ENTERTAINING

Britons: Please make yourself right at home.

Malaysians: Don’t be shy, lah!

WHEN DOUBTING SOMEONE

Britons: I don’t recall you giving me the money.

Malaysians: Where got?

WHEN DECLINING AN OFFER

Britons: I’d prefer not to do that, if you don’t mind.

Malaysians: Don’t want la…

IN DISAGREEING ON A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

Britons: Err. Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand where you’re coming from, but I really have to disagree with what you said about the issue.

Malaysians: You mad, ah?

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE TO LOWER THEIR VOICE

Britons: Excuse me, but could you please lower your voice, I’m trying to  concentrate over here.

Malaysians: Shut up lah!

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE IF HE/SHE KNOWS YOU

Britons: Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for some time.. Do I know you?

Malaysians: See what, see what?

WHEN ASSESSING A TIGHT SITUATION

Britons: We seem to be in a bit of a predicament at the moment.

Malaysians: Die-lah!!

WHEN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED

Britons: Will someone tell me what has just happened?

Malaysians: Wat happen Why like that….

WHEN SOME ONE DID SOMETHING WRONG

Britons: This isn’t the way to do it, here let me show you,

Malaysians: like that also don’t know how to do!!!!

WHEN ONE IS ANGRY

Britons: Would you mind not disturbing me

Malaysians: Celaka u

IN PARLIAMENT, THE QUESTION ON “BOCOR”

Briton: Where is the leak?   I shall ask the Works Minister to look into it.

Malaysian:  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID question.  Where got  “bocor”   ?

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 30 June 2007, 10:10 pm and is filed under
General
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NEP – about time the government wakes up

AY forwards an incisive critique of the NEP in the wake of the ruckus over EC Ambassador to Malaysia, Thierry Rommel’s public spat on NEP (reproduced below)  ending with this very perceptive observation:

“I tell my clients that in Singapore, everything from education to jobs to business and government contracts, we have to compete with the rest of the world. In Malaysia, the Malay only needs to be better than other Malays.”

I refer to the
malaysiakini report
EU envoy summoned to explain NEP criticism. After reading the comments made by the European Commission’s top envoy to Malaysia, I cannot help but put my two cents worth into the fray.

I have worked and lived in Malaysia and am well accustomed to its social fabric and political system. As a foreigner, I have a better understanding than Westerners on this issue because I speak Bahasa Malaysia and have been exposed to Malay culture and traditions from young.  Still, I am perplexed by the NEP and its predictable ills especially coming from an environment where meritocracy is, to a small extent, worshiped.

Essentially, all societies are unequal in some form or other but few in the developing world would attempt to make more equal by legislating a heavy-handed unequal-ness. This is what Malaysia has done. The extreme of this ideology has to be Mugabe’s confiscation of white-owned farm lands in Zimbabwe.

To me and others who swear by free competition, the NEP is flawed from its conception in 1970.  What baffles me is that the Malay political elite remains adamant that a redistribution of wealth via such means is the one and only solution.

In my dealings with the Malaysian government, I have learnt that there is a feeling of ‘entitlement’ among Malays that makes for a curious insight.

Their behaviour can be as patronising and feudal as kings of old who place themselves above all others on a misguided notion that they were born into the  ‘right group’.

All throughout history, when a group of people are content with the status quo, it is only because they are its prime beneficiaries!  To the point that even when they see injustice in the system, they are unlikely to get rid of it.

And believe me, education does not change a thing.  Human nature is such that when one enjoys unfair advantages – be it through the NEP, farm subsidies from the EU or simply having wealthy parents – one is somehow driven to rationalise these advantages as deserving and good.

Malaysia is now experiencing its second generation of NEP legislation and this is where grave danger lies, for it will, if not already, be deeply entrenched in the psyche of the Malay.  Far from being more even-handed in its application, the young educated Malays will hijack the NEP. There is already much rhetoric coming from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s own son-in-law towards this end.

Efforts by the present government to weed out corruption (smokescreen or otherwise) will be seen in some quarters as depriving new Malays from benefits their parents enjoyed. The late Peter Drucker once famously said, “It is foolish to expect change from those who have benefitted from the old order”.

This development, nay, stubborn continuation of a poorly-conceived set of laws, does not auger well for Malaysia among its non-Malay citizens. And although they have put up with it, foreigners and foreign capital do not always have to. The moment profits are not good enough and the NEP erodes margins, they will pack and go. Thus, the government now finds itself in a quagmire – expectations from both sides are beginning to exceed the ability to deliver.

While there is strong political will to maintain the NEP, the system itself is headed for collapse in the foreseeable future.  Fast-forward 30 to 40 years and you will arrive at the same disturbing scenario as a few socialistic European governments of today – overblooated and inefficient civil service, pension schemes defaulting, government subsidies propping up unsustainable businesses, high unemployment from lack of new jobs, healthcare crises, etc, etc.

The lesson here is a simple one. When you do not allow the best and brightest to rise or lead, then you degrade society as a whole.

My assessment of this issue is that the Malay-educated is obsessed with getting a bigger slice of the domestic pie that this outlook seems insular and resentful. His perception of the NEP is nothing short of ridiculous – a sense of righteousnness amidst misplaced ideology, borne out of fear and resentment towards others who seem better off economically. It lies somewhere along the lines of, ‘If the Chinese and Indians are unhappy with it, they can leave Malaysia’.

And this belies one of the tragedies of Malaysian society – it is never short of able and bright minds, but ethnic suspicions make all Malaysians under-perform as a collective. Perhaps the NEP should be phased out to blur the lines of ethnicity in the country, albeit gradually to lessen the shock impact.

And my conclusion is that as long as the NEP remains in its present form, the Malay-educated can never rise fully. At best, they become ‘big fish swimming in small ponds’ and will never be able to compete at an international level. Hence, I will not be surprised if Malaysia’s economic pie vis-a-vis the rest of the world’s grows insignificantly. After all, fish in ponds will drown in the ocean.

I use a business pitch when differentiating from Malaysian firms and companies. I tell my clients that in Singapore, everything from education to jobs to business and government contracts, we have to compete with the rest of the world. In Malaysia, the Malay only needs to be better than other Malays.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 30 June 2007, 1:33 pm and is filed under
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Pak Lah “I am no sleeping PM” – walk the talk!

“I am no sleeping PM”
–  this is the newspaper headline of Nanyang Siang Pau reporting on the speech by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when
opening the  Perak Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s trade exposition in conjunction with its centennial anniversary in Ipoh
yesterday. This is  also the headline used by China Press.

I am glad that Abdullah has brought this issue out into the open from the closet  as neither the Prime Minister’s public image nor the national interest is being served or furthered by pretending that such increasing  talk does not exist.

In fact, Abdullah should  seriously find out why more and more people, including  in government, the ruling coalition  and the public, are talking in this vein about “a sleeping PM” when it was never said against the four previous Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein Onn and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in the first 46 years of Malaysian nationhood.

One could disagree with the first four Prime Ministers, whether on government policies, measures or specific issues, but no one would attribute it to lack of focus, attention or interest  by the Prime Minister.

Unfortunately, under Abdullah’s premiership, more and more people are putting  the blame for many of the ills in government and country on “a sleeping PM”, which has not been helped by several factors, including:

	Abdullah’s trebling up as Minister for Internal Security and Minister for Finance when it is clear that he does not have the time nor temperament to be a full-time hands-on head for either Ministry;

	His 83 overseas trips in 44 months as Prime Minister;

	His “gate-keepers” at the “fourth-storey” in Putrajaya who have made the very personable Abdullah even more inaccessible to those who want to meet him when compared to  his predecessor Tun Dr. Mahathir, who had the public image of being arrogant and haughty.

I have for instance stopped asking for an appointment  with the Prime Minister after meeting him twice after the 2004 general election where he would invariably end each meeting with the polite standing offer to call on  him whenever necessary.  This was after my several requests to meet up with him were blocked by his “gatekeepers”.

I do not think Abdullah is aware  as to who are asking to see him.  In fact, I do not think Abdullah even reads or is informed of the gist of official letters written to him, for instance, my letter registering  “strongest protest possible” to him on Tuesday at the most unsatisfactory reply to a parliamentary question in Malaysian parliamentary history which totally evaded the specific query posed — and the reply was in the name of the Prime Minister.

The second part of my question asking for a status report on the implementation of the  Royal Police Commission’s 125 recommendations to reform the police into a world-class professional service, and in particular on the key proposal for the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) was totally ignored.

I do not think Abdullah has seen my “strongest possible protest” letter which  had also asked for the missing answer to be furnished.

In contrast, I never had doubts that when I wrote a letter to Tun Dr. Mahathir when he was Prime Minister, it would be seen by him.  There was one occasion when I wrote to Mahathir  protesting against his  public criticism of the DAP for not  speaking up against the atrocities and genocide committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, telling him why it  was baseless and untrue as he was victim of the media blackout of DAP. I immediately received a terse one-paragraph apology from Mahathir!

Although I am Parliamentary Opposition Leader, I do not want talk that the country has a “sleeping PM” to continue, as this is not good whether for the people or the country internationally.

This is why I had proposed that Abdullah should take a leaf from the new British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
and should relinquish the ministries of Internal Security and Finance and appoint Ministers who can provide full-time hands-on leadership to these two important portfolios.

Secondly, he must re-assert authority as Prime Minister and ensure that he is in control of the “gate-keepers” in the “fourth storey of Putrajaya” and not being controlled by his gatekeepers.

Abdullah must not just say that he is not “a sleeping PM” but  must “walk the talk” that he is no “sleeping PM”.  For a start, he must  “walk the talk” to deliver his 2004 general election reform pledge and agenda to fight corruption, launch a new efficient public service delivery system and  enhance international competitiveness by giving the highest premium  to the best talents in Malaysia and meritocracy, especially in education.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 30 June 2007, 11:52 am and is filed under
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Animal Farm our Parliament has become?

Azly Rahman

http://www.azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/

Bodoh. Bodoh. Bodoh. Bangang. Bengap. Bahlul. Bengap. Biol. Bebal. Binatang. Berok. Baghal. Baboon. Bocor. Booooooo! Bodoh. Bodoh. Bodoh.

These are some of the recurring B-words that have become the common nouns, adjectives, and adverb lacing our parliamentary debates. Like the chorus of clanking machines in W.S. Rendra’s play “Perjuangan Suku Naga”

It’s like Bronx gangsta rappers trying to rhyme the vulgar “B____” and “N_____” words to sell their albums and their degenerative ideology.

Don’t we have any shame being representatives of the people who are supposed to not waste time spewing vulgarities and linguistic diarrhea in a house that is supposed to urgently and efficiently solve the problems of the poor, needy, the marginalized, and the dispossessed?

How much time gets wasted in parliamentary debates that thrive on cajouling and the hurling of abuses? Why do we still have rude, vulgar, and diplomatically incompetent “elected representatives” still sitting in those debates, representing the rakyat?

Is this the picture of progressive thinking we have developed as a political culture — 50 years after Merdeka?

Shame. Shame. Shame!

Politics of desperation

We teach children in schools, universities, and educational institutions how to debate respectfully and rationally but in the Parliament that is supposed to be a congress and congregation of highly intelligent and politically productive adults, we see the culture of George Orwell’s animal farm reigning.

We hear adults screaming at each other, interrupting each other violently, rational voices drowned in the cacophony of political thuggery. Perception and reality is now one. The culture of Ijok and of the parliament is now all the same. The line between perception and reality is destroyed.

What are we adults teaching our youth and the children of our next generation? Is this the coming of age of our politics of desperation in which anger rules as a result of the total eclipse of reason?

We wrongly call brutish politicians “Yang Berhormat”. They should be called “Yang Tidak Patut di Hormati”.

We cannot immediately change the culture of unreasoned and brutish parliamentary debates. We paid the price for voting those species of parliamentarians into power. This is the disease that this nation has contracted since feudal times; from the brutishness of those who ruled since the times of Srivijaya and Majapahit to the modern times of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

It will probably take a hundred years for this culture of intelligence amongst parliamentarians to evolve. It seems that to teach these people the art of listening while others are talking seem impossible.

Why are these rude parliamentarians called “Yang Berhormat’ when they do not even have the necessary intelligence to carry out reasoned and data-driven arguments and when they have not earned the respect of the people?

We must evolve culturally.

Culture of shouting

Our culture of parliamentary debate has the great potential to evolve from a ‘circus’ and a Balinese cock fighting and keris-wielding arena to a problem-solving forum, if and when we begin to elect more intelligent, rational, and meaningfully articulate politicians to represent our constituencies.

Our society is becoming more intelligent and our imitation of models of development has become more sophisticated, but some of our parliamentarians need to learn how to speak in public and how to talk sense based on a data-driven style of argumentation.

Must we continue to live with news reports concerning parliamentary debates that have representatives call each other “bodoh”, “berok”, “baboon”, “binatang” and other less than human designation, instead of calling upon facts and scientific reasoning to back up national issues that need to be resolved?

Must we tolerate a culture of shouting and yelling and cajoling in sessions that are supposed to be used to deliberate and mediate our most urgent and serious issues involving the social, economic, and political fate of millions of citizens who voted for those into power?

Must we let the culture permeate into our universities, schools, social and cultural institutions, and homes in which this brand of feudalism and ignorance and brute force rule in a half-baked democracy?

Why have parliamentarians who present well-researched issues in the most civil manner been shouted at and interrupted perpetually by those who cannot mount anything substantial other than foul language and a chorus of gangsterish rowdiness?

Why are we still seeing this culture at the time when our parliamentarians are becoming more and more educated either locally or abroad?

What kind of parliamentarians gets voted into power and do those with brutish public speaking skills really represent their constituencies? Or are they now becoming an embarrassment to their electorate and an insult to its intelligence?

I think this name-calling sessions that waste public money and glorify brute and arrogant ways of presenting opinion need to be ended.

But how? What must we do? Where do we begin?

Ponder these questions

Be a smarter voter

Rude parliamentarians with substandard intelligence need not be respected. They need to be voted out in the next election, so that the “general will” of the people can proceed with maturity, leaving these mentally decaying parliamentarians behind.

Rude supporters of rude parliamentarians need not be respected en masse either. They will merely continue the intellectual destruction we the Malaysian people are trying to create as culture and as a legacy for our children who are becoming more and more intelligent and idealistic than the generation of rotting parliamentarians who get voted through unethical means.

How might we recognise a Cicero, a Sheikh Kadir Jelani, a Gandhi, a Patrick Henry, a Sun Yat Sen, a Ho Chi Minh, a Che Guevara, a Sukarno, a Vaclav Havel, a John F Kennedy amongst us – leaders who can articulate sense with the power of reason and social imagination?

Here are some questions for us:

* Do our parliamentarians read philosophy?

* Can they reason scientifically?

* Can they think holistically?

* Can they understand the complexities of arguments?

* Can they gracefully link one idea to another and understand the deeper meaning of the themes?

* Can they argue beyond the prison-house of “race and ethnicity” and bring arguments to a different and more sophisticated level?

* Can they analyse past, present, and future systems of oppression?

* Can they recognise ethics in decision-making and move beyond partisan politics?

* Can they articulate what a utopia of a truly multicultural and ethical nation is, based on the power of scientific rationality, transcultural ethical system, and social justice that evolve out of the respect for the human intellect and the freedom to think without being punished for speaking up?

* Do they read much at all to develop the power of their intellect that will be manifested through their powerful oratory skills?

* Do they know how to mediate instead of merely aggravate?

A hundred years is not too long for us to have our parliament evolve into a respectable and ‘world-class’ institution. We must begin to look at what concepts and skills we need in order to educate the younger generation with. We also need to explore what politics mean and what species of politicians we must create.

The first step

The first step is to recognise the symptoms of a corrupt political system — how much is spent to put a leader into power.

The higher the office, the more the money is needed, seem to be the political wisdom of the day. Therefore, we now see the total enculturalisation of corruption — from the promotion system in our universities to the presenting of politically-charged ‘ang pau’ and ‘duit hari raya’ to children.

The postmodern system dictates that billions of ringgit is needed to prepare for the next general election. The network of political-economic control is getting more sophisticated and the system of manipulation of human consciousness is getting more glitzy and savvy.

The wealth of our resource-rich nation is used to maintain political hegemony. The ideological state apparatus is used to shut up citizens who speak up against various forms of injustices.

Political hegemony translates into the control of the educational institutions, so that we may reproduce the brand of arrogance and ignorance desired.

Our public universities are being used to shut people up more stylistically and sophisticatedly, using better language of mental domination, using more totalitarian system of educating, utilising authoritarian methods of teaching.

What the must we do? You and I must decide fast. Our elected representatives have even lost the ability to speak politely in public.

But essentially — we are all at fault.

As the Indonesian poet Sutardji Calzoum  Bachri would say: “Kalian… pun”. (You… as well)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 July 2007, 1:29 pm and is filed under
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JB crime under control? – speak up at public hearing of Parliamentary Human Rights Caucus in JB on Sunday

The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s claim yesterday that the crime situation in Johor was under control as figures indicated the crime rate had declined by four per cent is most  premature and unconvincing.

The police must not be satisfied  with any improvement of the crime situation until the people in Johor Baru can feel safe in the streets, public places and privacy of their homes and be assured that they are  free from crime and the fear of crime.

The people most qualified to pass judgment as to whether  the crime situation in JB is “under control” are the people in  the Johor capital and not the police, and such a situation must be felt by the people in JB and not  artificially generated by media spins or  newspaper headlines like
“IGP says situation in Johor under control”
(New Sunday Times 1.7.07)
 or
“JB FOLK FEELING SAFER NOW”

(NST front-page headline 30.6.07)
.

True, the people in JB do feel safer with the greater visibility of policemen and patrol cars in the streets these few days. But they do not want to just feel safer before the spate of brutal and horrendous crimes of abduction-robbery-gang rape in the past two months, with victims from all races, but to be fully restored their most important human rights — to be free from crime and the fear of crime, whether in the streets, public places or privacy of their homes.

The Police was in denial just two weeks ago when faced with the outrage in JB and the nation at the rampant crime and lawlessness in the Johor capital, and they will be seen to be still in denial if they claim that the crime situation is under control when the people have yet to feel so.

The Police have commendably taken the first step to come out of the denial and to regain control of the crime situation in JB, but it can only be meaningful and effective if it is part of a long-term strategy to wipe out JB’s notoriety as the capital of crime in the country and not seen as a short-term “PR exercise” to deal with the current national outcry over police failure to control and reduce crime.

The
public hearing
of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Johor Baru on Sunday, 8th July 2007 at 2.30 pm. ( venue to be announced tomorrow) will provide an excellent forum for the people of JB and Johor to express their views on the crime situation as well as whether they are satisfied with the police measures taken so far to control and reduce crime.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 July 2007, 11:10 am and is filed under
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