Bukit Gantang carnage – Kong Choy pointing finger of blame at everybody except himself

Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy is pointing the finger of blame at everybody for the latest Bukit Gantang road carnage which killed 20 and injured nine except himself — when such horror road fatalities are not supposed to happen after the Kuala Lipis bus crash which claimed 14 lives and injured 26 people 45 months ago.

The Kuala Lipis road carnage happened in the first month of the premiership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on 31st November 2003 and was the cause of a national hue-and-cry starting from the Prime Minister who demanded action by Chan to ensure that such tragedies do not recur.

Since then, there had not only been the  road carnage at Km229 of the North-South Expressway near Bukit Gantang on Monday, but also the Nibong Tebal bus crash  in July last year which left 11 dead and 35 injured among those on their way to the St. Anne’s Feast in Bukit Mertajam.

During the nation-wide hullabaloo led by the Transport Minister over the Kuala Lipis road carnage 45 months ago, I had warned the Prime Minister that his administration must  learn  from the expensive lessons of the past as to why the country had failed to end the road carnage on Malaysian roads which had wrought such great emotional and socio-economic havoc in terms of loss of  human lives and economic costs to the community  for the past 13 years.

I had expressed fears that “the latest bout  of high-profile government and public concern about the high traffic accident rate and  fatalities would not be another short-lived but quickly-forgotten “wonder” as had happened many times since 1990.

After the gruesome Karak Highway accident in 1990 which killed 17 people, a Cabinet Committee on Road Safety was formed with the specific  target of reducing road fatalities by 30 per cent by the year 2000 based on 1989 figures.

However, the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety not only failed to meet its target of reducing road fatalities by 30 per cent by 2000 based on 1989 figures, the number of road fatalities sharply increased year after year and at  one stage, reached  67 per cent higher than the 1989 fatalities instead of cutting it down by 30 per cent!

In 1989, the number of road fatalities stood at an all-time high of 3,773. If the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety had been on target, road fatalities would have progressively fallen until it was  fully reduced to 30 per cent of the figure, or not more than 2,641 deaths, by 2,000. Instead, road fatalities increased by  leaps and bounds in the 13 years since the establishment of the Cabinet Committee on  Road Safety to cut down the death fatalities, registering 6,304 fatalities for 1996.

The total number of traffic fatalities since the establishment of the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities in the 13 years from 1990 to 2002 was a most  shocking toll of 70,749 human lives, while the number of injured totalled 537,689.

It is clear that among the root causes for the failure of the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and the ever-worsening road carnage from 1990 to 2002  resulting in 70,000 avoidable deaths, over half a million  injured and over RM70 billion economic losses  to the country  in the past 13 years were  the  double lack of political will and Ministerial accountability to end the avoidable road carnage on the roads.

There has been no change of this shocking scenario under the premiership of Abdullah — the abysmal double lack of political will and Ministerial accountability to end the avoidable road carnage on the roads.

This is why last year alone, there were 6,400 fatalities and about 300,000 accidents.

Since the Bukit Gantang carnage on Monday, the Transport Minister had been pointing the finger of  blame at everybody except himself and the top government officials concerned.

At first, the public were told that the bus driver had two warrants of arrest against him and 13 outstanding summonses and that the bus company didn’t have a permit to ply the Johor Baru-Alor Star route.  Then it was reported that the driver had “flouted almost every traffic  rule” with checks revealing that the traffic summons issued to him could be more, with at least  39 other  summons issued to three vehicles driven by him.

After the Kuala Lipis tragedy of Nov. 30, 2003, the Nibong Tebal and Bukit Gantang road carnages are not supposed to take place, if preventive measures outlined 45 months ago had been taken seriously by all relevant parties concerned, including by the Transport Minister regularly checking on the implementation of these measures.

There is no shortage of solutions to end the road carnage, only shortage of political will and accountability to enforce them.

A public inquiry must be held into the Bukit Gantang road carnage to inquire why the lessons from the Kuala Lipis bus crash which claimed 14 lives 45 months ago had not been learnt and for a public accounting of the authorities and individuals who must bear responsibility.

At present, Chan  is  pointing finger of blame at everyone except himself and the top public officials responsible for road safety — when everybody knows that he has lost all credibility, authority and legitimacy for this role for his Ministerial failings in the past 45 months.

He has made a shocking announcement of a new ruling after the Bukit Gantang carnage — the grounding of the entire fleet of buses when there is one fatal accident.

Is this a feasible and realistic solution or just a knee-jerk reaction, or worse, a proposal which is so outrageous that there would be another nation-wide uproar which would completely distract public attention from the responsibility and accountability of the Transport Minister and the top government officials for the continuing road carnage?

If one fatal accident and the entire fleet of buses will be grounded, is Chan  prepared to also accept that one major road carnage like the Bukit Gantang tragedy and the Transport Minister submits his resignation?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 16 August 2007, 9:06 am and is filed under
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Scarf Issue in IIUM

An email from G on the perennial problem of dress code for non-Muslim graduates for the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) convocation:

With reference to the above subject matter, I would like to direct your attention to the following url:

http://www.iiu.edu.my/convo/dress30.php

  *particularly on the “Notes”.

  Ms Fong (Po Kuan) and DAP had fight fiercelessly for non-Muslim females’ rights in IIUM, which resulted to the change of dress code from compulsory wearing of tudung to optional (even though we still need to wear a small bandana). However, this changes does not seem to take effect on the dress code on non-muslim female during the Convocation, as pointed out bluntly in the abovementioned website.

  I believe, convocation ceromony is one of the “proudest” moment for every parent. However, for a non-Muslim parent to witness this precious moment while their child is wearing a tudung with a string hint of alien religion, is upsetting and embarassing. So, should they absent from the ceromony as how the University suggest? Or, put down their pride to cheer for the child?

  We were brought up in a belief that (at least I worship this), a must for convocation is the “Cap”. Perhaps for a Muslim, wearing a tudung with a funny looking band over it is proud. but for non-Muslim, the Cap is almost everything. To wear it when receiving the roll, throw it to the air after completion of convocation, take family photo wearing the Cap, hanging it in the living room..the Cap signifies a huge and respective

moment!

  During our 49th Convocation, a top student refused to attend the convocation simply because she opposed strongly for the wearing of tudung. The consequences were for her to give up the some awards. This year, the student who is a named and expected Best Student Award recipient refused to attend the ceromony for the same reason.

  I see no reason why IIUM decided to ban the wearing of Cap. UKM and UM have it…and they have Muslim students, too! I also find no Quranic verses which opposed to the usage of such Cap to support the same. Hence, this is most probably another ridiculous regulation of the authority.

  I sincerely wish that you may look into the issue as soon as possible, seeing that no other Party in our nation is as vocal as DAP. My convocation is on 26th August. Any changes may not be implemented on my batch, but I do hope that my fellow juniors would have a taste of wearing the Cap on their convocation!

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 16 August 2007, 4:06 pm and is filed under
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China formula for transformation to a world economic power — Can Malaysia emulate?

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

In 1977 when China launched the four modernisations in industry, agriculture, science and technology and military defence by Deng Xiao Peng, China’s GDP  (gross domestic product) was only US$253 per person.

In 2006 the GDP per person had risen to about US$2000.

China is now a world economic giant in fourth position after USA, Japan and Germany.

In 2004, the gross domestic product of China was estimated to be US$2 trillion as compared to US$12.5 trillion for USA.

In 2006, its foreign currency reserves was US$1 trillion, most of which are in US bonds. If this was withdrawn, it would trigger a world economic chaos.

World economists predict that China would overtake the USA as the world’s largest economy in 2035 to become the world economic superpower.

VISIT TO CHINA FOR FIRST HAND ANALYSIS OF SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION TO ECONOMIC SUPERPOWER STATUS

I last visited China some 20 years ago, and I can say the transformation of the country, towns and people is truly remarkable. Xi’an was a city of low rise buildings, but now its skyline is dotted with skyscrapers, and its roads replaced with multi-lane highways.Tthe newer parts of the city are tree-lined and planned like the cities of France with broad boulevards.

The city is divided into districts, each specialized such  as university district, IT district, cultural district, industrial district, residential and ‘no night’ commercial district.

Information was gathered from businessmen, government officials and the man- in-the-street. The general opinion was that the tranformation was due to:

   1. Former leader Deng Xiao Peng’s four modernisations which broke away from the old communist ways and changed to liberal policies.

   2. Where before the country followed a command economy which caused stagnation and poverty, it now has embraced a ‘socialist market economy’ where business and other economic activities are allowed full liberalisation without unnecessary regulations and restrictions .

   3. A leadership dedicated to the cause of progress and development to uplift living standards and who are scrupulously honest, disciplined and of absolute integrity.

  4. A people, who supported the leadership and are very patriotic, very proud of their history and very disciplined and who are energetic and innovative.  Their energy and dynamism have  to be seen to be believed. They work as if their very lives depend on it.

These are the main factors which have propelled China to be an economic giant and the potential to be the world superpower.

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should study and adopt the China formula for progress and development in Malaysia;

                This entry was posted on Friday, 17 August 2007, 2:30 pm and is filed under
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Inept/irresponsible mishandling of Meng Chee Negaraku rap confirms Mahathir’s indictment of “half-past-six Cabinet”

The Cabinet’s inept and irresponsible mishandling of undergraduate Wee Meng Chee’s six-minute rap music video on Negaraku in creating a new and major cause of national dissension especially among the young generation of Malaysians on the occasion of the nation’s 50th Merdeka anniversary  has vindicated  former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s  epithet of a “half-past-six Cabinet”.

It has made more and more Malaysians, particularly the young generation, disgusted with the MCA, Gerakan, Umno and other Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders who are unable to differentiate between the important from the less important issues.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi confirmed that the Cabinet on Wednesday discussed at length (“kita bincang lama” —
Utusan Malaysia
) Meng Chee’s  public apology to the government and Malaysians for his rap video because it was
“an important or big issue”
.
(Sun)

Nobody can fault the Cabinet for discussing Meng Chee’s  Negaraku rap video clip, but when Ministers had no time for  bigger and more important national issues, Malaysians have a right to demand to know why the country does not have a more dedicated, competent, professional and more  patriotic Cabinet!

The country is at present drowned by a plethora of bigger and more important national issues than Meng Chee’s six-minute Negaraku rap video which should have been the focus of the Cabinet attention last  Wednesday, such as:

	The failure of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to make the 50th Merdeka anniversary really meaningful by  “walking  the talk” in the past 45 months to deliver the pledge of a clean, incorruptible,  efficient, accountable, trustworthy, just,  open and democratic administration which is prepared to “hear the truth” from the people;

	The RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal, the  breach of Abdullah’s pledge of no  mega-billion-ringgit bail-outs and the top-most question among Malaysians – why no one had been arrested or brought to book for the biggest financial scandal in the start of any Prime Minister.

	The shocking  comment by the nation’s  most famous Inspector-General of Police and Deputy Chairman of the Royal Police Commission, Tun Hanif Omar on Sunday that 40 per cent of the senior police officers could be arrested for corruption without further investigations based “strictly on their lifestyles” and the total lack of action by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in the past 27 months to arrest a single one of the 1,400 out of the 3,502  (i.e. 40 per cent) senior police officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent to Inspector-General of Police since the publication of the Royal Police Commission Report.

	The unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional revision of the Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement on the fundamental nation-building principles agreed by the forefathers of the major communities on the attainment of Independence half-a-century ago.

	Malaysia’s continued omission from the World’s Top 500 Universities ranking for the fifth year in succession in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2007 just released by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

	The constitutional crisis and impasse with the  Prime Minister’s nominee for the post of Chief Judge of Malaya unable to get past two meetings of the Conference of Rulers since the retirement of Tan Sri Siti Normah Yaakob on January 5, 2007, raising the question whether the Conference of Rulers is mere rubber stamp or has important check-and-balance role to ensure good governance.

Did the Cabinet on Wednesday have  time for these bigger and more important national issues than Meng Chee’s six-minute rap video, and if so, why there had been no proper public accounting of the Cabinet decisions?

Next is the manner and outcome of the Cabinet’s “long discussion” of  Meng Chee’s rap video.  I presume Meng Chee’s video clip would have been shown to the Cabinet.

The Star reported:

“Student must face the law — Cabinet, however, accepts his apology”

.  The Sun has a different take on its front-page report:

“Who’s sorry now? — CABINET CANNOT ACCEPT APOLOGY AND RAPPER WHO MOCKED NEGARAKU MUST FACE THE MUSIC”
.

The Cabinet has made a total  mockery  of itself.  Has it accepted Meng Chee’s apology or has it not. If it has accepted the apology, why are Ministers still demanding action to be taken against Meng Chee and for him to be prosecuted by the Attorney-General — which is the clear message from the Prime Minister and UMNO Ministers including Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Datuk Zainuddin Maidin and Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim that there should be prosecution. In fact, according to Zainuddin, this was also the stand of Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik in Cabinet on Wednesday!

MCA Ministers must explain why they put such great pressures on  Meng Chee and his family when they are unable to get Umno Ministers and the Cabinet to accept the apology?

Why was there double-standards here, when the Cabinet could accept the insincere “apologies” of two Barisan Nasional MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusuf (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mohtar Radin (Kinabatangan) who made crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in the infamous “bocor” scandal without demanding any follow-up disciplinary action to be taken against them in Parliament?

Meng Chee can be faulted for the rough language, irreverent expressions and even the use of the national anthem and national flag in the rap, but it is utterly disgraceful that the entire weight of the Malaysian government machinery, going up all the way to  the Cabinet, should be used to criminalize, demonise and crush  a 24-year-old undergraduate for the rap video clip, when he had already tendered a public apology.

In fact, Meng Chee should be commended for his very clear expression of patriotism in articulating the frustrations of the ordinary rakyat at police corruption, civil service bureaucracy, discrimination against Chinese education and the insensitivity of the authorities — which must also be the concern of all Malaysians who love the nation.

The least MCA Ministers should have done is to ask the Cabinet to address the frustrations and exasperations of Malaysians expressed by Meng  Chee in his rap, but this had not been done, and the Cabinet had completely ignored  the real message of the rap — an indictment of a “half-past-six Cabinet”!

The continued demonisation and persecution of Meng Chee will cast a dark shadow over the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations creating even more alienation,  dissension and disunity among Malaysians particularly among the young generations.

Abdullah should cut the Gordian  Knot, accept Meng Chee was acting in a very patriotic manner and meant no disrespect to the national symbols although his methods could be faulted,  end the public ruckus over the rap music video and advise all parties concerned to learn the  right and positive lessons from the incident to contribute towards greater national understanding, tolerance, resilience and unity with respect for diversity of views and freedom of expression.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 17 August 2007, 1:50 pm and is filed under
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Kennysia’s free campaign video tip to Jeff Ooi

Thanks Jiun for pointing me to Kenny Sia’s free campaign video tip for Jeff Ooi.

As Jiun said, the blog
www.kennysia.com
 has just put up a post on the recent crackdown on bloggers as well as a youtube video song entitled

“jeff Oois campaign video”
.

Jiun wrote:

“His (kenny sia)  blog has a huge readership among the young of msia, recent net research shows he is among the top 5 bloggers in malaysia, while he has always posted non serious stuff, this is the first time he is posting a political piece

“hope you can spare some time to read the piece and watch the video, i find it hilarious and im sure the young voters of msia love it too”

I agree. Video most hilarious indeed. Very creative, Kenny. No hesitation to commend it to all and sundry. Over to Jeff.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 17 August 2007, 9:48 pm and is filed under
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MCA and UMNO — From “brothers” in Alliance  to “master and slave” in Barisan Nasional in five decades?

The Chinese night editions this evening, front and inside pages,  are dominated by news of the MCA Youth annual general assembly in Malacca this morning with the cover photograph of the entire MCA Youth Central Committee members on stage  standing up to wave copies of the Malaysian Constitution when the MCA Youth leader  Datuk Liow  Tiong Lai said that instead of brandishing the keris  to make a point, it is better to wave the Federal Constitution.

In blaring headlines, the newspapers quoted the eight words of
“ren bu fan wo, wo bu fan ren”
  in relation to Liow ‘s speech when he said: “We in MCA and MCA Youth won’t be easily bullied by others,
ren bu fan wo, wo bu fan ren; ren ruo fan wo, wo bi fan ren
.  In the BN family, we are brothers, there is no master and slave, there is no question of who is being scared of who or whom should kowtow to whom,”

The Chinese saying is a warning of retaliation when one is offended.

But the high-point of the whole proceeding was that the Umno Youth deputy leader, Khairy Jamaluddin, who attended the MCA Youth annual general assembly instead of the youth leader, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, did not understand a single word of Liow’s fierce speech and warning as this part of the MCA Youth leader’s speech was completely omitted in his  Bahasa Malaysia delivery.

This immediately raises the question whether the whole proceeding was just a “sandiwara” for the Chinese media and Chinese audience.

Liow made a good point that instead of brandishing the Malay keris, one should wave the Federal Constitution to defend and uphold one’s fundamental rights as entrenched in the Constitution, the Merdeka social contract and the Malaysia Agreement which brought Sabah and Sarawak into the federation.

But the place to wave the Federal Constitution is not at the MCA Youth Assembly with the Umno Youth deputy leader not understanding what all the “show” was all about, but in the  Cabinet and Parliament and at a time when fundamental nation-building principles and rights were being  unilaterally, arbitrarily and unconstitutionally undermined!

Six years ago, when the Federal Constitution, Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement were gravely eroded, why didn’t any MCA or MCA Youth leader wave the Federal Constitution in Cabinet and Parliament to defend the fundamental nation-building principles and rights  laid down in the Constitution, Merdeka social contract and the Malaysia Agreement?

Instead of MCA and MCA Youth leaders waving the Federal Constitution six years ago  to defend and uphold the fundamental nation-building principles and rights agreed by our forefathers on the attainment of Independence 50 years ago, MCA and MCA Youth leaders were all putting up their hands to support the unilateral, arbitrary unconstitutional revision of the Federal Constitution, Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement.

Liow’s use of the Chinese saying, “ren bu fan wo, wo bu fan ren; ren ruo fan wo, wo bi fan ren” reminds many of another MCA Youth leader in the past, as this was also one of his predecessor’s favourite quotations. But when  things came to a crunch during the Operation Lalang in 1987, he was the first to run away from the country while DAP leaders like Karpal Singh, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw, Lim Guan Eng, Lau Dak Kee and the late P. Patto and V. David did not flinch in the Internal Security Act crackdown where I was detained for the second time and all of us despatched to the Kamunting Detention Centre to be “guests” of His Majesty’s Government.

But the most thought-provoking part of Liow’s speech is his statement: “In the BN family, we are brothers, there is no master and slave, there is no question of who is being scared of who or whom should kowtow to whom,”

This has logically given rise to the question whether the relationship between MCA and UMNO in the past 50 years had deteriorated and degenerated  from “brothers” in the Alliance  to “master and slave” in the Barisan Nasional — to use Liow’s own words?

(Speech at the Kepong DAP dinner in Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 18th August 2007 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 19 August 2007, 9:06 am and is filed under
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Caliphate Anyone?

By Farish A Noor

Communities have their own ways of dealing with crises of all kinds: structural, institutional, functional or cultural. But what is even more interesting is to see how each community, or sections within each community, deals with such crises and the antidotes that are offered as the panacea for all that is wrong in the world.

In such a depoliticised world bereft of ideologies that are taken seriously and political vocabularies that work, the trend seems to be to offer culturalist solutions to problems that are fundamentally structural-economical. Hence the return to the politics of authenticity and nostalgia that we see all around us lately: As the ravaging effects of globalisation make themselves felt and seen around us, so many communities seem to have retreated to the protective blanket of cultural essentialism, falling back on unreconstructed myths of the past or equally vacuous notions of collective purpose that often deny the contingencies of individualism and personal agency.

In the Indian subcontinent the reaction of the Hindu right was to show two fingers to globalisation via recourse to a politics of nostalgia couched in terms of a politicised myth of Indian greatness and uniqueness. In the Far East the discourse of ‘Asian values’ was the foil used to fend off calls for democratisation, transparency and reform. Why, even in the West the fall-back position of claiming a singularly unique Western civilisational origin seemed the immediate refuge for those who could not cope with the

provincialisation of Europe in an increasingly plural and cosmopolitan world where movement of capital and ideas was becoming commonplace.

What of Islam and the Muslim world? Well the answer to that was given a week ago in Indonesia where a massive rally was held in the stadium of Jakarta, organised by none other than the Hizb’ut Tahrir (HT) movement of Indonesia who had invited their fellow HT activists from all over the planet, to re-affirm their determination to overturn the dominant paradigm of the modern nation state, wage war against the evils of Secularism and democracy, and to restore the fabled Caliphate as the sole and primary political agent on the Muslim landscape.
Delegates from other Hizb’ut Tahrir chapters from the Middle-East and Asia were present, and HT chapters all over the world (such as Malaysia next door) held similar rallies to mark their defiance of their own respective states and to hasten the return of the Caliphate. I was reminded by a slogan painted on a bus in London by that other pro-Caliphate group al-Muhajiroun, that read: ‘The Islamic state: Coming soon to a country near you’…

Hizb’ut Tahrir’s historical origins give us some idea of how it has evolved to become what it is today. Set up in the early 1950s as a reaction against the occupation of Palestine and the defeat of Arab Muslim power, the movement has been committed to the struggle against Secular democracy from the beginning. This was based on the HT’s premise that modern secular democratic politics serves only to further the ends of nationalism, which they regarded as profoundly un-Islamic as it placed national identity and belonging above belonging to the global Muslim ummah. The HT was against the pan-Arabism of Gammel Abdel Nasr and the Arab nationalists and socialists of the 1960s, and has been calling for the return to the Caliphate ideal hence.

No-one would doubt that the paradigm of the nation-state, based as it is on the Westphalian model, is problematic to say the least. And we can all agree that nationalism has shown its uglier side time and again all over the world, leading to the rise of Nazism and Fascism in Europe to militarism in Japan and Southeast Asia. Having said that however, it should also be remembered that nationalism was used against itself in the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles of the 1930s-40s and that many a liberation movement still see the securing of an independent nation-state as one of the first goals to be achieved in any struggle for self-determination. Anyone who doubts that should talk to the Palestinians, Tibetans or East Timorese

who will tell you how and why they were — and remain — prepared to die for a nation-state of their own, despite the misgivings of Hizb’ut Tahrir.

What is more worrisome however is the trite and shallow logic at work among groups like the HT who simplistically think that the nation-state can simply be overturned and superceded by any means necessary, while failing to note that in the current age of globalisation this flawed and faulty apparatus may, ironically, be the only defensive tool we have left against the predatory moves of global capital. It is fine to talk about global solidarity between Muslims, a shared Muslim identity and common sets of values etc, as long as we also recognise that this grand Muslim history was not without its own share of problems and contradictions. For a start, HT’s love of the Caliphate ignores the fact that the Caliphs and great Sultans and Emperors of Islam in the past were not all just men (though they were all invariably men, and not women) and that the great Caliphates were also home for double-standards, exploitation, class and racial segregation and violent hierarchies as well.

Why do Muslims still entertain such nostalgic longings for an unreconstructed past that is, at best, two-dimensional and caricatural? Have we not evolved a political vocabulary that exceeds the narrow confines of the mythical universe of the Arabian Nights and Aladdin? Or has the Muslim world grown so jaded, so bereft of ideas and focus in direction that myths and fantasies will do in the absence of rational, workable solutions?

                This entry was posted on Monday, 20 August 2007, 8:04 am and is filed under
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Negarakuku rap — end the persecution mania and listen attentively to the legitimate grievances sung by Wee

When Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister 45 months ago, he invited Malaysians to speak up and pledged to “hear the truth, however unpleasant”, from the people.

Wee had acted on Abdullah’s invitation and spoken up about the injustices and wrongs in Malaysia 50 years after Merdeka so that the country could be improved to become a better nation capable of competing with the rest of  the world.

Instead of a “thank you” from the Prime Minister, Wee is now the target of a sledgehammer attack by the entire government machinery led by a cohort of Umno Cabinet Ministers orchestrating a campaign to  demonise, criminalize and crush him.

The very spectacle of the entire state machinery led by Cabinet Ministers to crush a 24-year-old undergraduate for his rap on internet conjures an image of shame for Malaysia on the occasion of the 50th Merdeka anniversary, both nationally and internationally.

Is the campaign to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee, with irrational,  excessive and outrageous demands of prosecutions under the National Anthem Act, the Sedition Act and even the Internal Security Act, the stripping of citizenship, the cancellation of passport and extradition of Wee from Taiwan to Malaysia, the signal of the end of another one of Abdullah’s reform pledges when becoming Prime Minister 45 months ago  — to “hear the truth” from the people?

As I informed the Malaysian Dialogue in Petaling Jaya yesterday afternoon, Wee can be faulted for his rough language, irreverent expression and lack of sensitivity when touching on religious matters, but he cannot be accused of being unpatriotic, disloyal or guilty of the capital crime of treason or sedition.

Wee had done what very few Malaysians had done, taking the national flag Jalur Gemilang with him  when he went overseas to study, and waving the national flag when his multi-national university sports  team won a game, showing his pride and love for the nation.

Which Umno Minister or leader demanding for a pound of flesh from Wee for his Negarakuku rap had such  love and pride for the country as to take the national flag with him or her when going overseas?

It is a disgrace that the Cabinet last week spent a lot of time to discuss Wee’s case neglecting the many important national issues plaguing the country, particularly rising crime and worsening  corruption.  What is even more  shocking, no  Cabinet Minister had time to listen to the  grievances of Malaysians articulated  by Wee in his Negarakuku rap but only how to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee.

The Negarakuku rap video clip on YouTube has doubled to almost 2.5 million hits because of the irrational and outrageous  Cabinet decision last Wednesday, reeking with double standards when extracting an apology from Wee and yet refusing to put the issue to rest by insisting that Wee face the full consequences of the law.

The Cabinet on Wednesday should end the persecution mania against 24-year-old undergraduate Wee Meng Chee and instead listen diligently to the legitimate grievances of Malaysians expressed in Wee’s Negarakuku rap.

Last night’s capacity turn-out at the DAP forum at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, organized at less than 48 hours’ notice and which had to be moved  from the first-floor  hall to a larger second-floor theatre because of the overflowing crowd, represents a clear message from the people that the high-level  irrational  campaign to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee Meng Chee should stop immediately.

The 400 people at  the forum  had earlier unanimously put up their hands to demonstrate solidarity with Wee and to demand immediate end to the campaign to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee.

Later, they also  unanimously  put up their hands when I asked whether they love the National Flag,  the national anthem and the country and regard themselves as patriots.

Abdullah should salvage his pledge “to hear the truth, however unpleasant” from the people.  Start by listening to the grievances of Malaysians  rapped  by Wee, whose love and patriotism for   the national flag, national anthem and the country must not be questioned, as they are second to none in Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 20 August 2007, 2:02 pm and is filed under
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We are law-abiding patriots

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Malaysians have proven to be patriotic since merdeka in 1957, and are now asking that the Constituion be respected and honoured.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister  Datuk Seri Abdullah Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  in a speech to the 2007 Youth Patriotism Congress at PutraJaya, called on the people to be patriotic and warned not to play with fire when speaking on sensitive issues.

It can be said that at least half the populatioon are born on and after Merdeka. they form the active adults who have demonstrated loyalty to the country by being law-abiding citizens.

They are questioning why they should be discriminated since Merdeka.  Now at the 50th merdeka anniversary they are asking to be treated equally as citizens of the country in accordance with the Constitution.

Article 8 of the constitution states that ‘”all persons are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law”.

Article 153 (1) state it shall be the responsibility of the Yang dipertuan Agong “to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of the Article.’

At this important 50th anniversary, Malaysians are asking why they have been divided into bumiputras and non bumiputras,  into Ketuanan Melayu and the rest ordinary citizens, why the New Economic Policy which is meant to uplift the economy of Malays are imposing restrictions on the economic rights of other citizens.

They consider themselves as Malaysians or Banga Malaysia, but now they have been demoted to non-Ketuanan Melayu.

These are the worries and questions which loyal patriotic citizens are  asking, and in a democracy they have right to express their feelings and ideas, and should not be labelled as non-patriotic nor should they be accused of ‘playing with fire’.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 20 August 2007, 2:33 pm and is filed under
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What Has Oxford Done?

by M. Bakri Musa and Din Merican

Both are graduates of Oxford, but what a difference between the two!  What separates them is that elusive quality:  class.  One has it; the other does not.  When you have class, Oxford will bring out the best in you.  When you do not, not even esteemed Oxford can do much for you.

          One is a crown prince, a sultan-to-be whose recent wedding warmed the hearts of Malaysians for its elegant simplicity and regal restraint.  His eloquent speeches inspire the young and old alike; they enthusiastically embrace his enlightened vision of Malaysia.  He appeals to their idealism and decency, and they in turn respond in kind.  His understated passion and cool rationality resonate with the citizens.  He elevates the tone of our civil discourse.  In short, Raja Nazrin is “Yang Teramat Mulia” (“The Most Esteemed”) personified.

The other is a neophyte political operative, with grand pretensions of being the next Prime Minister.  For now however, he is till struggling just to have the title (but not the qualities) of a “Yang Berhormat” (“The Honorable”) that goes with being a Member of Parliament.  His obscenely ostentatious wedding a few years back dragged on for days, with multiple ceremonies.  Its extravagance easily outmatched the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, minus of course the royal elegance.  Today he is again indulging in excesses; this time hurling insults at Malaysians and assaulting their sense of decency.

In his speeches to his followers in UMNO Youth, he instigates and brings out their dark side.  To him, the Mat Rempits, those midnight marauders of unemployable youths who terrorize our streets, represent the best of our community.  He champions them.  Like them, his trade in stock is taunting and provoking, with undisguised racist undertone.  Lately he resorts to simian references; no surprise as he is surrounded daily by the opportunist monkeys in the jungle that is UMNO.  This fraud of a leader coarsens our public debates, dragging them to his barnyard level.

We humbly apologize to Raja Nazrin for this jarring juxtaposition of images.  We are comforted by the fact that a Prince Charming beside a toad will never lose his regal bearing.  A toad beside a prince however, will make its warts all the more revolting to behold, and its croaking unbearably grating.

While the constant croaking of a toad may be harsh on the ears, the repeated racist rhetoric of a leader, genuine or fake, can have devastating consequences.  We would have thought that this would be obvious; we need not remind ourselves of the ghastly tragedy of May 1969.

This wet-behind-the-ears pseudo-leader is oblivious of these dangers.  Born years after those horrific days in 1969, he did not live through the calamity that nearly ripped our nation apart.  It would be unlikely for him to have learned that part of our history at Oxford.  It is also painfully obvious that no senior leaders in his party have taken him aside to apprise this uncouth young man of that blemish in our history.  This glaring omission speaks volumes of the caliber of UMNO’s current leadership.

Elusive Quality of Class

While “class” is an elusive quality and thus difficult to define, nonetheless we know it when we see it, to borrow the phrase of an American jurist.  We would definitely know it when it is not there, hence the dismissive, “No class!”

           Equally revealing is what a particular culture considers to be a class act or whom that society views as “classy.”  Rest assured that a “class act” by a mafia don is anything but in a civilized society.

            Nelson Mandela has class; his nemesis the buffoon P. W. Botha did not.  Many attribute “class” to breeding.  If by that they mean genetic endowment, we demur, as that would imply that the attribute is not teachable.  It also implies the acceptance of a certain degree of fatalism:  either one is lucky to be born with the attribute, or one is not.

If the term “breeding” refers to upbringing, then we are in agreement.  This does not mean that those in the upper crust of society would automatically have “class.”  We have many uncouth presidents and leaders.  Then there was the lowly born Mahatma Gandhi whose class act of non-violence shamed the crusty British establishment.

            We would have thought that being the son of a career diplomat would ensure good upbringing.  After all the profession of diplomacy itself is the epitome of class, as encapsulated in the expression, “being diplomatic.”  We also would have expected some of the father’s classiness to rub off on the son.  That it did not forces us to look for other explanations.

The Malay expression Kurang Ajar (or Kurang ‘Jar, K ‘J) is the idiomatic translation of the phrase “No class.”  Literally it means, “Not adequately taught,” as by the parents and other elders in the village.  Stated another way:  uncouth.

In Malay culture however, that phrase means much more:  it is the most damning insult.  In the words of Usman Awang in his poem Kurang Ajar, it is sebuah perkataan yang paling ditakuti untok bangsa kita yang pemalu) (the most feared phrase by our race.)

            That aside, the literal translation is quite meaningful as it points out possible ways of remedying the deficiency.  Thus, “Teach your children well!” as the song advises, is one useful way.  There is no advantage in being born to a diplomat’s family if your parents have not provided you the necessary tutelage.  Or, as is increasingly becoming common among Malaysians, they delegate this important parental responsibility to maids.

Malaysia imports thousands of these maids annually.  As only the affluent could afford these “servants,” as they are referred to in Malaysian homes, we are now seeing a generation of the elite that has grown up kurang ajar.  Many are jockeying for leadership of the nation.  We shudder to think of the social and political implications.

Toxic Combination of Greed and Kurang Ajar

As obnoxious as this kurang ‘jar (K ‘J) young pseudo-leader is, the situation is worse.  He is also aggressively ambitious, barely concealing his greed for money and lust for power.  He fancies himself an “investment banker,” but his primary indulgence is stripping off valuable assets from government-linked companies.  ECM Libra’s (the company he is associated with) well documented plundering of GLCs is a ready example.  He also grandly aspires to be Prime Minister by age 40!  It is this combination of greed and kurang ajar that is highly toxic.

This K ‘J pseudo-leader’s political career in UMNO is consumed with endless Machiavellian maneuverings in the blind pursuit of his ambition.  None of his tricks are original of course; they are primarily the familiar “sucking up to your superiors,” or variations thereof, including the most extreme form:  marrying the boss’s daughter.

If perchance the particular leader this K ‘J character is backing suddenly stumbles, he shrewdly shifts his target.  His tactics and underlying strategies however, remain the same.  After all, innovative imagination is not his forte!

Thus now that Anwar Ibrahim is out of power, this K ‘J character readily heaps scorn upon him.  Earlier when he thought that Anwar might dramatically resurrect himself upon his release from prison, this K ‘J was the first to greet Anwar at his home on the pretext of expediting his passport application.  Had Anwar remained the Deputy Prime Minister, this K ‘J would probably go after Anwar’s daughter instead!

Meanwhile supplicating supporters of this K ‘J are busy groveling to him; like leader, like followers.  One particularly sycophantic subordinate went so far and without any trace of modesty referred to this K ‘J character as UMNO’s Beckham!  This sycophant missed the salient fact that Beckham’s talent excites the crowd; K ‘J’s is to incite them.

Along the same vein, a tabloid columnist gushes in quoting an “anonymous” UMNO insider who likens this K ‘J to a young Mahathir.  Laughable!  Her groveling piece reveals more about herself than her subject:  a drooling lapdog ready to lick her master at the snap of the finger.

We are heartened that some are beginning to see through the fraud of this K ‘J.  Zahar Hashim, head of Petaling Jaya Selatan UMNO, likened this K ‘J to the devil haunting UMNO Youth.  Zahar is a retired army officer; meaning he has guts to go with his self-discipline.  It would be tough to borak (hoodwink) your way through this former soldier.

The most effective way to teach these K ‘J types a lesson is to land them a tight slap on their face.  Many we presume would like to do just that, especially Zahar.  While we cannot do so literally, we are metaphorically slapping his face with our piece.

We have unequivocally declared here that Raja Nazrin is a class act, while this other K ‘J character is just that:  kurang ‘jar.  In so clearly drawing the line, we are also explicitly stating our values of what we consider worthy of praise and emulation versus what we should condemn and discourage.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 20 August 2007, 6:37 pm and is filed under
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Hanif’s “40% senior cops corrupt” allegation – Cabinet should apologise for disregarding it and make amends tomorrow

Nanyang Sian Pau’s
 report with the headline
“Hanif, Produce Proof — Musa’s comment on allegation that  40% of senior police officers corrupt”
is the only newspaper to give some prominence to the serious allegation by the country’s longest-serving and most famous former Inspector General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar that 40% of senior police officers could be arrested for corruption without further investigations strictly on the basis of their lifestyles.

It has taken the IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan more than a week  to respond to Hanif’s serious allegation, and it was a  most anaemic,  perfunctory and unimpressive response totally lacking in credibility  — that the public should lodge reports if they have information on corrupt cops and that he would take action to investigate to determine the truth.

The failure of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and IGP to respond seriously to  the  unprecedented  allegation of police corruption by a pillar of the establishment like Tun Hanif  in his Sunday Star column on August 12  that 40% of senior police officers could be arrested for corruption without further investigations strictly on the basis of their lifestyles is eloquent testimony that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s anti-corruption campaign has completely run out of steam and is a dismal failure.

What Hanif exposed was not about individual cases of corruption but systemic corruption of the police force and the public service.

If “40% of the senior officers could be arrested without further investigations — strictly on the basis of their lifestyles”, we are talking about a staggering figure of 1,400 out of the 3,502 senior police officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent to Inspector-General of Police.

When in the past three years  there had not been a single case of arrest of a  senior police officer out of the 1,400 who could be arrested  for corruption without further investigations, it speaks of a rotten system of national  integrity which will see Malaysia’s international corruption perception index on a downward plunge.

In countries serious about eradication of corruption and not just playing lip-service with a National Integrity Plan which does nothing to check corruption, a revelation made by the country’s most famous former IGP about such high-level rot and corruption would have merited being placed on the top   agenda of the Cabinet.

The Malaysian Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, however, had no time for the serious allegation by Hanif as it was too preoccupied by a 24-year-old rapper Wee Meng Chee and his Negarakuku rap and the demands of Umno Ministers to demonise, criminalize and crush the undergraduate with the whole might of the state!

 The entire Cabinet should apologise to the country for  disregarding Hanif’s serious and unprecedented allegation last Wednesday, demonstrating its utter lack of seriousness in fighting corruption and upholding  national integrity.

It should make amends at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting by giving  top priority to Hanif’s serious and unprecedented allegation, and come out with  a bold decision and action plan  to salvage the failed anti-corruption campaign and  restore public confidence in the integrity of the Abdullah administration.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2007, 5:27 pm and is filed under
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Issues on Sarawak for the next election

by Sara Wak

1. Land Issues.

– Why are state lands given to companies related to the CM and his other families members, instead of being tendered for sale like in other countries such as Singapore?

– What are the reasons for the Government’s policy in imposing premiums on land leases expiring ? The Government was supposed to explain to the people, but so far, failed to do so. And the CM keeps saying that the people have to understand the Government’s policy ! If the Government does not make its intention known, how are the people to understand what and why the Government is doing ?

– Why are land leases restricted to 60 or 99 years and not perpetuity like in other parts of Malaysia ?

– Why can’t the Government be transparent and let the people trust the leaders ? The leaders appear to play “Hide and Seek” with the people !

2. Get details of the First Silicon Project and make it known to the people, from head to tail, including start and financial performance so far. The money belong to the people and Sarawakians have a right to know.

3. Borneo paper & pulp project. Similar to the First Silicon project. We want to know where our money has gone. They are not Taib’s money, and not his ministers’ money. The money belong to us just like shareholders in a company. If they have mismanaged the projects, they should be made accountable.

4. Why are Contracts awarded to certain companies like CMS, PPES, etc without any tender ?

Why was the tenders not open to the public and single-handedly awarded to companies like CMS and PPES, etc?

Why was the road maintenance contract awarded for 15 years rather than 5 years ? Was any evaluation done before the plan for the award?

5. How did the CM’s wife, Laila Taib and his family members afford to buy millions of shares in companies like CMS, etc?

Where did they get their money from?

How much does the CM and his family members earn a year to enable them to acquire such vast accumulation of assets  and to spend on so many things like travelling, buying houses, entertainment, education for their children?

Perhaps a report for evasion of income tax can be lodged by DAP to Inland Revenue against the CM and his family members to find out whether their assets and spending exceed their income. This can be made anonymously by anyone from the public.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2007, 3:40 pm and is filed under
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Negarakuku – Cabinet tomorrow last chance to ensure 50th Merdeka not celebrated under dark cloud of worst generational polarisation

The Cabinet tomorrow has the last chance at its meeting tomorrow to act with statesmanship and maturity to put the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy to rest in view of his apology or the 50th Merdeka anniversary will be held under a dark cloud and unprecedented dissension particularly from the young generation.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had often said that he wants to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians and not for any one racial group and that he wants to hear the “truth” from the people however unpleasant.

It is time he walks the talk in both by ending the orchestrated campaign led by Umno Ministers and leaders to demonise, criminalize and crush a 24-year-old Malaysian undergraduate in Taiwan for articulating the frustrations and grievances of his generation and in fact of all Malaysians, particularly about police corruption, public service bureaucracy and inefficiency as well as government  insensitivity to the rights and interests of all communities.

Wee may be faulted for his rough language, irreverent expressions and lack of sensitivity in dealing with religious matters — but all these shortcomings do not add up to the capital crime of treason or sedition or the grave charges of being unpatriotic, disloyal, anti-Islam or  anti-Malay.

The 50th Merdeka anniversary  celebrations run the risk of becoming a mockery, both national and international, when the whole power and machinery of the state is being deployed as a sledgehammer to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee, despite his public apology.

In declaring war on Wee, the Cabinet and government is  declaring war on Malaysians and in particular the young generation of Malaysians, causing one of the worst  generational polarizations  in the nation’s history.

Umno Youth leader and Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was again  in the forefront demanding a “pound of flesh” from Wee, as reported by today’s  Utusan Malaysia:
“Meng Chee tetap kena tindakan”
.

The  two salient points made Hishammuddin  in Johor Baru yesterday demanding a “pound of flesh” from Wee are:

	Although he sympathise with Wee, the Muar undergraduate must be punished for his offence.

	Wee cannot escape  legal consequences just because of his apology.  Can a person who murder or burn the national flag be let off scotfree just because of an apology?

Was Hishamuddin speaking as Umno Youth leader or Education Minister? The views expressed by Hishamuddin is typical of an Umno Youth Leader, who could brandish the Malay keris in utter contempt of the rights and sensitivities of the non-Malay communities in the country — but completely unacceptable for an Education Minister who should set an example of national unity instead of dissension.

This is why I had told Hishammuddin in Parliament last year that he should choose whether he wants to be Umno Youth Leader or Education Minister, because he cannot be both, with his former position  requiring him to pander to Malay communal impulses and sentiments resulting in his weidling the Malay keris while the latter office demands a person who is a model and symbol of unity of races, religions and generations instead of polarization.

Hishammudin’s  conflicting and contradictory roles are  again highlighted by the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy.

As Umno Youth leaeder, he is leading the pack trying to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee, throwing.all the books at him, whether National Anthem Act, Sedition Act, Internal Security Act and even demands to cancel Wee’s passport, extradite him back from  Taiwan and to  revoke his  citizenship,

From his statement in Johor Baru  yesterday, Hishammuddin had already pre-judged Wee as a criminal guilty of breaking the laws of the country –  assuming the multiple roles of prosecutor, jury and judge!

However, as Education Minister, he should be a voice of reason and wisdom to  point  out that although Wee could be faulted for his rough language, irreverent expressions and lack of sensitivity in treating religious matters, Wee should be told where he had gone wrong and his apology should be accepted to end the controversy.  Furthermore, the Cabinet and government should listen to what Wee had to say in his rap!

Instead Hishammuddin added  oil to the fire by equating Wee’s rap as murder and burning the Jalur Gemilang, which is  not only baseless but the height of  irresponsibility and a great shame for  any Education Minister mindful that he should be the nation’s  No. One Educator instead of being the No. One Instigator.

The Wee Negarakuku rap controversy had also brought to the fore the double-standards in law and enforcement, how those in authority could on the one hand demand the application of the full rigours of the law for others  when they themselves enjoy the culture of impunity despite numerous police reports lodged against them for criminal offences.

The Cabinet should rise up to the occasion of the 50th Merdeka anniversary at its meeting tomorrow to lay to rest the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy by accepting Wee apology, listen and respond to the messages in  Wee’s rap and end the shameful campaign to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee with the whole weight and power of the state.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2007, 1:56 pm and is filed under
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Quantum leap into abyss of media control and censorship – Will Pak Lah end up as “Predator of Press Freedom”?

The Internal  Security Ministry
ban
on mainstream media from reporting the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy marks a quantum jump into the abyss of  media control, censorship and blackout completely unthinkable when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister 45 months ago.

Never before has one civil servant been vested with such powers as the Ministry’s Publications Control and Al-Quran Texts Unit senior officer Che Din Yusof, who had last month banned mainstream media from publishing reports discussing the unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional declaration by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that Malaysia is an Islamic State driven by Islamic fundamentals and was and had never been a secular state — in total disregard of the Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement publicly reaffirmed by the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic state.

Where are the MCA and MCA Youth wavers of the Malaysian Constitution only a few days ago to stand up for the fundamental rights of Malaysians, including freedom of speech and expression to protest at the latest denial of the basic human rights of Malaysians?

Were the MCA and MCA leaders behind the latest media ban to dampen the  public anger at the failure of MCA Ministers in Cabinet to defend Wee Meng Chee against an orchestrated campaign by Umno and Umno Youth Ministers/leaders to  demonise, criminalize and crush Wee despite a public apology?

It is shocking that as the country gets nearer and nearer to the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations in ten days time, the Barisan Nasional government is shooting itself in the foot by creating one issue after another  which make more and more Malaysians question the whole purpose of the official celebrations.

At the rate the government is violating fundamental liberties and press freedoms in the country, it will not be long before Abdullah follows in the footsteps of his predecessor of being branded  a “Predator of Press Freedom” by international advocates and defenders of press freedoms.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2007, 5:37 pm and is filed under
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Sightings: A Monkey’s Last Stand

Highly recommended — famed Malaysian blogger TV Smith’s photo essay
“A Monkey’s Last Stand”
.   Eloquent. Evocative. Powerful.  A sad commentary of Malaysia celebrating 50th Merdeka anniversary.

This is TV Smith’s first of four photo-essays:

Bukit Melawati, 22nd August 2007: Despite his patriotic stand, he will soon be stripped of his citizenship and banished to another country. Perhaps, our monkeys were already doomed when people in authority likened bloggers to them.

The Cabinet has literally signed their death warrant by withdrawing protection for the so-called urban monkeys under the Wildlife Protection Act. How can we stand tall as a nation, when we so casually shrugged-off our responsibility to protect the weak and defenseless?

Visit
http://www.mycen.com.my/sightings/sightings220807_monkey.html
 to ponder  whether it is “The Alamo” for another of our great fundamental rights.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2007, 12:00 pm and is filed under
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M4.6 billion PKFZ scandal – don’t let it stink to high heavens and mar 50th Merdeka anniversary

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  should take drastic step to ensure that Malaysia does not celebrate the 50th Merdeka anniversary in nine days’ time with the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal  stinking to high heavens.

The past few days have seen more skeletons of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal coming out of the cupboards, with the Sun reporting yesterday that the government has been placed in a position of having to divert  RM4.6 billion of public funds to bail out the Port Klang Free Zone because the Transport Ministry had given undertakings it was not authorised to do so.

The  Sun
 reported that the Transport Ministry issued “letters of support” which were used by the turnkey contractor – Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) – to raise bonds and get an AAA rating from the Malaysia Rating Corporation Bhd.

The four letters were issued between 2003 and 2006 for the issuance of bonds for the RM4.6 billion cost of the project.

The question Malaysians want answer  is why the Transport Ministry had illegally without sanction from the Finance Ministry issued letters of support to enable Kuala Dimensi to issue RM4.6  billion  bonds  to cover its cost overruns, which must now be borne by the government and the 26 million Malaysians   — despite the Transport Ministry’s assurance that the PKFZ would be feasible,  self-financing and would not need to involve a single ringgit of public funding.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad has called a PAC meeting on the PKFZ scandal to look into two concerns:

	Will it  involve any government bailout; and

	Will it affect foreign investors’ confidence in other projects in Malaysia, like the Iskandar Development Region and other developments.

The Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy will be guilty of grave breach of parliamentary privilege if  Parliament and the PAC are misled into thinking that the issue of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout has yet to be decided by the Cabinet — if in fact, such a decision had already been made and taken by the Cabinet.

This is why Chan cannot continue to keep dumb on the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal and must come out with a clear and unequivocal statement as to whether the Cabinet had taken a policy decision on the bailout, and if so, when the decision was taken and why.

Even more important, Malaysians are entitled to know why the disgraceful culture of impunity continues to be perpetuated with no one being held responsible for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal, especially when the government had been given a categorical assurance that the PKFZ project would be feasible,  self-financing and would not need to involve a single ringgit of public funding.

The Transport Minister responsible for Malaysians losing RM4.6 billion of public funds which have now to be diverted in a bailout of PKFZ project must be brought to justice for gross negligence and criminal breach of trust.

If Datuk Seri Ling Liong Sik who was Transport Minister until 2003 was responsible for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal, then he should be arrested and prosecuted in court. If Chan is responsible, then let Chan be charged for the RM4.6 billion negligence.

If both Ling and Chan are both jointly responsible, then let both be charged in court — which is the only way to ensure that Malaysians can celebrate the 50th Merdeka anniversary with some pride about our national integrity instead of having to hang our heads in shame with the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal stinking to high heavens

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 August 2007, 3:48 pm and is filed under
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Abolish common law system – unbecoming of Fairuz as CJ as well as highly irresponsible to divert attention

The call by Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz  Abdul Halim for the abolition of the common law system and favouring its replacement by Islamic law system is most unbecoming of the highest judicial officer of the land sworn to defend and uphold the Constitution and the Merdeka social contract.

Fairuz was also highly irresponsible in trying to divert attention from his failure to institute judicial reforms to restore public confidence in judicial independence, integrity and meritocracy.

In his speech opening a seminar on the thoughts and academic works of the late Tan Sri Ahmad Ibrahim on Tuesday, Fairuz said (as reported by
Utusan Malaysia’s
 front-page headline news):

Muka Hadapan

Mansuh Common Law — Ketua Hakim Negara mahu perundangan lapuk Inggeris diganti

Oleh Zabry Mohamad

PETALING JAYA 21 Ogos — Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim hari ini mencadangkan rujukan kepada Common Law Inggeris dimansuhkan daripada undang-undang sivil negara ini kerana ia menggambarkan minda pengamal undang-undang tempatan yang masih terjajah.

Beliau juga menegur sesetengah pengamal undang-undang yang terus mengguna pakai Common Law Inggeris dalam kes-kes perbicaraan tertentu.

Sambil menyifatkan mereka sebagai ‘katak di bawah tempurung penjajah’, Ahmad Fairuz menegaskan, gejala tersebut tidak seharusnya berlaku selepas 50 tahun Malaysia mencapai kemerdekaan.

Menurut beliau, setelah negara merdeka selama lima dekad, pakar-pakar perundangan tempatan seharusnya sudah mampu mewujudkan undang-undang yang lebih bermutu dan sesuai dengan keadaan semasa.

”Sudah 50 tahun kita merdeka, sudah 50 tahun kita terlepas daripada cengkaman penjajah, tetapi Seksyen 3 dan 5 Undang-Undang Sivil 1956 masih kekal dalam perundangan kita.

”Apakah ini petanda bahawa Common Law Inggeris itu adalah undang-undang yang paling baik di dunia? Apakah ini petanda bahawa pakar undang-undang kita masih di bawah tempurung penjajah?” soalnya.

Ahmad Fairuz berkata demikian ketika berucap merasmikan seminar mengenai pemikiran ilmiah dan sumbangan Allahyarham Profesor Emeritus Tan Sri Ahmad Ibrahim anjuran Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM) di sini.

Turut hadir ialah Pengerusi IKIM, Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid dan Ketua Pengarah institut itu, Dr. Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas.

Menurut Ketua Hakim Negara, kegagalan memartabatkan perundangan sendiri seolah-olah memperlihatkan Malaysia sudah ketandusan kepakaran sehingga terpaksa meminjam daripada Common Law Inggeris sejak tahun 1957.

Katanya, di Malaysia, Common Law Inggeris masih dirujuk dalam kes-kes mahkamah jika tiada akta undang-undang tempatan yang boleh dipakai sebagaimana terkandung dalam Seksyen 3 dan 5 Akta Undang-Undang Sivil 1956.

Seksyen 3 akta berkenaan memberi laluan kepada mahkamah negara ini untuk mengetepikan Common Law Inggeris, mengutamakannya atau mengambil kira keadaan setempat dalam membuat penghakiman.

Seksyen 5 akta yang sama membenarkan pemakaian seluruh undang-undang perdagangan yang ditadbir di England melainkan jika terdapat undang-undang tempatan.

Ahmad Fairuz memberitahu, sudah tiba masanya kedua-dua seksyen tersebut dipinda dengan memansuhkan semua rujukan kepada Common Law Inggeris dan undang-undang serta kaedah-kaedah ekuiti yang ditadbirkan di England.

Sebagai ganti, menurut beliau, pengamal undang-undang mungkin boleh merujuk kepada keputusan-keputusan mahkamah di negara ini yang mengikut undang-undang tempatan dan memberi keutamaan kepada keadaan di negeri-negeri di Malaysia.

Dalam hubungan ini, beliau mahu pakar undang-undang di Malaysia bersepakat sama ada mahu meneruskan amalan merujuk kepada Common Law.

Jika sebaliknya, tegas beliau, pendekatan baru perlu diambil bagi menggantikan Common Law Inggeris yang dilihat sudah sebati dalam perundangan negara.

Beliau menambah, mungkin juga sudah tiba masanya untuk memartabatkan undang-undang Islam bukan sahaja dalam perundangan negara tetapi juga perundangan antarabangsa.

Sekiranya idea itu diterima, jelas beliau, sudah pasti keharmonian undang-undang sivil dan undang-undang syariah dapat dicetuskan sehingga memberi impak maksimum kepada masyarakat.

Pada majlis itu, Ahmad Fairuz turut melancarkan buku berjudul Permata Pengislahan Perundangan Islam yang merupakan biografi Allahyarham Ahmad Ibrahim.

Ahmad Ibrahim ialah tokoh perundangan yang banyak menyumbang kepada pembangunan perundangan di negara ini khususnya undang-undang Islam.

Beliau merupakan salah seorang peguam dalam perbicaraan kes Natrah, wanita keturunan Belanda yang dibela oleh keluarga Islam dan kemudian dituntut semula oleh keluarga asalnya. Perbicaraan kes Natrah mencetuskan rusuhan di Singapura pada tahun 1950.

Allahyarham yang meninggal dunia pada usia 82 tahun pada 17 April 1999 merupakan profesor undang-undang di Universiti Malaya dan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia.

Is this a speech that should be made by the Chief Justice, knowing that it will create deep divisions and dissensions not only among the judiciary but also among the people for violating the Merdeka social contract as well as scaring off foreign investors  — apart from  going against his oath of office to defend and uphold the Constitution.

If former  Lord President Tun Salleh Abas could be indicted and sacked for, among other things, disregarding the secular basis of the Malaysian Constitution and advocating Islamisation of Malaysian legal system, could Fairuz similarly be referred to a Judicial Tribunal for a similar offence?

Although the motive and timing of Fairuz’ call is most questionable, the call to abolish the common law and increasingly remove the secular character of the Constitution must be taken seriously.

In the past decade, there had been mounting calls for  the abolition of the English common law and its replacement by a Malaysian common law based on the Islamic law system.

There have even been proposals as to how this transformation could be effected, including amendment of the Constitution –

	to provide that rules of Islamic Syariah as a source of law (as in most of the Arab countries) or as the main/principal  source of legislation (as in Egypt and Yemen) or the Quran and Sunnah as the main source of legal rules (as in Saudi Arabia);

	to retain existing laws and legal system, except the laws that on a studied scrutiny are found to be inconsistent with or repugnant to the Quran and Sunnah and, therefore, rendered inoperative; or

	To make all Islamic injunctions as the basis of all laws.

Does Malaysia want to go down the road to abolish the common law system and  to start the process to increasingly replace the secular legal system with an Islamic law system?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 August 2007, 3:56 pm and is filed under
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Federal Ct judge with 33 outstanding judgments – will CJ Fairuz now pick up the gauntlet?

On  Tuesday, Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim flatly denied that there was any Federal Court judge who had not written as many as 30 grounds of judgment.

He said:
“According to our records, we do not have such a thing.  There is no Federal Court judge who has such a big amount of grounds of decisions to write”
.

Today, New Straits Times front page carried a report
“UNWRITTEN JUDGEMENTS: Former High Court judge yet to submit in 33 cases”
 by its reporter V. Anbalagan that Court of Appeal registry’s records revealed that a former High Court judge (who is now a Federal Court judge) did not write grounds of judgment in 33 criminal and civil cases.

The backlog included three criminal cases in Seremban which carried the death penalty.

The judge presided over the cases while serving at the High Court there five years ago.

The rest are civil cases in which he made rulings while there and in Kuala Lumpur between 1999 and 2002.

Anbalagan, who had filed the original NST report on July 23 revealing the judge had not provided written grounds of judgment in at least 30 criminal and civil cases, wrote:

“It is understood that the litigants in all 33 cases had filed notices of appeal against decisions by the judge who is now sitting in the Federal Court.

“Checks with lawyers representing the accused in the three criminal cases revealed that they were still awaiting written grounds to file the memorandum of appeal to the Court of Appeal.

“In one case, the Attorney-General’s Chambers is also awaiting the written judgment as it intends to cross appeal.”

The report also said:

“On Aug 16, it was reported that two men were languishing on Death Row in Kajang prison because the judge who convicted them at the High Court in Seremban had not provided grounds of judgment.

“Another person was also ordered by the same judge to be held at the Sungai Buloh prison at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan on grounds of insanity.”

As the Chief Justice had denied that there is a Federal Court judge with over 30 outstanding grounds of judgment, will Fairuz now pick up the gauntlet and take action against the Federal  Court Judge who has 33 outstanding judgments involving both criminal and civil cases as well as publicly apologise for misleading the Malaysian public that he had been able to head a competent and professional judiciary?

What is most shocking is that Fairuz could seriously propose the Federal Court judge concerned as the Chief Judge of Malaya, precipitating an unprecedented seven-month constitutional crisis with the Conference of Rulers, leaving the vacancy unfilled.

Will Fairuz take out the Federal Court judge concerned from all current Federal Court cases until he had written up all the grounds of judgments of  33 outstanding civil and criminal cases before announcing the suitable form of disciplinary action that should be meted out for such judicial misconduct?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 August 2007, 4:57 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia and the Myth of ‘Tanah Melayu’

By Farish A. Noor

We are sustained by myths only as long as they are empowering, inspiring, instrumental and serve our interests; yet when those very same myths provide us with little else than the false comfort of an unreconstructed nostalgia for a past that never existed, then they turn into cages that imprison us for life. The myth of a unique European ‘civilisational genius’ has only helped to parochialise Europe even more; the staid discourse of ‘Asian values’ merely denies the fact that Asian civilisations would not have

developed as they did without contact with the outside world; and the myth of a pure and uninterrupted development of Indo-Aryan culture has only opened the way for the rise of right-wing Hindutva Fascists in the Indian subcontinent. Notwithstanding their claims to standing proud and tall, the demagogues who utter such pedestrian nonsense remain stunted, as their logic, on the stage of global history: testimony to the claim that those whose confidence is founded in stilts can only remain handicapped for life…

A nation that is grown up is one that is mature enough to realise that it can dispense with such myths, particularly when the honeyed nectar of mythology reveals itself as nothing more than poison. Yet poison has become our draught, and this nation of ours is ailing to the core by now.

The symptoms of the malady are all around us these days and we see them readily enough: As the asinine debate over a rap rendition of the national anthem turns bilious and takes on an increasingly racialised mien, forcing all sides to retreat to the hallowed sanctuary of communal and racial identity, the nation’s attention has been diverted from truly pressing issues concerning the economy and the spate of potentially explosive legal cases currently being fought out in the courts of the land.

The vernacular press assumes the role of champions of each respective community, and racial overtones are clearly seen and felt in the language of national politics. Yet nobody points to the real issue at stake, even if we need to discuss the rap video rendered by the young Wee Meng Chee, which surely should be this: If a young Malaysian has seen fit to deliver his

tirade against all that he sees wrong in the country in terms that are racially-determined, is this not a reflection of the racialised and divisive politics that already reigns in Malaysia, courtesy of the ruling National Front coalition led by UMNO in the first place? The racialised logic that rests in Meng Chee’s rap is only a mirror reflection of the racialised politics already at work in Malaysia already. So are we Malaysians so ashamed of ourselves that we can no longer look at ourselves squarely in the face and accept the monstrosity that stands before us today?

Yet the editorials in the vernacular press are baying for blood and Meng Chee, they insist, must be brought to book. Amidst this furore of chest-thumping theatrics and protestations of communal insult and outrage, we hear the communitarians among us blare out again and again: ‘Jangan tunduk’, ‘Defend our pride’, ‘kurang ajar’ and so forth. No, reason and rational debate are no longer welcomed in Malaysia that is ‘truly Asia’, and this homeland for some will demand its pound of flesh from others. Meng Chee is not the first and certainly will not be the last to suffer from the slighted sensitivities of those whose comfort zones and essentialised identities are sacrosanct and inviolable. Previously others have also been brought to the village tribunal of the mob for allegedly insulting race and religion as well. (Here I write from bitter experience myself.)

Yet the irony of ironies behind this tableau of flaring tempers and heated emotions is the skewered (and now silenced) appeal for us, as one nation, to remain united and to respect the diversity among us. The sonorous voice of the state trembles and falters as it mouths this language of double-speak that fails to convince: On the one hand we maintain the lie — and it is a lie, let us admit that at least — that this is a happy land of multiculturalism and diversity where every shade of colour in the pluralist rainbow is represented and has its place. On the other hand the very same mouth that utters these sweet platitudes tells us that not far beneath the diversity and pluralism that rests on the scratched surface of Malaysia is the understated understanding that some communities — or rather one in particular — deserves a better place in the sun; namely, the Bumiputeras. Why?

Have we become a schitzophrenic nation blissfully unaware of the contradictions that have become so heartbreakingly apparent to others? Meng Chee’s unpardonable ‘offence’ was to have slighted the pride and identity of one community which claims to be part of Malaysia and yet remains strangely aloof from the rest of us. The great act of treason he is accused of committing — offending the dignity of a specific community and its creed — rings hollow when we consider the bile and vitriol that has emanated from the leaders of that community itself, ranging from the drawing of daggers in public to the language of blood and belonging that has been repeated, time and again, by its leaders. The soap box orators of UMNO and its Youth Wing in particular have demanded that others respect the special rights and privileges of the Malays, while forgetting the fact that for the past five decades we — Malaysians — have had to put up with their own brand of small town politics incessantly.

Yet this discourse of communal pride and identity is sustained by one crucial myth: that this land of ours is a competed and contested territory where two nations are in constant competition: The nation-state called ‘Malaysia’ and the mythical land called ‘Tanah Melayu’.

Tanah Melayu Revisited

The skin of the demagogue is ever so sensitive, so fragile, in the face of the sound argument. As soon as the mention of a contrary idea is made, it bristles and reacts; the hand reaches for the keris; the foot steps on the soap-box; the mouth opens to utter the word ‘May’ to be followed by the cryptic number thirteen…

Perhaps the sensitivity we see can be accounted for by the fact that the corpus of postcolonial ethno-nationalist politics in this country is sustained by the singular myth that this patch of God’s earth was and is a land that ‘belongs’ to one community in particular. From that myth issues forth the other related claims to special privileges, special rights, special allocations and entitlements.

The myth is sustained by the idea put forth that prior to the coming-into-being of this nation called ‘Malaysia’ there was once this

mythical land called ‘Tanah Melayu’. Yet the historian would be hard pressed indeed to find a source to back this claim, for the embarrassing thing about our epic histories and hikayats of old is that there is scarcely a mention of the word. For years — if not more than a decade by now — I have been looking for this mythical land so loved and cherished by the young bloods and hotspurs of UMNO, yet I have never discovered it. The Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa (written in stages between the late 17th to 18th centuries) does not mention it; nor does the Hikayat Patani, the Taj-us-Salatin (Mahkota Segala Raja-Raja), the Hikayat Shah Mardan, Hikayat Inderaputera, Silsilah Bugis, Hikayat Pasai, Hikayat Siak, etc.

And finally one day while trawling through the flea markets and antique bazaars of Europe I came across a dull and worn-out copper coin with the word ‘Tanah Melayu’ stamped on it, dating to the late 19th century.

Having taken it home, I looked it up in the reference books I had only to discover that it was one of those hybrid coins of dubious worth that were used in the trade between European colonial companies then stationed in Singapore and Malacca with Malay traders from the (then weakened) Malay sultanates on the Peninsula. Used as loose coinage in commercial transactions that were at best unequal and at worst exploitative to the Malay traders then, the coins had a decidedly counterfeit feel to them, and

while registering the lightness of its weight in the palm of my hand, the thought came to me: That this coin, with the word ‘Tanah Melayu’ stamped on it in Jawi alphabet, sums up the irony of the past and the painful realities of colonialism then. The Malay kingdoms had been colonised, sidelined and diminished, and all that was given back to the Malays was a dull copper coin with the myth of ‘Tanah Melayu’ stamped on it in so casual a manner.

Colonialism had robbed the natives of Asia of their lands, their history and culture; introduced the divisive politics of race and ethnicity as part of the ideology of divide and rule, and had created a plural economy where the colonial masters reigned supreme. In the decades and centuries to come the colonised subjects would be doubly colonised again as they internalised the

logic and epistemology of Empire, thereby completing the work of the colonial masters who had colonised their lands, stolen their resources, but not altered their minds.

Today, as race-based ethno-nationalist politics prevails in Malaysia and while our communities remain divided along sectarian race and religion-based lines, we lament the loss of the Malaysian ideal that was perhaps never there in the first place. The hounding of bloggers, activists and students like Meng Chee is a reminder that the frontiers of race, religion and ethnicity remain as permanent scars that have disfigured the landscape of our nation, apparently permanently.

And as the virulent voices in the vernacular editorials of the local press call for vengeance against Meng Chee, perhaps they should ask themselves this simple and honest question: For half a century now the so-called ‘non-Malays’ of Malaysia have been asked to attest their loyalty and commitment to the Malaysian idea and ideal; to relegate their cultural history to the background; to adopt the national language, culture and even dress in an attempt to assimilate to the reality of life in Malaysia.

But tell me, dear reader, how many Malays in Malaysia are truly Malaysian; and how many Malays think of themselves as Malaysian and are committed to that very same ideal of a Malaysian Malaysia? Are the Malays Malaysians who live in Malaysia? Or are the Malays still living in the mythological land of ‘Tanah Melayu’, an idea dreamt of by Orientalist scholars and administrators during the colonial era, as a worthless compensation to a people who had been colonised and whose pride was reduced to the worth of a copper coin?

End of Part 1.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 August 2007, 10:44 am and is filed under
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Urgent Monday motion – no RM4.6 bil PKFZ bailout without full parliamentary accountability and prior sanction

I have given notice to the Speaker of Parliament, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move an urgent motion when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes on Monday — that there should be no bail-out of the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)  scandal unless there is full parliamentary accountability and  prior   Parliamentary sanction.

In my notice, I pointed out that there have  so far been  no proper accountability to Parliament whether by the  Transport Minister or the Finance Minister  about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal despite the exposes in the public domain, such as:

	(i) Hanky-panky in the purchase of the 1,000 acres for the PKFZ, despite objections by the Finance Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Chambers;

 (ii) mismanagement  resulting in the pull-out  of Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (Jafza) from the project, which could become a “white elephant”; and

(iii) questionable cost-overruns of the PKFZ, ballooning to RM4.63 billion from the original estimate of RM1.1 billion.

	The unlawful and unauthorized  Transport Ministry issue of four  “letters of support” which were used by the turnkey contractor – Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) – to raise RM4.6 billion bonds and get an AAA rating from the Malaysia Rating Corporation Bhd. for the PKFZ project.

	Why  the government and the 26 million Malaysians must now bear responsibility if there is  a RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout despite earlier assurances that the PKFZ project  would be feasible,  self-financing and would not involve a single ringgit of public funds.

	Why the Prime Minister is breaching his undertaking of no bailout of mega-billion-ringgit “white elephant” projects — set to be the biggest financial scandal at the beginning of  any Prime Minister.

I stressed.that Parliament and Malaysians are entitled to know why the disgraceful culture of impunity continues to be perpetuated with no one, whether the previous or past Transport Minister or both,  being held responsible for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 23 August 2007, 1:29 pm and is filed under
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High tension electrical tower in Rawang safe?

Received an email from UK from  a consulting engineer, KC Tang,  raising questions about the safety of the high tension electrical tower in Rawang, which had been in the news lately over the protest by the affected residents.

The email reads:

I came across this article in Sinchew online and thought the comments by  Tang See Hang saying Tenaga quoted that the high powered line only affects people ‘directly’ under the cables but not outside are so misleading.

I am a consulting engineer (originally from Malaysia) working in London (www.idac.co.uk) and I do a lot of engineering simulations.  I did a project for National Grid here a while back to investigate the current induced in a human body near some transmission lines and the electromagnetic fields is more widespread than the direct line between the cable and the ground.  There is clear guidance over here for the safe, allowable induced current in the body of occupational workers and public (yes there are certainly some induced current when you are exposed to the electromagnetic fields) and the 10 feet he quoted as not having any adverse effects is VERY, VERY alarming and wrong.  Are there any guidelines in Malaysia for this sort of installation?

Scientists have mixed reaction to this issue but there is a report showing evidence that electromagnetic fields may be linked to cancer hence the existence of straight guidelines in developed countries.  There are a lot of information you can obtain from this website
http://www.emfs.info/issue_NRPBlimits.asp
.

The Rawang high-tension electricity tower controversy had drawn  further protests, including school children, as reported in Malaysiakini yesterday:

Tower…ing protest in Rawang draws 500

Bede Hong

Aug 23, 07 7:24pm

About 500 people, comprising some 100 school children and 400 adults, protested the construction of a high tension electrical tower in Rawang New Village today, fearful that its power transmission lines would be detrimental to their health.

The tower, adjacent to SJK(C) Sun Yuk, is part of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)’s upgrade plans that were mooted following major blackouts in the Klang Valley in 2005. The new power lines will carry 240KV from its current 33KV.

Villagers gathered at the school compound today as piling construction began. The school children, who were attending holiday tutoring, participated after class.

“Protest! Protest! Protest!” chanted the children, waving their arms as the adults stood by. They carried placards that read “Chinese ministers: Pay attention to the grievances of villagers and students” and “Education Ministry: Please be concerned with the health of teachers and students.”

Half a dozen enforcement officers monitored from the construction site.

The tower was first proposed in 2005. A TNB relocation compensation plan for 51 families was rejected this year.

Residents voiced concern over the electro magnetic field (EMF) generated by the power lines.

“We are afraid of the ill-effects of having power cables right over the heads of villagers. We want the tower to be relocated to somewhere more isolated,” SJK(C) Sun Yuk board of directors chairperson Lee Foo Wang told a press conference at the school.

“This is merely a question of whether money or lives are more important,” he said.

Further talks possible

Lee added that the school faces a potential “exodus” of students and teachers.

“We cannot support anything that would harm the children. We don’t want to risk that,” said the school’s Parents Teachers Association president Lim Siew Wah.

Meanwhile, Selayang assemblyperson and state ex-co Tang See Hang said the proposal to relocate the tower was rejected by TNB but did not rule out further negotiations.

Villagers have filed a court injunction which will be heard at the Kuala Lumpur High Court next Tuesday. Tang proposed the village’s action committee meet up with Minister of Energy, Water and Telecommunication Dr Lim Keng Yaik to further negotiate.

“I’m a responsible state assemblyperson. I have tried my best, but TNB has rejected the proposal. TNB is also angry at me for delaying the project for two years. Don’t blame MCA for not helping. It is not fair to me,” he told a press conference at the Gombak district office today.

He said he was told by TNB that relocating the power lines would cost an additional RM100 million.

On Monday, four villagers were arrested following a scuffle with TNB workers at the construction site. Over 150 villagers were involved in that protest.

Although no medical study has proven a conclusive link, many health experts believe that long term exposure to EMFs causes nausea, headaches and in some, even leukemia.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 24 August 2007, 4:55 pm and is filed under
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Kong Choy should own up – how many of the 4 unlawful “letters of support” for RM4.6 billion PKFZ bonds were signed by him

Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy chickened out of the special press conference yesterday on the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, which was only attended by his press secretary.

Is this because Chan is aware that he would have to face many difficult and embarrassing questions about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal which he would not be able to answer satisfactorily and he decided that the better of valour was  to avoid the media altogether on the issue?

Chan must own up – how many of the four “Letters of Support” for Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd.’s RM4.6 billion bonds for PKFZ project was signed by him as Transport Minister and why he should not be censured in Parliament for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal in giving such unlawful government guarantees without authority from the Finance Ministry  resulting in the AAA rating from the Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd — and now given as the main reason why the government has to undertake the bailout of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ.

Kuala Dimensi is  not only the company which sold the 1,000 acres of land for the PKFZ  to Port Klang Authority (PKA) at RM25 per sq ft  or some 20 times the cost of its acquisition of the land four years earlier in 1999 at RM3 per sq ft but also the turnkey contractor for RM1.85 billion development of the PKFZ.

The press conference by the PKFZ  business development general manager Chia Kon Leong had failed to answer the many pertinent questions concerning accountability, transparency and integrity of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ as well as its  feasibility and viability.

Chia said that PKFZ aims to be self-sustaining in 2012 when it is targeted  to have an 80  per cent occupancy rate, equivalent to housing between 650 to 700 companies, when it would generate RM80 million annually.

The PKFZ project was sold by Kuala Dimensi to the government on the understanding and undertaking that it would be feasible, self-financing and would not need a single ringgit of public funding from the very beginning.

At the rate of generating RM80 million revenue annually from 2012, it would take PKFZ 57.5 years to recover the RM4.6 billion investments or to be more correct “mis-investments” — i.e. till  2070!

Parliament must be given all the details about the government bailout of the PKFZ by way of a RM4.6 billion soft loan to the PKA.  It is said that details of the bailout are being finalized.

I call on all MPs, including Barisan Nasional MPs, to take a common stand to support the parliamentary  principle that there should not be any government bailout of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal unless and until there is full parliamentary accountability and prior parliamentary sanction.

The PKFZ scandal is not only an acid test of the National Integrity Plan launched by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi three years ago but whether Parliament is able to have a mind of its own or  just  a mere  rubber-stamp of the Executive to blindly and unthinkingly approve whatever is decided by the Cabinet, heedless of the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity.  Next week will decide whether all the talk about a “First-World Parliament” in the past three years should be buried for good.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 24 August 2007, 10:18 am and is filed under
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