Transformation starts with transition

By
Thomas Lee

In one of my recent postings on Facebook, I stated that my choice for Prime Minister is Nurul Izzah, the intellectual and independent-minded eldest daughter of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

My good old friend Chong Phow Yew asked why I opted for the unbranded maverick young lady, and not veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang or his popular luminous son Guan Eng.

True, either Kit Siang or Guan Eng will make a first-class PM, perhaps even better than Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

But the political reality in Malaysia is such that as long as the race factor is the major consideration in Malaysia, the pragmatism is that the time is not ripe yet for the acceptance of a non-Malay PM, even if the person is a Chinese Muslim. It took the US more than 200 years to finally accept and elect a Black American as its president. Even so, President Barrack Obama’s religious faith is a matter of controvery until now.

A period of transition is needed, during which liberal moderate and intelligent Malays like Nurul Izzah, Zaid Ibrahim, Khalid Ibrahim, Nizar Jammuludin, Khalid Samad, Harris Ibrahim, Raja Putra Kamarudin and many others, who have no racial inferiority complex, no intellectual insecurity, and no social inadequacy, could initiate a mental revolution among the new generation of Malaysians to have a broadened perspective in life and thoughts.

Hence, I strongly support the sending of our students overseas for further studies, hoping that the exposure, experience and education would help in broadening their worldview and transforming them to be more rational, inclusive and judicious in their life and thought, with a real discreet sense of values and wisdom.

Unfortunately, this is not happening, as most of them who are supposed to be “educated” nowadays seem to lack the intelligence and intellectual capacity, the sagacious discernment, good judgment, and astute ability to accurately assess situations or people. Some are downright dishonest to what they personally know and understand, and sell their souls and principles for the sake of money, positions and power. Take the case of one who calls himself an “intellectual” who wrote a doctorate thesis on the evil of the Internal Security Act (ISA), but who rebuts his own research findings by endorsing and supporting the oppressive law when offered a top government post.

Basically, what is woefully wrong in our nation is the fundamental lack of a clear and comprehensible education philosophy based on truth, honesty, scholarly orientation, and an objective worldview. What we are having now is a baffling perplexing education system premised upon racial and political expediency, with nary a concern for the real mental and intellectual development of the young minds. Even a very ingenuous matter like the learning of languages such as English or mother tongues has been turned into a controversial polemic dispute with an ugly racial overtone.

The recent proposal by the federal government to make History a must-pass subject in the SPM has, not surprisingly, elicited reactions and responses from various quarters, mostly concerned about the reinterpretation and reenactment of the local history based on racial factors.

History per se is a very subjective subject, involving the interpretation of events, facts and figures. The narration of historical events is generally coloured by the personal perception, bias, and skewed orientation of the interpreter. The fact that an event took place could not be disputed, but how and why it happened are subjected to interpretation by the historian. The May 13 incident, for example, did happen, but there are many versions of how and why it happened, depending on who is doing the interpretation and reporting of the incident.

Hence, the study of History in our schools is a highly contentious and querulous matter, especially with regards to the official textbooks which are perceived by many people to be tainted with twisted inferences to promote certain racial agenda or political objective.

What we need now is to work for a real transformation of our nation into a truly demoncratic liberal society with thriving and flourishing fundamental common universal values such as the acceptance and respect for each other, without the discriminative coloured considerations of racial, religious, cultural, linguistic, gender, and economic class status. The basic human, civil, and constitutional rights of all citizens must be preserved, protected and promoted.

The destiny of our nation and the fate of our children are in our own hands, and what we, as citizens of Malaysia, must do is to stand up and be counted, by doing our individual part in the promotion, persuasion, and performance of tranforming our nation into a place where everyone of us is proud to call home. Don’t allow the march to Putrajaya to turn from a virtual dream into a dreadful nightmare!

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 10 November 2010, 5:06 am and is filed under
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ASEAN must strengthen UN efforts to bring about peace and justice in Burma/Myanmar

For the AIPMC, the election in Burma/Myanmar was already a foregone conclusion.

We did not consider them an election at all. In fact, we named them a non-election for the country’s people.

Our conclusion was based on careful scrutiny of the facts on the ground, including a strictly controlled constitution-drafting process, a rigged referendum in the midst of the disaster caused by Cyclone Nargis, the use of the election laws and other laws to exclude the opposition, the widespread intimidation of political candidates and the exclusion of significant sections of the electorate from the electoral process.

Today, we are horrified that our worst fears are turning into reality. The counting process of the votes has not been transparent, and complaints about advance voting fraud and other irregularities are growing stronger. Burma/Myanmar’s Union Election Commission now needs to heed the call of the country’s citizens and political parties to ensure a transparent counting process, investigate all claims and refuse to certify any results until these investigations are complete.

ASEAN has welcomed the elections in Burma/Myanmar as a significant step forward in the implementation of the regime’s seven-step road map. The AIPMC does not share this assessment. These elections were a fake. They are not going to bring about a government by the people, with the people and for the people, a government that will wholeheartedly seek the sustainable development of Burma/Myanmar and its people.

Together with many others, the AIPMC had previously stated its belief that elections under oppression are unlikely to bring peace. Instead, they are a route to increasing violence and growing instability. Sadly, it did not take long for our predictions to come true. The polling booths had hardly closed on Election Day when fighting erupted along the Thai-Burma/Myanmar border, sending scores of refugees across the border to safety in Thailand.

More disaster is looming. These elections have reignited ethnic tensions. This week’s fighting confirms the views of those skeptics who had opposed the manner in which these elections were conducted in the first place. But the situation could deteriorate further. In a worst case scenario, Burma/Myanmar could see a return to the civil war that has already wrecked havoc on the country and its people.

The AIPMC fully share the position of ASEAN that Burma/Myanmar needs to continue to accelerate the process of national reconciliation and democratization, for stability and development in the country.

AIPMC also shares ASEAN’s view that Burma/Myanmar needs to work with ASEAN and the United Nations in this process. But ASEAN needs to put its words into action. The credibility of the organization is at stake over the crisis in Burma/Myanmar. ASEAN now needs to focus its efforts.

Burma/Myanmar’s recent cooperation with the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma/Myanmar is a good step, but hardly sufficient. ASEAN must take a lead in pressing upon Burma/Myanmar the need to work closely with the UN.

The most severe violations of human rights in Burma/Myanmar are taking place in ethnic nationality areas. Credible reports have in recent years stated that these abuses could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. A return to fighting would increase the risk of fresh abuses and of new waves of refugees entering neighbouring countries.

The AIPMC therefore calls on ASEAN to support a proposal by the UN Special Rapporteur to establish a Commission of Inquiry under UN auspices to look into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar, and to take practical steps towards its establishment

The root cause of the crisis in Burma/Myanmar is the lack of national reconciliation. The UN has long sought to facilitate a process for tripartite dialogue between the military regime, the pro-democracy opposition under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, and the ethnic groups.

The AIPMC calls on ASEAN to put in place a peace-building mechanism that will enable the UN to play this role more effectively so that such a tripartite dialogue can truly come about.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 11 November 2010, 2:44 pm and is filed under
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Calling May 13, 1969 ‘sacred’ is sacrilegious

by
John Baptist

The Malaysian Insider

November 11, 2010

I read with disgust Zaini Hassan describing in the Utusan Malaysia the tragic May 13, 1969 incident as “sacred”. The Oxford Dictionary defines sacred as either “connected with God or a god; considered to be holy” or “very important and treated with great respect.”

From general reading, the incident involved carnage, destruction of private and public property, ruining of families, instilling of fear, the destruction of years of trust between the races built by our forefathers and the maligning of our nation in the eyes of the world, setting us back years in the terms of our economic potential.

I need take only carnage to exemplify that it is prohibited by all religions and hence cannot sit comfortably within the first definition of “sacred” by the Oxford Dictionary.

Let us then consider the second definition given by the same dictionary which I fervently hope that Zaini was referring to. Was May 13 an important event? It certainly was! Is it to be treated with great respect? In my humble view, the answer to this question would depend on the perspective one takes on the incident.

My personal view of the incident is this — a small group of individuals, claiming to be representatives of their entire race, feigning concern for their welfare and ignoring the precept that “the means we use should be as pure as the ends we seek”, resorted to violence as Cain did Abel, to advance their personal agendas. These same individuals would today shamelessly tell us not to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations of our grievances, though constitutionally guaranteed, but to resort to the ballot box!

Forty-one years later, having held the reins of government in the intervening period, they have all but admitted their failure to truly address the woes of our Malay sisters and brothers. Whilst on this point, it is imperative to note that not every Malay took to the street on the day of the incident, neither did they endorse the conduct of those claiming to be their representatives, whom I prefer to remember as agent provocateurs.

The main lessons I would take from the incident are that as a nation we must never resort to violence to address our grievances, preferring peaceful discourse only, and that we must never allow any Malaysian to languish in poverty unless it be a personal choice. Regardless of whence or whom the call for violence may come, we must resolutely oppose it. Save for these lessons, I call for the complete exorcism of the ghosts of May 13, 1969!

I would like to end this article by contrasting Zaini’s view with that of our beloved first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who said this of the incident — “…. it really pains me as the Father of Merdeka to have to relive those terrible moments. I have often wondered why God made me live long enough to have witnessed my beloved Malays and Chinese citizens killing each other.” The late Tunku, I reckon, would have died a second death after reading Zaini’s view.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 11 November 2010, 8:25 pm and is filed under
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Last refuge of a scoundrel

By
Kee Thuan Chye
 | Nov 11, 10

Malaysiakini

COMMENT
 “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” So said Samuel Johnson, the famous British man of letters. He is believed to have said that to condemn the false use of the term “patriotism”.

The same can be applied to Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. However, in the Malaysian context, it might be read as “When you want to malign some people, you call them unpatriotic”.

In Parliament recently, this minister said that among the reasons for the small number of Chinese and Indians joining the armed forces was their lack of patriotism. It was so sweeping, so unsupported by evidence, that it could amount to nothing more than a false claim. What was his real motive for saying what he said?

More than that, it is indeed false patriotism to say that if you don’t join the army, you are not patriotic. Nothing could be more ridiculous than that. It is the same kind of thinking that goes along these lines – “if you are not with me, then you are not patriotic”.

Extended further, it is the same kind of thinking that informs the BN propaganda – if you don’t vote for BN, you are not patriotic. This, of course, is the ultimate hogwash.

Patriotism can be expressed in many ways that people tend to overlook. Those who campaign against a government that is corrupt because they want to see reform and the emergence of a better country are patriots. Those who stand up in defence of our institutions and our freedoms are patriots. Those who uphold principles in the work they do daily are patriots. Those who go out daily to do a decent day’s work to earn an income to feed their family and pay their taxes are patriots.

Unfortunately, our government has a narrow definition of patriotism. Apart from joining the army, it’s flying the national flag on Merdeka Day. The latter preoccupation is mostly surface display. What counts more is the intrinsic feeling a Malaysian has for his country. I don’t believe in flag-waving but I can bet that I’m more of a patriot than corrupt politicians who seek to suck our riches dry.

Truth to be told

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the US, has something significant to share on one of the meanings of patriotism:

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country.

“It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”

In these volatile times and in the face of the many trials we are going through, these words should strike a chord among Malaysians. Now is the time to tell the truth – not to hide it, to manipulate it, or to dish out the ultimate hogwash.

Samuel Johnson was someone who valued true patriotism. For a poignant example of that in our own country, we need only look at the Second World War and ask who the true patriots were at the time.

Who fought the Japanese when the British army had surrendered and fled? To some Malaysians, it is taboo to consider the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) patriotic, but the evidence suggests the contrary.

How can the CPM not be considered patriotic when it refused to give in to the Japanese while other Malayans took the easy option of collaborating with the enemy? And although there were valiant Malays and Indians in the CPM, who were most of its members if not Chinese?

Of course, the fact that the CPM provided patriotic resistance against the Japanese is not known by many Malaysians. It has been expunged or distorted in our history books.

The current History syllabus at SPM level is clearly written by the victors, i.e. BN, mostly Umno. Just look at the Malaysian section of the textbook and you will see how the subjective selection of what goes into it serves to manipulate the truth.

Now that it has been decreed that History is to be a must-pass subject at SPM, you can bet the new syllabus will be constructed to further serve the victors’ cause. Malaysians would be naïve to believe that “history is history and we cannot concoct something that is not history”, as said by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. While they may not concoct, they can nonetheless construct.

History is a construct. It is not objective; it can be manipulated. How it is told depends on who is writing it. If Muhyiddin does not know that – which is unlikely – we at least should be aware.

Yap Ah Loy and Co

MCA president Chua Soi Lek could have been more explicit and to-the-point when he responded to Ahmad Zahid’s statement.

He could have mentioned Chin Peng and the CPM.

He could have mentioned the sacrifices of Yap Ah Loy and his band of 87 miners who were the first to set up a mining camp at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, 17 of whom died within the first month from malaria. That became the base from which Kuala Lumpur grew.

He could have mentioned the late Tan Chee Khoon who worked tirelessly to promote non-communal politics in Malaysia, and who fought against attempts to pervert the Constitution.

It is not enough for Chua to make general statements saying that the Chinese remained loyal to the country during the Japanese Occupation and the Indonesian confrontation, to illustrate the patriotism of the Chinese. He needs to give concrete examples.

His party has expressed concern about what the content of the new SPM History syllabus will be. Will the MCA do all it can to ensure that the new construct will include truths from various sides? Will it do all it can to ensure that the new syllabus reflects the patriotism of Malaysians regardless of race?

M. Kulasegaran, the MP for Ipoh Barat, made an important and pertinent point when he reminded Malaysians that non-Malays had headed the armed forces before, citing the excellent example of Rear-Admiral K Thanabalasingam, who was appointed the first Malaysian chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy in 1967.

How many Malaysians knew that? Would that be reflected in the new History syllabus?

There was a time when an Indian could be the chief of the country’s navy. When will that ever happen again? Meanwhile, is there any wonder that non-Malays are not keen to join the armed forces?

Ahmad Zahid, why don’t you tell us the truth?

KEE THUAN CHYE is the author of ‘March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up’, which just won 3rd prize in the Popular Readers’ Choice Awards. It has also been translated into Chinese.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 11 November 2010, 3:14 pm and is filed under
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Non-Malay patriotism: what is the truth

By
Dr Lim Teck Ghee | CPI

Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should be commended for stating in Parliament that the reason Chinese and Indians made up only a tiny proportion of Army recruits was because their “patriotism spirit is not high enough”. This is because he has inadvertently brought out into the open a perception which is shared by the majority of Malay leaders and also possibly by a very large proportion of the Malay population. It is a perception that should not be suppressed – on the contrary, it needs to be fully aired and dissected so that rational thinking and fact-based policy formulation shall prevail.

What has been criticized as a “racially biased, shallow and chauvinistic” statement questioning the loyalty of young Malaysians may in fact be correct. Non-Malays may be much less patriotic than Malays which accounts for their low enrolment in the military and civil service, as well as for their lack of participation in other national activities when patriotism and loyalty to the country are showcased. But it could also be wrong as it ignores other factors that may be instrumental in explaining the low number of recruits.

In many countries of the world, it has been found that the main factor underlying military recruitment is the socio-economic class that recruits come from. This is likely to be a major explanation for the past and current trend of recruitment in Malaysia too. It is unlikely that we will find recruits coming from youths of the middle or upper class of Malaysian society – whatever their community or sense of patriotism – now or in the future.

The only way to find out whether this larger perception of the lack of loyalty and patriotism of non-Malays — as compared with other communities — is correct or wrong is to carry out rigorous studies on the disputed subject and not to silence the messenger. Following from these rigorous studies and the wide dissemination of their findings, a more rational discussion and analysis can take place in Parliament and in the public arena.

It is important that these studies on the subject of patriotism and loyalty amongst different communities in the country as well as on the related issues of the lack of non-Malay participation in the army and other sectors of the public service should be conducted by credible and independent researchers. In view of the sensitive and controversial nature of the topics, it may be too much to expect our local social scientists and researchers to conduct these studies without fear or favour.

Outsourcing the studies to reputable institutions from abroad which have a strong track record for carrying out ethnic perception research – in collaboration with local teams – may be a possible way forward in carrying out these urgently needed studies.

At the same time, there is a need to sustain the public space to explore, analyse, and arrive at a more informed, coherent, and sympathetic understanding of how our multi-ethnic society works and does not work. For that reason, we should not seek to silence these statements, baseless or shallow or insensitive as they may be. If politicians in the country remain true to the facts and their views are based on the scrupulous adherence to evidence produced by researchers and more informed stakeholders, it can only benefit our nation by holding them to higher standards of knowledge, responsibility and governance.

Finally, if there is indeed a lack of loyalty and patriotism amongst young non-Malays, then clearly the country is in deep trouble and we should address the root causes immediately.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 11 November 2010, 4:41 pm and is filed under
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Why only very inclusive and 1Malaysia speeches/statements before by-elections but racist slurs and very anti-1Malaysia sentiments especially after Umno/BN by-election victories?

Malaysians are entitled to ask the reason for the recent phenomenon – why only very inclusive and 1Malaysia speeches/statements before by-elections but racist slurs and very anti-1Malaysia sentiments especially after Umno/Barisan Nasional by-election victories?

Two days before the Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections on November 4, 2010, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech to the World Chinese Economic Forum was described as a “reaching out” to the Chinese Malaysian Community conceding that Malaysia’s 2020 goal of a developed nation might fail without its support.

Najib’s speech said:

“Malaysia would not be what it is today without the industry, expertise and dedication of the Malaysian Chinese community.

“Likewise, there will be a bleak future for Malaysia without the Chinese community’s support. We would clearly fall short of reaching the goals to become a developed nation by 2020.”

However, very opposite sentiments seem to have the upper hand immediately after the Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections with obnoxious statements and a very serious slur against the Malaysian Chinese and Indians made in less than one week of the two by-elections on November 4.

On Tuesday, 9th November, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi insulted Malaysian Chinese and

Indians when he told Parliament during question time that the low participation of non-Malays especially among the Chinese and Indians in the military could be due to “lack of patriotism”.

The next day, Wednesday, 10th November, 2010, the Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia carried a

prominent article which described May 13 as “a sacred day” and a day to be celebrated.

It is unfortunate that my supplementary question to the Deputy Home Minister Datuk Abu Seman in Parliament yesterday was not allowed by the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin, as I had wanted to know whether the joint committee set up by Home Ministry to deal with offensive, sensitive and seditious media reports would be acting on Utusan Malaysia’s article glorifying May 13 as “a sacred day” – when it is the blackest day in the history of Malaysia which cost the lives of Malaysians of all ethnic groups.

As Utusan Malaysia is Umno mouthpiece, the article must be taken even more seriously as it tantamounts to a public repudiation of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy.

How can the Prime Minister expect his “inclusive” 1Malaysia concept and policy to command credibility as well as national and international confidence when there is so much flip-flops demonstrating a Jekyll-and-Hyde dimension?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 12 November 2010, 2:56 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia Seeks World Bank Help to Cut Spending, Trim Deficit

By
Soraya Permatasari and Barry Porter
 | Bloomberg

Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) — Malaysia will ask the World Bank to help in the country’s efforts to cut government spending as Prime Minister Najib Razak seeks to reduce the budget deficit from a 22-year high.

The nation is asking the Washington-based lender to review all areas of government expenditure, including how state contracts are awarded, to prevent waste from inefficiency, Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Malaysia hopes the study will bolster the government’s credibility, he said.

“We just want a third party as a check and balance,” said Ahmad Husni, 58. An annual audit of spending at state agencies has shown “some negative findings and we hope that with the involvement of the World Bank, in the future we can see a clean sheet,” he said.

Narrowing the fiscal gap that dates to the Asian financial crisis more than a decade ago would help boost chances of lifting Malaysia’s credit rating, which is currently below that of China and Taiwan. Greater confidence in the Southeast Asian nation’s finances may also help bolster Najib’s efforts to lure investment and rejuvenate an economy that may be overtaken by neighboring Singapore this year.

Growth slowed to an average 4.7 percent a year in the past decade from 7.2 percent in the 1990s, when then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad developed highways and built the world’s tallest twin towers.

Halving Gap

Najib, 57, plans to halve the budget gap in the next five years by cutting subsidies, widening the tax base and reducing expenses, according to a five-year plan he unveiled in June that targeted a shortfall of 2.8 percent of GDP in 2015. The finance ministry expects the budget gap to narrow to 5.4 percent of GDP in 2011 from 5.6 percent this year.

Still, the prime minister refrained from detailing plans to reduce subsidies further or introduce a goods and services tax in his Oct. 15 budget speech.

“There was criticism that Malaysia was too light on reducing operational expenses,” said Vishnu Varathan, an economist at Capital Economics in Singapore. “Malaysia wants to show that efforts to reduce the budget deficit will be addressed promptly and that’s why they are seeking the help of an international organization.”

The government is also doing a study with a consultant to recover an estimated 5 billion ringgit ($1.6 billion) in revenue that it believes it’s failed to collect, Ahmad Husni said. He didn’t say where the additional funds will come from.

Credit Rating

Last year’s budget shortfall of 7 percent of gross domestic product was the biggest since 1987, and the country hasn’t had a surplus since 1997. Standard & Poor’s rates the country’s debt A-, the fourth-lowest investment grade that places the Asian nation below China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

Malaysia’s credit standing “is constrained by its weak fiscal position,” S&P said in June.

The country said in October it will further postpone the implementation of a goods and services levy intended to broaden the tax base. Najib trimmed subsidies for sugar, gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas in July to save more than 750 million ringgit in government expenditure. Malaysia spends about 73 billion ringgit a year on subsidies, he said in April.

The reduction in subsidies will be done gradually, Idris Jala, a minister in the Prime Minister’s department, said in an interview in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, yesterday. The government aims to keep inflation below 4 percent even as prices rise with the subsidy cuts, he said.

Singapore Overtakes

Singapore’s GDP will rise as much as 15 percent to about $210 billion, while the economy of Malaysia will expand 7 percent to $205 billion, government forecasts show.

In September, Malaysia’s government unveiled private sector-led projects worth $444 billion that it said can spur investment. The country plans to build six highways, a mass- transit rail system and a 100-floor, 5 billion-ringgit tower in and around the Kuala Lumpur.

Gamuda Bhd. and MMC Corp., which proposed the mass-transit system, will likely be the master planners, assuming they come up with the best pricing, Ahmad Husni said. Once approved, the project will be broken down into smaller packages that will be tendered openly, he said.

The economy may expand 5 percent to 6 percent next year after growing 7 percent in 2010, according to the Ministry of Finance. Husni said the country aims to achieve 6 percent growth next year.

The World Bank said this week Asian economies may need to turn to capital controls as quantitative easing by the U.S. threatens to spur asset bubbles in the region.

Malaysia isn’t considering capital controls for now, though the central bank is monitoring inflows and officials at a recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting discussed the idea of joint, “multilateral” measures in the future should the need arise, Ahmad Husni said.

“We are benefiting from the capital inflows and the appreciation of the ringgit,” he said. “It’s not affecting our property market like many other countries.”

–With assistance from Ranjeetha Pakiam in Kuala Lumpur, Shamim Adam in Singapore, Patrick Harrington in Tokyo and Paul Allen in Hong Kong. Editors: Stephanie Phang, Chris Anstey

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 13 November 2010, 4:14 pm and is filed under
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Malaysian education system in emergency

By
Damian Denis

November 13, 2010

NOV 13 — After reflecting my schooling years I have to agree with my friends that those who started school in 1983 with the new KBSR format felt like guinea pigs. I did too!

Then, the Standard 5 exams were change to Standard 6 with the UPSR format. Well, I thought things were fine until they changed the year-end school holidays from December to October. We had to start our new school year in December. Remember?

I felt that was really weird starting our school term at the end of the year. Hhhmmm. Our Christmas holidays had to be cut short, and Christmas was never the same again.

And by that time I had a sense that other changes were coming soon and I dreaded that. We just had to go through the motions and study hard while thinking what sort of changes were coming next. I resented that feeling.

Later we were in Form 1 under the KBSM thingy and life went on as usual. The SRP was later replaced by the PMR exam, and SPM and STPM so far have not been changed.

Recently, Education Minister and DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin suggested that the UPSR and PMR exams be scrapped. The reason: our education system is too exam oriented.

For a start why doesn’t the ministry look at our Chinese and Tamil schools. What are their strengths and their methodology. We do not need to go far as the solution to our predicament is only a stone’s throw away!

And during the Umno general assembly he suggested making history a compulsory passing subject.

Why the sudden rush to change our education system again and again?

Does he know what he’s doing?

Somehow he doesn’t inspire confidence in those who take education seriously.

It was also Muhyiddin who scrapped the teaching of science and maths in English previously.

Well, for one, our young minds are not your guinea pigs anymore. We are not your lab rats that you or Umno can experiment with. We had enough of those so-called changes that actually do not make sense to us at all.

Secondly, the fewer changes that you make with our education system the better. I know this is one ministry everyone wants to make a mark for themselves. And, Muhyiddin, you are no different.

Any changes have to be backed by a proper study which engages all sections of society. What is so difficult in doing that? Plain lazy or for political expediency? I think we all know the answer!

Thirdly, please stop politicising our education system. After all your brand of politics is rotten to the core and I’m afraid our schools are already a sad reflection of that rottenness.

Imagine the kind of students who are being produced from this type of rotten and failed system. Is our system churning out the best or are we producing Rempits, Alongs and gangsters all the way?

Instead please spend our country’s resources to train our teachers and recognise them whoever they are. They are gurus to our young minds and their contribution to our nation is priceless. I believe this is one step which is very much lacking today and, Muhyiddin, you can make a huge difference by doing so.

Finally, I think we all know what needs to be done in our education system. A total overhaul needs to be executed and it must always start from the head. And I believe we will have that opportunity not very long from now.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 13 November 2010, 3:02 pm and is filed under
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Selangor seeks royal hand over water bondholders’ bailout

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

November 13, 2010

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — The Selangor government is planning a 100,000-strong protest to submit a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on December 5 over the federal government’s possible bailout of Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas).

Top Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders informed The Malaysian Insider last night that the state’s move was part and parcel of a plan to “pressure” the Najib administration not to proceed with a multi-million ringgit bailout of the state’s privatised water industry, and that state-wide ceramahs and gatherings had already been planned in advance to mobilise the numbers needed to attend the December 5 gathering at Istana Negara.

“We are planning a 100,000-people gathering on December 5 to submit (a) memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the water issue. Venue will be at Masjid Negara, 12pm.

“Details of memorandum has yet to be decided on but essence is demanding the return of rights of water to the rakyat, anti-privatisation. We want private (water) companies to be consolidated with the state,” said Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.

The DAP national publicity secretary told The Malaysian Insider that the state government had planned 60 events from this week leading up to the date for the handing over of the memorandum.

“We have started the campaign to create awareness over the issue, prepared around 60 ceramahs around the state within the next three to four weeks. The ceramahs include with special focus groups, civil societies as well as church groups,” said Pua.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider recently that Selangor water bondholders will urge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to intervene directly in the state’s water restructuring deadlock in an effort to safeguard their bonds from being further downgraded.

The Malaysian Insider understands that major bondholders — including CIMB Principal Asset Management, Hong Leong Investment Bank and Great Eastern Life — have drafted a joint letter to Najib asking the federal government to bail out Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) with a soft loan worth some RM1 billion.

In the letter, the bondholders contend that further downgrades of debt ratings will put capital markets at risk and will seriously impede the government’s effort to promote its Capital Markets Masterplan.

Putrajaya bailed out Syabas once already last year when it gave a RM320.8 million soft loan to parent company Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd (PNHB) in December to help settle its debts to water treatment concessionaires.

It is understood that the bondholders intend to issue a separate letter to the Selangor state government by early December at the latest to push for a speedy resolution of the state’s water woes.

“The RM1 billion bailout reflects very badly on the Najib administration. We must be more competitive, transparent. What is happening is directly against the concept of the ‘era where the government knows best is over’. The government is taking people’s money to bail out weak companies,” said Pua.

He admitted however that initial response to the ceramahs so far has been “slow”, attributing it to a lack of planning on the part of the organisers.

“The kickoff to the ceramahs started this week, Tuesday night was in Klang at Dewan Hamzah. The preparations were not that well planned so the turnout was not that great. But I just came back from another function at Taman Sri Manja, Petaling Jaya Selatan, and there was quite a good turnout, between 300 and 400 people.

“During the talks and functions, we plan to zoom on the failure of Syabas to fulfil (the) concessionaire agreement, the history of privatisation, the high fees charged for privatised water in the country. We will also address the government’s multimillion bailout instead of forcing them to consolidate (assets of concessionaires) and place it under control, purview of the state government,” he added.

Contacted by The Malaysian Insider, Selangor state executive councillor Teresa Kok confirmed the state government’s plans.

“I confirm the information, yes. I suggest you come and cover the function of the meeting between the mentri besar and local councillors and ketua kampung in Selangor tomorrow 3pm at Klang land office hall. You will know our plan better (then),” Kok told The Malaysian Insider.

Both Kok and Pua are senior leaders in the DAP, which forms PR with PKR and PAS.

Selangor’s water players — Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) and Konsortium ABASS — are at risk of debt payment default as water bonds approach their maturity dates.

The debt service problem started when Syabas was barred from implementing a 37 per cent tariff hike agreed upon in January 2009, after the Selangor government claimed the sole water distributor had not done enough to reduce leakages which cost the state millions.

This in turn led to payment problems between Syabas and water treatment concessionaires PNSB, Splash and Konsortium ABASS, who supply it with treated water.

All four term-loan borrowers are already in technical default following their inability to maintain six months’ worth of reserves in a special account used to pay bondholders. The shortfall is understood to be some RM50 million, although this deficit could double in six months.

The technical default triggered a downgrade of the debt issuances by Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) and RAM Ratings Services Bhd on September 8, who warned of further multiple-notch downgrades in this quarter. An industry source told The Malaysian Insider that bondholders suffered RM457 million in mark-to-market losses following the downgrade.

Syabas, PNSB, PNHB, RUN Holding SPV Bhd (RUNH), Splash, Viable Chip (M) Sdn Bhd (VCSB) and Titisan Modal (M) Sdn Bhd (TMSB) were downgraded by MARC while RAM cut ratings for Splash and Taliworks Corp Bhd subsidiaries Destinasi Teguh Sdn Bhd and Sungai Harmoni Sdn Bhd.

A statement by MARC at the time urged the federal and state governments to urgently interfere in the water industry’s restructuring negotiations to prevent a free fall of ratings in following months.

PR leaders have insisted that a bailout would only rescue Barisan Nasional (BN) “cronies” who have profited “tremendously” from the government’s privatisation exercise.

PAS MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, in a blog posting earlier this week, urged Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin to invoke sections within the Water Services Industry Act (WSIA) 2006 to allow consolidated management of water in Selangor, as well as other states.

“The minister must invoke the provision of sections 113 and 114 to intervene and safeguard the greater interest of the people of Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur so as to put the long-drawn fiasco to rest once and for all, in the true spirit and purpose of the enactment of WSIA, 2006 and the legislation of SPAN, 2006, which is to have a holistic and consolidated management of water in all states,” said the Kuala Selangor MP.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 13 November 2010, 3:50 pm and is filed under
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Sultan to skip ‘wasteful’ RM300,000 Yayasan Selangor do

By
Boo Su-Lyn

November 12, 2010

SHAH ALAM, Nov 12 — The Sultan of Selangor has decided not to attend a RM300,000 40th anniversary luncheon by state education welfare body Yayasan Selangor over its excessive cost.

The decision was made after the Selangor Ruler this morning learnt of the bill for the event, state secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud said today.

“The Selangor Sultan has cancelled his intentions to attend Yayasan Selangor’s 40th anniversary celebration that will be held on November 15, 2010 at Asrama Tun Dr Ismail in Kampung Pandan,” Ramli told reporters today.

“He felt shocked and was very sorrowful when he was informed that the cost of the anniversary celebration this year was very high.

“The cost of the luncheon is more than RM300,000. It is a waste and it is not beneficial,” added Ramli.

 “He believed that the money would be put to better use for educational and welfare expenses, or to fund more poor students that is in line with the vision, mission and objective of Yayasan Selangor,” he said.

According to Ramli, prior to his discovery of the event’s cost, the Selangor Sultan had intended to attend the celebration to show his appreciation for the efforts of the foundation’s staff in helping poor children to get educated.

“The Sultan of Selangor believed that his presence at the event would invigorate the Yayasan Selangor workforce,” said Ramli.

The state secretary, however, pointed out that the Ruler was told that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had also not been apprised of the event’s costs.

“The Sultan of Selangor advises Yayasan Selangor to be more careful about managing its finances and to focus on the responsibilities accorded to it during its formation,” Ramli added.

Separately, Faekah Husin, political secretary to the mentri besar, claimed Khalid had proposed for the event to be called off.

“The mentri besar suggested that it be cancelled,” said Faekah.

Yayasan Selangor is a state education welfare body that transfers Bumiputera students from rural schools to schools located in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Sabak Bernam so that they can enjoy educational facilities more commonly available in urban locales.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 13 November 2010, 3:09 pm and is filed under
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Patriotism & the Little Napoleans

By
Damian Denis

In 1995/6 after my STPM exams I went to the Penang Police HQ (Penang Rd) to apply for the post of Police Inspector. The requirement was a STPM qualification at that time.

Once there we were given a physical routine check up and those who were qualified were given the application form. Simple as that!

But went it came to my turn the officer in charge refuse to hand-over the application form to me on the basis that my STPM results were good. My physical check up was fine.

He said “kamu tak payahlah masuk polis. Buang masa aje dengan result yg bagus cam tu”. (You don’t need to enter the Police Force. Just a waste of time since you have a good STPM results.)

What the hell? Still, I tried to reason with him that I really wanted to be in the police force and wiling to sacrifice my public university entry for this. He said better don’t waste your time here!

Undeterred, I went to see my relative who was a clerk in the police force then. He told me it’s a dead end and there is no way they will ever hand over the application form to me! That was truly a bombshell!

Here am I trying to give my best to the country but my country refuse my service. And all because the application was ‘hijacked’ by a certain police officer.

I love Law but my STPM result did not allow me to pursue a degree in this line. So, the next best thing for me was to enter the Police force which was about upholding the rule of law.

Now Zahid Hamidi let me ask you this. Who is the un-patriotic one? The police officer or me?

It was those Little Napoleans who stood in my path to serve my country the way I know best. In fact, there could be many others who have had the same experience like I did and I hope you could start to share about it as well.

Let me say this again to you Zahid Hamidi do not underestimate our sense of patriotism to our country. Do not think that we will just stand by idly and do nothing when our country is in danger.

And one of the greatest dangers in Malaysia today is politicians like you who downplay the contribution of other races in nation building. Also, let us not forget that our country is being plundered to the maximum by thieves from your own party and you still have the cheek and gall to talk about patriotism.

It’s total bull-s and your hypocrisy really stinks to the highest heaven. And please do us a big favor by looking at yourself in the mirror before you ever talk about the meaning of patriotism.

Even at that age my sense of duty and patriotism to my country was strong and still is. But when the moment of truth arrived the first step to serve my country was dashed just like that!

Over to you Zahid Hamidi.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 14 November 2010, 3:13 am and is filed under
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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #40

By
M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 5: Understanding Globalization (Cont’d)

Correlates of the IT Revolution

What marvels me is that this IT revolution has not even reached its maximal potential. Each day promises even more dramatic improvements and new achievements. Today’s personal computer is a quantum leap in performance over those of only a few years ago. Bill Gates is planning to encircle the globe with low orbiting satellites to enable any one anywhere to get Internet connectivity. While such a development may not seem impressive to someone in America who already has convenient Internet access, imagine what it would do for areas like East Malaysia and Africa. They would leapfrog into the IT age overnight. There would need to wait for the local government or telephone company to lay phone lines and cables.

          With ease of communication, ideas and information would spread easily. News is no longer controlled by any one authority. Whereas in the past citizens had to rely on one government-controlled source (as in Malaysia) or a few commercial outlets controlled by powerful groups (as in America), today we have literally limitless sources of news and information on the Internet. Malaysia’s independent web daily Malaysiakini.com is now more popular than the established media. During the Afghanistan bombing in the war against terrorists following the 9-11 attacks, with the mainstream American media not doing any frontline reporting, readers could still follow the news by tuning into the Arab television channel Al Jazeera (available on cable and the Internet).

          This democratization of news and information is both boon and bane. Citizens can now have independent access to information and are less likely to be influenced by blatant propaganda from any one side. The most effective antidote to propaganda is the availability of alternate sources of news and views. This porous spread of information is the best offensive against totalitarian regimes. Even the Chinese government that has a penchant for controlling every aspect of its citizens’ life cannot filter and control the Internet, though not for lack of trying.

          Were there to be another Tiananmen Square incident today, news and visuals of the horror would spread quickly via the Internet. The recent successful demonstrations against the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) annual meeting in Seattle and Prague were made possible through messages sent over the Internet. Diverse groups from all over were able to be mobilized and effectively organized through chat groups and e-mails. Law enforcement agencies were not able to track, much less anticipate, the demonstrators’ moves.

Internet also made possible the booming new phenomenon of electronic commerce. Billions worth of air travel and vacations that used to be booked through travel agencies are now done directly by consumers via the Internet. I have not used a travel agency now for some years. Imagine an entire industry – travel agencies – being wiped out!

          The same technology that allows me to book my vacations online could also be used for a whole lot of unsavory things. The most pernicious and widespread is the peddling of pornography. E-commerce now provides lucrative marketing tools for purveyors of filth. The leveling effect of the Internet is such that some small backroom operators in a slimy corner of Bangkok could compete with well-heeled hustlers in Hollywood.

The Internet is now the medium of choice for neo-Nazis, racist organizations and terrorist cells. Cybercrimes, ranging from simple hacking to the spreading of destructive viruses and stealing of sensitive information, are costing companies billions. A major subsidiary industry spawned by IT is the development of security measures to protect the data on the Internet. And as we are now finding out, the Al Queda terrorists are using the Internet to communicate and plan their operations.

          As most of the innovative ideas in IT originate in the West, the rest of the world erroneously assumes that globalization is exclusively the preserve of the West. Far from it! Such inventions originate there simply because the Western milieu encourages these trailblazers. It is instructive that many non-American born Chinese and Indians start many new “hi-tech” enterprises in Silicon Valley, California. Why do they start in California and not back in India or China? Obviously conditions back home are not conducive or supportive of their entrepreneurial spirit.

          Occasionally we do get bright ideas emanating from outside the West. Case in point: the micro credit lending scheme of Grameen Bank started by the Vanderbilt-trained Bangladeshi economist, Muhammad Yunus. Again thanks to modern technology, his ideas have spread globally. America now too has its own Grameen Foundation, with similar programs in its inner cities. Grameen has also exploited modern technology by buying bulk satellite and cable time wholesale and reselling them to individual subscribers in the villages who have bought cellular phones from Grameen. These individuals then become the communication centers for the villages. Jute farmers in the remotest part of the country can now access the latest market information directly by phone instead of relying on the middleman. With this one maneuver those simple villagers leapfrogged into the modern age. They become empowered, freed from the information captivity of the middleman.

          Grameen now has a comparable program for equipping every mosque and village center with a personal computer so that the entire village could be connected to the Web. Imagine the transforming effect: they are now exposed to the wide world of ideas. A similar program in Nepal enables villagers there to market their handicrafts directly to consumers worldwide, bypassing the whole chain of middlemen. A similar program in Sarawak enables those villagers to market their handicrafts directly to the world.

         Though the initial technology may have been invented in the West, the ingenuity to extend its reach elsewhere is limited only by the imagination of individuals anywhere. Those who view globalization as a new form of colonization have it wrong. They are missing the point, and more than likely will miss the boat too.

Next: Globalization and the Free Movement of People

                This entry was posted on Monday, 15 November 2010, 11:37 am and is filed under
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Rental hikes and lack of parking bays a bane in Little India

By
G Vinod
 | Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: After the pomp and pagentry at the launch of ‘Little India’ in Brickfields on Oct 27, the lights have dimmed and a pall of gloom has decended in the area.

Traders and businessmen at the 3km stretch of Brickfields are at crossroads with the prospect of ‘impending’ rental hikes and dwindling sales due to the absence of car parks.

Several businessmen voiced their frustration over these two issues which could hamper trade in the bustling area, where one could purchase almost all items found in India.

While an increase in rental could slice profits significantly, the lack of parking space could inflict severe damage to their business, which they claim had already been battered.

Sampoorna Curry House owner, S Thilagavathy, 30, said the lack of parking is likely keep away many customers and cut into her profits by at least 30%.

“DBKL had informed us through the Brickfields Business Community Council (BCC) that we will have car parks right in front of our premises.

“I have enquired about this consistently and they have said it will be erected soon,” said Thilagavathy.

When asked if she was told by DBKL when the the car parks will be built, Thilagavathy claimed that she was not informed of a time frame.

She said space was scarce in the area, but for unknown reasons, the authorities, decided to have huge pavements for pedestrians which she said was unnecessary.

“The space could have been used to erect parking bays. I believe DBKL took the BBC for a ride,”claimed Thilagavathy.

Another restaurant owner, M Prema (left), 40, who owns Seetharam Curry House said her revenue had dropped by almost 50% since parking bays were done away in the vicinity.

“We were initially promised car parks by DBKL but nothing has come forth,” she said, hoping that business would pick-up soon.

Pending rental hikes sends jitters

A saree businessman, P Loganathan, 45, the owner Saradha Silks (M) Sdn Bhd, however, said car parks were not the only issue plaguing the business community there.

“There is talk that building owners may hike up rentals after Deepavali,” said Loganathan who is also a tenant at his business premise.

He claimed that he had learnt that shop building owners were planning to increase rentals to a minimum RM30,000 for the ground floor, from the current RM10,000.

“I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with the hike,” said Loganathan, who claimed the move was attributed to the RM35 million facelift to the area to attract more tourists.

The gaily decorated shops, stall owners and small time business people had to contend with the fact that their makeshift stalls lacked basic amenities such as proper drainage.

“When it rains, it floods our stalls and there is no room for the water to flow,” said R Devi,22, who owns a stall at the hawkers corner.

She also lamented the fact that when they were moved to the new location, facilities such as safety grills and canopies were not provided.

“I spent RM2,500 to fix a shutter for my stall. I mentioned this to Saravanan (Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being deputy minister) but nothing was done,” said Devi (right).

The same frustration was also echoed by R Mahendran, 39, who owns Tarani Food Corner.

“We pooled money and fixed the ventilation fans, grills and canopies ourselves,” said Mahendran.

Both stall owners added that they suffered a dip in their revenue since they moved to the makeshift stalls.

“In my old place, I used to make about RM200 just by selling ‘vadai’ alone. Now, even if I see RM10 profit a day is a good thing,” said Devi.

Mahendran, on the other hand, said he used to earn about RM2,500 in profits monthly but now it had been reduced to about RM1,500.

“DBKL has promised that they will start erecting a permanent stall for me near my old place after Deepavali,” said an optimistic Mahendran.

FMT failed to reach DBKL for comments despite numerous attempts.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2010, 2:35 pm and is filed under
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Salam Aidil Adha

Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays to fellow Malaysians!

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2010, 3:11 pm and is filed under
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Where are the Friends of Pakatan?

by
Mariam Mokhtar

Malaysiakini

Nov 15, 10

Last July, the Friends of Pakatan Rakyat (FoPR) was officially launched in London to great acclaim by Zaid Ibrahim, who had specially flown into England, with his DAP and PAS colleagues.

For Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters worldwide, it was a new beginning. However, four months later, Zaid dropped his bombshell by withdrawing from the PKR deputy presidency elections and openly criticising PKR’s party leaders.

Whilst many are angry at Zaid’s (right) betrayal, FoPR’s silence about this important development is damning. Has FoPR lost its focus or is it just momentarily stunned? Where is the rallying cry at a crucial time like this?

The FoPR probably chose July 4 for its launch, presumably because of its significance – it is synonymous with the United States’ Independence Day. Even the venue was important – Conway Hall in Holborn is renowned as a hub for free speech and progressive thought.

Soon after its launch, the FoPR movement was being duplicated throughout Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. In east Malaysia, FoPR helped create awareness, with its network of support and community services.

Harnessing global strength

FoPR’s objective was to harness the global strength of highly qualified Malaysians working and living abroad, to tap into their expertise and financial strength in preparedness of the up-coming general election (GE-13).

When contacted, FoPR supporters in UK, although shocked by Zaid’s actions, made the following comments about PKR’s crisis.

Q: Will Zaid’s actions affect FoPR in UK?

“Although we are not clued up about the internal politics, Keadilan is in crisis and we are waiting to see how the party can regroup itself after the elections. They need not be written off, now.”

“The timing of the withdrawal will have an impact on public confidence. It’s a shame the various parties could not work out their differences and come to a common understanding of how best to move forward. The nature of politics is that things are often very fluid and you come to expect the unexpected – life goes on.”

“Parties do not disintegrate or fall apart just because of the change in one person’s circumstances.”

“Malaysia’s domination by one political party for 52 years means a strong opposition coalition will not be built overnight. For all the faults and weaknesses of the opposition, it does not wield the ISA axe, arrest students observing the election process, allow ministers to spend RM1.8 million at Disneyland or arrest cartoonists for political satire.”

“Umno has systematically immobilised civil society by stripping the rakyat of their basic civil liberties, freedoms and rights. We need to make a stand and reclaim those basic rights for a more open, democratic and just society. A stronger and more accountable opposition with the ability to run the country, means we each need to pitch in and do our part, stop complaining, get involved and take a real interest in the future of our nation.”

Q: Did Zaid’s allegations about irregularities in the voting process have a basis of truth?

“The system is imperfect. Perhaps the right mechanisms and safety nets were not in place to deal with the logistical complications of running this sort of party election. Issues have been overplayed by certain quarters in the media.”

“We must conduct a proper investigation before jumping to conclusions.”

Q: Were Zaid’s allegations dealt with properly and satisfactorily?

“There has been a lot of sensationalism and hype in the media. We need to refocus and keep our eye on the ball.”

Q: How much stronger or weaker is PR and/or FoPR without Zaid?

“I admit it’s a shame – Zaid seemed to have a lot to offer. He could have contributed significantly to the opposition coalition. We must not be swayed by any one particular personality.”

“A lot needs to be improved in PR but it is not just about PR – there are also stalwart component members – DAP and PAS – which have stood the test of time and been working towards a credible opposition and two-party system for over 30 years.”

Q: Zaid was wooed at the official launch of FoPR and today, it is not just Zaid who is despondent, but PR supporters too. So what happens now, for PR and FoPR?

“That’s life and that’s politics. What happens next? We move on.”

“PR needs to reflect on the recent election initiative, how the public relations were handled and the losses in Galas and Batu Sapi.”

“We are here to campaign for a better Malaysia – not a Malaysia where apartheid type policies and scare tactics paralyse society, but a Malaysia where fundamental civil liberties and the rule of law are upheld, democracy thrives, and social justice and equality are not just pipe-dreams.”

“FoPR needs to keep being a ‘friend’. True friends offer constructive criticism, to improve things and forge a better way forward. But more importantly, true friends also take action by providing the practical support and ideas to move forward.”

Where’s the official voice of FoPR?

Thus, if the July launch of FoPR was the largest gathering of overseas Malaysians, so in the interests of the millions who still cling to the hope of a better Malaysia, where is the official voice of the FoPR to perpetuate the dream?

Although the FoPR has not been inundated with a barrage of questions from the media or overseas Malaysians, it must realise that when PR’s image is under attack at home, FoPR must rally the overseas supporters and take control of the situation, respond to various stinging criticisms and thus protect PR’s reputation.

FoPR cannot only be vocal when times are good, like at its official launch or when publicising the talks by Malaysian politicians in cities outside Malaysia. It is important that at these crucial ‘low’ points, FoPR reaches out to say that despite setbacks, the struggle continues.

This crisis has come at a crucial time because of the impending GE-13. Instead of a united front, PR has been caught with its pants down.

What FoPR needs to do is to continue to inspire both the politicians of PR and its supporters, that the march to Putrajaya is still on. A statement from FoPR would help clear the waters.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 17 November 2010, 10:50 am and is filed under
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Beng Hock support group seeks 100,000 signatures

by
Aidila Razak

Malaysiakini

Nov 18, 10

The Malaysians for Beng Hock support group, set up following the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock last year, is seeking 100,000 signatures in the next three months to push for the setting-up of a royal commission.

This is because they believe that the inquest, for which final submissions will be made on Dec 10, has not managed to answer questions surrounding the 30-year-old’s mysterious death.

To date, more than 5,000 signatures have been collected after drives at two events held in the past month, said organiser Ng Yap Hwa.

The group is also collecting signatures from parliamentarians, having launching this separate petition during the Galas by-election campaign period.

But according to coordinator Chong Kok Siong, they only managed to get the signatures of DAP MPs Teresa Kok and Teo Nie Ching, before they were detained by police for allegedly committing an election offence.

“The MP drive is ongoing but we are now prioritising the public petition as there is a sense of urgency because the inquest will conclude in December,” he said.

Demand for a Human Rights Act

The petition, which can be requested in hard copy or accessed online, is not only demanding a royal commission of inquiry but also a Human Rights Act.

“We (are appealing) to the government to enact a Human Rights Act in order to safeguard the basic human rights (and) proven incidents such as Beng Hock’s mentally torturous marathon questioning session where a witness was denied legal assistance during questioning, from happening again,” Chong said.

While the MP petition drive is ongoing, he said that their priority will be to get the 100,000 signatures from the public, before handing over the petition to the Prime Minister.

“We urge the public… to turn their unhappiness into hope, and to translate their sympathy into concrete actions,” he said.

Besides signing the petition, associations are urged to produced two banners reading “Justice for Beng Hock, truth for rakyat”, one to be sent to the support group and the other to display in their own office or centre.

The support group also intends to hold a “mammoth gathering” in Kuala Lumpur after they hit their target, but details will only be announced later.

More information about the petition
can be found here
.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 November 2010, 6:26 pm and is filed under
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Ex-servicemen launch broadside at Zahid Hamidi

By
Joseph Sipalan

Nov 18, 10

When Admiral (rtd) K Thanabalasingam ascended to the position of the nation’s first ever local chief of Navy,it would have never crossed his mind that his loyalty to the country would be questioned.

Having spearheaded the navy’s mission to protect Malaysia from numerous threats that arose in the 1960s-1970s period, the former naval chief spoke in disbelief at Defence Minister Zahid Hamid’s recent statement that patriotism among non-Malays was “not strong enough” for being reluctant to sign up with the Armed Forces.

“I don’t understand how such a statement came about… I’ve been through a lot, and I don’t care who says it, it hurts me. I am a Malaysian born and bred, and I intend to die here,” Thanabalasingam (left) said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

The 75-year-old veteran who retired in January 1977 after holding the top naval post for nine years and one month, stressed that there has never been a lack of patriotism among non-Malays in defending the nation from threats within, and without.

He recounted how they, along with their Malay brothers-in-arms, fought side-by-side regardless of whether they were in the navy, air force, army or police field force to push back the communist insurgency that spanned some three decades from the 1950s until it ended in 1989, and the perils they braved over the five years of the 1963-1966 Confrontation from Indonesia.

“Even during the Confrontation, there was a lot of action in the Singapore Straits and Malacca Straits. At that time, two of my officers were awarded the PGB (Panglima Gagah Berani), which is the highest award for bravery, for blowing up KKOs (Indonesian Korps Komando Operasi) during an attack.

“One officer was an Indian who eventually retired as a commodore, and the other a Eurasian who also later retired as a commodore too.

Why were they awarded PGBs? Because of their bravery in the line of duty,” he said in driving home his point.

Zahid’s barking up the wrong tree

Retired airman, Brig Gen (rtd) Datuk Goh Seng Toh (right) was more severe in his rebuke of Zahid’s statement, calling it “unfair, stupid and racist”.

Goh, 65, said before anyone starts accusing non-Malays of being unwilling to serve the country in the military, the nation’s leaders themselves should set an example if they insist on such talk.

“He’s (Zahid) barking up the wrong tree… if you talk of patriotism, then I have one question; do any of our ministers have children in the Armed Forces? If not, then the same argument applies to them, so why only look at the Chinaman?

“I was shot at twice by communist terrorists in Betong at the Thai-Malaysia border. I nearly lost my life on more than one occasion, and I never chickened out. If anyone queries my patriotism, I get very angry,” said the 35-year veteran.

All about being practical

Both men, however, agreed that the crux of the matter lies not in the loyalty of non-Malays to the country, but the challenge of surviving in the modern world.

Thanabalasingam stressed that far from being an issue of patriotism, what concerns non-Malays when it comes to enlisting in the Armed Forces is their career prospects should they choose to lay their lives on the line for the country.

He pointed out that public perception of the armed forces is mired in the notion that non-Malays, more often than not, are left behind when it comes to career advancement,

“Today people are more interested in careers. Gone are the days when you just join and follow orders. People want to see what’s in it for them, can they raise a family, educate their children… they want to be able to raise their family comfortably instead of having to struggle to make ends meet

“If the conditions are correct, they will join. It has to be proven that they have got a good future and prospects, and there is no discrimination in promotions or selection for senior defence posts or special courses overseas,” he said.

Goh went so far as to say that the Armed Forces have done nothing to disprove the perception of race being a key factor for advancement.

“There is an element of truth, unless you say all the Chinese who join the Armed Forces are sub-standard. But this cannot be true, because there are many good people, but they leave because they do not see their career path being very bright.”

Goh, who earned his one star in 1997 – three years before retirement – blamed the low ratio of non-Malay soldiers on the current make up of the Armed Forces, the bulk made up of the Royal Malay Regiment.

“Not a single non-Malay can be part of it. No Chinese, Indians, Ibans, or any other can join these regiments. You must be Malay.”

“I can’t say exactly how many regiments there are, but assuming that they take up around 50 percent of our forces, that only leaves 50 percent open to multi-racial (participation), and this would only be for the services and supporting arms,” he said.

No matter what the situation ,however, Thanabalasingam said he believes that Malaysians will stand up and be counted among the country’s defenders when needed, regardless of race or creed.

“If we had a war today, I would volunteer to do whatever I can, even with my condition with a walking stick… many would rally to the cause to defend the nation,” he said.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 November 2010, 11:14 am and is filed under
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Malaysians feeling safer?

By
John Sebastian

November 18, 2010

Malaysian Insider

NOV 18 — Another survey has appeared to say that people are now feeling safer and that fear of becoming victims of crime has dropped slightly for the December 2009 to May 2010 period.

Right. It doesn’t take into account the four burglary cases in a guarded cul-de-sac in Bandar Sri Damansara earlier this week.

It doesn’t take into account the brazen day-light robberies and burglaries in Kota Damansara these past few months.

And that it took the police more than a few hours to turn up just to brush the crime scene for finger prints.

But TNS Research International (TNS) said the fear of becoming victims of crime has dropped slightly from 58.5 per cent in December 2009 to 55.1 per cent in May 2010.

TNS managing director Yazid Jamian said the drop in the public’s fear of crime index signifies growing confidence in the police force.

“The 3.4 per cent drop within a short time period is significant, and marks a commendable improvement as it indicates that Malaysians are now less fearful of becoming victims of crime,” he said in a press statement that appeared in The Malaysian Insider today.

TNS also said  ”robbery and burglary” category of the index recorded a vast improvement, with a 10 per cent drop to 58.7 per cent this year, and “violence” had a 3 per cent improvement to 44.9 per cent. However fear of “vehicle crime” increased from 58.8 per cent in December 2009 to 62.5 per cent in May 2010.

This is nothing more than a good news festival before the impending elections.

Fact is, it sounds a bit like Tun Abdullah Badawi’s report card before his Barisan Nasional (BN) went to the 2008 general elections.

It didn’t work, did it?

Fact is more housing estates are having to handle own security, hire guards and put up barricades. It doesn’t work, does it?

Fact is also that police more reluctant to accept reports from public. They don’t work, do they?

Fact is that Malaysians are altering their lives everyday because of fear of crime. People are putting in more locks, closed-circuit or cyber-camera systems and alarm systems. Because they don’t feel safe.

And there is a real fear of crime.

So if Pemandu and any other alphabet soup committee actually believe the better crime situation in the country, they must be on magic mushrooms.

The day Malaysians don’t feel the need to engage their own security guards to guard their homes and family is the day when the tide against crime has been turned.

That day isn’t coming as soon as the next general elections. So give us a break. Spare us the good news according to surveys. Just do more to make all Malaysians feel safe.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 November 2010, 8:24 pm and is filed under
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Royalty Extraordinaire

by
Dr. Lim Teck Ghee

CPI Asia

With their front page headlines highlighting developments on the massive Sime loss, readers of the country’s two main English papers may not have noticed the news report of the speech by Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah, the consort of the Sultan of Johor, which was buried in the inner pages.

The occasion of the speech was a conference on ‘Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason’ held on Nov 16 in Kuala Lumpur. The prime mover of the meeting in which I participated as a panelist was PCORE, a group that is representative of Malaysians who embrace and share the notion of peace as the way forward to achieve unity and integration.

Credit must go to the PCORE leadership for bringing together a diverse mix of young and older people from different backgrounds to voice their frank concerns on current issues and developments in the country.

For me the real star of the conference was Raja Zarith Sofiah. Readers who missed the news item may be interested in the excerpt from the news report of her speech.

“In her keynote address at the Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason conference, she described the use of ‘pendatang’ to describe non-Bumiputeras as “hurtful and ignorant”, and that more discussions were needed to address and resolve the gulf between ethnic and religious communities.

“Rather than simplify and shy away from sensitive issues, we should fight destructive rhetoric with constructive dialogue. It is shameful when apparently educated and mature individuals use such terms or suggest fellow Malaysians go back to where they came from.

Describing her own ancestral background as a mix between Sumatran and Peranakan Chinese, she said it was important to recognise the diversity of Malaysian society, brought about by centuries of interracial and interfaith marriages and communication.” (New Straits Times, Nov 17, 2010)

This open and proud acknowledgment of her mixed ancestral background is quite unprecedented. It puts to shame the way in which many of our leaders who have a similar mixed ancestry either try to hide or suppress the inconvenient truth, or engage in flaunting or agitating a mono-ethnic or religious stance as if this has been part of their, and the country’s DNA from time immemorial.

Raja Zarith Sofiah’s speech was much more than what was reported in the newspapers. It also covered her personal experience and thinking on religions and the importance for Muslims to learn about other cultures and religions and their heritage.

She spoke from the heart, simply and without the need for any convoluted intellectual argument or high sounding clichés to drive home the importance of cherishing and protecting the country that belongs to all of us — highly or lowly born; brown, yellow or black; and worshipping one, many or no god.

eaders may not be aware of the wide ranging accomplishments and interests of Raja Zarith Sofiah. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degree from Oxford University (her BA is in Chinese Studies). Besides Malay and English, she is able to communicate in Mandarin, Italian and French. She is a patron of the arts, an artist and author who has written children’s books including Puteri Gunung Ledang. She is also the columnist of The Star’s ‘Mind Matters’ column, and let out that her articles are being put together in book form soon.

Although I am a republican at heart, logic tells me that we may need the type of monarchy she personifies more than ever to hold the country together and to remind us of our common humanity. With her and other royalty who care for the country in the way she does, there is greater hope that the nation can overcome the racial and religious demons that torment us.

Finally, I should point out that I was privileged to sit at her table where I and others — during the lunch chit-chat on topics ranging from how the handphone and Skype have transformed our lives to the inconvenience of sleep apnea – learnt that she has sleepless nights thinking about the predicament of our country and our people, and wondering how best she can be of service. The insomnia that troubles her, I am sure, also afflicts all of us concerned about the way ahead for the country.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 November 2010, 8:18 pm and is filed under
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The tragic case of a lunch meal: Revisiting corporal punishment in schools

By
Shazeera Ahmad Zawawi (loyarburok.com)

November 18, 2010

NOV 18 — On November 5, a mother complained to the Sarawak Education Department that her son was caned by his teacher for bringing pork to school. As you notice (of which I hope you do), I did not mention the religious or ethnic background of the boy at all. There are two reasons why I left out those layers of fact.

First, I felt sick with how recently our statesmen, bureaucrats or politicians are missing the plot to this sad incident. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, for example, called for an investigation of the boy’s religious status before conclusions can be drawn on why he was caned. Our independent parliamentarian, Zulkifli Nordin, utilised this issue against PAS and got into an unnecessary argument with Dr Zulkefly Ahmad, another parliamentarian from the Islamic party. Apparently, the righteous fight and egoistical call to defend Islam trumps a poor child’s “wrong” selection of lunch meal.

Secondly, the issue turned into a cliche religious debate albeit the fact that the real concern is not so much about the boy’s religious status but why he was even caned in the first place. Is it in the best interest of the boy as a child, to be caned, whipped or spanked over his private choice of lunch? The Disciplinary Guidelines for Headmasters and Teachers 1988 clearly spelled the procedures for corporal punishment in school. It clearly indicates how caning is not a disciplinary action that can be undertaken by just any teacher. Specific power is given to the headmaster to execute the punishment and the requirements for delegation of power to cane were also expressed in the guidelines. In other words, caning in school is supposed to be exercised with due care and caution.

On top of that realisation, I attended the National Consultation to Review the School Disciplinary Regulations organised by the Ministry of Education in my former capacity as an officer with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia a few years ago. There were extensive discussions on the use of corporal punishment against children in school by educators, parents and civil society during the consultation. The strong justification for such use to be continued is due to the argument that children nowadays are difficult to control and discipline.

Reflecting on those enlightening discussions I had during the consultation, I wonder now whether bringing pork to school would amount to being difficult and undisciplined. Even more worrying is whether our present educators are capable of assessing a school offence objectively without succumbing to their own personal values and bias?

In discussing the use of corporal punishment in school, it is important for us to revisit our human rights commitment where child rights are concerned. When Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 1995, it accepts fully the provisions of Article 28 (2) that details the approach to disciplinary measures in school. The article states that;

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity and in conformity with the present Convention.

Corporal punishment is obviously inconsistent with human rights principles. Since the consultation I attended and with this latest incident further eroding my trust and confidence in our education system, I wonder whether we can see a more progressive change to the school disciplinary regulations in Malaysia that puts a child’s interest and well being as its primary consideration.

This issue is not a mere case of a religiously dysfunctional family’s controversial choice of meat. It also exposes how our education system handles the questions of personal choices in a heterogeneous society. Should we resort to force and impose ideals every time we catch a person committing something that is in conflict with our own personal beliefs and choices? What happened to human compassion and respect?

I completely understand why the incident is stirring hostility from many sectors but as we attempt to make sense of the issue using our set of experiences, fears, prejudices and limited understandings, we forget that the real victim here is the little boy. Not only was he caned for bringing to school a lunch meal that was prepared by his mother, his religious status and private life is now open to public probe.

I am a firm believer that as a Muslim using physical force against a child or accusing an Islamic party for allowing the sin of eating pork to be committed by other fellow Muslims will not resolve anything. If we seriously have concerns with how our Muslim brothers or sisters behave, wouldn’t showing love and respect counts as an effective step to reconcile our differences or hostilities? Isn’t that what Islam is all about? — loyarburok.com

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 November 2010, 11:03 am and is filed under
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World Bank report – indictment of BN government

Tweets
@limkitsiang
 :

Media conference w NieChing who dealt w nefarious subject of IMM13 – which is now known as Instant Made Msians for 13GE. Present Hiew Jimmy

11/19/2010 12:56 PM

I spoke on WorldBank’s 2010 MsiaEconomicMonitor (MEM) released last wk-terrible indictment of failure BN 2ensure inclusive devlpmnt in Sabah

11/19/2010 01:03 PM

WB MEM conclusion – in 5decades Sabah plunged from 1 of richest 2bcome poorest state n likely 2remain in deep poverty w no  inclusive growth

11/19/2010 01:10 PM

MEM prepared w full cooperation of Sabah govt w NasrunMansur Asst Minister in CM Dept praising World Bank @rpt  handing-over ceremony in KK

11/19/2010 01:15 PM

Later SabahEPU director IsmailA dissociated from WB rpt. Most disgraceful. Either Nasrun or Ismail is not telling truth. 1 of them must go!

11/19/2010 01:20 PM

WB official Jimenez – Sabah w 10% Msia population has 40% deep poor. In contrast Selangor w 1/4 Msian population has less than 10% deep poor

11/19/2010 01:28 PM

WB MEM rpt strongest support 4DAP call 4RCI Y Sabah/Swak’s 1963 hopes 4inclusive growth n equal place under Msian sun not realised in 50yrs

11/19/2010 01:32 PM

Urged all Sabah MPs/SAs 2rise above party differences 2unite 2demand RCI w WB participation – which cannot be ignored by PM Najib n SabahCM

11/19/2010 01:36 PM

1big flaw in WB MEM-silent on imp cause Y no inclusive Sabah growth:corruption hijacked Sabah wealth 2create among richest politicos in Msia

11/19/2010 01:41 PM

                This entry was posted on Friday, 19 November 2010, 2:15 pm and is filed under
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1Malay(sian) Armed Forces

Letters

by
Zairil Khir Johari

Being Defence Minister must sit well with Zahid Hamidi, for it has turned him into a trigger-happy man. Now, if only he could move his aim away from his own foot.

In my last post I highlighted his jingoistic call to stand up against the ‘neo-colonial’ government of Penang. And just when you think that such a marvelous statement could not be outdone in asininity, he follows it up with this classic piece of pronouncement:

“The reasons (for the low participation of non-Malays in the armed forces) could be because of a fear towards a tight discipline. It could be because of a low spirit of patriotism. It could be because certain ethnic groups had a negative perception of the armed forces and did not encourage participation,” said the minister.

Bravo. As expected, a commotion soon ensued, with denouncements and debates from both sides of the fence. Certainly, such a statement is nothing less than a stinging insult to the countless deeds and sacrifices made by non-Malay servicemen over the course of our country’s history.

Yet at the same time, it does raise a pertinent question. Why does there seem to be such dismal interest in the armed services amongst the non-Malay community (recruitment of non-Malay personnel from 2008-2009 is a paltry 1.2%)?

Dr Lim Teck Ghee, for example, suggests that the low incidence of non-Malay participation in the armed services may in fact be due to socio-economic factors, hence turning the discourse into one involving class rather than race. Others have suggested a lack of awareness and perhaps a remuneration structure that is less than attractive.

While I would not suggest that the salary scheme is not in need of review, nor would I go so far as to say that socio-economic conditions do not play an important role in the issue, I would however like to submit that the crux of the problem is far simpler than envisaged. As pointed out by our first Navy Chief, K Thanabalasingam, it is the simple and pragmatic reason of career advancement that makes non-Malays think twice.

In other words, non-Malays are less interested in joining the armed forces because of unequal promotion opportunities.

Simply ask yourself this: would you join an organisation if you knew from the get-go that no matter how hard you worked, no matter how dedicated you were, you will never receive due recognition simply because you weren’t born on the right side of Bumi?

Of course, Zahid Hamidi has since denied the existence of racial discrimination in the armed forces, citing the fact that there are:

‘A few’ non-Malay generals in the army (three according to my sources)

Two non-Malay admirals in the navy

One non-Malay general in the air force

Now, while the Minister may be proud to boast of the above data as ‘proof’ that non-Malays are able to hold ‘high positions’, I on the other hand see the existence of a racially-based quota system (3-2-1 for Army-Navy-Air Force) that is also evident in every branch and twig of our public service.

What does this (unwritten) quota mean in practical terms? It means that yes, while a non-Malay can definitely earn a ‘star’ or two on his uniform (and nowadays, rarely more than two), he would have to compete with other non-Malays for a share of the available quota. In other words, a non-Malay army officer is reviewed and measured relative to other non-Malays, instead of to all his fellow officers.

Furthermore, in today’s environment, it is virtually impossible for a non-Malay to attain anything more than two stars, much less to be considered as chief of one of the armed services (in contrast, our country’s first Chief of Navy was an Indian Malaysian gentleman who held the post for 9 years).

Now, we ask ourselves, which ‘non’ would be interested to join the armed forces in such a climate? Well, I know of one.

This particular officer, a ‘non’, had enlisted at the age of 18, spurred by dreams of dressing in uniform and defending his country. Today, on the verge of retirement after nearly 40 years of service, and despite being one of the most senior officers (in terms of length of service) in his chosen armed service, he will likely never attain a ‘star’ simply because the ‘non’ quota in his chosen service has already been filled. Never mind his ability, never mind his dedication, never mind that he could be more capable than some of the other ‘stars’ that have passed him by (lucky stars indeed for they were born on the right side of Bumi), he must resign himself to the unfortunate fact that he is, in his own country of birth, a ‘non-entity’.

In contrast, his counterpart in Singapore who was his classmate in Defence College, is now a 3-star general in the island republic. Would this officer be forgiven for wishing he had been born in Singapore instead of Malaysia?

So, dear Minister, what do you have to say about this? Oh wait, I know. You would probably say that this gentleman officer does not deserve to be a general because as a ‘non’, he is innately less patriotic and averse to discipline. What else can it be right? After all, in 1Malay(sia), everything else matters for nought.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 20 November 2010, 2:26 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang wants royal inquiry on Sabah poverty

Sat, 20 Nove 2010

By
Queville To

Free Malaysia Today

KOTA KINABALU: DAP is calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate how Sabah, which was once a rich state, had crashed to a point that it was now the “poorest” in Malaysia and is “likely to stay that way for a considerable length of time”.

In making the call, party adviser Lim Kit Siang also asked how the government had allowed the state to become the poorest in the country if there was “inclusive growth”.

Lim was commenting on a World Bank Report last week which noted that 40% of Malaysia’s poor were centred in Sabah, making it the poorest state in the country.

The embarrassing disclosure has since sent state officials helter-skelter looking for arguments to counter the report, which has triggered an uproar against the state government.

Lim said the exhaustive report has exposed the lie that there was “inclusive growth” in the country.

“Sabah should not have become the poorest state… it was once one of the richest states before entering into Malaya, together with Sarawak, to form Malaysia, 47 years ago.

“As emphasised in the official report, ‘inclusive growth’, means benefiting every Sabahan and Malaysian and not just a handful of people. It has been the key objective of the government of Malaysia since Independence.

“This (report) is an indictment of the government that after 47 years it has failed to fulfil its promises to the people of Sabah,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Eradication on wrong track

Lim said it was alarming that the World Bank’s Human Development Sector had found that “Sabah is not only the poorest state in Malaysia, but is likely to stay that way for a considerable length of time given current efforts on poverty eradication”.

“This means that Sabah will not only be the poorest state in Malaysia but will continue to be the poorest unless there is a total change in policy,” he said, adding that the economic plan in Sabah was neither balanced nor fair nor equitable nor sustainable for all Sabahans.

Lim said that though the government might have tried for years to eradicate poverty, it was obviously on the wrong track as the report showed that Sabahans would continue to struggle to make ends meet, especially those living in the rural areas.

He said that a Royal Commission of Inquiry should be formed to further probe on whether the guarantees given to Sabah and Sarawak in 1963 when they agreed to establish Malaysia had been fulfilled.

“Both Sabah and Sarawak could be as developed as Peninsular Malaysia. That was what they had hoped but it is clear now that the hope has not been fulfilled.”

Lim said that since DAP alone could not force the setting up of such a commission, it is urging all Sabah BN Members of Parliament to give their full support to determine why Sabah has remained in the backwaters.

Also present at the press conference yesterday were Sabah DAP chairman-cum-Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu, Sri Tanjung assemblyman Jimmy Wong and DAP national publicity assistant secretary Teo Nie Ching.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 20 November 2010, 2:39 pm and is filed under
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