Tikus Makmal in a Natural Experiment?

By Chan Chee Khoon, ScD  (Epidemiology)

On June 7, 2011, in a live interview with CNN, Arnie Gundersen, a licensed nuclear power engineer with 39 years experience in managing and coordinating projects at 70 nuclear power plants in the US, noted that with the prevailing wind patterns after the Fukushima disaster’s radioactive discharges, air filter monitors in Seattle detected about half the level of
“hot” (radioactive) suspended fine particulates as were detected in the air over Tokyo, 7700 km away
.

Gundersen didn’t clarify what the baseline level of airborne radioactive particulates in Seattle was, pre-Fukushima, but if the measured levels in April 2011 were indeed largely blown over from Fukushima, it’s very sobering considering that Kuantan and Kemaman are within a 28 km radius of the Lynas rare earths refinery being built at Gebeng, which will be handling rare earth concentrates ground and milled into a fine powder for acid extraction at the plant.

The ARE experience from Bukit Merah in the 1980s tells us that beyond the dust-generating cracking, grinding and milling operations, powdery thorium cake waste was also spilling onto roads during transportation, during packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, and children were frequently playing in the vicinity of exposed mounds of the waste.  Indeed, the thorium waste was reportedly offered to local farmers as fertiliser.

It is for these reasons that the issue of radioactive dusts and internal emitters – from inhalation and ingestion, or absorption through the skin – becomes crucial.  It matters a lot whether the source of radiation is a solid lump of radioactive material (intensity of external irradiation rapidly falls off with the square of distance), or whether it exists as a pile of fine radioactive particulates which are respirable when airborne and mobile.

The Lynas Radiological Impact Assessment submitted by Nuklear Malaysia (dated June 2010) does attempt to estimate the risks from inhaled emitters for LAMP employees (average volume of air intake, presumed level of dust concentrates and associated radioactivity internalised by the employee) (p.56) but it then proceeds to compare the (internalised) absorbed radiation energy – averaged over the whole body – with existing threshold levels of ‘safe’ exposure.

This is precisely what was contentious in CERRIE’s deliberations (www.cerrie.org), and within radiobiology and radiation carcinogenesis circles – by way of analogy, averaging the absorbed radiation energy over the whole body is equivalent to saying that a burning cigarette butt on your palm doesn’t hurt because the heat is negligible when averaged over your whole body.

But cancer biologists and educated laypeople know that cancer can emerge from a single cell that has sustained the requisite mutations which allow it to multiply uncontrollably, i.e. it is a highly discontinuous phenomenon and averaging radioactive exposures over the whole body is not meaningful for a discrete event in radiation carcinogenesis which involves intense, localised radiation doses delivered to cells surrounding the radioactive particle.

Aside from cancer biology, radiation risk can also be approached from an epidemiological perspective.  One of the very few empirical attempts at this was a 1993-1994 study of male miners at a combined iron ore-rare earth minerals mine in China which was reported in the Journal of Radiological Protection in 2005 (attached).  In that study, highly dust-exposed miners had 5.15 times the age-adjusted lung cancer rate as compared to the rate among Chinese males in the general population.  The less-exposed mining staff had 2.30 times the general population rate.  Both groups had similar smoking rates (78%, vs. 67% for the general adult male population).

On this basis, the authors concluded that the excess lung cancer risk among the less-exposed was largely due to above-average smoking, and the further difference between the two miner groups was due to high exposure to airborne crystalline silica particulates (mainly) and to thorium-containing dusts and its radioactive daughter nuclides such as radon gas.

These conclusions are highly debatable, and it is precisely in this situation of uncertainty and lack of consensus that the Kuantan-Kemaman community shouldn’t end up as tikus makmal (lab rats) in a natural experiment for Lynas.

Finally, it should also be noted that the ores that the Chinese miners were exposed to contained 400 ppm of thorium.  The rare earth oxide concentrates that will be arriving shortly at Kuantan port will have 1600 ppm of thorium.  The US Public Health Service (1990) reports that the natural background level in soil is typically ~ 6 ppm of thorium.

Chan Chee Khoon, ScD  (Epidemiology)

Professor & Consultant

Center for Population Health

Dept Social & Preventive Medicine

Faculty of Medicine

University of Malaya

50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

                This entry was posted on Monday, 20 June 2011, 11:26 am and is filed under
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99% support for Bersih rally in ‘Star’ poll

Malaysiakini
 | Jun 21, 11

A staggering 99 percent of slightly more than one million respondents in a poll by The Star Online have indicated support for the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.

The actual number of respondents cannot be confirmed as the poll was taken down about noon today.

According to a screen capture taken by a Facebook user, the number of respondents had hit 1.3 million at 12.25pm from 527,330 recorded at 6.11am today, according to a Google Cache snapshot of the website.

To the question ‘What is your view on the proposed Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9?’, 1,312,917 respondents answered ‘It should be allowed to go on’ as at 12.25pm.

The other option – ‘It should be cancelled’ – was selected by 14,222 respondents.

The poll was discussed with great interest by users of the Curi-curi Wang Malaysia Facebook page, which was set up recently in protest against Tourism Malaysia for spending RM1.8 million on a social media campaign.

However, jubilance turned to scorn when they realised that the poll had been taken down.

Twists and turns

The Bersih 2.0 rally seeks to create awareness for meaningful reform to the electoral system and will petition for intervention by the Agong.

Government officials have claimed that the electoral system is not flawed and accused opposition parties of masquerading in the guise of a NGO coalition to stoke public anger.

The Election Commission (EC) claimed that it has been made a scapegoat in the matter, but offered a dialogue with Bersih 2.0 if it calls off the rally.

However, Bersih 2.0 yesterday maintained that it will proceed with the rally as previous meetings with the EC had come to naught.

Bersih 2.0 is also challenging the EC to reveal the list of recommendations submitted to the federal government to improve the electoral system.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 2:35 pm and is filed under
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A reply to the EC

By
Ambiga Sreenevasan

June 21, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 21 — We thank the EC for the invitation but the time for talk and discussion has passed. This is due to the reports of blatant abuses of power in the recent Sarawak election and in view of the impending General Elections.

The EC’s continued assertions that they have no power to act in the face of such abuses and the information that the suggestions they have made to the Government for reform have met with no success gives us little hope in further discussion.

In the public interest the EC should disclose the reforms they have suggested to the Government. Although we acknowledge that the EC has introduced some suggestions of reform to postal votes, it is our view these reforms do not go far enough.

The EC’s comment that Bersih 2.0 is not independent is baseless. More importantly that comment and the comment about political parties does not reflect well on EC’s independence given that they are constitutionally required to be above partisan politics.

It should not matter to them who the suggestions for reform come from, whether it is from the Government, the Opposition, NGOs or any citizen. They should deal with all suggestions on their merits.

* Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan is chairman of Bersih 2.0, the electoral reforms group.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:49 am and is filed under
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Bersih 2.0’s fair and just demands

By
Toh Kin Woon

June 21, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 21 — In recent weeks, many negative, unfair and unreasonable statements have been made against Bersih 2.0. Some of these bordered on vicious personal attacks, in particular against its Chairperson, the highly respected Ambiga Sreenevasan. These attacks arose following the announcement by, and firm commitment of, the entire Steering Committee to hold a peaceful walk to demand for electoral reform and upholding of democracy on 9 July. As a member of Bersih 2.0’s Steering Committee, I feel duty bound to come to its defence.

Allow me first to reiterate the overall objective of our coalition, which is to help the Election Commission realise its noble goal of conducting elections that are fair and clean. All will agree that the attainment of this goal is a must, if Malaysia is to be a fully developed country. Apart from high income, a just and democratic electoral system is an important institution of a first world country.

Unfortunately, the way elections have been conducted in our country up till now leaves much to be desired. Many weaknesses in the process and conduct of elections still remain. Some of these include an electoral roll that is still full of defects; campaign periods that are far too short to allow all contesting parties to effectively disseminate their stands and positions on various issues to the voters; unequal and uneven access to the media, especially state-owned broadcasting; the refusal to use indelible ink in order to eliminate the possibility of multiple voting; and disenfranchisement of many citizens who are resident overseas. The result is that electoral outcomes may not be a full, clear and accurate expression of public will.

In a bid to help move our country towards making our elections fairer and cleaner, Bersih 2.0 has therefore asked via its 8 demands that these weaknesses and defects be overcome and measures further strengthening the electoral system be adopted. Among these are cleaning up the voters list, the use of indelible ink, a minimum campaign period of 21 days, automatic registration of voters, reform of postal voting, equal access to state owned broadcasting and the media, wiping out corruption and the strengthening of public institutions. Bersih 2.0’s goal is simple, which is to help install a system of elections that is beyond reproach and whose outcomes unchallengeable. It is therefore a surprise to many that this good and innocuous goal should meet with so much contest and opposition.

Some, however, would claim that they are not so much contesting and opposing our demands as the way we press for their realisation via the holding of the walk on July 9. All kinds of reasons have been put forward to stall the walk. It will disrupt business, cause massive traffic jams and even create chaos and disorder, so claim the walk opponents. For a start, we have reiterated many a times that our walk will be peaceful. If, in addition, the police come in to lend a hand by controlling and managing traffic, I see no reason why any of these concerns will happen. Indeed this was the case with some recent events, such as the holding of a peaceful protest against the putting up of the Lynas Advanced Materials plant in Pahang, which was organised in Kuala Lumpur. Likewise, countries such as Hong Kong have witnessed even more massive demonstrations and yet they are still prosperous. Besides, there is such a thing called freedom of assembly which is one of the tenets of our Federal Constitution. Opponents of the walk will do well to respect this basic right, failing which all calls for the creation of a highly developed country will come to naught.

Finally, may I appeal to all who are engaged in this discourse to look at the core matter of clean and fair elections. Unfortunately, however, many of those opposed to Bersih 2.0’s big rally on July 9 have chosen to divert from it. Instead they have chosen to launch vicious personal attacks against its Chairperson and even blamed Bersih 2.0 for the recent hacking of government websites. All these are clearly off the mark and are not part of rational debate that we should be engaged in.

* Dr Toh Kin Woon is a member of Bersih 2.0’s steering sommittee

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 10:54 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 2.0 to EC: Enough talk, now we walk

Hafiz Yatim | Jun 20, 11 6:36pm

Malaysiakini

The Coalition for a Free and Fair Election (Bersih 2.0) movement will proceed with its march on July 9 despite attempts by the Election Commission (EC) dissuade them from proceeding by offering a dialogue.

Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan (right) said the movement’s representatives have already met the EC with its proposals for electoral reform before but there had been no progress.

“We thank the EC for the invitation but the time for talk and discussion has passed. This is due the reports of blatant abuses in the recent elections in Sarawak and in view of the impending general election.

“The EC’s continued assertions that they have no power to act in the face of such abuses and the information that the suggestions they have made to the government for reform have met with no success gives us little hope in further discussion,” she said.

Ambiga, a former Bar Council chairperson and recipient of the International Women of Courage 2009 award from the United States, said in the public interest, the EC should tell the public about the suggestions which have been made to the government.

“Although we acknowledge that the EC has introduced some reform to postal votes, it is our view this reform do not go far enough,” she said.

She also dismissed EC’s claim that Bersih is not independent.

“More importantly, that comment and the comment about political parties does not reflect well on EC’s independence given that they are constitutionally required to be above partisan politics.

“It should not matter to them where the suggestions for reform comes from. Whether it is from the government, the opposition, NGOs or any citizen. They should deal with all suggestions on their merits,” she said.

‘Several meetings with EC’

Meanwhile fellow Bersih steering committee member and human rights lawyer Haris Ibrahim, also shared similar sentiments with Ambiga.

He said the perception put that EC has been made a scapegoat by Ambiga is incorrect as he remembered in her speech that she had reached out to the EC.

“In fact, Bersih have held several meetings with EC prior to this on election reforms including on the eight points raised in our demands. The EC said they will raise the forward the issue to the government.

“We have continuously seen blatant disregard of reforms in the recent Sarawak state elections. Hence, what is the so-called meet that EC is proposing? We had already met,” he said.

Haris said the problem, as Ambiga pointed out, is not with the EC alone but also the government who is claims is not interested to see these reforms.

However, he stressed that his comments to Malaysiakini was his personal views and does not represent the whole steering committee.

EC: Street demo can’t solve problems

Today EC chairperson, Bernama reported Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof saying that the commission was prepared to meet Bersih if it calls off the rally and not make the commission a scapegoat.

“We can discuss on that condition, but if they (Bersih) want to hold the illegal street demonstration and meet us just as a rubber stamp or an excuse, it is meaningless.

“To me, a street demonstration will not solve any problem. Amendments to the law will not happen or their demands accepted by staging a street demonstration. No way,” he told reporters at his office in Putrajaya today.

Abdul Aziz was asked to comment on Bersih’s insistence to hold an illegal street demonstration on July 9 despite the strong condemnation by several quarters who are opposed to the idea.

The Bersih 2.0 rally aims to highlight the need for meaningful electoral reform and petition the Agong to step in on the matter.

The eight demands of the coalition are:

•A thorough review of the electoral roll

•Reforms to the postal balloting process

•Marking voters who have cast their ballots with indelible ink

•A minimum 21 day campaign period

•Equitable access to media by participating parties

•Strengthen institutions which enforces election laws

•Eradicating electoral bribery

•Putting a stop to dirty politics.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 3:36 am and is filed under
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Bersih vs Bising

By Zunar

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 10:56 am and is filed under
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British joint-venture gets Kelana LRT job for RM670m

June 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — A Malaysia-British joint-venture has won the coveted Kelana Jaya light rail transit extension project for RM670 million, operator Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad said today.

Prasarana said it issued the Letter of Award to CMC-Colas-Uniway (CCU) to undertake works worth RM673, 920, 651.04.

“The job entails the engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of system works for the Kelana Jaya Line Extension project,” Prasarana said in a statement.

It said the Kelana Jaya line will be extended from Kelana Jaya Station by another 17km to Putra Heights through 13 new stations.

The LRT extension project was announced in Budget 2009 and undertaken to improve the efficiency of the public transportation in the Klang Valley.

The Singapore Straits Times reported yesterday that a Finance Ministry committee decided on the CCU, led by British firm Colas, after controversially awarding the deal last week to another joint venture.

But the committee’s latest decision ahead of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s visit to London next month continues to ignore the recommendation of SPNB for the contract to be awarded to a third company in the frame.

Last week, The Malaysian Insider reported that the committee ordered SPNB to award the deal to the Hartasuma Sdn Bhd-Bombardier joint-venture, whose RM890 million bid is nearly 50 per cent higher than the RM610 million quoted by SPNB’s pick, Ingress Corp Bhd-Balfour Beatty Rail Sdn Bhd.

The Singapore Straits Times quoted political analysts and industry executives as saying that the “behind-the-scenes intrigue shows how opaque and non-transparent practices that have long characterised large public-sector contract awards remain the order of the day in Malaysia.”

Calling the LRT deal “a strong test case” for the Najib administration, the Singapore Straits Times said the decision to override SPNB was “likely to dull Kuala Lumpur’s efforts to attract much-needed foreign investment”.

SPNB is spending some RM7 billion for the extension of both Kelana Jaya and Ampang LRT rail networks. The Kelana Jaya network will be extended 17km while the Ampang one will be extended by 17.7km.

The wholly-owned unit of the Finance Ministry was forced to cave in to pressure from Malay rights groups last month when it revised pre-qualification criteria for several construction packages for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) by allowing joint ventures or consortiums.

It had earlier imposed additional criteria on contractors taking part in the project tender which disallowed them from forming joint ventures or consortiums.

Malay rights group Perkasa, however, accused Prasarana of blocking Bumiputera contractors from participating by enforcing strict guidelines that would only benefit “rich non-Bumis,” adding that project delivery partner MMC-Gamuda was “looting and monopolising” the project.

The KVMRT is expected to be the largest ever construction project in Malaysia and had earlier been estimated to cost between RM36 billion and RM53 billion.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 10:38 pm and is filed under
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Call on leaders of all BN component parties to join in the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9

I would like to call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Cabinet Ministers and leaders of all Barisan Nasional component parties to come forward to join in the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 to support the civil society initiative for free and fair elections.

Let July 9 be a historic day in Malaysia to celebrate the coming-of-age of 54 years of parliamentary democracy where political parties, both ruling and opposition, together with the civil society, can come together to address the  major defects of our democratic system of governance – the many serious flaws of the electoral system failing to give real meaning to the principle of “one person, one vote, one value”; a clean, free and fair election process and elected government hich commands unquestioned credibility, legitimacy and authority.

I am sure representatives from  Barisan Nasional parties would be welcomed to join the Bersih 2.0 steering committee to ensure that the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally will be an event all Malaysians regardless of political affiliation would feel proud as a Malaysian.

This would be fully in keeping with the open invitation by the Bersih 2.0 chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan inviting all political parties, including BN and all NGOs, to join the “Free and Fair Elections” rally and to walk with the rakyat.

I would be happy to walk with Najib, Muhyiddin,  Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Datuk G. Palanivel, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, Tan Sri George Chan, Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, James Masing, Willim Mawan Ikom and other BN leaders for the advent of free, fair and clean elections in Malaysia.

The statesmen-like response of the PM, DPM, Cabinet Ministers and BN leaders to the Bersih 2.0 initiative will be a great day for democracy in Malaysia, bringing an end to the negative, divisive and even destructive outbursts by irresponsible quarters and elements in the past month.

Let July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally exorcise once and for all the threat and spectre of May 13 which had been manipulated by extremists and enemies of democracy to stunt full democratic growth of Malaysia

Let July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally exorcise once and for all the threat and spectre of May 13 which had been manipulated by extremists and enemies of democracy to stunt the full democratic growth of Malaysia.

The latest example of such seditious and treasonous brinkmanship was staged only on Sunday when Perkasa Pesident Ibrahim Ali raised the spectre of May 13 in a Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur – not only burning the images of Bersih Chairman Ambiga but also warning the Chinese to stay indoors as “anything could happen”.

Appointing himself “war general”, Ibrahim Ali said if electoral reform coalition Bersih goes through with its July 9 rally, he will not be held responsible for any untoward incidents which may occur.

“Imagine if chaos erupts. If the Bersih rally is not cancelled… I believe the Chinese community will have to stock up on food.

“Yes, anything can happen.”

If such incendiary blood-curdling threats had been uttered by anyone in Pakatan Rakyat, he or she would have been clapped in jail without much ado.

However, two days have passed without any action or response from the police or the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein although they are capable of lightning-speed reaction when alleged infractions of the law are committed by Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Ibrahim Ali is a clown and utterly irrelevant. What is pertinent is the silence, connivance and/or condonation of Ibrahim Ali’s May 13 antics by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Inspector-General of Police who must explain why Ibrahim enjoys immunity and impunity for such seditious, incendiary and treasonous utterances.

Will the Cabinet meeting this week censure the Home Minister for failing to take appropriate and commensurate action against Ibrahim Ali for such incendiary, seditious and treasonous May 13 threats?

The Bersih 2.0 coalition has formulated eight demands for free and fair elections, viz:

1.	A thorough review of the electoral roll

2.	Reforms to the postal balloting process

3.	Marking voters who have cast their ballots with indelible ink

4.	A minimum 21 day campaign period

5.	Equitable access to media by participating parties

6.	Strengthen institutions which enforces election laws

7.	Eradicating electoral bribery

8.	Putting a stop to dirty politics.

I will add two more demands for free and fair elections in Malaysia:

9. 	Renunciation and denunciation of any May 13 threat before or during elections; and

10.   A Caretaker Government after dissolution of Parliament and State Assemblies where Federal and State Ministers/Excos cannot misuse or abuse their caretaker functions for electioneering purposes – bearing in mind the classic case of the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandi disqualified as as MP for abusing her caretaker PM functions when using state aircraft for Congress Indian electioneering purpose.

* Media Conference Statement in Parliament on Tuesday 21st June 2011 at 11am

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:37 am and is filed under
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Democracy and freedom of expression

By
Art Harun

June 21, | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 21 — In The Wolf and The Silence of the Lamb, I said, among others:

“The core of democracy is representation. It is a system of governance where the people are represented by representatives who are elected by the people. These representatives then form a government. The government than governs the people. A state is then formed, consisting of the government and the people it governs.”

More importantly, I attempted to correct the popular notion that democracy was the cause of liberty. After alluding to Marx’ Utopian state, I opined:

“The obvious flaw in Marx’s theory of a utopian society makes democracy a very alluring alternative. If at all, it pushes to the fore the false notion that liberty is the product of democracy, when in fact democracy is just but one of the many (flawed) ways of protecting liberty. Liberty is not caused by democracy. It rather is the cause for democracy.”

And I asked some sobering questions:

“That brings us to some sobering thoughts. Can liberty be usurped by democracy? Is it possible for a democracy to destroy liberty in itself? In that event, what will happen to democracy? Can it exist without liberty?”

I would like, in this article, to expand the theoretical postulation that the basis of democracy is liberty and freedom, in terms of the freedom of expression of the people in a democratic state.

I feel that a deep understanding of this area of the democracy theory is important, more particularly due to the current climate in Malaysia, where BERSIH is planning a rally for electoral reform on the 9th July this year while at the same time, the usual suspects of horror and doom, Perkasa, Ibrahim Ali and their ilk are planning to create disturbances.

Democracy, to my mind, starts with an expression of will by the people or a group of people. The will which was being expressed was the will to be represented in the governance and administration of the state which the people formed.

That will was expressed through the process of elections.

It would not thus be far-fetched to say that a state of democracy is anchored to, and in fact born, out of that expression of will. The expression of the people’s will is therefore the thrust of democracy.

However, the expression of the people’s will does not end with the casting of votes. A true and dynamic democracy requires continuous engagement of minds between the state and its people. The elected representatives are not angels. They are not gods. Being human who are garbed with power robes, temptations lurk in every corner. Abuse of powers and positions are just but a finger snap away. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, said a very wise man.

Furthermore, democracy is also tied up to mandate by numbers. Which means, the majority would win the right to rule. Regardless, the success of a democratic state is not in the manner in which the majority rules. It is measured by looking at how the majority balances and treats the rights and demands of the majority with the obvious desires and wants of the minority bearing in mind the general welfare of the state as a whole.

In such a dynamic and vibrant state of things, expression of the people continues — and must be allowed to continue — if a meaningful democracy were to exist.

The people express their will and mind. The state, via the government, listens and acts. The process continues. It is this continuous and mutual engagement of the will and mind, between the people and the state, which gives democracy its soul.

Democracy does not mean the people expressing their will by casting their votes once in 5 years and after that the elected representative could assume that they are “mandated” to do anything at their whim and fancy until their 5 year term ends at which time they come back for a new mandate. That is periodical absolutism. A benevolent absolutist — even a police-state masked as a democracy where democracy is used to legitimise the state’s penchant for sadistic and diabolical intents.

When there is a general intention to express the people’s will, it is not for the state to prevent such expression of will by citing security or economics reason. In a vibrant democracy, a responsible state should act to facilitate the expression of that will in a peaceful and orderly fashion. That is the duty of the state.

A state which acts to prevent the lawful expression of will by the people which it governs is a state fearful of its own voice. That state loses its moral legitimacy to rule and to be respected.

The state must remember that the will of the people is insidious. That it exists inside their mind. What they wish to do is the express that will.

Even when such expression is supressed, either by the overt acts of the state of any of its machinations, the will still exists. It will not go away.

Although the expression of the will may be prevented, the will can’t. —
art-harun.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:46 am and is filed under
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EC chief, it’s too little, too late

Malaysiakini Your Say
 | Jun 21, 11 9:09am

‘The EC under your watch has been arrogant and blatantly partisan and refused to even look at the mountains of evidence of widespread electoral fraud.’

EC prepared to meet Bersih if it scraps rally

Anak Bangsa Malaysia:
 Too little, too late, Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Yusof. Only when faced by the unstoppable wrath of the people do you even give the impression of getting off your high horse.

The EC under your watch has been arrogant and blatantly partisan. You refused to even look at the mountains of evidence collected by multiple parties showing widespread electoral fraud – not just in the recent Sarawak state elections but also in numerous previous by-elections.

Even with irrefutable video proof of electoral bribery (such as BN chief Najib Razak’s infamous ‘I help you, you help me’ speech being one example), the EC played deaf, dumb and blind.

Electoral constituencies have been constantly gerrymandered so that rural seats outweigh urban seats by factors of five or more. Not a single instance of electoral fraud has been investigated or prosecuted.

The EC has also refused to implement numerous anti-fraud measures, like the use of indelible ink, as well as the removal of phantom voters. No, Abdul Aziz, the Bersih march will go on.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan:
 The EC statement itself is politically charged, insinuating that Bersih is controlled by the opposition who are always irresponsible in the eyes of the commission and that the Bersih rally is a threat to the EC.

In such circumstances, what is the point of having a dialogue with the EC when it has prejudged all the issues and is now trying to demonise Bersih and the opposition parties? If the EC was truly independent, it would have by now recommended to the king and the government concrete reforms that it wants implemented in the electoral laws and system.

Instead, the EC behaves that it is beholden to the Umno/BN government. It allows the BN to disregard the laws with impunity most of the time.

Flabbergasted:
 Abdul Aziz, are you in a position to implement Bersih’s requests? Everyone including you know there is lot of hanky panky. You dare bring it up and lose your job? You’re the rubber stamp for the BN.

4 Ever Malaysian:
 Just do it, S Ambiga/Bersih, go on marching. Everything has been planned, buses have been booked, all logistic arrangements have been made and paid for.

Don’t ever listen to EC anymore. It is an old story, again and again. Every election is filled with phantom voters, vote-buying, unfairness by police, etc. No way is Bersih going to abandon its rally. It is the people’s rally. Why can’t you, EC, for once listen to the rakyat?

NX:
 How do you explain a DAP politician representing 150,000 people in one constituency and an Umno politician representing 15,000 people? You are proving that Umno politicians need subsidies even in politics.

JBGUY:
 Abdul Aziz, you have lost your credibility. In the previous by-elections there were several abuses by the ruling party and yet you did not act. The BN used government machinery to campaign, they spent more than the limits imposed, they manipulated the mainstream media and they openly bought votes through cash or pledges.

This Bersih 2.0 demonstration and rally is a reflection of all the ills propagated by the BN in cahoots with you and your officers. If you are sincere about cleaning up, begin by cleaning up the electoral rolls, which doesn’t need an amendment to existing laws.

Anonymous:
 Abdul Aziz says, “To me, a street demonstration will not solve any problems.”

A cock-and-bull story again. Bersih has tried civil means to engage EC umpteenth times but to no avail. That leaves Bersih with no choice but to choose the last civil means to make known their legal grouses through a peaceful demonstration.

Bersih is both morally and legally right in demanding free and fair elections.

Opaque:
 The fact that Abdul Aziz postponed the meeting in March or April shows there is no sincerity on the part of the EC to do anything different for a freer and fairer election.

Despite having met Bersih chief S Ambiga, the EC totally ignored the demands of Bersih in the recent Sarawak election. As it turned out, the Sarawak election was the dirtiest and most corrupt ever held in Malaysia.

So Abdul Aziz, please tell us why do we need to believe in you this time around when you have in the past been given so many chances to improve the election process but you chose to act dumb instead.

Kgen:
 How dare the EC chief offers to meet Bersih only if the rally is called off? Does it take the threat of mass protest for this Umno henchman to listen to the cries of voters for free and fair elections?

Will there be any action even if Bersih calls off the rally and meet this Umno lackey? Of course, there will be no action. This Umno stooge will just claim his hands are tied. If Bersih doesn’t call off the rally does it mean that this Umno underling, who is a disgrace to his office, has the right to ignore legitimate complaints about the electoral process?

Quigonbond:
 I am laughing my head off once again. The EC is a scapegoat?

The EC fails to lodge police reports against electoral bribery in Sarawak state elections. EC throughout the years skewed constituency boundaries so that in some places, up to 10 votes are equivalent to a vote elsewhere.

And we are not even talking about vote rigging, phantom voters and electoral fraud yet. What so difficult about indelible ink that EC can’t implement? Why is it so hard to extend postal voting to workers and students overseas?

For an election commission that takes pride in ensuring universal suffrage, free and fair elections, the EC should not be pleading for a discussion just as people are taking to the streets to voice their discontent with the electoral system – they should have been the ones taking the initiative to make suggestions.

We now have one cacophony of Muhyddin Yassin, Rais Yatim, Perkasa, Utusan Malaysia, EC and police conspiring to prevent the world from knowing how bad things are here. No, Bersih will go on.

Destruction Inc:
 I am 71 years. I have yet to see a single free and fair elections. There probably was one during the leadership of Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

The EC chief talks a lot of crap, and we all know that the commission, at this rate, will never stand up for credibility. These issues were brought up before. What has been done so far?

When my sister-in-law checked her electoral rolls, her identity card number was represented by a Malay woman in Perak. She has lived and voted at her present address in Kuala Lumpur for more than 40 years. What do you have to say, Abdul Aziz?

Lusiapa:
 What a preposterous proposal by the EC chief! It’s akin to children playing with sand. What’s the use of another meeting with Bersih if he remains beholden to the government?

He should rightly exercise the authority conferred on him under the Federal Constitution which clearly states that he must act independently. This of course means that he must have consultation with all the relevant parties concerned.

The constitution never intended him to play the role of an apologist to the government, least of all that of an unashamed apple-polisher.

BudokTerengganu:
 I am returning to Malaysia from US for a home leave and I will be there at the Bersih rally. By the way, I am a Malaysian first and Chinese second.

Compass:
 The EC calling Bersih “not free”? Huh? And the EC is free?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:14 am and is filed under
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European NGOs want Taib’s assets in Germany frozen

Malaysiakini
 | Jun 21, 11

More Europe-based NGOs are plying pressure on the authorities there to freeze the assets of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

In a press statement today, Swiss NGO Bruno Manser Fund said that it had written to German chancellor Angela Merkel on the matter, together with two German NGOs – the Society for Threatened Peoples and Rettet den Regenwald.

They asked “the German government to clarify Deutsche Bank’s business ties with Taib and to freeze all Taib (right) assets in Germany.

“We are seriously concerned that, as a leading German financial institute, Deutsche Bank is closely cooperating with the highly corrupt and internationally discredited Taib regime.

“We feel that this cooperation cannot be in the interest of the German government, which is globally promoting the effective combating of corruption,” the NGOs wrote.

Referring to Taib as “one of South East Asia’s leading kleptocrats”, Bruno Manser Funds claims that Deutsche Bank conducts business transactions for both the Sarawak government and companies linked to Taib’s family.

Joint ventures with CMS

It stated that the Sarawak government’s transactions via Deutsche Bank in 2004 and 2005 exceeded US$700 million.

“Deutsche Bank International’s Jersey and Cayman branches are administering the Jersey-based Sogo Holdings Limited, through which several… Taib family assets in the US are held.

“In Malaysia, Deutsche Bank is running joint ventures with Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), the Taib family’s business flagship, under the names of K&N Kenanga Holdings and Kenanga Deutsche Futures,” it said.

According to the statement, the bank has thus far ignored the Society for Threatened Peoples which wants it to explain its business ties with Taib.

Taib is currently under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority, which is looking at the legitimacy of his assets in Swiss banks.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 2:41 pm and is filed under
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Govt strangely silent on Perkasa’s racist threats

By
Syed Jaymal Zahiid

Free Malaysia Today

June 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang wants to know why the Najib administration is so silent on the racist threats made by extremist Malay group Perkasa and bloggers.

The Ipoh Timur MP said the government has so far been silent on the groups’ May 13 threat against a planned mass rally calling for free and fair elections by Bersih despite the seditious nature of such a warning.

“If such incendiary, blood-curdling threats had been uttered by anyone in Pakatan Rakyat, he or she would have been clapped in jail without much ado,” he told reporters at Parliament lobby here.

Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali, who has declared himself to be a “war general” leading a counter rally against Bersih on Sunday, said his outfit should not be held responsible for any untoward incidents should the poll reform group continue with its protest on July 9.

He also warned the Chinese against joining the rally, asking them to stay home and “stock up on food” in reference to the Emergency period imposed during the racial riots of 1969 that left scores dead.

“Imagine if chaos erupts. If the Bersih rally is not cancelled… I believe the Chinese community will have to stock up on food,” Ibrahim was quoted as saying.

The same sentiment was expressed by bloggers. One of them, who calls himself “panglima perang cyber” or “cyber war general” sent out e-mails of the warning with an attached video found on Youtube.com of the gory May 1998 racial riots in Indonesia that caused the deaths of hundreds of Chinese.

“Are the Chinese in Malaysia willing to accept the same fate as their brethren in Indonesia if our country goes into chaos?” said the blogger in an e-mail thread posted today.

Lim demanded to know why these groups enjoy “immunity” for “such seditious, incendiary and treasonous utterances”.

“Two days have passed without any action or response from the police or the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein although they are capable of lightning-speed reaction when alleged infractions of the law are committed by Pakatan leaders”.

He said what was worrying was not Ibrahim as he is irrelevant and “a clown” but the silence of the government.

The Election Commission said it would consider meeting Bersih representatives for a dialogue on poll reform if the outfit cancels its planned rally.

While Bersih has not responded to the gesture, Lim called on leaders from the ruling coalition to join in the rally “to support the civil society initiative for free and fair elections”.

The rally is dubbed as Bersih 2.0. The planned rally is a second attempt at such protest and is expected to gather around 300,000 people. The first was held in October 2007, with some 50,000 flooding the city streets.

Umno Youth will also be holding its own counter-rally on the same day despite warning by its former chief Hishammuddin that similar action will be taken against them should they continue with their rally which has been deemed illegal.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 10:56 pm and is filed under
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Hackers ‘steal entire 2011 census’

By
 Christopher Williams

21 Jun 2011 | The Telegraph

The entire 2011 UK census database has been stolen by hackers and will be published online, it has been claimed.

Ryan Cleary, an alleged member of the hacking group behind the claim, LulzSec, was arrested in Essex this morning by specialist cyber crime officers from Scotland Yard.

The 19-year-old was taken to a central London police station and remains in custody on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act and Fraud Act offences
.

A “significant amount of material” was also seized from an address in Wickford, Essex.

The “pre-planned intelligence-led operation” in collaboration with the FBI followed claims online that the 2011 census database had been stolen and would be published in full.

“We have blissfully obtained records of every single citizen who gave their records to the security-illiterate UK government for the 2011 census,” a posting purportedly by LulzSec said.

“We’re keeping them under lock and key though… so don’t worry about your privacy (…until we finish re-formatting them for release),” it added.

The posting was uploaded to the website Pastebin.com, which has previously been used by LulzSec to publicise its attacks. It said the database will be published via The Pirate Bay, a file sharing website.

LulzSec first emerged in May and mounted a series of Distributed Denial of Service and hacking attacks on high profile organisations. Sony, the CIA, the US Senate, the NHS, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and security companies linked to the FBI have all been targeted.

The Office of National Statistics said it was investigating the latest claims.

“We are aware of the suggestion that census data has been accessed. We are working with our security advisers and contractors to establish whether there is any substance to this,” it said.

“The 2011 Census places the highest priority on maintaining the security of personal data. At this stage we have no evidence to suggest that any such compromise has occurred.”

The US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, which collected the 2011 census data, was also preparing a statement. The compulsory national survey was carried out in march and gathered data including full names, dates of birth and addresses for everyone in the UK.

Graham Cluley, of the British computer security firm Sophos, said more evidence of a breach was required.

“I don’t think we should believe someone has hacked UK census purely on basis of a post to PasteBin [the website used by LulzSec for its announcements],” he said.

The group claims to be acting purely for amusement.”Lulz” is a derivative of LOL, the abbreviation for “laugh out loud” commonly used online.

On Tuesday affternoon LulzSec appeared to deny a link to Ryan Cleary on its Twitter account.

“Seems the glorious leader of LulzSec got arrested, it’s all over now… wait… we’re all still here!,” it said.

It later also denied it had hacked into the census database.

“Not sure we claimed to hack the UK census or where that rumour started, but we assume it’s because people are stupider than you and I,” it said.

“Oh well, just because we want to waste government and local authority investigation time: we hacked every website in the world. Enjoy!”

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:14 pm and is filed under
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How long will Hisham let Ibrahim run amok?

Malaysiakini Your Say
 | Jun 21, 11

‘It appears Ibrahim Ali has now been mandated by Najib to set in motion the events to realise the counting of ‘crushed bodies’ in their defence of Putrajaya.’

Bar Council: Use Sedition Act against Ibrahim Ali

Rubystar_4037:
 Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, if you are doing your job, then you should know that Ibrahim Ali is a clear and present danger to the harmony and peaceful existence of all rakyat in Malaysia.

Ibrahim knows that the Home Ministry will not touch him, Utusan Malaysia will fan his fiery brimstone speeches, Dr Mahathir Mohamad is behind him, that he has tremendous value to Umno, the RMP (Royal Malaysian Police) will not arrest him, he will not be put under the ISA and that he is above the law.

Everything Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali says and plays to the gallery are all disgusting and go against the norm of civil and moral values of our society, in which the fabric that holds it together is now so fragile that all it needs is a small spark to lit up a conflagration of racial and civil unrest.

How long is the home minister going to let him run amok before it is too late? Do not discount the fact that he may be the agent provocateur in the run-up to the Bersih march.

Anonymous:
 If no action is taken against Ibrahim Ali this time – he has already made many other baseless and wild and seditious allegations on other occasions this year alone – it obviously shows that the government is blatantly bias and will never walk its talk on ‘1 Malaysia’.

TehTarik:
 Ibrahim Ali is a threat to national security and must be arrested under the Internal Security Act and interned in Kamunting. It is shocking to see the home minister and the police trying to appease Perkasa and its leader.

Umno appears to be playing a double game with Perkasa. This is similar to what is happening in Pakistan where the religious fundamentalists that were once courted by the government are today literally destroying it.

Perkasa and Ibrahim are slowly but surely pushing us into another racial conflagration.

Kyw:
 Why must Perkasa choose to rally on July 9? They can choose to rally on the 10th and nobody will condemn him.

But he purposely choose to coincide its rally with another’s. He is out to create trouble by intimidating others. Democracy means we are free to talk or act anyhow we please so long as it does not deprive, infringe or endanger others from enjoying their rights.

Ibrahim Ali is a busybody. He is out to obstruct and deny others their right of expression. He should be behind bars, not in Parliament.

Bozo:
 Hello, Mr PM. Why are you so quiet? Your call for a transparent government in the Langkawi International Dialogue amounts to nothing in Malaysia. Look at yourself first before you talk of good governance.

The country is going down the road of chaos while you are happily entertaining Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.

Anonymous_3e86:
 The BN government won’t anything to Ibrahim Ali as they are in favour of him starting another May 13. This is what BN wants and is hoping for.

BN is afraid to face the rakyat in the general elections for fear of losing. But the rakyat isn’t stupid enough to fall for that ploy. The rakyat are smart enough to avoid a confrontation with Perkasa.

The Bersih rally is for electoral reforms for fair and just elections. Is that not the way the electoral system should be? Is asking for a fair and just electoral system too much to ask? The fact is that the system is now manipulated by BN to their advantage.

Umno Youth’s claim to defend the present electoral system is ridiculous – it merely suggest that they are supporting an unfair system. So is Perkasa’s.

With or without the rally, BN will lose another chunk of the votes in the coming GE.

Wira:
 The Bersih walk, with a pledged 100,000 supporters from PAS, will be mainly Malay led. Umno and Perkasa are Malay parties too.

The Chinese will provide the electoral support during the general elections for their favourite parties and are not regarded as active participants in this protest. I don’t see why the Chinese should worry.

Anonymous_40a7:
 “We condemn the racist remark by Ibrahim Ali, it is wholly irresponsible and uncalled for, if not seditious,” said the Bar Council.

Next thing you know, Ibrahim the rambling madman will call for jihad against the Bar Council, and the police shrugs their shoulders, saying “What can we do?”

Multi Racial:
 Gerakan’s Mah Siew Keong is supporting Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa to get Bersih to call off the demonstration on July 9. Like Ibrahim Ali, Mah said if the demonstration was to go ahead, it will create political instability.

Is Mah implying cheating in election will not create political instability? These days, it is best for these politicians to keep their mouth shut if they do not have the courage to do what is right.

If Mah follow what Malaysians want, he should join Bersih in the demonstration.

Michael Celo:
 I can only suspect that Ibrahim Ali has now been mandated by PM Najib Razak to light the fires and set in motion the events to realise the counting of “crushed bodies” in their defence of Putrajaya. I wonder if Ibrahim Ali’s own body will be in that number.

TKC:
 Sometimes when I look at these guys making war cries, I wonder what would happen if trouble really breaks out. A man like Ibrahim Ali could probably run 20 steps at most before he gets a heart seizure – giving a literal meaning to “over my dead body”.

Docs:
I’m a bit confused here. Could Umno please clarify who is running the Malaysia government – BN or Perkasa?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:00 am and is filed under
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Ibrahim Ali and a sex-changed Umno

By
Sakmongkol AK47

June 21, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 21 — Ibrahim Ali continues to abuse Umno and it stands idle. He continues to belittle Umno every moment he gets and Umno absorbs the punishment willingly. Umno must be led by masochists. Are we enjoying receiving pain and getting sexually aroused at that?

Ibrahim Ali continues to humiliate Umno and all we can do is say, Ibrahim Ali is harmless and he speaks for the unspeaking Malay.

In July, Bersih is organising a mammoth rally to demand our Elections Commission to conduct its business professionally. That means to ensure elections are fair and transparent. The intended rally has drawn some xenophobic response from various groups. None more exceedingly intolerant than the one shown by Perkasa, the organisation headed by one Ibrahim Ali.

If Ibrahim Ali is more Umno than Umno, what has the real Umno become?

Umno has undergone a sex change. Probably in Thailand.

What has Ibrahim Ali done? He is telling the world that he will mobilise a large number of people to confront Bersih’s Rally. He’s even talking about a physical confrontation and that he will be at the forefront ready to shed blood. In his self-induced state of hysteria, he has warned the Chinese community not to get involved raising the spectre of the racial clashes of May 13 1969.

Clearly what Ibrahim Ali is saying is incendiary and seditious. He’s openly talking about bloodshed among the races. That’s willful and intentional desire to kill other people. It’s a murderous threat. Yet the security authorities appear ineffectual to act against Ibrahim Ali.

If the government doesn’t act against Ibrahim Ali it will be seen as an accomplice with Ibrahim Ali in the furtherance of an act or acts of allowing itself to be held at ransom by Ibrahim Ali. If that is not stupidity on our part, what else can it be? What’s happening to Umno? It’s allowing Ibrahim Ali to be its voice? Where is the leadership material?

What kind of material is Umno made of allowing itself to be cuckolded by the incorrigible Ibrahim Ali? Why is Umno applying kid’s gloves on Ibrahim Ali? It must use its knuckle dusters and deal Ibrahim Ali as the law would want to. Quickly.

Ibrahim Ali is not an Umno member and he isn’t a liability to Umno. It’s of no consequence to Umno if Ibrahim Ali is dealt with properly by the laws of Malaysia. Apply ISA or whatever on him. Get him under the sedition laws of this country or whatever.

If the government doesn’t act against Ibrahim Ali, then it cannot but be seen as impotent. People can carry out threats and other transgressions of violent intent and import with impunity and the government stands back.

It’s puzzling why the Police has not acted against Ibrahim Ali for such incendiary and seditious remarks. It is also puzzling how he got a permit to hold such an aggressive rally so quickly from the authorities. Yet the same authorities are showing their lead-weighted feet in issuing a valid permit to the organiSers of Bersih.

As to the barefaced threats to the Chinese community, Ibrahim Ali’s hysteria and Umno’s acquiescence will cause a desertion of Chinese votes. Ibrahim Ali has succeeded where others have failed — To hasten the flight of Chinese votes away from BN. Of course Malay ultras can insist they don’t need Chinese votes to win elections. But then they also forgot, the can’t get the majority of Malay votes.

Let’s see whether Malay support can be re taken by allowing Ibrahim Ali speak brazenly about a re-minted Malay triumphalism. We are allowing Ibrahim Ali to represent the rational and collected Malay voice.

Have we lost our marbles? Ibrahim Ali is a bloody hypocrite. His entire business ventures are done with the Chinese whose blood he is after and the commission of bodily harm he is advocating. His bridge projects were completed and done with Chinese and Chinese money. He was off to Macau last week to meet up with Chinese cukongs.

By keeping quiet and allowing Ibrahim to speak as it were as Umno’s voice, we are showing clearly we have a death wish. Umno stands idly by and therefore guilty of causing its own isolation. Umno will be poorly judged. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 10:50 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang ajak BN sertai perhimpunan Bersih 2.0

21 June 2011  |
Roketkini

KUALA LUMPUR, 21 JUN – Semua pemimpin Barisan Nasional dijemput menyertai perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 sebagai tanda sokongan kepada usaha rakyat prihatin yang mahukan pilihan raya yang bebas, adil dan bersih.

Ketua Parlimen DAP Lim Kit Siang berkata Datuk Seri Najib Razak, timbalannya Tan Sri Muhyiddin dan pemimpin-pemimpin BN lain perlu turut serta dalam perhimpunan aman itu yang dijadualkan pada 9 Julai ini.

“Ini adalah selaras dengan jemputan terbuka yang dibuat oleh Pengerusi Bersih 2.0 Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan untuk semua parti politik termasuk BN dan semua NGO untuk menyertainya bersama rakyat Malaysia,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Kit Siang yang juga Ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timur berkata beliau berbesar hati untuk sama-sama berjalan untuk keadilan dan keamanan bersama Perdana Menteri dan timbalannya serta Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, Presiden Gerakan Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Presiden MCA Datuk G. Palanivel, Presiden PBB Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, Presiden SUPP Tan Sri George Chan, Presiden PBS Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Presiden UPKO Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Presiden PRS James Masing, Presiden SPDP Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom dan lain-lain pemimpin BN demi pilihan raya yang bebas, adil dan bersih.

Menurutnya, jika Perdana Menteri, timbalannya dan menteri-menteri kabinet serta para pemimpin BN mengeluarkan kenyataan dan menyatakan pendirian yang bersifat negarawan, ia akan menjadi hari bersejarah bagi demokrasi Malaysia.

Ini adalah kerana ia dapat mengakhiri jeritan-jeritan negatif, berpecah-belah dan membinasakan yang yang telah dibuat oleh segelintir pihak tidak bertanggungjawab sepanjang bulan ini, tambahnya.

Perhimpunan aman Bersih 2.0 menuntut:

1. Bersihkan senarai undi

2. Reformasikan undi pos

3. Gunakan dakwat kekal

4. Akses media bebas dan adil

5. Masa berkempen minimum 21 hari

6. Kukuhkan institusi awam

7. Hentikan rasuah

8. Hentikan politik kotor

Kit Siang mencadangkan dua tuntutan tambahan untuk Bersih 2.0, iaitu:

• Menolak dan mengecam sebarang bentuk ancaman berulangnya tragedi 13 Meri 1969 sebelum atau semasa pilihan raya diadakan; dan

• Menubuhkan kerajaan sementara (caretaker government) sebaik sahaja Parlimen dan Dewan Undangan Negeri dibubarkan di mana menteri dan exco tidak boleh menyalahgunakan kedudukan “sementara” untuk mengumumkan peruntukan, projek dan program.

(Pada 1975 mahkamah di India telah memutuskan Perdana Menteri India Indira Gandhi tidak layak bertanding sebagai Ahli Parlimen kerana telah menyalahgunakan kedudukan beliau sebagai perdana menteri sementara (caretaker PM) apabila didapati bersalah menggunakan kapal terbang negara untuk kempen pilihan raya)

Kit Siang turut menegur Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein yang tidak berbuat apa-apa terhadap hasutan yang dibangkitkan oleh Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali yang mengancam kaum Cina dan India serta mengugut “apa-apa boleh berlaku” jika perhimpunan aman Bersih 2.0 diteruskan.

Beliau mendesak Najib, Muhyiddin, Hishammuddin dan Ketua Polis Negara untuk menjelaskan mengapa Ibrahim Ali “menikmati perlindungan” sebegitu rupa walau pun jelas telah membuat hasutan dan mengapi-apikan perkauman.

Katanya, kerajaan BN bersikap tidak adil kerana bertindak pantas apabila tuduhan dikenakan terhadap mana-mana ahli atau pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat.

Sementara itu, laporan berita menyebut bahawa mahkamah sesyen Shah Alam semalam telah menetapkan 19 Julai depan untuk menyebut semula kes Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Sri Muda, Shuhaimi Shafiei, yang dituduh menerbitkan artikel yang didakwa mengandungi ayat-ayat menghasut di laman blognya pada 30 Disember lalu.

Pada 7 Februari lalu, Shuhaimi dari PKR mengaku tidak bersalah atas tuduhan menerbitkan artikel itu yang bertajuk “Pandangan saya berasaskan undang-undang tubuh kerajaan negeri Selangor 1959” di laman blognya. – Roketkini.com

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:05 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang invites Najib, Cabinet to march with Bersih

By
Clara Chooi
 | June 21, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today called on the Najib administration to support the Bersih 2.0 Rally, and urged the Inspector-General of Police to facilitate the election watchdog’s July 9 gathering in the nation’s capital.

The first Bersih rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s street, but they were forced to disperse by police armed with tear gas and water cannons, sparking chaotic scenes which embarrassed the government.

“I would like to call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Cabinet ministers and leaders of all Barisan Nasional compnent parties to come forward to join in the Bersh 2.0 rally on July 9 to support the civil society initiative for free and fair elections.

“Let July 9 be a historic day in Malaysia to celebrate the coming-of-age of 54 years of parliamentary democracy where political parties, both ruling and opposition, together with the civil society, can come together to address the major defects of our democratic system of  governance — the many serious flaws of the electoral system failing to give real meaning to the principle of ‘one person, one vote, one value’; a clean, free and fair election proce and elected government which commands unquestioned credibility, legitimacy and authority,” he told a press conference in Parliament today.

Lim added that the participation of Najib and his Cabinet ministers would help “exorcise” once and for all the threat against the Chinese community purportedly made by Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali.

During the launch of his counter-protest against Bersih on Sunday, Ibrahim told the Chinese community to stay indoors on July 9 and stock up on food as “anything could happen”.

“If such incendiary blood-curdling threats had been uttered by anyone in Pakatan Rakyat (PR), he or she would have been clapped in jail without much ado,” said Lim.

He chastised Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein for failing to take action against the Malay rights leader, and added that the failure of other BN component parties to strongly condemn Ibrahim mirrored their backing of the Pasir Mas MP.

“Will the Cabinet meeting this week censure the Home Minister for failing to take appropriate and commensurate action against Ibrahim Ali for such incendiary, seditious an treasonous May 13 threats?” he asked.

When asked if he agreed that the Bersih rally should be called off should the Election Commission give in to the coalition’s demands for free and fair elections, Lim expressed doubt that this would occur.

“We will see only when it happens,” he said.

PR component parties and activists are gearing up to march on July 9 in the second such rally by election watchdog Bersih.

PAS has promised to bring some 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in the next general election, expected to be called within a year.

Perkasa has pledged to send 20 buses from each of the 10 peninsular Malaysian states, in addition to supporters from 164 other non-governmental organisations, to protest the Bersih rally.

Umno Youth has also said it will march on July 9 to counter the Bersih rally.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 1:55 pm and is filed under
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Supporting Bersih 2.0: It’s personal

By
 Hafidz Baharom

June 21, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 21 — 2008 was the first time I voted, and this was in the state of Selangor, in its capital city of Shah Alam. At the time, I was given the choice, in terms of Parliament members, of either voting for a person the same age as John McCain who had been given a “safe” seat, or vote for a person whose brother in Johore is as honest and true to his conscience in voting.

Of course, one point against the latter was that he was from PAS. However, when you have an 80-year-old aunt from Wangsa Maju suddenly calling you to vote for Umno, you know something’s up, right?

For those of you who have been reading this column for some time now, you would have noticed that I never support illegal gatherings, especially a mass protest in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. In fact, I do believe I got some heat a while back for this stance, particularly from people stating the importance of the freedom of speech and how it was the police’s fault that there were massive traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur.

This year, I will be taking part in Bersih 2.0’s march in Kuala Lumpur. And for me, the reasons are somewhat personal.

First and foremost, it’s because the area of Shah Alam, where I live, has been besieged and taken over people the likes I have never before been seen in my 28 years of existence, of which 24 were spent in this town eg. people carrying cow heads.

There has never been people stomping on the picture of an elected official in the area of the State Mosque, and there sure as hell weren’t teenagers being shot execution style by the police in Glenmarie or while fleeing to the safety of the homes.

In fact, there hadn’t been any incidents of people falling out of government offices leaving behind a family either.

And the saddest part of all this is the fact that the police and their counterparts, supposed maintainers of civil order, are the ones who have in fact done nothing. That isn’t bias. That is just injustice of the most disgusting kind.

Bersih will be a march for electoral reform, there will be no question about that. I will be joining the march for electoral reform because I believe this is the only way that I can voice my displeasure towards a government and their police force which have clearly proven their inconsistencies politically, financially and even on a social justice level.

As we have seen, the government, particularly Umno, is indeed scared of what may happen. And the reason behind this is simple. They were the ones protesting in the 40s.

They are now afraid and have gotten too comfortable in their seats of power that they have forgotten what it is to fear the power of the people, a similar notion brought to life during the Hartal and protests in the 1940s, which led to the banning of communism and socialism at the time.

And we can see this fear reflected not only in the mainstream media, but also through the actions of their cronies, the so-called independent coalition.

Frankly, Ibrahim Ali is as independent as an Aedes mosquito spreading dengue. He’s gone after gays, and when that didn’t pan out, he went after every non-Malay in this nation, even publishing that disgusting flyer of Ambiga, highlighting her as a “Hindu woman” who is a threat to public harmony.

The government can threaten all they want. The police can threaten all they want. The not-so-independent coalition can threaten all they want. My stance is simple; if they had want this protest under control, they could have simply give a permit and monitor it.

Since the police and the government through the Home Minister have refused to do so, then I guess the only way to face them is head on with headlights and horns blaring.

So as I’ve said, this time it’s personal. I will be marching alongside Bersih members from NGOs and political parties but moreover, I will be marching with other Malaysians who are just sick of the way this government is running this country and truly do want the electoral process to be reformed.

So if you see a fat gay guy wearing pink and brandishing a giant yellow golf umbrella, just know that’s no plainclothes policeman.

They wouldn’t be caught dead wearing pink.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 11:40 am and is filed under
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Ibrahim Ali as guilty as hell

I have seen the video recording of the speech by the Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali at the launch of the Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and there can be no doubt that he is as guilty as hell in his incendiary, inciteful and treasonous “Chinese should stock up food” tirade.

If the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussin and the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sir Ismail Ismail Omar have not seen the video recording, I can send them a copy of the video.

The question is why the paralysis of the Home Minister and the Inspector-General of Police in the past three days when confronted by  Ibrahim Ali’s open contempt for the law and the authorities?

Is this because the face of Ibrahim Ali is increasingly coming to represent the real power in Umno politics – replacing that of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Ibrahim is a certified clown and utterly irrelevant – what is pertinent is the real power in UMNO that he is fronting for, to the extent that the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Inspector-General of Police feel utterly impotent!

There have been mounting calls for Ibrahim Ali to be detained under the Internal Security Act to protect law and order in Malaysia.

I do not agree with the use of ISA, which should be repealed altogether.

Ibrahim should not be detained under the ISA but should be arrested and  charged in court as a lowly criminal in inciting unrest and bloodshed in multi-racial Malaysia, hoping for another May 13 after 42 years.

Hishammuddin should resign as Home Minister and Ismail relinquish his post as IGP if they cannot discharge such an elementary duty and handle a criminal nuisance posed by Ibrahim Ali.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 3:16 pm and is filed under
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Blogger warns Chinese away from Bersih

By
 Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

Jun 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — After a similar threat from Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali Sunday, the Chinese community was yesterday warned against participating in next month’s Bersih rally via an email thread making its rounds to several media organisations here.

The email, sent by a self-proclaimed nationalist and blogger with the pseudonym “Panglima Perang Cyber” (cyber war commander), came with an attached video found on Youtube.com of the infamous May 1998 racial riots in Indonesia that caused the deaths of hundreds.

“Are the Chinese in Malaysia willing to accept the same fate as their brethren in Indonesia if our country goes into chaos?

“So let us 1 Malaysia Malay, Chinese and Indians reject the Bersih demonstration for the good of our grandchildren. Watch the video below,” the email read.

The email was delivered to the inboxes of 18 pro-Malay and pro-BN Facebook groups and carbon copied to media organisations like The Malaysian Insider, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Kosmo! and PAS organ Harakah.

The Malaysian Insider traced the writer to a blog site at http://penembak-tepat.blogspot.com/ where he/she described his/herself as a “defender of the country” who fights wholeheartedly for religion, race and the nation in the cyber world”.

The same Bersih posting was also found on the blogger’s Facebook group called “Facebooker 1Malaysia”, which sparked a heated debate between online users on the purpose of the rally.

One user, called “Dap Dapfan” argued that the Bersih rally, scheduled for July 9, had nothing to do with race.

“This is nothing doing with race bloody hell……!! Malaysia is not like Indonesia and this will never happen in Malaysia. Now is Malay/Chinese/Indian vs Malay/Chinese/Indian in different political field….plzz do not mis-interpreted the meaning of BERSIH 2.0!!,” said the user.

The same sentiment was also echoed earlier today by several politicians from both BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) who were rebutting a similar threat issued by Perkasa’s Ibrahim yesterday.

During the launch of Perkasa’s counter-protest against Bersih, the Pasir Mas MP had warned the Chinese community to stay indoors during the rally and to stock up on food as “anything could happen”.

In response, MCA leaders like vice-president Gan Ping Sieu and Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong condemned Ibrahim for attempting to lead the public into believing the gathering would turn into a racial riot. PR component parties and activists are gearing up to march on July 9 in the second such rally by election watchdog Bersih. Perkasa and Umno Youth will also hold separate marches on the same day. The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s street, before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannon. That rally has also been credited for the PR’s record gains in Election 2008, where the opposition pact was swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.

Among others, Bersih is demanding that the government ensure a clean and fair general election, reforms in the postal voting system, extend the campaign period to at least 21 days and others.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 7:07 am and is filed under
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Ex-Perlis mufti Asri backs Bersih’s intentions

MalaysiaKini

Jun 22, 11

Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said after hearing and evaluating the briefing given by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih), he found its intentions to be good.

Asri said he had been swarmed with questions over the Bersih campaign and for him to take a stand on the issue of demands for just elections.

He explained that any life dealings should be assessed in two ways: its purpose and method.

“If the purpose and the method used is good then it would be considered a good practice. If it is meant well, but the method deployed is wrong, it’s like theft for the purpose of giving charity, it is deemed wrong. If the purpose is wrong or is a sin, then any move towards it would be considered likewise.

“Any individuals who participate in the activity must ensure its purpose is halal and noble and the method deployed is also halal,” he said.

After hearing Bersih’s briefing, Asri  said he found its intentions are good, that is to claim the rights which should be accorded to the rakyat or people as promised in the constitution.

If the demands are successful, the former Perlis mufti said it would not only help alleviate the problems faced by political parties in seeking a just campaign but also improve the way we embark on politics without having a notion of where the party is from.

“I do not dispute Bersih’s noble intentions. However, I am worried if a certain political party’s agenda is realised and not the rakyat’s aspirations in general. Whereas the demands are good to ensure justice in managing elections,” he said.

As to holding a rally, Asri said in principle it is required unless it is accompanied by haram actions like destroying public property, fights and actions leading to bad behaviour.

Citing Prophet Muhammad’s sayings, Asri said street demonstrations to protest transgression can be held.

“In today’s context, peaceful demonstrations to prevent political misbehaviour could be held as it has been successful in many countries.

“However, demonstrations would be open to dangers and causing chaos and they should be used as a last resort if the demands for justice are not met,” he added.

‘Discussion and negotiation are preferred’

“Discussion, negotiation or writing in protest are preferred. I understand all this had been done and the Election Commission should adhere to these demands to prevent the people from going to the streets which would result in untoward eventualities,” he said.

He warned that if the EC fails to adhere to the demands, it is the rakyat’s right to demand them peacefully.

“A peaceful rally is an important pre-condition and if it turns violent then it becomes haram. Those who want to attend the Bersih rally must work towards ensuring that they do not destroy public property, injure someone or shout vulgarities at anyone but only shout their demands and slogans to show their dissatisfaction,” he said.

“It is haram for the demonstrators or the police to provoke anyone, resulting in riots. The police should also realise that the demands are good for the country and not only for the betterment of the people but also the police.

“The demonstrators should realise the police are out to ensure peace and there should not be any provocation,” he warned, adding that those who provoke would be considered to have sinned.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 9:24 pm and is filed under
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Federal Govt spending RM1.18 billion, Cabinet campaing in Sarawak and RM500 mil BN election outlay reasons for Bersih 2.0 rally

FACT 1
: In Parliament yesterday, in written answer to the DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok, the Prime Minister’s Department revealed  that the Federal Government had announced a total of 62 programmes and projects worth a total of RM1.18 billion in Sarawak during the just-concluded Sarawak state polls.

The RM1.18 billion was divided between 10 ministries, namely the Prime Minister’s Department; Rural and Regional Development Ministry; Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; Defence Ministry; Health Ministry; Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry; Education Ministry; Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry; Works Ministry; and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.

The projects include upgrading work for suraus, mosques and other places of worship; community halls, schools and roads; longhouse repairs; electricity supply; the construction of jetties and bridges; the renovation of hospitals and clinics; flood mitigation work; and contributions and welfare aid, among others.

It was not just Sarawak Barisan Nasional but the entire Federal Government campaigning in the Sarawak elections – making a complete mockery of the principle of free and fair elections!

FACT 2
: The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, cancelled the Cabinet meeting during the Sarawak election period, dragooning all Federal Ministers to campaign in Sarawak – leaving Putrajaya as an empty seat of Federal power!

Another irrefutable proof of the gross abuses of power which marred the recent Sarawak state polls.

FACT 3
: Barisan Nasional spent over RM500 million in the Sarawak elections, breaking all election laws limiting election expenditures for state assembly candidates to RM100,000 per candidate – or at most RM7.1 million for the 71 State Assembly seats.

It has been estimated that in the forthcoming 13th General Elections, Barisan Nasional would be spending RM4 to RM5 billion!

The Federal Government spending RM1.18 billion during Sarawak general elections, the whole Federal Cabinet camping and campaigning in Sarawak and Barisan Nasional  splurging some RM500 million are among the reasons for July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections

In fact,these three FACTS are among the mountain of potent reasons why the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections needs to be held if Malaysia is to join the rank of developed democracies where elections result in credible and legitimate goverments unlike many failed African states where elections are used to give the  fig-leaf of legality to illegitimate governments.

Rational and patriotic Malaysians are puzzled how anyone, any political party or movement speaking in the name of genuine democracy could oppose or seek  to sabotage the successful holding of a peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections.

The speeches and statements made by Barisan Nasional leaders, whether UMNO, MCA, Gerakan or other BN component parties, are pathetic examples of how disconnected and irrelevant they have become with regard to the deep-seated aspirations of Malaysians regardless of race, religion, gender or political affiliation for change to see Malaysia regain her rightful place as an united, progressive, prosperous and competitive nation.

The latest example comes from the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek alleging “Bersih being used by the opposition for their agenda” (Star), quoting him as saying:

“Bersih started out as a non-governmental organisation to express concerns over irregularities in the electoral process.

“However, it is now being infiltrated and influenced by opposition leaders to gain political mileage.

“They are trying to stoke the emotions of the people and create feelings of hatred against the Government.”

Such garbage does not deserve notice or response. Any Malaysian, whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban or Orang Asli who are not “slaves of MSM” depending solely on the subservient mainstream media for their sources of information but keep abreast with national developments through the online portals and social media will know that the MCA President is talking rubbish.

But does Chua know he is talking rubbish? Are MCA Ministers and national leadership less “blind, deaf and dumb” than the MCA President?

The Bersih 2.0 movement had always been conceived as a campaign transcending political parties and political interests, committed to the one and only goal of ensuring free, fair and clean elections in Malaysia.

Yesterday, I invited the  Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Cabinet Ministers and leaders of all Barisan Nasional component parties to come forward to join in the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 to support the civil society initiative for free and fair elections.

Has Chua the idealism,  independence and integrity to support this call without having to wait for approval from the UMNO leadership?

Dare he ask for an emergency meeting of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council to urgently discuss the proposal that BN political parties and leaders support the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections?

I do not hide  the fact that I have no such confidernce that the  MCA President would have the  idealism, independence and integrity to propose that BN parties and leaders support the Bersih 2.0 rally – when MCA Ministers and leaders dare not breathe any dissent about the supine inaction of the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to the latest irresponsible, reckless and treasonous incitement by Ibrahim Ali.

I have not discussed with any Bersih 2.0 steering committee member, but I dare say that if BN parties are prepared to support the peaceful July 9 rally, all the BN component parties would be most welcome to serve in the Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee to join in the decision-making process about all aspects of the July 9 rally.

Over to Chua Soi Lek.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 10:56 am and is filed under
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Hisham: Police to haul up rallies’ organisers

By
Clara Chooi

June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — The Home Ministry will flex its muscles ahead of the Bersih rally next month, announcing today that organisers of all three assemblies will be hauled up by Bukit Aman today.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also confirmed today that the three — Bersih 2.0, Umno Youth and Perkasa — would not be granted permits for their planned gatherings on July 9.

“My statement today is that all three parties will not be granted permits to gather on that date. I am saying that categorically, all three of them will not get it.

“Secondly, I have already stated that immediate action must be taken on this matter and PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) will call all parties involved because although we have said that we are not going to grant them permits, the statements from Perkasa, Umno Youth or Bersih, indicate that they plan to proceed,” he told reporters after attending a meeting in Parliament today.

The rally this July 9 is the brainchild of election watchdog Bersih, who plans to gather hundreds of thousands in a march to push for free and fair elections.

Perkasa has also launched its counter-protest and promised to join the July 9 march with at least 20 buses from each of the 10 peninsular Malaysian states, in addition to supporters from 164 other non-governmental organisations.

Despite acknowledging the government’s refusal to legalise the rallies, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has vowed to defy his predecessor in the wing, saying it is every Malaysian’s democratic right to assemble publicly.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 1:27 pm and is filed under
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Home is where my heart is at ease to serve

By
 Kang Ho

June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 22 — In the 1980s, I received 8A’s for SRP. Thereafter, I transferred to a technical school and received 3A’s for SPM with Grade 1.

My Malay schoolmates who received Grade 1 were sent overseas for further studies and those who received Grade 2 were placed in local universities. My other Malay schoolmates who received Grade 3 were left behind in the same class as I was in Form Six.

Even back then, I knew something was not right and I lost focus on my studies in Malaysia. My teachers told me that the reason I was not treated the same as my Malay schoolmates was because of “kulitfication.”

I decided to try my luck in Singapore by enrolling in a parochial college and gave tuition classes to support myself. Meanwhile, I saved enough money to go to the United States to finish my university education.

I was also fortunate to have opportunities to receive my Master’s and doctoral degrees. To sustain myself, I worked in janitorial jobs, farms, cafeterias, restaurants, and libraries.

I came from a poor family. My father was a rubber tapper and my mother was a homemaker. Despite the challenges of being in a family of nine siblings, all of us were able to finish tertiary education, with three holding doctoral degrees. We helped one another and the last five siblings were able to attend universities in the United States.

Life in the United States is not without struggles. I encountered various hurdles during the process — family (divorced but happily married now), career (change of profession due to unethical politics), and health (I have three kidneys, the original two are dysfunctional and one belonged to a white friend!).

I am currently a clinical psychotherapist counselling a variety of individuals who need guidance and support to put their lives back together. These individuals include former inmates/ex-criminals, drug addicts, alcoholics, domestic violence offenders, married couples, as well as mental health patients. I enjoy helping to empower these individuals to change their lives.

My school education, career training, and life experiences have equipped me to assist people who are less fortunate than I am regardless of their race, religion, socio-economic status, and lifestyle. Coincidentally, most of my clients are Caucasians and Hispanics, and I have no qualms accepting and treating them as one of my fellow human beings.

My wife is internationally recognised for her exquisite concerto performances in Asia and North America, and has received numerous prizes and scholarships. She has a doctorate degree and teaches at a local university.

She was from Hong Kong and used to play with the orchestra on the National Day of China in Hong Kong. She performs at many concerts on university campuses and in community festivals. She frequently receives rapturous acclaim and standing ovations for the performances.

In spite of our culture, language, and country of origin, we are well accepted and respected in our white majority community. We are able to contribute to our local community and live a meaningful and productive life. We are also able to own a big house with over two dozen fruit trees and a vegetable garden in our yard.

So where is home? Home is where my heart can be at ease to serve without being discriminated against or sidelined due to my parental heritage, spiritual value, and lack of opportunities to attain my dreams.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 1:30 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang offers to prove Ibrahim Ali’s Chinese threat

By
Clara Chooi

June 22, 201 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang offered today to deliver a copy of Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s speech on Sunday to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Home Minister to prove that the Perkasa president had threatened the Chinese community.

Describing him as “guilty as hell”, Lim said he had watched a recording of Ibrahim’s speech and confirmed that the fiery Malay rights leader had indeed warned the Chinese to stay home and stock up on food during the planned Bersih rally this July 9.

This, he said, was tantamount to a threat against the community.

“I have seen the video recording of the speech by the Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali at the launch of the Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and there can be no doubt that he is as guilty as hell in his incendiary, inciteful and treasonous ‘Chinese should stock up food’ tirade,” he said in a statement today.

Lim added that Ibrahim should not be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for his statement but should be charged in court like a “lowly criminal” instead for raising the spectre of the bloody May 13 racial clashes.

“If Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the IGP Tan Sri Ismail Ismail Omar have not seen the video recording, I can send them a copy of the video,” he said.

Hishammuddin said today the police will call officials from Bersih 2.0, Umno Youth and Perkasa over their plans to hold rallies on July 9. He added the police will not issue any permit for the rallies.

Several media organisations reported Ibrahim as saying during his counter-protest launch on Sunday that the Chinese community should stay indoors during the Bersih protest and stock up on food as “anything could happen.”

His statement was interpreted by many as a threat to the Chinese community, forcing the outspoken Malay rights leader to the centre of much criticism.

But the Pasir Mas MP  insisted to reporters yesterday that he had merely been advising the community to stay at home that day to safeguard their interests. He also lashed out at the media for misreporting his statements, accusing The Malaysian Insider of twisting his words out of context.

Lim questioned today why the government continued to refuse to penalise Ibrahim for his statement, saying the Pasir Mas MP was clearly showing an open contempt for the law and the authorities.

“Is this because the face of Ibrahim Ali is increasingly coming to represent the real power in Umno politics — replacing that of (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak?” he asked.

Lim added that if Hishammuddin or the IGP failed to act on the resounding calls for Ibrahim to be punished for his remarks, both men should resign from their posts.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 9:35 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang: RM1.7b Sarawak pork barrel justifies Bersih march

By
Shannon Teoh

June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Lim Kit Siang has accused Barisan Nasional (BN) of vote buying during the April 16 Sarawak election, stating that the RM1.7 billion spent on its campaign was reason enough for the July 9 Bersih rally calling for free and fair elections.

The DAP parliamentary leader added that the entire federal Cabinet had campaigned in Sarawak, leaving no one to govern the country during the election period.

“It was not just Sarawak BN but the entire federal government campaigning in the Sarawak elections — making a complete mockery of the principle of free and fair elections,” said the Ipoh Timur MP of the RM1.18 billion spent by the Najib administration up to April 30 this year in Sarawak.

He also cited reports that BN had spent over RM500 million in the state polls, far in excess of election laws limiting each state assembly candidate to RM100,000 or RM71 million for the combined 71-seat Sarawak legislative.

“The rally needs to be held if Malaysia is to join the rank of developed democracies… unlike many failed African states where elections are used to give the fig-leaf of legality to illegitimate governments,” he said, adding that BN would likely spend up to RM5 billion in a general election expected within the year.

The Prime Minister’s Department said in Parliament yesterday that RM1.18 billion was spent in the first four months of the year on 62 programmes and projects, 52 of which have already been implemented.

Lim also said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak “cancelled the Cabinet meeting during the Sarawak election period, dragooning all federal ministers to campaign in Sarawak — leaving Putrajaya as an empty seat of federal power.”

Corruption watchdog Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) also threw its support behind Bersih, stating that political financing should be reformed and action taken against vote buying.

“The fight against corruption in any country begins at the top in the political arena, starting with clean and fair elections where the democratic process of election is carried out in a manner where its integrity is safeguarded,” said president Datuk Paul Low.

He called on the Election Commission (EC) to define clearly what is illegal and what is not so that “swift and stern action to be taken against all allegations of corruption, including vote buying.”

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 when up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas fired by the police.

PAS has promised to deliver at least 100,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in the next general election, expected to be called within a year.

The 2007 rally was said to play a big role in bringing record gains for the opposition electoral pact in Election 2008, where it swept five state governments and won 82 parliamentary seats.

But both Umno Youth and Perkasa are planning anti-Bersih marches on the same day, with the Malay rights NGO pledging to send 20 buses from each of the 10 peninsular states, in addition to supporters from 164 other non-governmental organisations, to protest the Bersih rally.

However, Lim said that if any BN party was prepared to support Bersih, he was certain they would be welcome to serve in the group’s steering committee ahead of the July 9 gathering.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 1:25 pm and is filed under
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