Is IGP heading police investigation into Zulkipli by “remote control”?

The announcement by the Inspector-General, Tan Sri Musa Hassan that he has directed his officers to record Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor’s statement, with New Straits Times front-page headline
“IGP: GRILL ZULKIPLI”

– which is reminiscent of a similar NST front-page headline eight days ago,
“Johari grilled by ACA – deputy minister’s statement taken  IN: 10 am OUT: 10 pm”
— has caused many Malaysians to ask whether all this “grilling publicity” is just for the media and news bytes or for real.

Who is heading the 10-member police team to investigate Zulkipli?  Is Musa himself personally heading the investigation into Zulkipli? If so, is the IGP leading the operation by “remote control”?

This is because Musa said he had issued the
directive
 on Tuesday when he  “instructed Federal CID director Datuk Christopher Wan to have his officers call Zulkipli and record his statement”.

However, Musa declined to say whether this had been done. Reason?  “I have not yet been briefed on the progress by my officers.”

It is clear that if Musa is heading the investigation into Zulkipli, he is doing so  by “remote control”  as he is clearly not conducting a  “hands on” operation with him directing all aspects of the investigation.

Is Christopher Wan heading the police  investigation into Zulkipli, and if so, why is Musa interfering with the police investigation team which should independently make such a decision (and should have done so already without any “directive” or “green light” from anyone above), and if Wan is not heading the investigation team, why is Musa instructing Wan to interfere with the police investigation?

If neither Musa nor Wan is heading the police investigation into Zulkipli, who is this mysterious police officer spearheading the police investigation that his identity cannot be revealed?

All this hush-hush and strange goings-on only highlight the  grave problem of credibility which the  police investigation into the serious corruption allegations against Zulkipli is belabouring under,  when  an independent and impeccable  commission must be empanelled  to clear the name of the ACA director-general.

Another question that is  being asked is whether the sudden “directive” by the IGP to “grill” Zulkipli is to clear the deck for the re-appointment of Zulkipli as ACA Director-General as his latest
contract
ends this month.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should realize that he would meet with a nation-wide “firestorm of protest”  and international ridicule if Zulkipli’s contract as ACA chief is further extended when there is no credible and independent  investigation into the serious corruption allegations which had been levelled against him by former Mohamad Ramli Manan.

Zulkipli’s credibility and integrity had suffered a  big dent when he was  conspicuously silent, failing to reiterate his  earlier preparedness to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity with regard to the serious corruption allegations made against him  on the ground that he had nothing to hide during the period when the Select Committee was deliberating whether to proceed with the decision to hold hearings for Zulkipli and Ramli.

In the past month, Zulkipli should have been directed to go on leave instead of hanging  on to his post as ACA director-general, compromising the integrity of the ACA and doing a great disservice to the National Integrity Plan.

In fact, Zulkipli should have been dismissed as ACA director-general because of his failure to spearhead  and deliver the anti-corruption campaign promised  by  Abdullah when  he became Prime Minister more than three years ago.

In November last year, when Malaysia’s ranking on the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI)  plunged seven places from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 44 in 2006, I had called on the Prime Minister to sack Zulkipli as ACA chief to assume full responsibility over Malaysia’s continued slide in the past three years in the TI CPI  when the National Integrity Plan objective is for Malaysia to achieve at least No. 30th ranking by next year.

From all recent indications, Malaysia’s TI CPI will plummet further south this year — not the best gift for the nation’s 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations.

There is national and international consensus that corruption is one area which had deteriorated  under Abdullah’s premiership, to the extent that former Prime Minister,
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
could righteously say yesterday  at a public forum organised by Umno Kulai Besar branch that the corruption index, like crime, has risen.

Like it or not, Mahathir struck a sad resonance among the people when he said:
“Corruption was a problem that the administration had pledged to eradicate … and yet you see it rise … we have gone up in the international corruption index… .It’s now not just a matter of what they want to snatch from you. You can lose you life, nowadays … You have mothers killing babies.”

Corruption and abuse-of-power charges against the high and mighty are now  flying thick and fast in the country, whether against the Prime Minister involving his  family members,  the Deputy Prime Minister concerning mega defence contract commissions,  judges made by the Chief Justice himself, the ACA Director-General and the Deputy Internal Security Minister in the “freedom for sale” scandal .

Most sad and tragic of all, none of these serious allegations is being properly addressed by Abdullah and his administration. Time is fast running out  for Abdullah to salvage his anti-corruption pledge and agenda — although there are many who would say that time has already run out!

                This entry was posted on Friday, 30 March 2007, 11:38 am and is filed under
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Sleaze and crime – cleaning up?

Sleaze saps the prime minister’s election prospects

The Economist

22nd March 2007

CHEERY statements on the economy by Malaysian ministers and the pro-government press are prompting speculation that the prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, will call an election this year, even though he need not do so until 2009. The economy is doing fairly well–although economists think growth will be perhaps 5.5% this year, not 6% as the government predicts. However, hanging over Mr Badawi is his failure to keep his promise to curb official corruption. Two surveys out this month suggest that little progress is being made on this front. Worse, some big sleaze scandals have broken, suggesting that the rot reaches close to the top.

The man who is supposed to lead the clean-up, Zulkipli Mat Noor, the head of the country’s Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), has himself been accused of illicit enrichment by a former underling. In a separate case, a deputy police minister is accused of taking bribes to set criminal suspects free. Mr Badawi has rejected calls to suspend the two officials while the allegations, which both deny, are investigated.

If all this were not disturbing enough, a gruesome murder case involving a government adviser, due in court in June, may prove even more incendiary. Two members of an elite police unit are accused of killing a Mongolian fashion model, whose corpse was apparently blown up with explosives. Abdul Razak Baginda, a political analyst, is accused of abetting them. Mr Razak Baginda is close to Mr Badawi’s deputy as prime minister, Najib Razak, who also oversees the police unit in question. Though Mr Najib has not been accused of any wrongdoing, there is speculation that the trial could force his resignation.

It is widely believed that Mr Badawi doubts his deputy’s loyalty, and many observers think he might not be too downcast to see a potential challenger brought down. None of the present rash of scandals has cast doubt on Mr Badawi’s own integrity. Even so, the rising tide of sleaze seems likely to leave a permanent stain on his reputation as a reformer.

A survey this month by PERC, a Hong Kong-based consultancy, shows that while some neighbouring countries–Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines but not squeaky-clean Singapore–are seen as even more graft-ridden, corruption is perceived to have worsened in Malaysia since last year. The prime minister has brushed such fears aside, insisting that 85% of corruption allegations prove baseless. But in truth few are properly investigated, and even when cases do reach court, proceedings can drag on for years. Mohamad Ramli Manan, the ACA inspector making accusations against his boss, has also alleged that he was earlier sidelined for refusing to drop a case against a former cabinet minister, Kasitah Gaddam, whose corruption trial has rolled on for two years.

A survey this month by Transparency International, an anti-corruption watchdog, hinted at one explanation why so few cases are cleared. It showed that both the public and businessmen see the police as by far the most corrupted institution (see chart). From business’s point of view, only political parties come close (though the public, which should presumably reap the benefits, has not noticed). Reforming the police is another of Mr Badawi’s broken promises. Two years ago, a royal commission he set up called for an independent police-complaints body. But the force’s chiefs objected. So far they have had their way, despite sharply rising crime–murders increased by 22% last year.

Mr Badawi’s governing coalition has a strong electoral machine, while the opposition remains split between Islamists and secularists. So Mr Badawi is most unlikely to lose the election, whenever he calls it. His main threat is from plotters on his own benches, who might be tempted to move against him if public anger at sleaze and crime deprives him of the big majority he won in the last election, in 2004.

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Consult PSCI on appointment of new ACA DG

An hour  before midnight,
Bernama
 released the news from the Prime Minister’s Office
“Zulkipli’s Contract As ACA Chief Not Extended”
.

The decision not to renew Zulkipli’s contract as Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general,  which ends today, has saved the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from a “firestorm” of nation-wide protest and international ridicule which would have immediately  exploded in his face  if Zulkipli’s contract as ACA chief had been  further extended — a grave consequence which I had taken pains to serve public warning  in my
media statement
yesterday morning.

In fact, no ACA director-general apart from Zulkipli had brought greater disrepute and odium to the anti-corruption agency in its 40-year history — with Malaysians questioning for the first time its very integrity apart from its ineffectiveness and impotence when dealing with corruption involving the “big political fishes”.

It reflects poorly on the lack of political will of the Prime Minister in his pledge to give top priority in his administration to the campaign against corruption that Zulkipli was allowed in the past month to continue to helm the ACA in the face of serious corruption allegations made against him by former Sabah ACA director Mohamad Ramli Manan when he should have been asked to go on leave to protect the public image and integrity of ACA.

Zulkipli’s credibility and integrity suffered a serious dent when he backed out of his earlier public commitment to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) as he had nothing to hide, raising questions as to what are the things he could not say and reveal  to the PSCI about ACA’s integrity, commitment  and sense of purpose to wipe out corruption.

The close-to-midnight
statement
from the Prime Minister’s Office is however a great disappointment.

The statement expressed gratitude to Zulkipli for his services since his appointment to the post on secondment in April 2001 and subsequently on contract from July 2005.

The statement said: “Under the leadership of Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor, various proactive and renewal efforts were undertaken including upgrading the network of collaboration at the international level.

“The government takes this opportunity to express the highest gratitude and thanks to Zulkipli for his services as the ACA director-general.”

What is the use of “upgrading” the ACA’s “international network of collaboration” when domestically, corruption had plunged to the worst-ever level in 50 years of national independence, as reflected by the 44th ranking of Malaysia in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2006 — which is seven places worse than No. 37th in 2003 when Abdullah became Prime Minister and 21 places worse than in 1995 when TI first started its annual CPI.

Zulkipli had undoubtedly scored another first among all the ACA director-generals in the past 40 years — being the most travelled ACA chief attending the most number of international conferences, though with the least results in stopping  the rot of corruption despite the biggest budgetary and staff increases for the agency in the past three years.

It will be salutary if the full list of the international conferences and foreign trips which Zulkipli had made during his tenure as ACA director-general is made public, as he clearly was more interested in the ACA’s “international collaboration” than in the real war against corruption in the country.

I said yesterday that time is fast running out for Abdullah to salvage his anti-corruption pledge and agenda — as Malaysia  is in the throes of a full-blow corruption crisis, with corruption and abuse-of-power charges against the high and mighty  flying thick and fast in the country, whether against the Prime Minister involving his  family members,  the Deputy Prime Minister concerning mega defence contract commissions,  heads of state governments like the Chief Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak, judges made by the Chief Justice himself, the ACA director-General or  the Deputy Internal Security Minister in the “freedom for sale” scandal .

It must be very galling for Abdullah that the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has now turned the table on him  with the latter repeatedly declaring that corruption today is worse than under his 22-year premiership — and with more and more people agreeing.

There are two things Abdullah must  immediately do to salvage his collapsing, if not already-collapsed, anti-corruption campaign:

	Appoint an ACA director-general fully committed to an anti-corruption campaign, regardless of “ikan bilis” or “ikan yu” and who can command public confidence.  The Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity should be consulted on the appointment of  the ACA director-general who should not come from police ranks after the disastrous example of Zulkipli.

	Introduce legislation in the current meeting of Parliament to remove  the ACA from the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s office and to make it fully independent and answerable only to Parliament.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 31 March 2007, 10:07 am and is filed under
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Machap by-election – suspend Zahid as deputy information minister for violating NIP

My first reaction to the Bernama report yesterday,
“Info Ministry To Counter All Issues Raised In Machap Polls”
, quoting the Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the Information Ministry will counter all issues, including personal matters of national, state and local leaders, raised by the Opposition in the run-up to the Machap by-election was whether it was an April Fool’s joke.

Zahid said it was the ministry’s responsibility to explain the truth to the voters on issues highlighted so that they would not be swayed by the baseless allegations.

“Personal issues and allegations on certain leaders are disheartening. I advise Machap voters not to be taken in by DAP speakers harping on personal and private matters,” Zahid  told reporters after chairing a meeting on the by-election in Alor Gajah yesterday.

I had wondered whether Zahid was playing an April Fool’s joke on the voters of Machap and the people of Malaysia because no minister or deputy minister had ever been so blatant in 50 years of Malaysian independence  in declaring or admitting about the misuse of government machinery, resources and funds in a general election or by-election to support the candidates of the ruling coalition.

For the first time, a deputy information minister had openly confessed that the Information Ministry is part of the election or by-election  machinery of the Barisan Nasional, with the entire resources of the Information Ministry commandeered  in the campaign of misinformation and disinformation against the Opposition candidate.

This is most shocking, for it marks another low point in the deterioration of public integrity and morality of the Abdullah premiership — where the distinctions between  government,  political party and personal interests are completely blurred and destroyed, which is the root cause of the galloping corruption and power abuses  in the country.

I challenge the Election Commission Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman to declare whether he is prepared to condemn such  a gross abuse of power and serious  electoral malpractice which has continued to tarnish the Malaysian electoral system preventing it from being  a free,  fair and honest process for voters to  meaningfully choose their elected representative, whether State or Parliament.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should repudiate the statement  by Zahid that the Information Ministry will be partisanly involved in  the Machap by-election to secure votes for the Barisan Nasional candidate as Parliament had never approved any budget for the Information Ministry to be spent to campaign for Barisan Nasional candidates, whether in a general election or by-election.

Zahid has in fact publicly gone against Abdullah’s pledge to promote integrity in governance and the National Integrity Plan — for which Zahid  should be immediately suspended as Deputy Information Minister to demonstrate Abdullah’s serious commitment about the National Integrity Plan.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 April 2007, 4:06 pm and is filed under
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First by-election job for Malacca CM  — extend Kampung Permai Machap Umboo NV leasehold titles from 60 to 99 yrs

I made my first visit to Machap – which is to have a by-election – yesterday and spoke to enthusiastic villagers at the DAP dinner-ceramah at Kampong Permai Machap Umboo New Village.

Before my trip, I had received an email from
“anak permai”
 writing on behalf of
“The Villagers of Kampung Permai Machap Umboo”
 asking me to raise a long-standing injustice to the people in the new village — the issue of 60-year leasehold titles when  it should be for 99 years.

As I had promised to
“anak permai”
 in my email reply, I raised the issue at my first opportunity when during my visit yesterday, calling on the Malacca Chief Minister, Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam to resolve the issue before by-election polling day on April 12. This is the email from
“anak permai”
:

Machap By Election

A Major Issue Affecting the Voters of  Kampung Permai, Machap Umboo New Village – 60 Years Leasehold Titles

Background

In 1975-76, the State Government acquired the land of  “old” Machap Umboo for the purpose of building of Durian Tunggal Dam. The whole village was relocated to the present site known as Kampung Permai Machap Umboo. Almost 99% of the population of the “old” village are  Malaysian Chinese.

The State Government issued leasehold titles of 60 years on the new land sold to the villagers. These titles were issued to the villagers 2-3  years after the completion of relocation exercise. The villagers protested strongly against the short tenure of the issuance of the said titles.

There is a section of Machap Umboo which is known as Kampung Melayu. The land titles issued to the residents here are for leasehold of 99 years running from the same time.

Problems faced by the 60 years leasehold title holders.

The 60-year leasehold has a remaining tenure of 34 years now, many of the title holders are now faced with many problems relating to their land. Firstly, the value of their properties (most probably their one and only life-long ones) is depleting year after year. Banks and other financial institutions are reluctant to provide loans against these properties as collaterals. Many of villagers need to obtain borrowings for needful purposes like financing children’s education, building of new houses on their land or as working capitals for their business etc.

The Discontentment

The whole exercise of village relocation was by the mandatory order of the State Government for the benefit of the people of Melaka. While the State Government were kind enough to give a reasonably long leasehold of 99 years for the Kampung Melayu residents, the same treatment should be extended to the 60-year leasehold owners who are most affected by the dam project. Many of the Kampung Melayu residents are not originally from the dam project area.

The villagers of the Machap Umboo has had a hard time putting up their new houses then. Many had borrowed from the banks, some from Alongs or tontines. Sadly many ended up in financial disasters. History may repeat itself. With the weak collateral strength of their properties, some villagers may to fall victim to Alongs and other unconventional borrowings in time of financial difficulties.

Our Appeal

In view of the above facts, we  hope that the Authority concerned will consider to allow the 60-year leasehold title holders to renew the lease any time from now to a 99-year lease unconditionally, par with our fellow Kampung Melayu neighbors.

We appreciate every assistance from all organizations and parties to achieve our dream so that the families and at least their next generation will have a peace of mind in years to come.

From

The Villagers of Kampung Permai Machap Umboo

30th March 2007

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 April 2007, 11:36 am and is filed under
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Machap by-election – Abdullah/Najib must clear their name over  integrity charges by former PM/DPM

Deputy Information Minister
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
had said that the Information Ministry would  counter all issues, including personal matters of national, state and local leaders, raised by the Opposition in the run-up to the Machap by-election.

In the past few decades, Barisan Nasional had been guilty of  blatantly abusing  government machinery, resources and funds for political party and personal gain but they had always denied it, trying to camouflage such abuses and political corruption under a fig-leaf of propriety and legitimacy.

But another unhealthy and dangerous precedent  has been set, when the Deputy Information Minister blatantly flaunt the  abuses of the Information Ministry to serve the Barisan Nasional campaign needs  in the Machap by-election —  bringing the integrity and morality of the ruling government to a new low at a time when the nation is celebrating 50 years of independence.

However, I agree with Zahid that serious allegations which had been made about abuses of power, malpractices and integrity  against top government leaders should be answered  in the Machap by-election.

In this connection, I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to clear their name over the charges made separately by the former Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister affecting their integrity in the Machap by-election.

At the public forum organised by Umno Kulai Besar branch on Thursday, former Prime Minister Tun
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
 raised the issue of integrity of his successor when he said:  “Some leaders, they boast, oh my son is rich… They talk about their AUD25 million home. That’s RM60 million. So strange, to have such a big house ..”

There can be no doubt that Mahathir was referring to Abdullah who must fully clarify the former Prime Minister’s questions about his integrity.

Former Deputy Prime Minister,
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
raised questions about the integrity of the current Deputy Prime Minister during an an interview with Al-Jazeera on Wednesday.

Anwar said:

“There are complicities over the huge and massive commissions accrued by the government involving the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“These are not mere allegations. People have adduced evidence – US$120 million commission though submarine deals from France, US$100 million commission for Sukhoi jets from Russia.

“What is done? Nothing. Are there investigations? None.”

In the Machap by-election from April 3 -12, both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister must be able to remove the doubts and questions about their integrity which have repeatedly been raised by the former Prime Minister and a former Deputy Prime Minister.  Otherwise, how could the Barisan Nasional ask for votes of support from the voters in the Machap by-election?

(Speech at a DAP pre-byelection dinner-ceramah at Machap Umboo on Sunday, April 1, 2007)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 April 2007, 3:32 pm and is filed under
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Scrapped Klang Private Hospital

SCRAPPED KLANG PRIVATE HOSPITAL

Z. IBRAHIM

I read with interest Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo’s decision to stop the construction by an international conglomerate to build a RM400 million hospital in Teluk Gadung Klang.
“Plans for Klang hospital scrapped”
 (NST March 30, 2007).

Apparently the MB was “advised” to do so by his political comrade in arms and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councilor Datuk Teh Kim Poo on questionable scientific grounds that “”It would be bad feng shui for his neighborhood, himself included and that they feel the value of their homes will drop.”

Because of this superstition and without a proper debate by the MPK itself, yet again Mr. Teh Kim Poh appears to have single-handedly, this time shooed away a significant portion of this country’s FDI which would have given many Malaysians in the Klang area work in the proposed 14-storey hospital on a 2.5hectare area. The cowboyish antics of Klang Municipal councilors never seem to amaze Malaysians.

His belief in the supernatural forces apart, Mr Teh Kim Poh had no such coyness when he bulldozed his way into building a “Perpaduan” building with open air pit toilets on a children’s playground right in front of residents’ house at Southern Park, Klang three years ago despite all protests by residents affected with these plans.

Indeed even before a proper plan was up, Mr Teh Kim Poh accelerated the construction of the building.  There was no menteri besar or Teh Kim Poh or MPK to listen to the residents grouses and eventually the courts came to the rescue of the residents. Till this day this decrepit building with its overgrown shrubs and open aired pit toilets directly facing resident’s homes on a pristine green playground has been hopelessly left abandoned being a constant danger for children playing in the vicinity and a dengue hazard whence it should have been demolished swiftly on the grounds of public safety.

Teh Kim Poh appears to show no remorse save hide behind the phrase “sudah jadi case mahkahmah”. His dreams of conducting cooking and aerobic lessons at his personalized “Perpaduan” building at the children’s playground appear now to have diminished.

What is sauce for the goose must be sauce for the gander and I believe a RM400million investment is something this town definitely would benefit and the Menteri Besar must seriously review his decision as this may negate efforts by our Trade Ministry in getting investments to come into Malaysia.

He should perhaps also review his association with the likes of Teh Kim Poh who appears to demonstrate a self-centered attitude quite predominant in many Malaysian politicians today which could prove perilous in the forthcoming general elections.

The other MPK councilors quite rightly must debate this decision and bring development to the people of Klang. And this they must do soon lest they are yet again caught in publicity nightmare not unlike the infamous Zakaria Deros affair.

(
NST
 report
“Plans for Klang hospital scrapped”
 by Neville Spykerman follows:

KLANG: Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo has pulled the plug on plans by an international conglomerate to build a RM400 million hospital in Teluk Gadung here.

Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councillor Datuk Dr Teh Kim Poo said  residents in the area had appealed to the menteri besar for help.

He said residents in the area did not want to live in the shadow of a huge hospital.

“It’s bad feng shui and they feel the value of their homes will drop,” he said after the MPK full board meeting yesterday.

The project to build the 14-storey hospital, inclusive of a four-storey car park, at a 2.5 hectare site was initially given the green light by the MPK town planning committee earlier this month.

Dr Teh, who lives 500m from the site of the proposed 150-bed hospital, also said that Klang did not need an additional hospital.

“We already have the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital and several private hospitals and so there is no necessity to build a new one.”

However, not all MPK councillors at the meeting were pleased with the turn of events.

Mohd Raof Mokhtar, who is a member of the town planning committee which approved the project, said the case was setting a bad precedent.

“As long as the proposed hospital followed MPK building regulations and specifications, it should be allowed.”

He added that the project had its merits and councillors should have used their position to convince residents instead of the other way around.

Meanwhile, councillor Zainuri Zainal said the issue should have been settled in the council, instead of getting the menteri besar involved.

“It looks like a circus, with some parties instigating the public to

hold a protest and sending a memorandum.”

Councillor Roslinda Abdul Jamil said MPK needed to be firm instead of back tracking on earlier decisions.

MPK president Abd Bakir Zin agreed the decision to scrap the project would be a loss of foreign direct investment for Klang, but said all was not lost for the American investors who have purchased the land for the project.

“They still have the option of revising their building plans by scaling down the size of the hospital and resubmitting their proposal or build the hospital elsewhere.”

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 April 2007, 1:19 pm and is filed under
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Week-long special prayers by non-Muslims – Cabinet should retrieve and discuss memorandum by nine Ministers

The Cabinet tomorrow should give serious attention to the
week-long special prayers by non-Muslim religions
, retrieve the memorandum by nine of ten non-Muslim Ministers in January last year and place on top of its agenda the rising anxieties and fears of non-Muslim Malaysians about their religious rights and sensitivities.

It is a cry of despair  and desperation when  the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has to resort to the special prayers campaign to press their plight over their anxieties and fears over  growing encroachments of religious freedoms and rights in plural Malaysia, although freedom of religion is entrenched in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.

It is also a signal that more and more Malaysians are losing hope and confidence in the ability of the courts to play its role as the bulwark of the constitutional freedoms and liberties of Malaysians entrenched in the Constitution.

This is why the MCCBCHST, almost giving up hope in human intervention in the name of justice, fair play and the constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion, is forced to the last resort, in the words of the MCCBCHST president
Chee Peck Kiat
, of seeking  “divine help to to impress upon the leaders of the government and judiciary to uphold the Federal Constitution”.

Chee said: “The only resolution I can think of to the issue is (engaging in) prayers so that the leadership and the judges will be more enlightened (and be moved by their) moral conscience to interpret the Constitution in accordance to what is in it rather than interpreting it according to (their religious beliefs).”

All the Cabinet Ministers should feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves that they have driven the MCCBCHST to seek “divine help” instead of “human intervention” in order to resolve the worsening constitutional crisis over freedom of religion, because of their  indifference, neglect or sheer cowardice from addressing and resolving the issues involved.

The latest  is the furore over the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of a  bid by a Hindu woman, R Subashini, to stop her recently-converted husband Muhammad Shafi from bringing divorce proceedings to the Syariah Court. The Court of Appeal also held that Shafi could apply to the Islamic court to convert his under-aged children without permission from the non-Muslim spouse.

During the height of the M. Moorthy controversy in January last year, nine of the ten non-Muslim ministers  submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister asking for a just resolution to the controversy in accord with the Merdeka social contract reached by the forefathers of the major communities during the founding of the nation.

There is no conflict and tension between Muslims and non-Muslims or Malays and non-Malays, as the issue at stake is about the question of justice — the restoration of the pre-1988 position of the constitutional rights of the non-Muslim Malaysians and the supremacy of the Constitution as the supreme law in the country.

Before the 1988 constitutional amendment on Article 121(1A), if  the question  was asked whether the rights and interests  of non-Muslims could be adversely affected by Syariah law and courts, the answer would be a definitive  and indisputable “no” by all quarters, whether Muslims and non-Muslims.  However, with the approach of  half-century of nationhood, and  after the 1988 Constitutional amendment of Article 121(1A), such an answer cannot be given.

This is the nub of the issue –  to restore to non-Muslim Malaysians their constitutional  right not to be adversely affected by Syariah law and courts by maintaining their right to remedy in the civil courts – a cardinal principle of the “social contract” on which this nation was founded in 1957.

If the Cabinet Ministers continue to shut out the rising concerns of non-Muslims about their constitutional rights and sensitivities, including the ongoing week-long special prayers campaign, they are doing a grave disservice to the country particularly on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of national independence.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 3 April 2007, 3:39 pm and is filed under
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April 12 Machap by-election – three scenarios

The 9,623 voters of Machap has the historic opportunity to make the April 12 by-election the most important and meaningful by-election in 50 years of national independence by voting solidly for justice, integrity, good governance, democracy and fair play for all Malaysians  — by voting for the DAP candidate Liou Chen Kuang.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak described Machap as “a BN stronghold” when announcing the Barisan Nasional candidate Lai Meng Chong yesterday while the Malacca Chief Minister, Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam is so supremely confident about the support of the Machap voters that he had declared that he would ensure that the DAP  candidate would lose his deposit in the by-election.

There can be three scenarios on polling day on April 12.

First scenario –  a landslide victory for the Barisan Nasional and a shattering defeat for the DAP, with Mohd Ali Rustam achieving his declared objective of ensuring that the DAP candidate loses his deposit in the by-election.

Second scenario –  Barisan Nasional winning the Machap seat but suffering a major political setback with its 4,562-vote majority in the March 2004 general election slashed to 2,500 or even below 2,000 votes — which will trigger depression and despondency in Barisan Nasional camp, particularly MCA.  DAP would not have won the Machap seat in the by-election but would be regarded by all observers as having scored an electoral victory.

Third scenario —  DAP winning the Machap seat in the by-election, which is quite improbable but  not impossible.  This will presage major political changes in store for the country and in particular in the next general election, a clear signal that the Barisan Nasional risks losing  its political hegemony of uninterrupted two-thirds majority in the Malacca State Assembly and Malaysian Parliament and more unless the Abdullah administration is prepared to honour its 2004 general election pledges.

All eyes in Malaysia are now on Machap, but if Machap is to make it into the history books for the next 50 years, April 12 must see either the second or third scenario becoming reality.

(Machap by-election nomination day statement on Tuesday, April 3, 2007)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 3 April 2007, 1:51 pm and is filed under
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Corruption allegations against Zulkipli and Johari – table White Paper in Parliament

The
inability
of the Prime Minister to announce the new Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general is proof that  Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor would have been given a fourth extension as ACA chief if not for the serious corruption allegations made against him by former Sabah ACA director and whistleblower  Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan.

I would have been the first to welcome Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s statement that the new ACA director-general would be announced as soon as possible if the delay to immediately fill the vacancy following the termination of Zulkipli’s contract last Saturday is because the Prime Minister is adopting a new and more consultative process for the appointment of key posts like the ACA chief such as consulting the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity and representative stakeholder organizations and NGOs  concerned about national integrity..

However, there are no signs that  the delay in the appointment of a new ACA chief is because the Prime Minister  is adopting a more transparent and consultative process in the appointment process but because he was caught totally off-guard and unprepared to fill the post as it has become completely untenable to extend Zulkipli’s term when Zulkipli had plunged the ACA and the country into the greatest  integrity crisis in the nation’s history.

Although Zulkipli had claimed that his appointment on secondment as ACA director-general and extension of his contract three times showed that the Prime Minister had confidence in him, Zulkipli’s repeated extension as ACA chief will probably go down as one of the biggest failures of Abdullah’s  premiership — when a new ACA director-general should have been selected  when Zulkipli’s appointment first ended under his premiership on March 31, 2004.

How could Abdullah be serious about his pledge when he became Prime Minister and during the 2004 general election to make anti-corruption the top priority of his administration and a major difference with the previous Mahathir administration when he leaves untouched the person who had headed the ACA with such lacklustre record for the last two years of the 22-year Mahathir premiership?

It is a great “missed opportunity” for the ACA that in  the first 40 months of the Abdullah administration committed to give top priority to the anti-corruption agenda,  Zulkipli had absolutely nothing to show in an all-out war against corruption –  except to go globe-trotting for international conferences which made absolutely no contribution whatsoever to fighting corruption and promoting national integrity inside the country.

The result is the plummeting in Malaysia’s international rankings such as Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index — falling seven places during the Abdullah premiership from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 44 in 2006.

Zulkipli’s six years as ACA chief will remembered by his failure to capitalize on Abdullah’s pledge to give top priority to the anti-corruption agenda to spearhead an all-out war against corruption.

Instead, he had let off the 18 “big fishes” which were to be netted and prosecuted when Abdullah became Prime Minister on 31st October 2003 to escape free into the “South China Sea” as well as turning in a  totally “blank”  record in the fight against the worst period of  money politics and political corruption in the Umno supreme council elections in September 2004.

Abdullah’s stand that investigations into allegations of corruption and abuse of power against Zulkipli as well as against the Deputy Internal Security Minister,  Datuk Mohd Johari Baharun in the Emergency Ordinance (EO) “freedom for sale” scandal  will not be revealed to the public is a further breach of the Prime Minister’s  reform pledge and agenda for an open, accountable and transparent administration.

In June 2003, Malaysians were told of a new  ACA policy and pledge to be more transparent, responsible and responsive towards public demand for information about its investigations, with the ACA adopting  three measures, viz:

	The ACA will keep all complainants informed on the status of investigations into their reports if they want it.

	Heads of government departments will be  informed of the decision of the Attorney-General on investigations involving their subordinates.

	The ACA  will issue statements about cases that are still under investigation if it feels necessary, including those already decided by the Attorney-General.

It is in the public interest that the public should be fully informed about the investigations into Zulkipli and Johari and their outcome.  For this reason, I call on Abdullah to table in Parliament a White Paper on investigations into  the serious corruption allegations against Zulkipli and Johari.

The Prime Minister should also agree to  allocate time for a parliamentary debate on the White Paper.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 3 April 2007, 6:35 am and is filed under
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“Babi” invective in Parliament – sad reflection on failure of 50 yrs of nation-building

The “babi” invective by an UMNO MP in Parliament yesterday is a most sad and shocking reflection that 50 years after Merdeka, there are Umno  political leaders who are still very deeply-ingrained in communal thinking and prejudices, making them poor models of a Bangsa Malaysia.

I admit that I had lost my cool when I was badgered and heckled the whole afternoon yesterday when I had sought clarifications during the Ministerial winding-up of the debate on the Royal Address.

The badgering from Barisan Nasional MPs had started when I sought clarification from the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on integrity issues concerning the award of contracts in the national service training programme, the  mega-commission scandals in defence purchases such as US$100  million for Sukhoi jets from Russia and US$120 million  for submarine from France and  it continued when I had sought clarification from the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharun, whether on the serious corruption allegations which had been made against the Deputy Minister in the “freedom for sale” scandal, the most basic failure in police reform when police still refused to accept police reports or the issue of abuse of detention-without-trial powers under the Emergency Ordinance.

When BN MPs from Umno, MCA and Gerakan continued to try to drown out my attempts to seek clarification from Johari, I lost my patience and told BN MPs who did not want to listen to the clarifications which were public interest issues to “mampus” and leave the House.

I accepted  the Deputy Speaker, Datuk Lim Si Cheng’s ruling that the term “mampus” was unparliamentary and had no hesitation in withdrawing the term.

In the heated atmosphere in Parliament, the Umno MP for Dungun, Datuk Rosli Mat Hassan hurled the “babi” invective against me.

Although Rosli subsequently withdrew the “babi” invective, it is a most shocking episode which should be the subject of deep reflection not only by MPs regardless of party but also by all Malaysians — as it demonstrated a most abject failure after 50 years of nation-building.

Exchanges between MPs from both sides of the House during heated moments are not uncommon but there can be no justication in the use of  invectives which are racist and communalistic.

When I used the word  “mampus” under great provocation, which I regret using, it was addressed to all BN MPs, whether Umno, MCA, Gerakan or MIC, as it was made in disgust at the repeated heckling by BN MPs  to stop me from seeking clarifications from the front-bench. There was no tinge of  communalism at all.

But when Rosli responded with the “babi” invective, it was purely communal in nature, directed only at only one community, the Chinese. Coming from an Umno MP who is supposed to be more sophisticated than the ordinary run of Umno MPs, and holding the post of MARA chairman, it is a sad reflection of an importang failure of Malaysian nation-building after 50 years, as it is proof that there are   Umno MPs who  continue to set the worst examples of  communal thinking and prejudices.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 4 April 2007, 3:43 pm and is filed under
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Cross listing of Malaysian Corporations in foreign stock exchanges

CROSS LISTING OF MALAYSIAN CORPORATIONS IN FOREIGN STOCK EXCHANGES

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Perlis Palm Oil Berhad, a subsidiary of Perlis Plantation Berhad is in the process of being merged with Wilmar Corporation a Singapore listed corporation. The move seems to have created anxiety in the business community.

There are fears that a large corporation being absorbed by a foreign company may bode ill for the country  as capital is being taken out, and is of bad omen.

Concern has also been expressed that corporate mogul, Tan Sri Robert Kuok is pulling his business conglomerate out of Malaysia.  This may mean the beginning of an exodus of capital from the country. There is no basis for such speculation.

The fact is that cross listing of corporations is a common international practice adopted by world class companies, which for strategic reasons often choose to list their companies in the stock exchanges of different countries.

Examples are Hong Kong Shanghai Bank which is listed in Hong Kong, London and New York. So also with China Life a giant insurer in China, is listed on Hong Kong, New York and Shanghai, also Infosys  a well known Indian IT corporation is listed both in India and New York.

An outstanding example is Robert Kuok, an international mogul, he has corporations listed in all major stock exchanges of Asia.

Wilmar Corporation of Singapore is part of Robert Kuok’s stable and it plans to be a world player in the production and marketing of biodiesel.  It is logical for it  to take over Palm Oil Berhad as it is a major producer of palm oil.

Large corporations usually go global, and list their companies in the most active stock exchanges like London, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, because of the high valuation which these exchanges give to their shares and the advantage of raising new capital for expansion.

It is time for Malaysian corporations to move out from their shell and list theri companies in foreign exchanges and see their market valuations soar sky high.  This will benefit the corporations, the shareholders as well as their  home country

Bursa Saham should participate in the game of cross listing of local and foreign corporations. They need to liberalise their policies and regulations to attract foreign companies to list on the Malaysian exchange. Not to do so would mean that Bursa Saham would remain as an isolated stagnant backwater and lose out to stock exchanges which are on the international circuit.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 4 April 2007, 11:25 am and is filed under
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First  his wife and then his daughter taken away…

Siti Fatimah was born in 1978 to an Indian Muslim couple. She was brought up by her grandmother who is a practising Hindu. She sees herself as a Hindu and declared herself as one on 21 Mar 2001 through a statutory declaration. She changed her name to Revathi Masoosai.

She is  married to Suresh a/l Veerappan,  a Malaysian Indian Hindu on 10 March 2004, against her family’s opposition. They could not register their marriage because of her religion.

She gave birth to a daughter on 19 December 2005 at the Malacca General Hospital. Two days later, just about when she was packing to go home, three men and a woman who  introduced themselves as officials from Malacca Islamic Office came to ask her to hand over her daughter to them. She refused.

She was not able to register her daughter as a Hindu. In fact she  had difficulty in getting  her a birth certificate. She had to change her Muslim name to Hindu name in her identity card.

In January this year, Revathi was taken into custody and taken to Pusat Pemulihan Akidah di Ulu Yam, Selangor, for  rehabilitation for 100 days. Her rehabilitation  will be due by 18 April but her detention can be extended.

During her detention, Suresh and his mother took care of his daughter. On March 26, Suresh was told his daughter, now 15 months old, was taken away by a group of people which consisted of a policeman, a lawyer and Revathi’s mother. He lodged a police report the same day, stating that he had no knowledge of the whereabouts of his daughter.

This sad story of first his  wife and then his daughter taken away from Suresh was narrated by DAP Member of Parliament for Bukit Mertajam, Chong Eng, who  brought the issue to the attention of Parliament during her speech on the Royal Speech debate last Thursday (29th March).

She appealed to the Prime Minister to instruct the authorities concerned to return the child to the mother. She said that religion is about humanity and separating mother and child, husband and wife is inhuman and inhumane, which must be against the values of Islam and the good family values that the Women, Family and Social Ministry wanted to promote in the “Family first” campaign.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 4 April 2007, 5:41 pm and is filed under
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The floods of Taman TTDI Jaya Shah Alam

THE FLOODS OF TAMAN TTDI JAYA SHAH ALAM

by Z. IBRAHIM

For those who moved into the neighborhood of Taman TTDI Jaya in the “planned” city of Shah Alam 15 years ago, little did they realize that it would be a non-ending nightmare of recurrent flooding.

The trust they had in the developers and all those promises that the land had been adequately raised to sustain a 100-year rain forecast obviously in retrospect was nothing more then a “con” to entice innocent house buyers to part with their hard-earned money to buy these homes. Worse affected were the shop-owners who today have to face floods almost on a monthly basis. How is this possible?

Despite all the technical explanations by the developers, DID, MBSA and the Menteri Besar himself it appears plain to anyone with common sense that the area indeed is topographically the lowest point in the entire locality and water undoubtedly whether from the area itself or drainage upstream from KL would indeed overflow and stagnate at this Taman.

After the horrific floods of last year, the State government came up with an interim plan to raise the river bunds to prevent overflowing but the floods keep coming with even greater speed.

You see, despite knowing that this place is already flood prone, the area between TTDI Jaya, Bukit Jelutong and the TUDM air force base has been stripped bare to make way for industrial development.

The entire area does not possess proper drains and even a kid will tell you the massive run off during heavy rain will of course pool at this housing estate located beneath — Taman TTDI Jaya.

But this common sense appears to have slipped through the minds of authorities who allowed this massive land clearing without a thought to parents, the infirm, children, businesses and schools who occupy this housing estate.

Is this just plain negligence, or even deliberate with a touch of sadism on the part of the MBSA? It is not possible that the MBSA who seem to know this area well would not know this simple detail.

But nothing in Malaysia surprises anyone anymore, for our institutions are clearly staffed with incompetent personnel with very much a third world mind-set.

The country as acknowledged widely is rudderless.

Whoever approved this massive land clearing for these industries without first safeguarding the lives of the people downstream must be irrational, unsound or quite possibly paid off.

Whoever it was, at most he/she would be transferred. But for the people who need to face these repeated calamities the nightmares continue.

How an elected government can ignore such incompetence to inflict such profound damage — repeatedly, to its very own people is unbelievable.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 4 April 2007, 5:54 pm and is filed under
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Blogs on no police station in Johore willing to accept report involving royalty

Yesterday, I handed to the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharun and the Deputy Speaker Datuk Lim Si Cheng a set four blogs on the problem of no police station in Johore willing  to accept a police report because of the involvement of a member of the Johore royalty.

When Johari was winding up the debate on behalf of the Internal Security Ministry in the Royal Address debate on Wednesday, he had given assurance that  the police would accept reports lodged by the public and act on them.

I pointed out that one of the blemishes of the police performance highlighted by the Royal Police Commission was the refusal of the police to accept reports from the public, often sending them off on a “wild goose chase” from one police station to another.

This problem was supposed to have been resolved once and for all, but it is clearly not the case — as there is not only the problem of police not acting on police reports, there is also the problem of the police refusing to accept reports.

New Straits Times on Monday had one such report:
“9 police reports, no action: IGP wants answers”
, where the Inspector-General of Police had vowed to ensure a thorough investigation into the allegation of forgery against a Malaysian Everest climber.

The problem of police refusing to accept reports was highlighted in the blogosphere,  starting with
mSTAR Online
. No police station in Johore was prepared to accept the po9lice report  because it  involved a member of the Johore royalty — and the complainant was forced to lodge a report in Bukit Aman.

Johari had said that he was not aware of the matter, although he had earlier spoken of cybercops appointed to monitor blogs.

When the Deputy Internal Security Minister continued his winding-up yesterday and indicated that he was not yet apprized of the case that I had mentioned,  I handed to him and Deputy Speaker chairing the meeting a set of four blogs bearing on the subject, viz:

mStar Online

Fathi Aris Omar’s blog

Rocky’s Bru

Susan Loone’s blog

When can Johari give a report to Parliament not only why no police station was prepared do its duty to accept a police report just because a member of the royalty was involved, but the outcome of police investigations?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 5 April 2007, 5:12 pm and is filed under
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Highway police extortion

Received the following email on the despair and anger of a law-abiding and productive Malaysian professional:

I would like to relate an incident that happened to me and my family on the North-South Highway as we were driving back from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on Monday 2 April 2007.  This incident had left me with a feeling of disbelief, anger and fear.

My wife, our 2-year old son and I had just completed an extended week-end trip to Kuala Lumpur.  I was driving and we started our journey from Kuala Lumpur at about 7.40 pm.   As we approached the Tapah rest area, there was a police roadblock, maybe about 100 metres before the exit to the rest area.  This is now 10.15 pm.

I slowed down my car as we got closer, the highway had been partially closed to become a single lane.  A policeman who was holding a clipboard or file or some papers appeared to look at it and then at my car.  He then indicated to me to move to the roadside.

I duly moved forward and to the left of the highway.  A few seconds later, another male policeman came to my car on my side.  My car window had already been wound down.  He asked for my driver’s license which I handed to him.  He took it and appeared to copy down some particulars.  I was still inside my car, I have no clue as to what he was actually doing, nor could I see his identification.

	Police:	Nak ke mana?
[Where are you going?]

             Me:	Balik Penang.
[Going back to Penang.]

Very soon after, he mumbled something.  As I could not hear him clearly, I asked him to repeat.

Police: Nak selesai sekarang atau nak hantar?
[Want to settle now or want it

(summon) sent?]

Me:	Pasal apa?
[What is it about?]

Police:	Bawa laju, 123, Trolak.
[Speeding, 123(kmph), Trolak]

Me:	Tak mungkin.
[Not possible.]

I was convinced, 100% sure and confident that I did not on the entire journey from Kuala Lumpur to Tapah exceed 110 kmph.  I was absolutely alert and I had consciously driven conservatively that evening especially with a young child on board.

	Me:	Tak mungkin.  Anak kecil saya tengah tidur di belakang.  Saya pasti saya

 		tak melebihi hak laju sepanjang perjalanan.

[Not possible.  My young son is sleeping at the back.  I am sure I did not

exceed the speed limit the entire journey.]

	Police:	Nak selesai sekarang atau nak hantar?

I did not answer him but reinforced what I had just told him that there is no possibility that I had exceeded the speed limit.  He had the last words while handing back my driver’s license.  The whole episode lasted 5 to 10 minutes.

	Police:	Kita hantarlah.
[We will send.]

I took the license back from him and drove back to Penang and reached Georgetown without any stoppage at 12.50 am.

Asking for bribes is already a criminal offence.  Asking for a bribe from an innocent citizen by a law enforcer by fabricating a charge (speeding) and threatening to issue a summon?  This is the cesspit of the police force.  But I do not think they have reached the bottom of the cesspit yet.

Now I have first hand encounter with people who are supposed to look after us.  Instead they have turned right around against us.  I am now convinced that many if not the majority of policemen have many other dubious means of extortion.  For example drugs can easily be planted on an innocent person’s body or properties.  As the penalty for drug-related charges are so severe, many people will simply comply to their demand to settle the case with money.

The less rich and less educated people are the ones most affected for obvious reasons.  Is it surprising that motorcyclists are targeted so frequently?  What about the single-lorry operators (as opposed to big haulage companies, who have their own way of greasing the law enforcers) who are constantly hounded?

If a policeman reads this article, he will be giggling and laughing away.  It is such a small matter to them.  They have seen and performed more incredulous tricks than what had just happened to me and my family.

I have given up hope that anything can be done at all for one very simple reason.  Denial.  Everybody knows what is going on, everybody including the IGP and Prime Minister.  Their answer if this incident is reported:  ‘No, there is no evidence that such a thing exists and even if there is, it only involves a few bad hats.’  Wake up, the whole basket of apples are rotten to their cores!!

Back to my feelings after the incident.  Disbelief and angry because such an unthinkable act of extortion actually happened and committed by the so-called law enforcers.  Fear because they can go further.  Will you be surprised if one day, the police just walks up to you and asks for money or else?  You know, protection money, just like what the triads have been doing.  After this experience of mine, I will not be surprised at all.

Lastly, if the summon truly arrives which I doubted very much that it will, there is absolutely no way that I will pay it.  I will fight it in court if necessary.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 5 April 2007, 2:56 pm and is filed under
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Why public universities will never improve

Why Public Malaysian Universities will Never Improve

by ex-researcher

I used to work in a Malaysian university holding a professorial post on contract. I could not be confirmed because I do not have a SPM (more later). I worked in research dealing with stem cells but left after 3 years despite the offer of renewal for another 2 years. I am a Malaysian Chinese who spent nearly 20 years overseas in some of the big name universities in Australia and the UK.

After observing the system from the inside I can tell you that Malaysian universities will never improve, and whatever improvement you see will not last. I will set out my reasons in a concise manner.

1)      Staff are not hire on merit

I’ve noticed that most the new staff hired are Malays. There are very few Chinese and Indian staff on tenure track. Infact most of the non-Malays I came across are hired on contract. It does not take a genius to know that if you don’t put people on tenure, they will not give their best.

One day I asked a DVC in private why there are so few non-Malay staff on tenure. I was surprised when he told me directly that there was an unofficial quota. He further told me that there is a lot of resistance from the junior Malay staff when non-Malays come in because they perceived the non-Malays are better researchers and academics. He also told me that good non-Malay staff go overseas, especially to Singapore so they do not want to waste their time in hiring non-Malay staff. I do not if this is true.

2)      No research culture since promotion is not based on research

Despite all the talk by the Minister, there is no research culture. Infact, most local academics are not interested in research. A few of the Malay academics told me straight in the face that they like group or cluster research because it is “easier”. They don’t go for excellence or individual research. They also tell me that promotion is based on administrative work and “cables” to the Minister or VC. In fact a few of them tell me that good researchers are punished by the whole group because they make the others look bad or lazy. Thus no matter how good you are when you join, by putting you in a “research group” they are slowing the good ones down and before you know it, they become part of the group culture.

In the university where I was working, the VC or DVC did not published a single paper in an international referred journal.  Except for one DVC, the VC and the other DVC do not even have a single book. The DVC with a book is a textbook in Malay and when I looked at it, I realized that it was mainly translation he passed off as his own work. Two of the DVC were active with UMNO and the VC is a relative of an UMNO strongman. Thus the “cable” theory appears to be true.

A retired Malay professor told me the most important criteria for promotion is “how you get along with people”. He also told me if you are good, they will bring you down because if the universities have standards, then they cannot survive in their jobs. In his own words, more than 4/5 of the current university staff will never be able to get academic jobs in a real university.

3)      Pettiness and Jealously

The Malay culture is based in group behaviour and gossip and during my time there, I noticed that even academic staff took a lot of time in gossiping about nonsense.  Most of the female academic staff used gossip to bring down capable people. For example, one Malay guy who just came back with his PhD had to endure a lot of gossip, all because one female academic staff complained that he did not hold a kenduri to celebrate his successful completion of PhD.

Another time, all the academic staff, including the Dean, ganged up against me because I had managed to published a paper in a leading international journal. Immediately after my name was mentioned by the VC as an example, the Dean started telling other academic staff that I did not “contribute enough” to the faculty.

I was under the impression that I was there to do research and publish but for these people, who cannot do research, the priority was on social events. This Dean was not even an academic in the first place but was a civil servant before he was appointed Dean.  All the academics he has appointed since he became Dean all come from his state and all are local graduates. So how to improve?

There are many more things I want to say but these are the main reasons why Malaysian universities have no hope of ever being world class. As long as everything is based on race, pettiness and not on merit,  I cannot see a way out.

I am writing this not out of frustration ( I am now overseas) but to also show why local universities waste so much money joining the Geneva Exhibitions and the like (as reported in the newspapers). The sad truth is when you have people who cannot publish in real academic journals, then they play silly games like join exhibitions.

The USM DVC who  defended this practice would be laughed at if he was at a real university. In fact, to be frank, people like him cannot get a real academic job in Singapore, NZ or US. He is a symbol of what is wrong at local universities.

In sum, you have the blind leading the blind.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 5 April 2007, 1:03 pm and is filed under
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Another high-profile corruption allegation – Sarawak CM re 1.1 billion yen timber export kickbacks

I have today sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to personally reply in Parliament on Monday in the winding-up on the Royal Address debate on high-profile corruption allegations in his administration.

I also drew his attention to the
Japan Times
report last Thursday, which I described as “the latest instance of  more and more adverse international reports about corruption in Malaysia, such as the adverse rankings given to the country by the corruption surveys of the Transparency International and  the Political and Economic Risks Consultancy (PERC)” which  warrant urgent action  by Abdullah to salvage his  reform agenda and pledge, in particular to make  ant-corruption campaign the top priority of his  administration.

The
Japan Times report of March 29, 2007
referred to 1.1 billion yen (RM32 million) timber export kickbacks involving companies connected to Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud and his family.

The
Japan Times report
  is reproduced  as follows:

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Wood carriers allegedly hid 1.1 billion yen income

Kyodo News

Nine Japanese shipping companies that transport lumber from Sarawak, Malaysia, allegedly failed to report some 1.1 billion yen of income in total during a period of up to seven years through last March, sources said Wednesday, alleging the money constituted kickbacks to Sarawak officials via a Hong Kong agent.

Such tax irregularities have occurred as the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau determined the companies’ remuneration payments to Regent Star, a Hong Kong agent, which has a connection with Chief Minister of Sarawak Taib Mahmud and his family, were rebates, not legitimate expenses, the sources said.

Although the Hong Kong agency did very little in the way of substantive work, the shipping companies are believed to have used rebates as a lubricant to facilitate their lumber trade, the sources added.

Lumber export is controlled by the Sarawak state government on grounds of forest resources protection.

Rejecting the tax authorities’ conclusion, the shipping firms claim the transactions with Regent Star have been legitimate and deny wrongdoing.

The companies accused of the alleged tax evasion include Mitsui O.S.K. Kinkai Ltd. and NYK-Hinode Line Ltd. belonging to the Nanyozai Freight Agreement (NFA), a cartel formed in 1962 to avoid excessive competition in import of lumber from Southeast Asia. The 12-member group is exempt from the Antimonopoly Law.

The shipping firms will likely be slapped with well over 400 million yen in back taxes along with heavy penalties, the sources added.

According to NFA and other sources, the Japanese cartel concluded an agreement in 1981 with Malaysia’s Dewaniaga Sarawak regarding lumber transport. Dewaniaga is a state-affiliated concern in charge of lumber export control and is headed by the Sarawak chief minister’s younger brother.

In my letter, I reminded Abdullah  of his pledge when he became Prime Minister on October 31, 2003 to  make anti-corruption his  top agenda, his proclamation of  “zero tolerance for corruption” and his declaration after his first 100 days:  “My first 100 days was my statement of intent. Now we get to work and walk the talk.”

However, after the unprecedented 91% parliamentary majority victory in the March 2004 general election, there has been no more talk by the Prime Minister  about  “zero tolerance for corruption” or the  pledge to make the fight against corruption as the top priority of his   administration.

Ironically and tragically,  Malaysia is  today faced with the worst crisis of national integrity in the 40-year history of the Anti-Corruption Agency and 50-year history of the nation, with a spate of serious  corruption allegations  reaching the highest levels of government, including

	Questions about integrity affecting the Prime Minister  and family;

	Serious allegations of integrity involving the Deputy Prime Minister  in defence contracts such as US$100 million for Sukhoi jets from Russia and US$120 million for submarines from France;

	Serious corruption allegations against the Anti-Corruption Agency director-general Datuk Zulkipli Mat Noor, whose contract has not been renewed;

	Serious corruption allegations against the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Mohd Johari Baharun on   Emergency Ordinance (EO)  “freedom for sale”;

	Serious allegation by the Chief Justice, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim of judges who accept bribes.

	Serious allegations against the Chief Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak.

I urged the Prime Minister to come personally to  Parliament on Monday in the winding-up of the Royal Address motion not only to respond to the various serious allegations of high-profile  corruption in the current administration, whether at national, state or local government level, but to give satisfactory assurance to Parliament and nation  that he  had not abandoned his  anti-corruption pledge and agenda.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 6 April 2007, 12:05 pm and is filed under
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Public U – end obsession with commercial baubles at int. exhibitions

The Higher Education Minister, Datuk Mustapha Mohamad should slash drastically participation of Malaysian public universities at the 35th Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions April 18-22 to end the obsession with commercial baubles which completely distracts from the search for international academic and research excellence.

I had in the past criticized public universities, particularly University of Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia,   for their distorted sense of priorities in surrendering their prestigious slots in international best-university rankings and finding comfort instead in easy-to-get gold, silver and bronze medals in foreign exchibitions like the Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions, Products and Services.

Although the Barisan Nasional  MP for Ayer  Hitam,
Dr. Wee Ka Siong
, spoke up in Parliament last week against the millions forked out by public universities for these commercial medals with little  academic merit, this issue had been blogged by
Tony Pua
, Economic Adviser to DAP Secretary-General,  on 25th November 2005, where he wrote:

My concern is that there appears to be a very unhealthy trend to seek trade fairs glory amongst Malaysian universities and academics. Earlier this year, Universiti Malaya (UM) proudly announced it’s “fantastic” achievements at the 33rd International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques & Products in Geneva, securing 33 medals comprising of 19 Golds, 11 Silvers and 3 Bronzes.

My question is, are trade fairs the best places to “judge” the quality of a university or an academic’s research, publication or inventions? With all due respect to “trade fairs”, the objectives of such fairs are typically not to judge the quality of one’s works but to actually create a “meeting place” between the “inventors” and the potential buyers or investors.

As the world’s best 100 or 200 universities do not have to participate in the Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions, why are Malaysian public universities splashing millions of ringgit every year for these commercial baubles when the money should be better spent in the pursuit of academic  and research quality and excellence?

Malaysia is slated this year to submit the
second highest number of entries after Russia
for the Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions from April 18-22,  2007.

Mustapha should come to Parliament to announce a drastic slashing of such participation and  a new policy for public universities to end  their obsession with such commercial baubles costing millions of ringgit a year when they do nothing to get the Malaysian public universities restored into the world’s top and best 100 or 200 universities.

In this connection, I have  received the following email from a whistleblower from UNIMAS, which I hope Mustapha could also enlighten Parliament on Monday during the winding up on the Higher Education Ministry in the Royal Address debate:

Geneva Here I come!

I write to inform you that despite the criticisms of YB Wee (Universities forking out millions for dubious awards). Universiti Malaysia Sarawak is still going to the Geneva Exhibition. Infact UNIMAS is sending half a dozen group to take part again. Since it is sure thing, I expect UNIMAS to come back with “Gold” medals. UNIMAS went to town last year boasting that it had won “gold” medals!

http://www.unimas.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73

UNIMAS has to take part because its staff are totally incapable of publishing in real academic journals. UNIMAS’s most competent researcher, Jane Cardosa, who is an expert in virology often called by the UN, is totally isolated on campus. The UNIMAS management don’t like her because she is a real academic so they isolate her.  The don’t give her any funding as all her funding are from overseas. Unlike the other UNIMAS kankong professors, she has refused to take part in the exhibitions! They even threatened not to renew her contract!

UNIMAS Boleh in Bolehland! The DVC announed that UNIMAS will spend more than RM100,000 this year for the exhibition which will be held end of april but its only money!!

                This entry was posted on Friday, 6 April 2007, 4:17 pm and is filed under
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The people of Machap must vote for a change

The People of Machap Must vote for a change

by Richard Teo

The Machap by-election will be an important milestone for the chinese community.It will determine, after 50 years of BN rule whether the chinese community will opt for a change or remain and continue to be marginalised by the present govt.

The choice for the people of Machap is a simple one.After 50 years where do we go from here? The present govt seem to have lost its direction and no longer have the capabilty to lead this multi-culture, multi-race and multi-religious nation where its people of different origin can live in peace and harmony.

Instead of fostering goodwill among its people the govt has implemented divisive racial policies that have polarised the different races. Its affirmative race based policy has benefited only one community and discriminated the rest.

Even its race based affirmative policy has been hijacked to benefit only a few elite UMNO members. After 50 years the Malay rural heartland of kelantan, Trengganu, Pahang, Perlis,Kedah and Johore still remain impoverished.

Corruption has creeped into every level of our daily lives. Corrupt politicians and civil servants are so prevalent that the system is powerless to act on them. Our political masters are reluctant to bring the culprits to justice because they are just as tainted with corruption.

Our Judicairy are presided by spineless judges guided by religious emotion and personal conviction rather than the rule of law as defined in our sacred Constituition.

So where do we go from here? The question should not only be directed at the Chinese but to all the races in Machap. If after 50 years our path taken is still littered with potholes, then its high time we make a change. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.To begin our journey, the people of Machap must take that first step to vote for the opposition. Failure is not an option because our very future may well depend on it.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 6 April 2007, 8:39 am and is filed under
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Two reasons why Samy Vellu went berserk in Parliament yesterday

A question many MPs, reporters and observers have been asking is  why the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu went berserk in Parliament yesterday when  there was no cause or provocation whatsoever.

In his answer  during question time, Samy Vellu had lamented that his Ministry was only a
“tool”
of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), which  was the final decision-maker on tolls and concessions but his Ministry  was made to be the scapegoat for all toll hikes.

In my
supplementary question
I had followed up logically on Samy Vellu’s complaint,  saying that if the Works Ministry was a mere “tool” of the EPU and not the deciding  authority on tolls and concessions, then the Minister in charge of EPU should be in Parliament to answer questions on the subject and not Samy Vellu — and that person would be the Prime Minister who has authority over EPU but who is absent from Parliament most of the time  This is fully in accordance with the principles of Ministerial responsibility and parliamentary responsibility.

At this  innocent and  valid question, Samy Vellu blew  his top, screaming that I had gone
“150% out of topic”
, that I was “playing political  games” and being a very irresponsible Opposition, that he had never heard of a country where the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers had to attend Parliament sittings “from morning till night”!

I also have not heard of a country where the PM, DPM,  ministers and deputy ministers have to attend Parliament “from morning till night”. This was  just a red herring by Samy Vellu as I had never raised it as an issue.

Nobody is asking for a PM, DPM, Ministers and Deputy Ministers who are in Parliament “morning and night”, but we also do not want a PM, DPM, Ministers and Deputy Ministers who abdicate and abscond from their parliamentary responsibilities to answer and accountable to MPs for the policies and failures of their Ministries.

Samy Vellu had panicked somewhat for he had given  an answer which had  invited a supplementary question which had raised the issue of the poor parliamentary attendance record of the Prime Minister, who is shaping up to be the worst of all five Prime Ministers in attending to his parliamentary duties — becoming not only an absentee Prime Minister but also absentee Finance Minister and absentee Internal Security Minister during parliamentary meetings.

Furthermore, there is also the acute problem of some Ministers who suffer from the chronic disease of always playing truant from Parliament — the worst offender being  the “Queen of Parliament”, the Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz.

But shockingly, Rafidah  seemed to have become  the parliamentary  model that Abdullah is emulating, when the Prime Minister should be disciplining MITI Minister  to be a more responsible Minister by making her first appearance in the current meeting of Parliament to answer  questions and  to reply to debates.

With his over a quarter-century experience as Cabinet Minister, Samy Vellu knew that my supplementary question was most valid and pertinent, but he also knew that there was no way he could answer me without embarrassing the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, and that the best option open to him  was to avoid it by staging the  drama of “going bersek”!

The second reason why Samy Vellu went berserk in Parliament yesterday also had nothing to do with my supplementary question.

The MIC President was clearly under intense pressure for the shameful misconduct of MIC Youth Brigade members  at the Machap by-election nomination on Tuesday, using  MIC flagsticks and bricks to assault two DAP members K. Kannis, 42, and A. Vijayan, 24, and for manhandling, threatening and abusing Malaysia Nanban reporter R. Malini and Makai Osai photographer P. Malayanadi.

The disgraceful MIC Youth Brigade misconduct weighed heavy on his mind because it has become a big issue in the Machap by-election, embarrassing not only the MIC but all the other Barisan Nasional component parties and leaders, forcing them to defend or condone such criminal actions.

Later in Parliament yesterday, the MIC chief and Parliamentary Secretary to the Youth and Sports Ministry,
S. Vigneswaran
made the ridiculous statement 48 hours after the incident  that the MIC Youth were in fact the victims and not the offending culprits of the assault –  in utter disregard of the weight of eye-witnesses and photographic evidence.

This must be the most ridiculous press conference ever held by a political movement in the 50-year history of national independence — further straining the credibility of the other Barisan Nasional component parties and leaders in having not only to  endorse the despicable assaults committed by MIC Youth Brigade on Machap by-election nomination day, but to be a party to a big lie  in claiming that the MIC Youth Brigade were in fact the victims and not the guilty party of the assault incidents!

Samy Vellu would have known that the MIC Youth was planning such a ridiculous press conference, which was not only a grave  insult to the intelligence of  the other Barisan Nasional component parties and leaders but also to the Machap voters and ordinary Malaysians.  This pressure  would have  contributed considerably to causing the Works Minister to go berserk when I asked a most correct, valid, relevant but very difficult supplementary question to him in Parliament yesterday!

                This entry was posted on Friday, 6 April 2007, 2:51 pm and is filed under
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Abdullah’s “all-out war against crime” – for real or just empty rhetoric?

The printed media  yesterday  carried screaming front-page  headlines on the latest call of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi:  viz:
“FIGHT AGAINST CRIME: PRIME MINISTER DECLARES…  ALL-OUT WAR”

(New Straits Times)
,
“Wage war on crime”

(Star)
  and
“ABDULLAH wants…  All-out war on crime, terror”

(The Sun).

Speaking at a special assembly at the Police Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur,
Abdullah
 called on the police to battle crime and terrorism at all cost, in the same way their predecessors had successfully fought the communist threat in the past.

He said: “There will be no compromise in wiping out criminals and terrorists.

“We must battle them as aggressively as the police personnel who served in the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) during the communist era had fought to keep the peace and harmony of the country. There was no compromise by these policemen.”

As Abdullah’s call for an “all-out war against crime” came more than eight years after he was first appointed the Minister responsible for Police and more than three years as Prime Minister —  the common response not only  of  ordinary Malaysians and MPs, but also the Police and Cabinet Ministers must be whether this is  for real or just empty rhetoric?

Abdullah was first appointed Home Minister on 9th January 1999  by the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who relinquished the Home Affairs portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle forced by national and international furore over Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s “black-eye” outrage, paving the way for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry which identified the then Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor as the perpetrator of the foul attack on Anwar in the Bukit Aman police lockup less than a month after being sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.

When he became Prime Minister on Oct. 31, 2003, Abdullah pledged that one of his top priorities would be to reduce crime to restore to Malaysians their fundamental right to be free from crime and the fear of crime, whether in the streets, public places or the privacy of their homes? Today, Malaysians feel even more unsafe from crime than when he became Prime Minister.

Abdullah had raised great hopes about his commitment to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional and world-class police  service to declare an all-out war against crime when he set up the Royal Police Commission which came out with 125 recommendations, the most important of which was the proposal for an  Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

All such high hopes of Malaysians for a world-class professional police service to keep crime index low to make the country safe for the people, visitors and foreign investors have been dashed to the ground in the past three years for three important reasons:

Firstly
, police fighting a losing war against rising crime index, which had worsened from 156,315 cases in 2003 to 226,836 cases in 2006 — a sharp rise of 45.1% in the past three years when the police force had set the target of reducing the crime index by five per cent each year!

The Royal Police Commission had in fact set higher benchmarks for the police, proposing a minimum of 20% decrease in each category of crime within a period of 12 months.

But the opposite had  taken place in the past three years, with violent crime increasing  by 85.8 per cent from 22,790 cases in 2003 to 42,343 cases in 2006, with rape cases registering the highest increase of 65.5 per cent — reaching an average of 6.7 women raped daily in 2006 compared to an average of four women raped daily in 2003. In 2003, an average of 1.5 persons were murdered daily; but in 2006, this has increased to an average of 1.65 persons murdered daily.

Secondly
, the “split-personality” government complex, with the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.  During the winding-up debate on the Royal Address motion in Parliament on Thursday, I asked the Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Bahrun the reason for the discrepancy between the claim by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan at the recent 200th Police Anniversary celebrations that 90 per cent of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission had been implemented with the answer given by the Prime Minister in Parliament that  only 82 per cent of the recommendations had been implemented.

Johari was unable to explain the discrepancy involving a  difference of 10 recommendations, which appeared to have disappeared into the  “black hole” in the labyrinth of police and civil service bureaucracy and the Deputy Internal Security had to ask for time to look into the matter.  I will write to Johari to pursue the matter. Lets see how long the Deputy Internal Security and the Inspector-General of Police need to cook up an answer.

Thirdly
, the two-year foot-dragging on the key proposal of the Royal Police Commission for the establishment of the IPCMC as the most important recommendation to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional and world-class Police Service.

I have no doubt of the outcome of any  public opinion poll  conducted among Malaysians as to whether the Prime Minister’s latest  declaration of  an “all-war war against crime is for real or just empty rhetoric.

In fact, I believe that the same outcome  of skepticism and cynicism would be the overwhelming  result of any opinion poll conducted among MPs regardless of political party or even the civil service if the respondents  are assured of the confidentiality of their  identity and response.

Abdullah has become his own biggest enemy in terms of his credibility  and integrity as the Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister. He has stopped coming to Parliament to answer questions or reply to debates  whether directed at the Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister or Finance Minister.

This cannot and must not go on if Abdullah is serious and wants to be taken seriously about his pet subject of  ending the Malaysian malaise of “First World Infrastructure, Third World Mentality” as he must set a  personal example of being a towering Malaysian!

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 7 April 2007, 12:42 pm and is filed under
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