Hisham's non-apology apology (malaysiakini)

We've all said and done things that we wish we could take back. Hishammuddin Hussein surely must rue the day he first raised that keris at the Umno general assembly in 2005.
He probably had no idea that the image of him waving that keris with a look of fierce determination would forever haunt him.A picture speaks a thousand words and this one was used to good effect by the opposition in the recent election. He was given the moniker 'Kerismuddin' by some and that issue was to dominate subsequent Umno general assemblies.Once Hishammuddin had let the keris out of the bag, so to speak, there was no way of putting it back in. He simply could not fail to raise the keris at subsequent general assemblies because it would have been seen as a sign of weakness. He had gotten himself onto a one-way street with no U-turns.While he himself did not pay a personal electoral cost for his actions some of the electoral fallout on the Barisan Nasional component parties could be attributed to the keris-waving incident.And so we come to last week, when Hishammuddin apologised for his actions. Was it a non-apology apology? Some people think so, for good reasons.Firstly, he said he was sorry 'if' he had offended the non-Malays. Is there any doubt that they were not just offended but outraged by it? Even party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah attributed the keris-waving as one of the reasons why non-Malays were willing to vote PAS over Umno.Secondly, in the same breath, he also apologised to the Malays for failing to defend the use of the keris as a Malay symbol. How does he expect anyone to interpret his apology as sincere when he takes back with one hand what he extends with the other? While we understand that this was a political move to defend his position within Umno, it would only provide fodder to those (such as ourselves) who question the sincerity of such an 'apology'.He’s a fake ultraThe sad thing about this incident is that we do not believe Hishammuddin to be a traditional Malay ultra. Like his deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin, he is what you'd call a fake ultra – someone who tries so hard to be an ultra for the sake of drumming up grassroots support.His upbringing and demeanor certainly gives no indication of any deep ultra roots. His father, was third prime minister Hussein Onn, who probably had as many non-Malay friends as Malay ones. His grandfather, Onn Jaafar, famously tried (but failed) to open up Umno to non-Malays.Furthermore, Hishammuddin's track record as the minister of education has not been a bad one, especially when it comes to giving financial assistance to Chinese and Tamil schools and making it easier for them to relocate. But with one movement of his arm, he undid much of the goodwill that would have come his way from the non-Malay community.His apology has resulted in calls from within Umno for him to resign but for different reasons.An Umno leader in Johor came out to say that the apology was not sufficient and that Hishammuddin should step down because his actions led to the historic electoral losses. This could have been a strategic ploy to weaken Hishammuddin and strengthen the hand of another Johor Umno leader who is poised to take on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the presidency of Umno.Meanwhile, another Umno figure from Cheras has come out to call for Hishammuddin's resignation for giving into the demands of the non-Malays! This is probably more reflective of the general sentiment within Umno, especially in Umno Youth, but even if they feel this way, these days they would generally think twice before articulating it.While Hishammuddin would like this matter to be put behind him, the whole issue of the keris (should it be raised again or not?) and the apology (was it insufficient or was it not even necessary?) will bound to emerge from time to time, and especially when the Umno general assembly draws near.Hishammuddin has refused to say whether the keris will be raised again but we think that given the events of the past two months, it's highly unlikely that it will be raised - at least not in the same belligerent fashion as before. It might still make an appearance but in a non-threatening way.Ol' Blue Eyes once sang: "Regrets, I've had a few, but then again too few to mention." Hishammuddin might not have too many regrets in his life but if he were to ever write an autobiography, the one regret that he would probably mention is his decision to raise the keris on that fateful day in 2005.Let this be a lesson to others aspiring leaders within Umno.

Gobind challenges Khairy to apologise (Malaysiakini)

Deputy Umno Youth chief and Rembau parliamentarian Khairy Jamaluddin should follow the example set by his boss Hishammuddin Hussein and apologise for having called participants in last year’s Bersih rally beruk (monkeys).DAP’s Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo issued this challenge to Khairy at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby yesterday.“I think what Hishammuddin has done is perhaps the beginning of what should come from Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders: a series of apologies to the Malaysian public at large for issuance of statements that affected them,” Gobind said.“Now an elected representative...a person who is supposed to represent not only himself but all his constituents, in addition to being a deputy Youth chief of Umno and the son-in-law of the prime minister, I think he should take responsibility and own up and apologise. This is my challenge to him.”Gobind was referring to Khairy’s statement on Nov 7 last year during the Umno Youth annual general meeting, urging the authorities to come down hard on the Bersih mass rally for electoral reform that took place three days later.“They claim that electoral process is not clean. Then why contest in 2004 (general election)? They boycotted Batu Talam (by-election), but they contested (later) in Machap and Ijok (by-elections),” Khairy had said in his winding-up speech.“Don’t be like beruk (monkeys) on streets. If you want to fight, fight in the real ring like a man. At the general elections, we (Umno Youth) will fight and we will win!” Gobind said Khairy’s use of the term beruk was “unacceptable”.“You do not go around calling people names like that. His boss has taken the first step towards correcting the wrongs that Umno Youth has (done to) the people of Malaysia. I am challenging him to follow suit. Do the right thing and apologise to the people of Malaysia for saying that,” he said.As for Nik Aziz...Asked to comment on Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s use earlier this year of the term orang utan for Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, Gobind said he was not aware of the incident.“If that statement was made against persons in Barisan Nasional, then perhaps an apology is proper,” said Gobind.Also at the press conference was his father Karpal Singh, the DAP parliamentarian for Bukit Gelugor.“I’m surprised that BN people have not asked for an apology. Maybe what the MB said is right,” he said.

New MPs take oath in Parliament (Malaysiakini)

Newly elected lawmakers took oath of office in parliament today after March 8 general elections which changed the political landscape.
The election saw unprecedented gains by a resurgent opposition, led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who formed an alliance to challenge Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Barisan Nasional coalition.
Abdullah's coalition has ruled Malaysia for more than half a century since the former colony gained independence from Britain but its showing in March was the worst in Barisan Nasional's history.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance claimed more than a third of parliamentary seats and five states in the polls, putting Abdullah under heavy pressure with calls from within his party to quit.
Abdullah was the first one to be sworn in parliament, followed by his deputy Najib Razak and other cabinet ministers.
"I, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, being chosen as a member of parliament, vow to honestly fulfil my obligations with all my strength.
"I pledge my true loyalty to Malaysia and vow to preserve, protect and defend the constitution," Abdullah, who wore a black and gold traditional Malay outfit, said.
King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin will officially open the first session of the 222-member Parliament on Tuesday.

Cheras Umno wants Zulhasnan out (Malaysiakini)

Umno Cheras division head Syed Ali Al Habshi has demanded the party’s Kuala Lumpur chief and Federal Territories Minister Zulhasnan Rafique to step down.
Syed Ali said the division unanimously called on party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to replace Zulhasnan with former Umno KL chief Tengku Adnan Mansor.
The division wants this to be done as soon as possible, he added.
"Zulhasnan (left) must take responsibility over the heavy loss suffered by Umno and BN in KL and make way for Tengku Adnan to take over to consolidate the party once again," Syed Ali told reporters during the division’s extraordinary general assembly (EGM) today.
In the March 8 polls, the opposition took 10 out of the 11 parliamentary seats in KL.
A few weeks after that, Syed Ali said his division had submitted a resolution to Zulhasnan calling for the latter to assume responsibility over the setback and make way for the new leadership.
Zulhasnan then countered this resolution by urging all Umno division chiefs in KL to ink their support for him.
"This is wrong. How can he force the division chiefs to do this. He must listen to the grassroots and the grassroots apparently want him to make way for a new leadership," said Syed Ali.
Zulhasnan was also accused of being ‘afraid and insensitive’ for not sending a representative to attend the EGM.
"Is he afraid to hear the voices of the grassroots? As a leader of the party, you must listen to the grassroots and strive to fight for them," said Syed Ali.
'Abolish quota system'
Meanwhile, the division chief also called on the Umno president to abolish the quota system for top posts.
He said the quota system has become the primary tool for the party leadership to maintain its hold on power despite not getting support from the grassroots.
"The leaders must be appointed by all party members and not division chiefs only. If one division has 280 members, all of them must be allowed to choose who they want as leaders," he stressed.
His division’s demands, Syed Ali explained, were not prompted by other Umno leaders as alleged but were the wishes of the members.
Other Umno veterans like Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his son Mukhriz have also called for the abolition of the quota system.
In another development, Syed Ali also defended the controversial raising of the keris during the Umno annual general assembly by Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein.
He said this was the "rightful tradition of Malay heritage."
"I don’t think Hishammuddin should apologise for the incident. Why should we? It is our culture and we should have the right to practice our culture," he added.
He said the keris incident should not be politicised as even the Sultans carry the keris during formal functions.
On Friday, Hishammuddin apologised if the incident had affected non-Malays.

Molest case: 'Datuk Seri' gives statement to police (Malaysiakini)

A former cabinet minister, implicated in a molest case, has given a statement to facilitate police investigations yesterday, according to Bernama.The VIP was alleged to have molested a hotel assistant supervisor at a luxury hotel near the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station on April 14.Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman said the man, who carries the title "Datuk Seri", had his statement taken at 11am, but declined to state the venue.According to Muhammad Sabtu, police will continue to investigate although the victim has retracted her police report.Besides other eyewitnesses, the victim will also be called in to assist in their investigations, said Muhammad Sabtu.Accompanied by top-notch criminal lawyer Shafee Abdullah, the 30-year-old victim said in a statutory declaration two days after reporting the incident, that the whole situation was misunderstood.Shafee added that the woman said she was "sensitive and moody" at the time of the incident.She said she had known the former minister over the past five years, and he had acted in jest without any bad intention.However, she added, she had felt offended at that time due to her "complicated mood," leading to her lodging a police report the next day.
Hugged by former ministerIn her initial report, the woman had alleged that the former minister had hugged her while she was working in a cigar shop of the five-star hotel.The declaration has been passed to the Attorney General's chambers and the police.Meanwhile, DAP national chairman and lawyer Karpal Singh said the woman cannot withdraw the report, according to law."A person who lodges a report cannot at his whim and fancy withdraw same by way of a letter of statutory declaration. A person who lodges a report runs the risk of lodging a false report. He is bound by the contents of the report," he said in a statement.Karpal said action against the former minister should be taken if the contents of the report were found to be true, even though the report had been withdrawn."However, if the probe reveals that the contents of the report are false, then the woman should be charged with giving false information to the police."
Meanwhile, it has been widely speculated that the former minister is from Umno and still a serving member of Parliament.

Anwar's not bluffing, we have facts and figures: Azmin (Malaysiakini)

Opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim was not bluffing when he said Pakatan Rakyat is ready to form the next federal government by September 16 this year, a senior leader from his party said.
“Certainly he (Anwar) is not (bluffing). Certainly it is based on facts and figures when he said on many occasions that we have the numbers (to form the new federal government).“But what is important now is to ensure that when we declare the new federal government, it has to be a credible new federal government, we don’t want to form a fragile government,” PKR vice-president Azmin Ali told Malaysiakini.Azmin, seen as a key player behind the ongoing crossover talk, added that a slim majority for the Pakatan opposition alliance to form the government is "not good” for the nation and people.“Of course the sooner the better (for us to declare the new federal government) but we are not in a rush. The basis of our announcement is to ensure that we will form a credible and strong government,” he reiterated during an interview at his office in Petaling Jaya yesterday.Asked on the ‘facts and figures’ to back his claim, Azmin appeared to sidetrack the question in his reply: “As you are aware, we need a minimum 30 more seats (to get the simple majority), so we work along that basis.”Analysts: A strategic bluff Two weeks ago, Azmin has said PKR - the biggest opposition party - has received an overwhelming response from the ruling Barisan Nasional MPs in the crossover talk and has exceeded its target of 30.The speculation intensified with Anwar, the PKR de facto leader, setting the timeline for the collapse of the BN-led federal government for the first time during a visit to Sabah earlier this week.He said these BN MPs could jump ship by August and that it would be done no later than Malaysia Day, which falls on September 16. Political analysts however have argued Anwar’s claim was more of a “strategic bluff” and an “astute political move” by the politician to increase the internal disunity within the BN parties.In the March 8 polls, BN lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament when its candidates won only 140 seats. Opposition parties PKR, DAP and PAS won the remaining 82 seats.The three parties - now called Pakatan Rakyat - also captured four states in Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Perak while PAS retained its control over Kelantan.PKR is now said to be courting BN reps especially in Sabah and Sarawak, in a bid to wrest the required 30 parliamentary seats to form the federal government.The opposition party was capitalising on the grouses among Sabah and Sarawak MPs who had complained over its under-representation at federal level after the elctions.
BN starts feeling the heat Reiterating that the monetary element was not involved in the talk, Azmin said what Pakatan offered was a “fair representation for Sabah and Sarawak”, as well as a “package of development”.“We don’t want to formulate any policy and ask the Sarawakians for instance to swallow without having proper debate and discussion at the federal level.“The role that the Sarawakian BN reps can play if they wish to be with PKR is that we will ensure they have better representation and the rights of the Sarawakians will be better protected,” he said.Anwar has also said earlier that if the opposition took power, Sabah and Sarawak would be able to keep 20 percent of revenue from the oil they produce, up from the current five percent.To a question on Sabah and Sarawak MPs who have established a reputation of jumping ship and may pose risk to the stability of the Pakatan government should it come into power, Azmin said he would not undermine the wisdom of these lawmakers.Apart from Sabah and Sarawak, Azmin also verified that Umno parliamentarians in the peninsula were also approached. The ongoing defection talks has placed BN on a defensive mood, with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak saying yesterday the ruling coalition will not simply dismiss the threat.

Is Anwar bluffing? Part 2 (Malaysiakini)

In Part 1, we discussed the possibility and the mechanics by which Pakatan Rakyat could form the next government in the near future. In this section, we discuss whether Pakatan should form the next government so soon, assuming they can.The first argument in favour of Pakatan forming the next government as soon as possible is that they would be able to implement political reforms faster than what Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi can possibly do. So far, Abdullah has announced many measures including reforming the way the judiciary is appointed as well as giving the Anti-Corruption Act (ACA) more teeth. But we are still unsure as to whether he can implement these measures quickly. If Pakatan were to form the government in the near future, there is no doubt such reforms would be implemented sooner. For example, we have no doubts that a Pakatan administration will free the Hindraf 5 immediately. They will also quickly move to abolish the ISA, free up the media, reform the UUCA (Universities and University Colleges Act), move more quickly on the anti-corruption front, make the Election Commission independent, introduce local council elections and so on. They would be less inhibited compared to the Barisan Nasional in making all such reforms. The second argument in favour of Pakatan forming the next government sooner rather than later is that they can take advantage of the current disunity within the Barisan Nasional. The great uncertainty within the different BN component parties in regard to leadership issues – in Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan – is an opportunity for Pakatan to pick up disillusioned members of parliament from these various parties. The third argument is that there is no guarantee that BN will not resort to using unfair tactics to ensure that the next election works even more to its favour (if Pakatan waits that long). While elections have never been free and fair in the past, it could be worse the next time around, especially if BN thinks it’s going to lose. Notice that Abdullah has been conspicuously silent on reforming the Election Commission, a key institution to ensure the fairness of the electoral process. These are good reasons why Pakatan should move sooner rather than later. But short-term gain might come with the cost of long-term pain. Firstly, while Anwar has stated that he will not offer any monetary incentives for MPs to cross over, it’s inevitable that he will have to offer something. Why else would they cross over? Now, this can be in the form of additional cabinet positions. While this may not constitute ‘bribery’ to many, there are costs to such backroom deals.For example, if Anwar were to lure say the PBB to join Pakatan, he might have to make an amnesty deal promising not to probe or prosecute its leader, Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, for alleged corruption. How does that jive with Anwar’s and Pakatan’s anti-corruption pledge? Secondly, Pakatan is still trying to come to terms with running five states. The many problems associated with the formation of the state governments in Perak and Selangor have been well documented. The Pakatan is also finding that its resources in terms of capable MPs and state assemblypersons are already being stretched to the limit. If Pakatan were to form the next government in the near future, the problems which we have seen at the state level will be greatly exacerbated at the federal level. Pakatan MPs, who are just beginning to get accustomed to their new roles, will suddenly have to adjust to being part of the government, especially those MPs who will become ministers and deputy ministers and perhaps parliamentary secretaries. It is not hard to imagine a less than fully-functional Pakatan cabinet if they form the government within the next six months. Better to wait for BN to implodeThirdly, and most importantly, Pakatan would be forming the government at a time of great economic uncertainty both locally and globally. Pakatan would come into office after promising to lower oil prices and probably promising a greater share of oil revenue to both Sabah and Sarawak. It is hard to see Pakatan being able to carry out both these promises and at the same time ensuring that the government budget does not sink into a deep deficit. As it is, rising oil prices are already putting a strain on government finances and rising commodity prices and shortages will continue to have a trickle-down effect on the economy. The US recession will also contribute to a global slowdown in economic growth. In light of these factors, a Pakatan government will most likely be blamed for not being able to manage these economic challenges. Part of this will be because of global conditions which are out of their control but part of this will also be because of pre-election promises and the learning process which a new government will inevitably have to go through. Instead of being in such a rush, why not wait it out for another year or so? The BN certainly does not look like it will be in a better position one year from now. In fact, all indications are that it will be in a worse shape. There is likely be be political fallout from the leadership tussles in Umno and perhaps MCA, MIC and Gerakan as well. Rising oil prices, a commodity shortage and a slowing economy will likely give the already embattled government even more headaches. Pakatan would be in a better position to take over power after a BN implosion. It would also be able to justify taking economic austerity measures, saying that it inherited a failed economy from BN.

Khairy: There was no recount for Rembau (Malaysiakini)

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin has written to dispute Malaysiakini’s reports that there was a recount of votes on polling night of March 8 in the Rembau parliamentary constituency where he won by 5,726.The following is his letter in full:
Thank you for Malaysiakini’s continued interest in and coverage of my career.I wish to draw your attention to the fact that your reports asserting that I initially lost and that subsequently there was a re-count at the Rembau parliamentary constituency in the recent general election are a completely false and baseless. I never lost a “first count” and there never was a re-count. This fact was made clear by the Election Commission which was also reported in an article on March 13 of the The Star.Your most recent assertion that I initially lost and subsequently won in a re-count was contained in Syed Jaymal Zahiid’s article ‘Ku Li: Power transition unconstitutional’ which was published. It contains the following statement which was attributed to me:“They counted the postal votes first and not after the re-count. Even if the postal votes are not counted, I would have won by some 500 over votes,” he said.The article also contains the following passage:The Rembau March 8 results became controversial after the first count saw Khairy’s PKR opponent winning by some 800 majority votes. This result however turned after Khairy demanded a recount. Following this, he was declared a winner by a majority of 5,726 votes.For the record, I wish to state that the quote that was attributed to me is completely incorrect. I would not have even suggested that there was a re-count knowing fully well, as I do, that there was none. I append herewith a transcript of the interview in which I was alleged to have made the above statement which clearly shows that the quote attributed to me is false. I will also furnish you with a copy of the audio recording should you require one.I was present at the main counting centre on the night of March 8. At no point did I lose an initial count and, as such, at no time was there a need for a re-count. The total number of votes cast in favour of my opponent, Badrul Hisham Shaharin from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, did not at any time warrant a re-count as provided for under the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981. I was declared winner by 5,746 votes after the first and only count. In fact, I believe that Badrul was not even present at the main counting centre on March 8.Having regard to the facts and in the circumstances, I cannot avoid the conclusion that your assertion that I initially lost and that subsequently there was a re-count of the votes in the Rembau parliamentary constituency, made by your news portal on the very night of the election itself is irresponsible and mischievous.
Equally, I find it difficult to avoid concluding that the continued assertion in your reports of the March 11 and April 18, of there being a re-count and the fact that there was ample opportunity to verify the assertion. I also find it disturbing that you can attribute to me a statement which I never made, suggesting gross journalistic incompetence or mischief on your part.
Quite apart from undermining the legitimacy of my victory at the polls, your continued false assertion that I initially lost and that subsequently there was a re-count, and the innuendo attached to it, clearly undermines the integrity of the democratic election process that took place at the Rembau constituency.Having regard to the foregoing, it is fair, proper and in the public interest, particularly the interest of the voters in the Rembau parliamentary constituency, that Malaysiakini forthwith retracts its assertion and publishes a correction with an appropriate apology.Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar

Anwar playing a political game, says Najib (the Star)

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's claim that Pakatan Rakyat can form the next government by Sept 16 is part of his political gamesmanship, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
"He can make all sorts of claims. He will make all sorts of claims. It is part of a political gamesmanship he is playing," the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters Thursday after visiting the 11th Defence Services Asia exhibition and conference here.
He was asked to respond on Anwar's claim on Wednesday, which was made during his two-day visit to Sabah.
Asked what measures Barisan Nasional is taking to avoid potential crossovers by Sabah and Sarawak MPs to the Opposition as claimed by Anwar, Najib said, "We don't expect that they will leave the ruling party."
He said hopefully, the MPs would remain loyal to Barisan because the ruling coalition has served the nation all this while.
"Barisan MPs won in the March general election under the Barisan ticket. They must be confident that the country's future is guaranteed under the ruling coalition."
Sabah and Sarawak hold 50 out of 140 parliamentary seats belonging to Barisan and the Opposition needs at least 30 MPs in order to form the government.
On Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim's proposal for Umno to set up a special commission to probe the reasons for the party's dismal performance in the elections, Najib dismissed it saying: "There's no need for such a commission."

Is Anwar bluffing? Part 1 (Malaysiakini)

Anwar Ibrahim has once again upped the political ante by saying that Pakatan Rakyat would be ready to form the next government by September 16 this year. We want to analyse this announcement by asking a series of questions. Firstly, could this be an audacious bluff? If it is a bluff, what purpose does it serve? If this is not a bluff, who are the likely crossover members of parliament (MPs)? If this is going to happen, what are the mechanics involved? Finally, will Barisan Nasional just sit back and allow this to happen? We cannot discount the fact that this could just be a strategic bluff on the part of Anwar. If he already has enough MPs in the bag, why does he not form the government now instead of waiting until later when circumstances might have changed?
One argument could be that it’s because he’s not yet in Parliament but more likely the reason is that it’s part of a grand strategy to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, so to speak. We believe this is a remarkably astute political move by Anwar. What this does is increase the internal disunity within the BN parties as well as the disunity amongst the respective BN component parties. Leaders in the non-Malay BN parties not only have to consider which faction they might want to align themselves with within BN but also the possibility of aligning with Anwar and Pakatan. The constant monitoring of BN MPs by the administration might also anger some of the MPs enough that they would consider crossing over, even if they had not considered this possibility before. It can also be a means to motivate some to cross over for fear of being left behind. It is not hard to imagine Anwar approaching a party in Sarawak and saying that he already has 20 MPs in the bag from Sabah and that those in Sarawak will be left out if they do not cross over. He can then repeat that same line to political parties in Sabah. Like we said, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course, this bluff could potentially have one negative consequence for Anwar, which is that all this talk might prompt the BN to quickly pass an anti-hopping law of some kind. It’s possible that such a law could be passed in a similar fashion to the Election Acts which does not require a two-thirds majority. If the BN does call Anwar’s bluff in this manner, it might prompt Anwar to quickly move to replace the current government before such a law can be passed. Who are the potential crossover MPs?Now, who are the potential crossover MPs? Everything starts with Sabah and Sarawak which hold 55 of the 140 parliamentary seats belonging to the BN. Anwar cannot form a government – from the standpoint of public and political legitimacy – without getting at least a majority of BN MPs in these two states to cross over. That Anwar choose September 16 as a deadline of sorts is not by accident. It is a symbolic move which is aimed at convincing parties in both these states that they will be given more power and more respect under a Pakatan-led administration. But getting the Sabah and Sarawak MPs and parties to cross over is not as easy as it sounds. Anwar might be able to entice all the non-Umno parties in Sabah and the non-PBB parties in Sarawak which would yield 27 MPs and pick up another three MPs from in Peninsular Malaysia to make up the 30 that he needs. But these parties will not cross over to Pakatan if they cannot also form the state governments in both these states. Umno in Sabah currently holds 32 out of 60 state seats. PBB in Sarawak currently holds 35 out of 71 state seats. It is hard to imagine the other parties being able to form state governments without at least some crossovers from either Umno in Sabah or PBB in Sarawak – both of which are staunchly pro-BN. So, this will not be easy. The other question in regard to Sabah and Sarawak is what incentives Anwar can give to these parties in exchange for crossing over. Additional cabinet positions is an obvious answer. An additional boost in petroleum royalties, from the current 5% to 20% has been mentioned.
This would certainly seem attractive to both Sabah and Sarawak state governments since there is the perception that the federal government takes more from these states than it gives back. Still, it is not a given that these parties will crossover to Pakatan so easily. But let’s assume that Anwar manages to pull of this amazing coup, how will this transfer of power likely take place?One option is for Pakatan to call for a vote of no confidence in Parliament and get the 30 or so crossover MPs to vote for this motion which will lead to the collapse of the BN government. This is a highly risky move since it’s possible that some of these MPs might in the last minute renege on their promise to cross over.
He is more likely to ask these parties and politicians to make a public announcement that they are going to join Pakatan. This will also give them an opportunity to explain their move to their constituents. Lastly, how is BN likely to respond to a bloodless overthrow? We cannot discount the possibility that it might resort to taking drastic measures including declaring an emergency to prevent Pakatan from taking over. However, if Anwar can convince all the political parties and MPs in Sabah and Sarawak to cross over, the legislative support which Pakatan will then have might be enough to demoralise the BN enough to surrender power peacefully if not graciously. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to his credit, has not shown the desire – or the stomach, some might say – to resort to heavy-handed measures to stay in power or to prevent the opposition from gaining power in the five states they currently control. If he knows that his days within Umno are numbered anyway, he might have less reason to stand in the way of a Pakatan takeover. The situation on the ground is extremely complex and fluid but one thing is certain. Anwar has the upper hand right now and he is making all the right strategic moves. The next question which we have, which will be answered in Part 2, is whether he should quickly form the next government, assuming that he has enough MPs who are willing to cross over. ONG KIAN MING is a PhD candidate in political science at Duke University and OON YEOH is a writer and new media analyst. You can listen to both of them discuss this topic in their Realpolitik podcast.

I'll be PM in three years, says Anwar (Malaysiakini)

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today confidently predicted he would be prime minister within three years, sketching out the first rough timetable for his dramatic political comeback.
"I don't think we have established a definite clear time-frame when I will take over (as prime minister) but it certainly wouldn't reach three years ... much earlier than that," the former deputy premier told AFP.
"(But) I am not in a rush," he added.
Anwar, heir-apparent to long-time former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad before being sacked and jailed a decade ago, has emerged as a serious threat to the ruling coalition after the opposition's strong showing in parliamentary polls.
He became free to run for office again last week, when a five-year ban stemming from his corruption conviction expired, and claims he has the support of enough defectors to topple the government.
The Barisan Nasional coalition has ruled Malaysia for more than half-a-century since the former colony gained independence from Britain but has been rocked by its unprecedented electoral setback in March.The Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance claimed more than a third of parliamentary seats and five states in the polls, putting Mahathir's successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, under heavy pressure.Anwar, 60, pledged more effective governance and to wipe out corruption and promote racial equality, addressing some of the public's major concerns."Our reform programme will certainly be more secure. We will push for a market economy, judicial independence and equality for all Malaysians," he said.Ready to cross-overAnwar also repeated his claim that lawmakers from Sabah and Sarawak states had indicated interest in defecting from the ruling coalition to the opposition. He spoke to AFP at Kuala Lumpur airport on his way to Sabah."Lawmakers in the two states in Borneo island have approached me about switching sides, but so far none has declared their intentions publicly," he said.Analysts have backed Anwar's statement he has enough support to rule, saying turmoil in the ruling coalition could hasten an exodus of lawmakers and propel him to power.Prime Minister Abdullah is facing growing demands to quit, but has defiantly claimed a mandate to rule and refused to discuss a succession plan.Anwar had previously been expected to re-enter parliament quickly through a by-election in one of the seats held by his PKR party, but says he is in no hurry to act and will instead focus on building up the opposition.Some 20,000 supporters attended Anwar's rally last week. The opposition leader was released in 2004 after spending six years in jail.

Anwar: Pakatan Rakyat can take over Fed Govt by Sept 16 (The Star)

KOTA KINABALU: The Pakatan Rakyat is in a position to form the Federal Government and it will be done no later then Malaysia Day on Sept 16, according to Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Reiterating that the three-party alliance had the numbers and was in no rush to replace Barisan Nasional, the former deputy prime minister said it would all be in the timing of the announcement.
“God willing we will be there. If not next month, the following month, if not June or July, on Merdeka (Aug 31) or Malaysia Day. I think we should not exceed beyond that,” he told reporters on arrival in Sabah on Wednesday.
As to when exactly the announcement will be made, Anwar said that discussions with the Pakatan parties were needed because Umno and Barisan were known to be rough on those intending to move.
“They are using threats and intimidation. I am for example being monitored more closely now,” said Anwar, adding that he would not be discussing with those Barisan MPs interested to move while he was in Sabah and Sarawak.
He said he had his way of discussing with Barisan MPs who had given their commitment to team up with Pakatan.
“My talks could be done in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong although it might sound like a joke,” added Anwar, who thanked the Barisan MPs for their commitment to crossover.
He said Pakatan was ready to take in political parties from Barisan if they subscribed to the opposition coalition's agenda for the country.
On Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman’s claim that all state leaders were loyal to Barisan, Anwar said:
“ He (Musa) must know that he does not have all the members he claims to hold now. If he wants to know, I can meet him privately and tell him.”
He said Sabah and Sarawak MPs were keeping the Barisan afloat but was saddened that they were not given the due recognition with Umno dictating terms from Kuala Lumpur.
Anwar said that he was not making offers of anymonetary or personal positions for anyone crossing over as claimed by Barisan but was here to assure PKR’s commitment to Sabahans in addressing issues ranging from higher royalty to problems of illegal immigrants.

Lee quits Gerakan, rebuts criticisms

Former Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon has submitted a letter to withdraw his party membership and hopes that this will put an end to the controversy surrounding him.
In an one-page statement today, Lee reiterated that his objective is clear and consistent throughout his political career, which is to serve the people.
The former member of Parliament for Jelutong had resigned from all party posts after Gerakan’s annihilation in Penang at the hands of the opposition in the March 8 general election.
However, controversy arose when he accepted the director post in the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and InvestPenang on Monday in an announcement made by the state Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Criticisms poured in from several quarters including Barisan Nasional chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who said Lee’s decision was "against the spirit of BN."
Former Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik also offered his "pity" because Lee will have to face distrust from the party and DAP.
Also, Gerakan Wanita head Tan Lian Hoe opined that he should resign and that the party would not break up if Lee's membership was withdrawn.
Yesterday evening, Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon issued a show-cause letter asking him to explain why no action should be taken against him for taking up the opposition job offer.
'My record speaks for itself'
In refusing to answer the letter, Lee explained that his decision to work for the Penang state government was motivated by the island’s interest which cannot be compromised by any political consideration.
"In the next quarter, the projected economic slowdown is going to affect out export oriented economic performance.
"I believe the focus on job creation and measures to ensure sustainable growth is more important than continuous politicking," he said.
"Since my decision is not acceptable to the Gerakan leadership, I believe it is best for me to retreat totally from party politics.
"This way, I hope we can put the matter to rest and move forward with some serious tasks at hand," he added.
He also rebutted criticisms from Koh who said the former only has experience as a lawyer and a parliamentary secretary with the Health Ministry - both unrelated to investment in the industrial sector.
"Criticism on my lack of experience is inaccurate and my professional and service record speaks for itself. If any, the criticism drives me to achieve more for Penang," he said.
"With the political ghost exorcised, I now look forward to work will all parties to ensure Penang leads again," he added.
Lee, 48, who joined Gerakan in 1987, defeated DAP’s Karpal Singh for the Jelutong parliamentary seat in 1999 and retained the seat in 2004.
In the March 8 polls, he was also speculated to succeed Koh as chief minister alongside party vice-president Dr Teng Hock Nan and Tanjung division chief Teng Chang Yeow.
However, he lost the Machang Bubok state seat to PKR’s Tan Hock Leong. Gerakan also lost Penang when DAP clinched 19 of the 40 state seats and became the earliest state known to have fallen into opposition hands.

MCA's Catch-22 political marriage (Part 2) (Malaysiakini)

MCA president Ong Ka Ting confessed at his party’s 54th annual general assembly last year: “We have to face the political reality. Umno is in power and it is calling the shots.” During the 12th general election campaign, he remarked that “MCA is the bodyguard of the Chinese community”. Guarding the community from whom and what, one is tempted to ask. Is it from racialist elements or chauvinist segments of society or from extremist quarters within Umno politicking? If the partnership between MCA and Umno is so perfect, why must MCA take on the role of bodyguard? Was the party leadership finally acknowledging the writing on the wall that its political master is primarily the principal catalyst for the erosion of political and economic power of the Chinese community? It is said that if practical politics consist of ignoring facts, then political wisdom is indeed perishable. Unlike information or knowledge, wisdom cannot be stored in a computer or recorded in a book. Indeed, political wisdom does expire with each passing generation of leaders - as glaringly seen over the years since Independence in Umno, MCA and MIC leadership changes. When former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik transferred power to Ong Ka Ting (photo), under a ‘peace plan’ formula to resolve a long-running leadership tussle, the ‘karmic seeds’ were sown for another party crisis. There were also high expectations within the Chinese community and hope that Umno’s leadership succession from Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would usher in more favourable bargaining power for MCA. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The relationship between MCA and Umno is best described by the former British Cabinet minister Cecil Parkinson, who said: “In politics, people give you what they think you deserve and deny you what they think you want.” MCA’s current political predicament is compared to the Chinese saying about ‘a person who is pursued by an army from behind and faces a steep-sided gorge in front’. The political escape route would be painful choice for the party, to say the least. Would a MCA merger with Gerakan be feasible? Can the complexities of such a merger give form and substance to future reforms amidst Umno’s uncertainty over its future political role? Current demandsA more pertinent question is whether MCA’s future can be secured within the socio-political fabric of a two-party system. Its role as a communal party will increasingly be challenged or even regarded as contemptible, as more members of the younger generation embrace multi-racialism, and demands are made for democratic ethos, greater justice and fair play in the political culture. Politics is still a numbers game. A dwindling Chinese population will impact on membership of the MCA. Of some 6 million Chinese Malaysians, MCA purportedly has some 1.3 million members aged between 18 and 25 years. This barely touches 3 percent of the community, indicating great difficulty in attracting younger Malaysians into the party. Political realities are rapidly changing. Ong once said that “MCA members are like fish in the aquarium; if one fish defecates, all will die in the polluted water”. This may no longer holds true, says a political observer: “One can now get out of the water and join Pakatan Rakyat (PR), an alternative now offered in the two-party system. In the months ahead, membership defections from MCA could become a possibility.Ong has noted that, for 58 years, the MCA has represented the Chinese - “otherwise who can help?” Overnight, though, MCA’s political vanity has been exposed. Permanent land titles and opportunities to build schools or places of worship have been readily approved by the PR governments in Penang, Perak and Selangor. This has psychologically crippled the MCA leadership and the party has lost its legitimacy of representation. To avoid open confrontational politics with Umno, closed-door negotiations were held - but have these been effective? There are more questions. Can MCA move the goal-posts in a game pre-determined by the Umno leadership? How will MCA react when Umno leaders play the racial card to regain Malay support? Can Umno bury the past or will MCA be buried in the process, as Umno moves to a new supremacy recovery platform? There are deep-seated reasons for MCA central delegates to worry about the party’s future. Its representation in government has weakened considerably, particularly in Parliament.“If MCA leaders behave and talk like the opposition, we cannot lose to the DAP. We only need oratorical skills,” Ong told the central delegates last year. For once, astute political observers agreed that, unless MCA bucks up, their future will lie in the opposition arena. The emergence of a two-party system will exert greater pressure on Barisan Nasional’s component parties to reform. In particular, this will affect the relationship between MCA and Umno, whose political marriage was strongly motivated by electoral victory and communal interests. Murugesu Pathmanathan in an article entitled, ‘Examining the validity of the two-party system in the Malaysian political scene’- based on the 1990 general election results which saw the eventual collapse of the Gagasan Rakyat and APU - concluded that a multi-party system is more conducive for Malaysia’s multi-racial society. Drawing a parallel with Britain’s two-party system which had evolved over almost 300 years, he wrote: “While a two-party system maybe more appropriate and suitable to the political culture of Britain, the nature and conditions of the political environment of Malaysia are quite different and have produced a different political system.” The two-party system is no longer a hypothetical situation. The birth of PR has given Malaysians the first glimpse of an integrative approach towards harmonisation of differences in our society. Conscientious Malaysians hope it is only the beginning.The March 8 election outcome has taught MCA politicians a lot. Things must be done by parties and not by persons using parties as tools.

Party veteran named 'snoop squad' probe member (Malaysiakini)

MCA veteran Michael Chen was today named by the party’s presidential council as a new member of its three-man panel set up to investigate claims on the existence of a 'snoop squad' prying into the private lives of certain party leaders."The presidential council today unanimously decided to appoint Michael Chen as a panel member of the independent investigation committee to look into the issue of a 'spy team' in MCA. "This committee will directly report to the presidential council," the council said in a statement issued after its meeting chaired by party president Ong Ka Ting.Chen, a former Senate speaker, replaces lawyer Teh Hock Kee who turned down his appointment, citing personal reasons, a day before the panel was to hold its first meeting last Wednesday. The panel is headed by Sak Cheng Lum with lawyer Roger Tan as the other member,The panel was set up after Petaling Jaya Utara division adviser Wong Leong, one of the 'Save MCA' campaign leaders, demanded the resignation of the party president after the MCA's dismal performance in last month's general election.He alleged that certain party leaders had formed a "snoop squad" to expose the private lives of his political rivals.In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, party leader Ong denied that he was involved in the 'snoop squad'.
"This is utter rubbish. This is something unthinkable for a person like me to go and do all these things, I myself can’t believe it," he said.

Mas Selamat (Gone in 11 Minutes) (The Straits Time, Singapore)

DPM Wong details events on day of Mas Selamat's escape
AT SOME point between 3.54pm and 4.05pm on Feb 27, from the time he entered the toilet to the time the alert was raised, Mas Selamat Kastari made a break for it.
In a urinal cubicle and out of his guards' sight, he escaped out of a ventilation window and is then thought to have made it over the Whitley Road Detention Centre's double perimeter fence via the roof of an enclosed walkway.

The toilet window (above) that Mas Selamat is believed to have escaped from. It had no grilles on it but had a sawn-off handle.
Yesterday, the highly anticipated full account of the terrorist leader's escape as promised by Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng was finally disclosed in Parliament.During an hour-long speech listened to by rapt MPs, Mr Wong told in vivid detail the story of an escape plan that appeared to have been hatched ahead of time and that seized on a 'confluence' of human errors and physical security lapses.The lapses include a window with no grilles, guards who failed in their duties and CCTV cameras that were not commissioned. These cameras were neither recording nor actively monitored.His assessment of these breaches was damning: 'The mistakes have turned out to be so simple as to appear silly and incredible.'A five-page executive summary from the report of the Committee of Inquiry (COI) set up to investigate the escape was also released yesterday.The Minister's comments, together with the report's summary, gave the public, for the first time, a detailed picture of what was likely to have happened on the day Mas Selamat fled.On that day, the 47-year-old Jemaah Islamiah leader had been due for a visit from his family members between 4pm and 4.30pm.At 3.30pm, he was escorted from his cell by three people: two Gurkha guards and a Special Duty Operative.The Special Duty Operative's job was to make administrative arrangements for family visits, which included supervising the movement of detainees.From the cell block, he was first taken to a locker block to change into civilian clothes. Detainees are allowed to dress in civilian clothes for family visits.Inside the locker room, Mas Selamat put his plan into action.He asked the guard for a curtain so he could change behind it. As there were no curtains, he stood behind a column of lockers to change.That was to be the first of two times in less than half an hour that the guards let him out of their sight.While unseen, it is believed that Mas Selamat put on at least two layers of clothes. He emerged dressed in a light yellow baju kurung and greenish-grey trousers.He would later use this pair of trousers as a decoy while he bolted to freedom.He was also supposed to return his detention garb to the guards, but did not.After changing, Mas Selamat was escorted to the visitation block. At 3.54pm, he went into the toilet at the visitation block to shave and comb his hair.One guard followed him into the toilet, while the other waited outside.After shaving, he entered a urinal cubicle and shut the door.He flipped his trousers over the concrete ledge above the cubicle door and turned on a water tap inside.It was a routine he had done before.Mr Wong explained: 'Prior to his escape, during previous family visits, Mas Selamat had partially closed the urinal cubicle door on some occasions and then completely closed the urinal cubicle door on subsequent occasions'.Behind the closed door, the second time he was given privacy that afternoon, he pushed open the ventilation window and squeezed through.Unlike most windows in the Whitley Road centre, the one in that toilet was not secured with grilles. This was due to a miscommunication between the Internal Security Department (ISD) and the vendor over which windows in the building were to be grilled.In place of grilles, the superintendent of the Whitley centre told the vendor to saw off the handle of the window.Once out the window, Mas Selamat is thought to have used a water pipe running vertically along the wall to help him climb down. Smudges were found on the pipe.A packet of seven rolls of toilet paper found on the ground next to the wall could have been used to cushion his fall.From there, his exact path is unclear. The COI surmised that he scaled the fence, climbed onto the roof of an enclosed walkway and jumped over the fence where the two converged. This point was 20m away from the window.How did Mas Selamat, who runs with a limp, manage all this without raising an alarm?First, CCTV cameras monitoring the outside of the toilet were not commissioned as they were part of an upgrade to the centre's CCTV system.Second, the guard outside the toilet door who noticed that Mas Selamat was taking a long time did not investigate immediately.Instead, he alerted the guard standing outside the toilet, who in turn informed the Special Duty Operative.The female officer then informed a fourth person, Mas Selamat's male Assistant Case Officer, to check on him in the male toilet.When the case officer finally kicked the cubicle door in and the alarm was raised, some 11 minutes had passed since he first went for a shave.A re-enactment of the possible escape took 49 seconds.Mr Wong assured MPs that action had been taken to shore up security at the centre. Among other measures, the toilet window has been sealed, the height of the perimeter fence is being raised and the director of prisons will now conduct an independent annual audit.Disciplinary action will also be taken against the officers responsible, as identified in the COI report.He accepted all the COI's recommendations, he added.Mr Wong urged, in closing, that Singaporeans not 'throw the baby out with the bath water' and write off the whole ISD due to one lapse.The ISD's director had told him that he accepted responsibility and had apologised, Mr Wong noted.'The organisation and the many dedicated and committed officers who continue to serve in it are resolved to pick themselves up, recover their spirits and move forward relentlessly in their national mission. We must support them in this,' said Mr Wong.Mas Selamat continues to be the focus in Parliament today, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expected to address the issue of government responsibility.BLEMISH ON RECORD'It is a dark stain on the record of successes which ISD has achieved in the fight against terrorism...It was the ISD which uncovered the clandestine Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network and its links to the Al-Qaeda in 2001.'PAINFUL SHOCK'This security lapse in the WRDC...came as a rude and painful shock to them; all the more when the mistakes have turned out to be so simple as to appear silly and incredible.'DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WONG KAN SENG, in Parliament yesterday

MCA's Catch-22 political marriage (Part 1) (Malaysiakini)

A typical and rather unkind public reaction to the MCA leadership today is one of bewilderment upon reading statements on contentious issues like pig farming, hudud law, open tenders, and federal allocations to state governments under Pakatan Rakyat administration.The leaders including president Ong Ka Ting seem to be floating the theory that injecting a little more boldness and ‘oomph’ might strategically help the party to recover credibility and popularity following its severe losses in the March 8 general election. Instead, the electorate appears to be turned off.Property developer YS Lee said such statements ring hollow and reveal an unnatural inclination among lackeys who are playing to the gallery.“In good times, MCA might be seen as arrogant, self-reassuring and a strong supporter of the Umnoputra leadership even though the policies are bad, but not (these days).”Ong’s recent three-part interview with Malaysiakini reflected earnestness in projecting a “multi-racial” MCA and speaking out loud.He is keen to reassure his supporters and perhaps the Chinese community that the MCA is ready to change or has changed. Yet, many ask if the “voices” are genuine or mere tactics to win back trust and respect that the party so often took for granted before.Will Ong be able to pull off a feat that will show him in the portrait of a saviour rather than a leader trying desperately to conceal his party’s true nature - as a partner in a vicious marriage with Umno. Author RK Vasil in his article, ‘Communalism and the Political Process in West Malaysia’, succinctly wrote: “It started as an alliance of two communal organisations, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) and the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA), both distrustful of each other. The two [...] had nothing in common, except their upper-class leadership.” It was the unexpected success of the joint effort in contesting the Kuala Lumpur municipal elections in February 1952 that saw the foundation of the Alliance being laid. “The MCA, initially, because of its superior organisation and financial power at least secured an equal position with Umno in the Alliance. Also, as long as elections were held at the municipal level only, the MCA was able to assert equality with Umno,” Vasil wrote. “And beginning with this, the MCA got caught in a vicious circle; since the more it gave in to Umno, the more it lost support among the Chinese; and the smaller its base in the Chinese community, the less significant became its bargaining power with Umno in the Alliance.” His words of wisdom have lasted more than five decades, including this observation: “In future, whether it was to make demands on behalf of the Chinese community, it was to be told by the Umno leaders (in the Alliance) ‘ how can you demand all these for the Chinese when you can’t get their support? Deliver the Chinese votes (for the Alliance) and then make demands on their behalf’.” In fact, during the 1964 general election, Umno effectively used this argument to hold MCA demands in check. Strategy that backfiredIn the run-up to the March 8 elections, Umno did not check MCA demands. In fact, the Umno leadership was more than generous, showering financial allocations on Chinese schools.Like newly-weds, leaders of both parties hugged one another and showed affection, all for electioneering. The more disturbing aspects of the MCA-Umno political marriage revolve round the lack of sincerity, mutual respect, fairness and truthfulness, among others. Pacifying an agitated and frustrated collective body of central delegates at the 54th MCA annual assembly last year, Ong soothingly said: “Do not be frustrated as these (grievances voiced by central delegates) are multi-racial problems. It took 250 years for the Americans to reform and Malaysia is only 50 years old. “(Malaysian) Chinese going to the kampong feel safe; likewise, Malays visiting Chinese areas also feel safe. Chinese should not be made to feel like second-class citizens (by any quarter).”“Umno leaders’ controversial statements do not represent the (stand of the) prime minister (Abdullah Badawi) and his deputy (Najib Abdul Razak). Confrontational politics (from MCA with Umno) cannot be effective; closed-door negotiations are more effective.”Defeat comes in many guises. On March 8, the results showed that without Malay electoral support, MCA “mixed” seats fell like pins in a bowling alley.In a catch-22 scenario, it was an important feature of Umno’s strategy to keep MCA weak enough (in terms of popular Chinese support) so as to make it dependent on Umno, but at the same time popular enough for the party to deliver the Chinese vote (for Umno candidates), Vasil argued. In short, both Umno and MCA respectively fell short of their mutual political expectations, paving the way for their arch-rivals in PR to create an unexpected political landscape that is unrivalled in Malaysian history.

Tian Chua, Razak tuntut gantirugi RM4 juta (Malaysiakini)

Dua pemimpin PKR menuntut gantirugi RM4 juta kerana ditahan secara tidak sah pada 11 Disember lalu dekat bangunan Parlimen, ketika polis menghalang mereka daripada menyertai Gabungan Pilihanraya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) untuk menyerahkan memorandum.Ketua Penerangan PKR, Tian Chua, 43, dan ketua penerangan PKR bahagian Kota Raja, Abdul Razak Ismail, 46, memfailkan saman tersebut di pejabat Pendaftaran Mahkamah Sivil Kuala Lumpur pagi ini, melalui peguam mereka, Lai Chee Hoe.Mereka menamakan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan dan kerajaan sebagai defenden.Dalam saman tersebut, mereka mendakwa pada kira-kira jam10.30 pagi 11 Disember lalu, ketika dalam perjalanan dengan menaiki kereta milik Abdul Razak, menghala ke Bangunan Parlimen, mereka telah diberhentikan, ditangkap dengan menggunakan kekerasan dan ditahan oleh polis di lereng berdekatan bangunan tersebut.

Special Luncheon Talk by Lim Kean Chye

PENANG, Sat
Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:51pm : After the second session of the day, the young delegates to the 3rd Young Lawyers Convention made their way to the coffee house at the Bayview Georgetown for a spot of lunch. Most delegates would have walked into the coffeehouse and headed straight for the buffet table to satiate their growling tummies and most would have walked past an elderly gentleman and his wife sitting amongst other young lawyers who had gathered around this unassuming couple.
As lunch progressed, Dipendra Harshad Rai stood up and announced that there was a surprise guest amongst us. After an elaborate introduction, he revealed the name of this surprise guest who was none other than the famed lawyer and freedom fighter, Lim Kean Chye.
Lim was called to the Singapore Bar in 1950, and the Malayan Bar in 1961. He comes from an illustrious family which includes Dato’ PG Lim and the late Lim Kean Siew, and was a fearless advocate. In the year 2000, he disliked the way a Judge treated two young lawyers, and from then on decided to quit practice.
Lim spoke, as expected, with the easy confidence of a man who had seen much in his 88 years as boy and man. The tales of his life include surviving a German U-boat attack during World War II and the struggle for independence from the British.
For someone who had himself been through much hardship, he expressed genuine appreciation of the dedication of lawyers today who struggle for a better Malaysia. He is encouraged with the renewed interest of the Bar in advancing the causes of human rights, and acknowledged the efforts of the lawyers seeking to collectively shape the future of our country. On that note, he also believes that the young lawyers should continue to be active towards nation-building initiatives. Nevertheless, he reminded us that there is much to be done in upholding the rights of Malaysians in this day.
Lim was a founder member of the Malayan Democratic Union (“MDU”), which was formed on 21 December 1945. MDU was a political organisation which consisted of English educated Malaysians whose main objective was the assertion of the right to self-governance. He was not liked by the British, “to them I was a scum”.
During the question and answer session, Lim, who lived under the leadership of 5 Prime Ministers in Malaysia, answered that they were similar to the leaders today: “I think they are the same. They still hold on to the principle of UMNO supremacy. The only difference was that the late Tunku Abdul Rahman dies in poverty.”
Lim also explained that it was his mother who motivated him to do the things he did: “She was caring for the sick, poor and needy. She was a very generous person and probably influenced him”.
It was heartening to listen to a man who had fought the good fight in his day for a free Malaysia. Lim’s stories about courage and perseverance in the face of the iron rule of the British Empire in the then Malaya echo today in present day Malaysia where a different struggle rages on for political and societal change.
The tales of his struggles that Lim so willingly shared with budding lawyers during what would normally have been an ordinary lunch proved to be most humbling, refreshing and inspirational.
In appreciation, he received a hearty applause and a ‘Walk For Justice’ t-shirt and cap, which he received with caution, remarking that wearing the t-shirt might lead to his arrest.

Policeman: Tian Chua screamed when arrested (NST Online)

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua had twice screamed "Jangan pukul saya" (Don't hit me) while he was arrested outside the Parliament building last year.
Chief Inspector Sazali Ahmad, who headed the police team stationed outside the building before an illegal gathering, told the magistrate's court yesterday that he heard Tian Chua screaming those words as Constable Rosyaidi Anuar, and two others made the arrest.Sazali, when cross-examined by counsel Ranjit Singh, agreed that he heard the words, but did not order his personnel not to make the arrest. "I did not see them hitting or punching him. That is why I did not order them to stop." Sazali was testifying at the trial of Tian Chua, whose full name is Chua Tian Chang, charged with hurting Rosyaidi by biting him on his forearm at the parliament building entrance, Jalan Parlimen, about 10.45am on Dec 11.
Police had obtained a court order the day before the incident, barring anyone from participating in the illegal assembly organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) outside Parliament House. Sazali said Tian Chua, who is also the Batu MP, was lying handcuffed on the road and refused to get up."That is why I ordered my men to take him to the patrol car about 20 metres from where he was at." When Ranjit asked why he made the arrest, Sazali replied that he was following the court order, and also because Tian Chua had refused to produce his identity card. Ranjit: Were the six policemen wearing their uniforms when they made the arrest?Sazali: No. they were in plainclothes. Ranjit: So if anyone had seen these six men, including Rosyaidi, they would not know that they were policemen. Do you agree?Sazali: Yes.Ranjit: Did you introduce the six men as policemen when you approached Tian Chua?Sazali: No.Ranjit: So if anyone saw Rosyaidi, he looked just like a regular person. Agree?Sazali: Yes.Tian Chua was represented by Ranjit Singh, Lai Chee Hoe and Razlan Hadri. Hearing continues on May 16.

Hisham nafi keris punca kurang sokongan (Malaysiakini)

Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein menegaskan bahawa keris tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan sentimen perkauman.
'Perkara ini dibangkitkan hanya bertujuan menakut-nakutkan pihak tertentu tambahan kita berada dalam negara majmuk dan untuk mempengaruhi adalah perkara biasa,'' katanya kepada pemberita semalam.
Sehubungan itu, Utusan Online melaporkan, beliau menyangkal laporan Malaysiakini bahawa naib ketua pergerakan itu mengakui isu keris merupakan salah satu punca kemerosotan sokongan Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam pilihanraya umum lalu.
Tegasnya, berita-berita daripada lamanweb, blog atau khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) perlu diteliti terlebih dahulu kerana ia boleh menjejaskan perpaduan dan kredibiliti seseorang individu itu.
''Tak mungkin naib ketua saya boleh menyatakan sedemikian kerana dia sentiasa ada bersama-sama dengan saya," katanya selepas merasmikan Mesyuarat Agung PIBG Ke-39 dan Pengisytiharan 110 Tahun Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Semenyih.
Khairy dilaporkan memberikan komen itu ketika ditemui pemberita di program retreat ahli-ahli parlimen BN di sebuah hotel di Kuala Lumpur semalam.
Bagaimanapun, Khairy dalam laporan itu menolak tanggapan bahawa isu keris menjadi punca utamanya.
Keris Panca Warisan
Sebelum ini, dua akhbar bawah Kumpulan NSTP, yang dikaitkan dengan Khairy, Berita Harian dan New Straits Times menyalahkan ketua Pemuda Umno Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein kerana menghunus keris 'Panca Warisan' selama tiga tahun berturut-turut mulai 2005.Isu keris menjadi polemik besar selepas Astro membuat siaran langsung perhimpunan agung Umno pada 2006 sewaktu 'Panca Warisan' diarak masuk ke dewan dan kemudiannya dihunus dan dikucup oleh Hishammuddin.khairy jamaluddin in umno meeting kissing the keris 040906Beliau menjulang keris bagi menunjukkan perjuangan Pemuda Umno mendaulatkan Agenda Melayu.Bagaimanapun, tindakan Hishammuddin itu dikritik hebat oleh parti-parti komponen dalam Barisan Nasional dan yang paling lantang - Pemuda MCA dan Pemuda Gerakan.Hishammuddin mempertahankan tindakannya itu dengan menyatakan menghunus keris bukan bererti seseorang itu mahu mengancam atau mahu menikam orang lain, ia hanya simbol semata-mata."Malah keris juga tidak boleh dikaitkan dengan satu-satu kaum sahaja," katanya dalam sidang media sempena perhimpunan agung Pemuda MCA pada Ogos 2006.Dalam perhimpunan agung Umno 2007, Hishammuddin sekali lagi menghunus, mengucup dan menjulang Keris Panca Warisan tanpa menghiraukan bantahan keras dan meluas bahawa ia merupakan simbol 'pergaduhan' yang boleh menimbulkan keresahan antara kaum.Malah, Khairy selaku naib ketua pergerakan itu mengisytiharkan selagi ada Pemuda Umno, Keris Panca Warisan akan terus dijulang selama-lamanya.Beliau juga mengingatkan bahawa sesiapa yang tidak berani menghunus dan menjulang Keris Panca Warisan adalah pengkhianat kepada Melayu dan Umno.

Mukhriz bukan regu Khir Toyo (Malaysiakini)

Tidak wujud sebarang pakatan antara ahli parlimen Jerlun, Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir dengan bekas menteri besar Selangor, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo dalam pemilihan barisan kepimpinan pergerakan Pemuda Umno Disember depan.Mukhriz dan Dr Mohd Khir telah menyatakan kesediaan mereka untu dicalonkan untuk bertanding jawatan ketua Pemuda Umno dalam pemilihan kali ini.Jawatan tersebut kosong selepas Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein mengumumkan beliau tidak akan mempertahankan jawatan tersebut Disember ini.Beliau dijangka akan menawarkan diri untuk bertanding jawatan naib presiden dalam pemilihan kali ini.Peluang bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda terbuka kepada semua pemimpin Umno kerana tiada had umur disyarat untuk merebut jawatan tersebut.Hanya bagi jawatan naib ketua ke bawah sahaja yang mensyaratkan calon-calon mesti berusia di bawah umur 40 tahun.Khairy membisuSelain Mukhriz dan Dr Mohd Khir, Pemuda Umno Negeri Sembilan dan Perak telah menyatakan sokongan mereka kepada Khairy Jamaluddin untuk bertanding jawatan ketua pemuda.Bagaimanapun, Khairy yang juga naib ketua Pemuda Umno, sehingga ini belum menyatakan secara terbuka sama ada akan berbuat demikian.,"Sebenarnya, tidak pernah ada pakatan dengan Khir untuk jawatan Ketua Pemuda Umno," kata Mukhriz.Beliau yang juga exco Pemuda Umno berkata demikian ketika ditemui media di "retreat" ahli-ahli parlimen BN di sebuah hotel terkemuka di Kuala Lumpur semalam.Ditanya sama ada wujud percubaan untuk menyekatnya berjumpa ketua bahagian dan perwakilan bagi mendapatkan pencalonan, Mukhriz menjawab: "Setakat ini tidak ada sebarang halangan."Bagaimanapun, saya tidak tahu sama ada akan mendapat jumlah pencalonan yang mencukupi untuk bertanding," katanya.

Optometrists fail contact lens exam (Star)

KUALA LUMPUR: All the optometry practitioners for contact lenses who sat for the exam last December had failed.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said those who aspire to prescribe and dispense contact lenses need more training as none of the 153 who sat for the exam set by the Malaysian Optical Council last year passed.
"In order to ensure only competent practitioners are allowed to prescribe contact lenses, they have to pass all four components of the exam.
"I understand that in the exam conducted in December, none of the 153 candidates passed all four components, while 95 people or 62% actually failed all four components," he said in his address at the 23rd anniversary celebration of the Malaysian Association of Practicing Opticians (Mapo).
According to industry sources, the passing mark was set very high at 80%. The exam last year was the first conducted by the Council.
Prior to the introduction of the exam by the council, the source said opticians who wished to be contact lens practitioners had to only sit for an exam by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.
Liow said there were currently only 1,138 optometrists and opticians in the country who were certified and permitted to prescribe and dispense contact lenses.
In total, he said there are 3,072 registered optometry practitioners in the country, of which 21% were optometrists (degree holders) and the rest opticians (diploma holders).

Teng named S'gor assembly speaker (Malaysiakini)

Former state opposition leader Teng Chang Khim has been picked as Selangor state assembly speaker, making him the first non-Malay to hold the post.Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim made the announcement today, confirming earlier speculations that Teng would be named assembly speaker after he was overlooked in the 11-member state cabinet.Teng (right), who is DAP state assemblyperson for Sungai Pinang, has previously served as Selangor opposition leader.He was said to be unhappy after being left out of the Selangor's executive council line-up when first-time DAP assemblypersons - Teresa Kok, Ronnie Liu and Ean Yong Hian Wah - were picked to fill the three DAP exco slots.Pakatan picked ex-Gerakan leaderMeanwhile, ex-Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon, who had quit active politics three weeks ago, has been tapped as the director of Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and InvestPenang.Malaysiakini Chinese edition has on Wednesday reported that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was likely to pick the former Gerakan leader to beef up the state administration.PDC functions as the state government's investment arm and among its tasks is to plan and implement development projects, while InvestPenang is an agency to woo investors to the island state.In a one-page letter sent to the party late last month, Lee resigned as Jelutong division chairman, Penang Gerakan assistant secretary, state working committee member, central committee member and central working committee member.

Penang groups unhappy with new Pakatan councillors (Malaysiakini)

The Penang Pakatan Rakyat government's populist agenda to appoint representatives from non-governmental organisation as councillors in local authorities seems to have backfired.The DAP-led government came under fire from a group of NGOs for not fulfilling its promise to appoint at least 10 municipal councillors from the civil society.By appointing only seven councillors from the NGOs, the group spokesperson BK Ong said the DAP-led government had squandered the public trust by making a blatant mistake."The state government promised 10 but only appointed seven and that too, not on merit."The NGO appointments were dominated by business groups which had caused imbalanced appointment," said Ong.He criticised the Pakatan Rakyat government of continuing the previous Barisan Nasional administration by giving councillor jobs to "boys" rather than giving the posts on merit.Ong blasted the state government for emulating a failed BN method which he claimed would subsequently produce weak councillors and give rise to longkang (drainage) assemblypersons and members of Parliament.
Too many business people
On Wednesday, the Penang government appointed four councillors from the civil society groups in the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and three in the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP).The MPPP four are Women's Centre for Change (WCC) lawyer Lim Kah Cheng, Universiti Sains Malaysia professor Dr Francis Loh Kok Wah, Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce president Rizal Faris Mohideen Abdul Kader and Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce representative Choong Khuat Seng.The three in MPSP are Chinese Chamber's Liu Ting Ling, Indian Chamber of Commerce's R Gunasegaran and Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers' Muhammad Ismail.MPPP has 22 appointed councillors while MPSP has 21.Of the 43 appointed councillors, DAP has 19, PKR 15 and PAS two.Ong lamented over the "over-representation" of businessmen could cause an unbalanced council and conflict of interests since members of chambers were often involved in applying for business operational licences and building permits."This could cause injustice to the laymen," said Ong, speaking on the behalf of the NGOs, including Save Ourselves, Bus Users Group, Malaysian Voters Union, Penang Watch, Mafrel, Suaram, Jim, United Hindu Religious Council, Tanjung Bungah Residential Association and Tanjung Workers Service Centre.In contrast, he said there was lack of representation, or none, from house buyers, residents associations, consumer groups, workers' union and petty traders."Even women were under-represented in appointments," said Ong, suggesting that the representation should have been as high as one per three ratio.
Ong also blasted the state government's lack of transparency in the selection process, saying that it mirrored the previous BN government.
DAP members left out
He said the state government should have adopted an open selection system such as open invitation, open criteria, open process and open list of candidates even when local government elections could not been held straight away.Ong's open criticism is the last that State Executive Councillor and Penang DAP chairperson Chow Kon Yeow, who is in charge of Local Government portfolio, would want as the state government was already under fire from DAP members on the appointment of councillors from NGOs and "strangers" under the party quota.Disgruntled DAP members have informed Malaysiakini that they had been against the appointment of NGO councillors from the beginning as many of them would not work in the interests of the Pakatan Rakyat state government.Several short messages service (SMS) were already sent out since Wednesday night criticising the state government leaders for overlooking loyal party workers for council appointments.Several assemblypersons have also been singled out by the powerful Makkal Sakti lobbyists in Penang for appointing their "cronies" as councillors at the expense of loyal party members, who had worked hard to secure the party's victory in the recent general election."Several of the appointed councillors from NGO were known BN supporters."Even the Indian councillors appointed under the DAP quota were strangers to DAP," said Makkal Sakti group spokesperson MN Anbalagan.Another Makkal Sakti supporter, R Kumaran, said he learnt that the decision to appoint NGO councillors was made without consulting the party state committee and general members."There is a saying that `loyalty pays.'"But it seems staunch Indian DAP grassroots leaders and members are irrelevant today," he said.

Olympic torch arrives in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysiakini)

The Olympic flame arrived in Kuala Lumpur amid heightened security early today after earlier demonstrations fuelled Malaysian fears that foreigners might disrupt the April 21 leg.The torch, accompanied by Chinese security, arrived by charter plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at about 2:19 am from Thailand.The symbol of the Beijing 2008 Games is on the Asian leg of its world tour, which has so far been largely trouble free after embarrassing protests in Europe and the United States earlier this month.Two Malaysian Olympic officials joined the Chinese Ambassador to meet the torch party, said witnesses.The torch will now be kept at a secret location before it appears in public on Monday for Malaysian leg, officials said.Prepared for protestsMalaysian police have increased security for the torch relay, with local Olympic officials concerned that foreign protesters will try to disrupt the event."We are well prepared to counter any form of disturbance from anyone or any organisation," the city's public order chief, K Kumaran, was quoted as saying in the media.Special forces will accompany the torch bearers, and the number of police officers manning the 16.5-kilometre route has been increased from 600 to 1,000, Kumaran said.On Friday, 30 Falun Gong supporters demonstrated outside the Chinese embassy, alleging that Beijing was using the Games as a reason to persecute the group's practitioners.China outlawed the Falungong, which combines meditation with Buddhist-inspired teachings, as an "evil cult" in mid-1999, and many practitioners have faced brutal repression there in the past.A Chinese crackdown on recent demonstrations in Tibet has also put the spotlight on China's heavily criticised record on human rights - and ignited protests at many of the torch's previous stops, notably London and Paris.
Special prayers
Local personalities and celebrities are among the 80 torch bearers who will carry the flame from Independence Square in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to the capital's iconic Petronas twin towers on its four-hour journey.Meanwhile, Malaysia's Vajrayana Buddhist Council is holding a prayer session on Sunday to call for a smooth torch relay and a peaceful Olympics.The Asia torch relay includes stops in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam before heading to China.

Anwar files RM10mil suit over sexual innuendo

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has launched a RM10 million defamation suit against a deputy minister for allegedly insinuating the former as homosexual.Anwar filed the suit through his counsel Sankara Nair (photo) at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this afternoon and cited Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong as the defendant over the latter’s remark of which was made during the Machap by-election campaign in April last year.“The whole false notion of sodomy (against Anwar) has to be put to an end once and for all.”“Anybody who unfairly tries to hold or attempt to resurrect this vile and concocted falsity will have to face action in court,” the lawyer said when contacted later.The suit, filed three days after Anwar’s five-year ban from active politics expired, is seen as his effort and readiness to make a comeback to the forefront of the political scene without the alleged sodomy claim continuing to haunt him. Once heir apparent to ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar was sacked in 1998 and subsequently charged and convicted for sodomy and corruption in which he served a total of 15 years in jail for both offences. The sodomy conviction was quashed in 2004 upon appeal to the Federal Court and he was freed. By then, he had already completed his six-year jail sentence for corruption.Till today, Anwar has adamantly claimed that the charges were trumped up as part of a political conspiracy against him, an allegation which Mahathir had denied.Wee: Remark misconstrued The RM10 million suit was based on a Malaysiakini report on April 11 last year quoting Wee’s comment at a ceramah on the eve of the Machap by-election in Malacca.Wee (photo), the Ayer Hitam MP then and MCA Youth secretary-general, had labelled Anwar as someone who “can say one thing then and something else now. For him, front is okay, back is also okay”.He was reportedly to have made the remark while addressing several hundred supporters in a mixture of Mandarin and Hakka, a Chinese dialect.Wee had subsequently told reporters that he was misconstrued and that his remark did not carry the connotation as alleged by Anwar. According to Anwar’s statement of claim today, the suit was a result of Wee’s refusal to retract and apologise over the remark as asked to do so earlier through a letter of demand.The grounds cited by Anwar for his suit included that the remark, among others, that implied him as a homosexual, a pervert and of no moral, unfit to hold political office, dangerous to Malaysian society and engaged in activities which run contrary to Islam.Causing ‘distress, anxiety’ to AnwarThe ex-deputy premier considered the offending words to have disreputed him and cause “irreparable damage to (Anwar’s) character, credit and reputation, both nationally and internationally”.Anwar also claimed to have suffered “considerable distress, anxiety and embarrassment” due to the remark.The PKR leader is asking for RM10 million in compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to refrain Wee from making further similar remark.This is the third such suit filed by Anwar over statements made to allegedly implying his sexual orientations.In January 2006, he filed a RM100 million defamation suit against Mahathir for calling him a ‘sodomiser’ at a human rights conference in 2005. The suit however was quashed in July last year.Anwar has also filed a suit against Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin in the run-up to the March 8 general election after Khairy was said to have given listeners at a ceramah the impression that Anwar was a homosexual.The RM100 million suit has yet to be heard