Shamsul tanding naib presiden PKR

September 16, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR (Harakahdaily) – Ketua Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK), Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin mengesahkan bahawa beliau akan bertanding bagi jawatan naib presiden parti itu.

Pengesahan itu sekaligus menamatkan desas-desus yang tersebar beberapa hari lalu berhubung beliau akan melepaskan jawatan ketua AMK yang disandang kini.

Shamsul berkata, keputusan itu dibuat beliau kerana menyedari generasi muda harus memainkan peranan yang lebih besar dalam parti dan mempertimbang gesaan generasi muda parti agar idealisme anak muda diangkat dengan lebih berkesan.

“Keadilan telah membuktikan kemampuannya sebagai sebuah platform yang menyediakan ruang dan peluang yang kondusif untuk generasi muda lebih berperanan dalam politik negara.

“Dan tentunya ia harus diterjemah melalui penyertaan strategik kepimpinan muda dalam heirarki Keadilan,” kata Shamsul pada satu sidang media di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, petang ini.

Shamsul berkata, beliau yakin keputusannya itu mendapat sokongan penuh daripada anggota parti termasuk naib-naib presiden sekarang dan AMK sendiri.

“Saya percaya keputusan saya untuk bertanding jawatan naib presiden ini mendapat sokongan daripada semua anggota parti.

“Tidak dinafikan wujud dokongan daripada anak-anak muda untuk bertanding kerana sudah sampai masanya anak muda diberi ruang dan peluang untuk membawa suara mereka ke peringkat lebih tinggi,” katanya lagi.

Sidang media itu turut dihadiri kira-kira 30 anggota AMK termasuk ketua-ketua cabang.

Sementara itu, salah seorang calon yang akan bertanding untuk jawatan AMK, Rafizi Ramli yang turut hadir pada sidang berkenaan berkata, beliau menyokong penuh Shamsul bertanding bagi jawatan naib presiden.

“Saya hadir sebagai rakan dan sokongan kepada Shamsul untuk bertanding. Ini juga merupakan salah satu strategik parti kerana kita semua maklum untuk melangkah ke Putrajaya, kita memerlukan satu juta lebih undi anak muda,” kata Rafizi yang merupakan ahli majlis pimpinan pusat (MPP) Keadilan.

Beliau turut menyatakan sokongan kepada Shamsul atas dasar jasa yang telah banyak disumbangkan Shamsul terhadap parti sepanjang menjadi ketua AMK.

Ketua Wanita PKR, Zuraida Kamarudin yang diwakili Hasnah Hashim pula berkata, Wanita Keadilan turut memberikan sokongan penuh kepad keptusan Shamsul itu.

“Wanita Keadilan meraikan dan menyokong Shamsul untuk bertanding jawatan naib presiden dan berharap semua anggota parti menyokong Shamsul,” kata beliau.

Ujarnya, lebih ramai anak muda diperlukan untuk menyumbang idea di peringkat yang lebih tinggi untuk membasmi salah guna kuasa dalam kerajaan.

Selain itu, Shamsul turut menyeru agar kempen dijalankan secara baik sepanjang pemilihan dan berharap lebih banyak pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) menganjurkan debat atau forum bagi membolehkan calon-calon yang bertanding menyatakan sebab mereka bertanding untuk jawatan-jawatan tertentu.

Difahamkan, bagi jawatan AMK, selain Rafizi, Badrul Hisham Saharin dan Hasmi Hashim turut menawarkan diri untuk bertanding.

Pemilihan dijangka akan berlangsung pada 17 November depan.


Click here to read more

Pakatan yakin menang pilihan raya Sarawak

September 16, 2010
Nik Aziz – not just Sarawak but Malaysia

KOTA BHARU (Harakahdaily) – Pakatan Rakyat (PR) yakin mampu menewaskan Barisan Nasional (BN) pada pilihan raya Sarawak jika amalan demokrasi dilaksanakan dengan cara yang betul.

Mursyidul Am PAS, Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat berkata, PR bukan sahaja mampu menguasai Sarawak sahaja, sebaliknya seluruh Semenanjung sekiranya negara benar-benar mengamalkan prinsip demokrasi.

“Saya yakin Pakatan Rakyat ini betul, dan sekiranya negeri-negeri kita berdiri atas demokrasi yang betul, tidak ada rasuah, tidak ugut orang, maka tidak ada sebab rakyat hendak tolak Pakatan.

“Usahkan di Sarawak, di sini pun saya yakin Pakatan boleh menang kalau tiada amalan rasuah ataupun unsur ugutan,” katanya ketika ditemui selepas melawat modul bangunan baru kondominium di Kubang Kerian, dekat sini, hari ini.

Beliau mengulas tahap keyakinan PR dalam menghadapi pilihan raya negeri Sarawak yang dijangka bakal diadakan pada tahun ini.

Desas-desus pilihan raya Sarawak semakin hampir dan mula menjadi perhatian umum berikutan kenyataan Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun), Datuk Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, yang tidak menolak kemungkinan percutian Ketua Menteri, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud ke luar negera adalah untuk mencari ilham bagi pembubaran Dun.

Tempoh penggal Dun Sarawak akan tamat pada Julai tahun depan.

Bangunan kondominium setinggi 20 tingkat yang bakal dibina di tapak seluas kira-kira satu ekar itu akan dikendalikan pemaju, Ghazziz Sdn Bhd.

Kerja-kerja pembinaannya akan dimulakan pada Ahad ini dan dijangka siap pada tahun 2012.

Click here to read more

Anwar: Antara Ketua Umum dengan Perlembagaan PKR

September 16, 2010

Lim Hong Siang

Mungkin bukan sesuatu yang terlalu mengejutkan, apabila Ketua Umum PKR Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan hasratnya untuk tidak bertanding dalam pemilihan parti yang bakal berlangsung hujung tahun ini.  Apa jua keputusan itu boleh dijustifikasikan dengan seribu satu alasan mahupun pertimbangan.  Persoalannya, apakah ia wajar?
Seandainya diimbas sejarah PKR pada tahun 2007, Anwar Ibrahim (gambar kanan) dengan 120 pencalonan tetap mahu bertanding untuk jawatan Presiden, meskipun dimaklumkan oleh Jabatan Pendaftaran Pertubuhan (ROS), sehari sebelum pengundian parti diadakan, bahawa pemohonan pengecualiannya telah ditolak.  Anwar yang dijatuhkan hukuman penjara, dibelenggu Akta Pertubuhan 1966 – tidak dibenarkan untuk menyandang jawatan rasmi parti dalam tempoh lima tahun setelah dibebaskan dari hukuman penjara.
Satu mesyuarat tergempar dipanggil pada malam 25 Mei 2007, yang dipercayai mengubah pendirian Anwar.  Beliau pada keesokannya meminta satu “slot” untuk berucap, sebelum perwakilan membuang undi.  Sebelum hasrat tersiratnya diujar secara tersurat, perwakilan dari Petaling Jaya Selatan ketika itu, Latheefa Koya tampil untuk mencelah, meminta agar Anwar mendengar pandangan perwakilan sebelum keputusan dibuat.
Pemilihan 2007: Bersilat dengan BN
Latheefa Koya tidak mempertikaikan keikhlasan dan kesanggupan Anwar untuk mengorbankan diri dan keluarga, tetapi menekankan bahawa halangan ROS pada tahun 2007 tidak begitu rumit seandainya dibandingkan dengan kesusahan yang dihadapi ketika zaman “Reformasi”.  Malah, Latheefa Koya cuba meyakinkan dengan berkata, PKR bersedia untuk menanggung risiko tersebut bersama Anwar dan keluarganya.
Perwakilan kemudiannya beratur untuk mengemukakan pandangan.  Ada yang memetik ayat Anwar Ibrahim yang terkenal, “Kalau takut pada risiko, jangan bicara tentang perjuangan”, untuk menyanggah alasan “parti berdepan dengan risiko untuk dibubarkan ROS”.  Emosi perwakilan semakin hangat apabila terdapat perwakilan mempersoalkan, mengapa dibiarkan ROS untuk menentukan siapanya Presiden PKR?  Malah, ada yang mencabar Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk membubarkan PKR, bahkan menyusul dengan pertanyaan, “Sediakah BN untuk berdepan dengan kuasa bawah tanah (under ground) ini, apabila ia tidak wujud dalam bentuk parti politik?”
“Saya tidak mahu bincangkan hak anda (Anwar) sebagai individu, saya nak bincangkan hak kami sebagai perwakilan, hak kami sebagai parti.  Kami ada hak untuk memilih pemimpin kami sendiri!”  Kata-kata perwakilan ini disahut dengan laungan “Reformasi”.  Hampir kesemuanya perwakilan berdiri, dalam bunyi tepukan yang bergelora.
Apa yang menarik, apabila salah seorang perwakilan menguji pimpinan di atas pentas, dengan melontarkan soalan, siapakah pimpinan pusat yang bersedia untuk memperjuangkan agar Anwar dipertahankan sebagai Presiden?  Mereka yang kelihatan berdiri dan menyahut cabaran ini hanyalah Tian Chua, Shamsul Iskandar, Sivarasa Rasiah, Xavier Jayakumar, Dominique Ng, Cheah Kah Peng dan sebagainya.
Namun demikian, nada kelantangan suara ini mula berubah apabila perwakilan yang berikutnya mengambil pendekatan untuk “bersabar” dan “bertenang”.  “Sudah tujuh tahun kita berada di bawah pimpinan Wan Azizah, mengapa tidak boleh ditunggu setahun lagi?”
“Strategi” dijadikan tema kemudiannya.  “Jangan terpijak perangkap UMNO”, “EGM (Mesyuarat Agung Luar Biasa) boleh diadakan setahun kemudian (untuk memilih Anwar sebagai Presiden)…”, “akurlah kepada keputusan pemimpin” dan sebagainya.  Kenyataan sedemikian melambak pada ketika beberapa orang pemimpin pusat yang kelihatan sedang tunduk dan berjinak-jinak dengan telefon bimbit (yang dipercayai berfungsi sebagai remote control) dalam tangan.
Sambil menyifatkan ia sebagai “pilihan yang paling sukar” dalam hidupnya, Anwar mengambil keputusan untuk “bersilat” dengan BN.  “Insyaallah, jikalau saya diberikan amanah oleh perwakilan, saya akan memimpin PKR,” kata Anwar.
Babak ini melabuh tirai secara dramatik apabila Abdul Rahman Othman (gambar kiri) yang memperolehi tujuh pencalonan, menarik diri daripada pertandingan jawatan Presiden, lantas memberi laluan percuma kepada Wan Azizah.  Anwar berpelukan dengan Abdul Rahman Othman (gambar kiri), disambut dengan tepukan gemuruh dan laungan “Reformasi” perwakilan dari bawah pentas.
Penilaian terhadap babak 2007
Kesudahan yang mungkin terharu buat ramai anggota PKR, terjelma kepada pakaian hitam Tian Chua sebagai tanda protes.  Anwar yang melantik Tian Chua sebagai Ketua Penerangan, sejurus selepas pemilihan berakhir, sempat berjenaka dalam sidang media, bahawa dirinya sedar akan ketidakpuasan Tian Chua.  Tian Chua mendesak sekurang-kurangnya pengundian diadakan untuk memutuskan sama ada Anwar disokong untuk menjawat Presiden atau tidak, namun cadangan ini diabaikan.
Pertikaian sama ada keputusan Anwar (gambar kanan) yang diumumkan pada 26 May 2007 itu tepat atau tidak, mungkin tidak membawa apa-apa perubahan, memandangkan sudah tiga tahun ia berlalu.  Sesungguhnya setiap keputusan mempunyai kelebihan dan kekurangannya.  Apa pun yang berlaku, pemimpin perlu membuat keputusan setelah mengambil kira kesemua pertimbangan.
Namun demikian, sebarang muhasabah atau penilaian bertujuan untuk mengelakkan pisang berbuah dua kali, atau lebih tepat, kesilapan sejarah diulangi.  Apa yang pasti, kesemua cadangan seperti EGM diadakan setahun kemudian untuk menobatkan Anwar sebagai Presiden parti, tidak dilaksanakan.  Anwar, kekal dengan gelaran de factor leader, atau Ketua Umum, satu jawatan yang tidak diiktiraf dari struktur organisasi dalam perlembagaan parti sehingga kini.
Dengan kata lain, ia menjadi satu sindiran terhadap dirinya apabila membincangkan konsep rule of law.  Fasal 13.2 Perlembagaan PKR menyatakan, “Kongres Nasional Parti adalah kuasa tertinggi Parti, dan perjalanan Parti adalah berasaskan kepada kuasa dan perintahnya tertakluk kepada Perlembagaan dan juga peraturan Parti.”
Malah, seandainya Anwar kekal memimpin PKR melalui satu jawatan yang tidak perlu dipertandingkan, lebih-lebih lagi apabila jawatan tersebut tidak diiktiraf di bawah struktur organisasi PKR – ia memberi kesimpulan bahawa Anwar mengatasi Perlembagaan PKR.  Bahkan semua pembaharuan, misalnya had tempoh jawatan Presiden kepada tidak melebihi tiga penggal atau sembilan tahun, langsung tidak bermakna kerana tiada sekatan terhadap bidang kuasa, apatah lagi tempoh perkhidmatan Anwar Ibrahim?
Iktibar daripada DAP
PKR wajar mengambil iktibar daripada jenaka yang dilontarkan terhadap rakan komponen Pakatan Rakyat, DAP.  Untuk beberapa dekad yang lalu, parti DAP disamakan dengan seorang individu bernama Lim Kit Siang.  Beliau menyandang jawatan Setiausaha Agung DAP untuk hampir 30 tahun, kemudian memegang jawatan Pengerusi, dan kini diberi jawatan Ketua Parlimen DAP.  Ramai yang tertanya-tanya, jawatan manakah yang mempunyai kuasa terbesar dalam DAP?
Ketika Lim Kit Siang (gambar kanan) menjadi Setiausaha Agung, jawatan itulah yang paling berkuasa.  Tetapi apabila Lim Kit Siang menyandang jawatan Pengerusi pula, beliau dilihat lebih mendominasi daripada Setiauasaha Agungnya ketika itu, Kerk Kim Hock.  Sehingga kini, peranan beliau masih menonjol jikalau dibandingkan dengan jawatan yang lain dalam parti.  Maka, sindirannya begini, Lim Kit Siang seolah-olah telah diinstitusikan sebagai satu jawatan, dan jawatan Lim Kit Siang inilah yang memegang kuasa terbesar dalam DAP.
Jadi, Anwar terpaksa menelan air liur seandainya tuduhan “Anwar=PKR”, “perjuangan PKR untuk Anwar” dilemparkan terhadap dirinya.  Malah, mungkin beliau perlu berpening kepala jikalau diajukan soalan, “Apakah ini politik baru yang dimaksudkan PKR?”
Pertimbangan Anwar
Semestinya Anwar akan menuding jari kepada BN, yang didakwanya sedang menunggu-tunggu kesempatan untuk menyumbatkannya ke dalam penjara.  Jawapan tersebut biarpun meringankan beban tanggungjawabnya, namun tetap tidak meyakinkan.
Soalan pertamanya, apakah Lim Guan Eng (Setiausaha Agung DAP) dan Abdul Hadi Awang (Presiden PAS) tidak berdepan dengan risiko sedemikian?  Lebih dahsyat, jikalau risiko ini membelenggu Anwar seumur hidup, apakah ia bererti Anwar akan kekal dengan Ketua Umum PKR seumur hidup?  Soalan selanjutnya, siapa pula Ketua Umum yang seterusnya?
Usia parti, lapisan pimpinan PKR yang sedia ada mungkin dijadikan alasan, atau pertimbangan Anwar.  Misalnya, Anwar masih belum menemui “pewarisnya”, ataupun kurang yakin seandainya orang kedua dalam parti diserahkan amanah untuk menentukan halatuju PKR buat masa kini.  Namun demikian, kewujudan dilema ini sekadar menunggu masa, kerana Anwar tidak mungkin memimpin PKR buat selama-lamanya.
Isu Anwar tidak bertanding sebenarnya perlu dibaca bersama isu pertandingan jawatan Timbalan Presiden.  Punca isu ini pada hakikatnya berasal daripada istilah yang berbunyi “pengganti Anwar” – yang sekian lama ini kekal “kabur”.  Timbalan Presiden PKR, Syed Husin Ali, 74, telah pernah menyatakan hasrat untuk bersara sebelum pemilihan PKR pada tahun 2007.  Dengan kata lain, “isu pengganti Anwar” telah berlanjutan untuk beberapa tahun.

Akhir kata, apakah penyelesaiannya?  Pimpinan secara kolektif, setelah melalui sistem pemilihan yang lebih demokrasi?  Ini mungkin jawapan yang paling sempurna.  Cuma, sejauh manakah ia tercapa

Click here to read more

VIDEO Sosilawati murder suspect linked to 9 other cases

September 16, 2010


Police says the alleged mastermind is involved in nine other cases including seven commercial crime cases.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Rs7jqhbVYnY?version=3

VIDEO Najib vows to fulfill Vision 2020, Dr M calls for racial unity

September 16, 2010

Prime Minister Najib Razak pledged to carry out Mahathir’s Vision 2020, while the former prime minister departed from his racial rhetoric saying Malaysia belonged to all races.
Read Also:   Najib, Dr M put on show for S’wak polls, mask business scandals...

Attention swivels from racial politicking to national plunder.. 

When the PM opened his mouth, the people got angrier... 

http://www.youtube.com/v/-ph9E5n2bKA?version=3

VIDEO Gerakan not giving up on Penang :Teng Hock Nam

September 16, 2010

Penang Gerakan chief Teng Hock Nam denies his party was giving up the fight to recapture Penang.
Also read: Amid Umno firing, Gerakan insists it can still lead Penang
Close ranks, Tsu Koon urges Penang BN
Penang Umno tells Gerakan to surrender seats to MCA, MIC
No end in sight to MCA-Gerakan rivalry...

http://www.youtube.com/v/tnI1KVLOggU?version=3

VIDEO Beng Hock’s sister makes Malaysia Day appeal for justice

September 16, 2010

Three NGOs – Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM), the KLSCAH civil rights committee and Malaysians for Beng Hock – observed ’47 Minutes of Silence – Peace for Malaysia’ on the eve of Malaysia Day. Teoh’s sister Lee Lan was there to officiate.

http://www.youtube.com/v/P9-CwgveVeQ?version=3

Najib, Dr M put on show for S’wak polls, mask business scandals

September 16, 2010
Mahathir, Najib – murky dealings

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Those who have forecast a major power tussle at Umno may have to reassess the latest situation. The two protagonists Prime Minister Najib Razak and his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad appear to have knocked out a deal or at least reached an initial compromise.

At glittery function on the eve of Malaysia Day, both men were all smiles and Najib not only paid tribute to the elder statesman but also pledged to continue the latter’s Vision 2020 economic plan.

“Our aspiration was encapsulated when Tun Dr Mahathir launched an articulated Vision 2020 and we are the generation that will make it happen,” Najib said in his speech at the inaugural Music Arts Style International Festival or MASiF 2010.

Najib chickens out, Mahathir sings new tune

To financial analysts, Najib’s words provided further proof that his own New Economic Model, due to be fleshed out next month, will be a watered-down version to appease Mahathir. The ex-premier does not want any further lifting of protectionist barriers even though experts have warned they would harm the economy.

Mahathir encouraged and supported Perkasa

To the political observers, few were surprised as many had expected Najib to chicken out. Mahathir’s ruthlessness is legendary and Najib’s scandal-plagued record makes him vulnerable to exposure and therefore pressure from the older man, they said.

But Mahathir also sprang a surprise of his own. The former prime minister who ruled Malaysia with a fist of iron for 22 years made a rare departure from his racial rhetoric.

“Although we belong to different races and different ethnic groups but we feel that we are all Malaysians. We may have our differences but not so much that we do not regard this country as ours. Malaysia is our country. Whatever our differences, I am sure everyone in Malaysia will feel a real brotherhood between the people of Malaysia,” Mahathir said in a speech that followed Najib’s.

Hoping for Malaysians to take the bait

Political pundits whom Malaysia Chronicle spoke with were unimpressed. They believe Mahathir was playing to the gallery, pointing out that it was under his administration that the seeds for Malaysia’s deepening racial polarization were sown.

Umno’s race-rhetoric lost the BN votes in 2008

That the Sarawak state polls had to be held within the next 10 months also made it expedient for Mahathir and Najib to put on a public show that all was well in Umno, they added.

“This is just another example of the depth of deception and duplicity at Umno. As we said many times, Najib’s zero-tolerance for racism and the recent Umno rejection of Perkasa is just a sandiwara stage-managed by their newspapers and online portals,” PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

“They will need to keep up the pretence for the next few months so that Malaysians especially Sarawakians will start to believe that things have really changed. But it is easy to spot through the shadow-play. Just ask yourselves, before Perkasa, wasn’t Umno racist. As it is now, can you trust them or MCA and MIC?”

Huge business scandals

There is widespread speculation that the recent brouhaha over ultra-Malay rights group Perkasa was also aimed to deflect attention from a series of business scandals involving Najib, Mahathir and another former prime minister Abdullah Badawi.

Abdullah involved in MAS

Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin had given Malaysians a taste of how deeply involved Mahathir and Badawi could be in the RM8 billion ringgit of losses racked up by national airline MAS. Raja Petra also accused Najib of wanting to cancel a Letter of Intent to China Railway Engineering Corp in favour of China Harbour Engineering Corp so that he could re-negotiate and benefit from a multi-billion ringgit double-tracking railway project.

“They are all holding pistols to each other’s throat but nobody will be so silly as to pull the trigger because this is within Umno. If it involves Pakatan, that is a different story. But now as it is, they will give into negotiations with money the most important factor and how to settle with everyone more or less happy,” a political watcher had told Malaysia Chronicle. He was referring to the Umno infighting between camps aligned to Najib, Mahathir and Badawi,

Related Stories:
VIDEO Najib vows to fulfill Vision 2020, Dr M calls for unity…
Attention swivels from racial politicking to national plunder..
Najib’s new cash cow
Fears about RPK’s safety as attacks on Malaysia Today continue
Bid intensifies to keep graft documents secret, RPK under attack… 
Unknown forces block Malaysia Today from huge graft scandal
The story that got Malaysia Today blocked: MAS-Tajudin-Umno
Even from Sarawak’s sewers – Taib can dig RM78 million
Tajudin’s RM500mil suit against MAS a sign of a brokered deal? …
Was RPK’s Malaysia Today hacked because of Tajudin Ramli…
MAS’s RM8bil losses: Badawi, Dr M, Daim shielded Tajudin 
Mahathir and Badawi in 2 separate abuse-of-power cases..

Tajudin Ramli back in the spotlight over MAS’ RM8bil losses
VIDEO RM8bil losses in MAS, who is protecting Tajudin Ramli…
A Saga of Corruption Ignored: Tajudin escapes, not his accusers 
The NEP and the rich Chinaman – time for the Malays to wise up  
Ex-chairman Tajudin counterclaims RM500mil from MAS
Will Najib really push through an effective NEM...  
NEM fails to spark interest amid bets Najib will toe Dr M’s line…
How graft, racial-religious politicking killed Malaysia’s economy  
VIDEO Mahathir: Think carefully
Dr M against offshore RM trade, wants traders jailed under ISA...
Malaysia tries to curb its pro-Malay policies...   
Malaysia growth at risk as dagger-waving repels ethnic Chinese
NEP policies to be reviewed: Najib
PM: Ringgit may be made tradeable offshore again
Revisiting the Bumi equity issue 5 years after earth-shaking report...  
NEP policies keeping Malays ‘poor’ and ‘weak’, say analysts   
Apa rasional Najib tarik subsidi, beri bonus  
NEM not about removing NEP :Najib  
Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia...
Umno race-religious card to deflect Malays from RM52bil scandal  
Economic growth before inter-ethnic issues
MAS’s RM8bil losses: Badawi, Dr M, Daim shielded Tajudin 
Mahathir and Badawi in 2 separate abuse-of-power cases..   
Umno fuelling racial, religious discord to hide economic pain  
Economy grew at slower 8.9 pct in Q2, signalling clear downtrend...  
If not for “monstrous hijack”, 30% Malay-Bumi quota already met..   
New Economic Model: Flogging a Dead Horse  
Dr M’s tug-of-war with PM: More Malays tell of NEP’s dark side   
A case against the NEP: Sports Toto, the inside story   
NEP and the Chinese success stories — Zaid Ibrahim 
Perkasa lashes out at Najib, Nazir for raising NEM again   
Najib must clarify if NEM is myth or reality, says Kit Siang
Nazir helps to knock down NEP, but can Najib push through NEM 
By not questioning PM on the NEM, Chua may be abetting a lie
Najib panned for doublespeak at Chinese Economic Congress 
Race politics hurting economic progress, says Chinese chamber...
IMF asks Malaysia to take ‘decisive’ action 

Pakatan will unite-and-rule the country, not divide-and-rule like BN

September 16, 2010
Kit Siang

Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat launched its Sabah secretariat on the eve of Malaysia Day, promising to unite-and-rule the country and not divide-and-rule as its leaders claim the current federal government was now doing.

“What Malaysians are seeing is the colonial tactics of “divide and rule” of the races in the country taken over by Umno and acquiesced by the other subservient Barisan Nasional component parties being practised at the most opportunistic and irresponsible degree,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said during a speech in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday night.

“In contrast, Pakatan Rakyat formed by PKR, PAS and DAP is offering a completely different formula of nation-building and governance based on “unite and rule” – to unite the various races, religions, cultures and regions in the country as one national identity to fulfill Malaysia’s potential for greatness which we have lost along the way in the past five decades of Barisan Nasional stewardship.”
Both BN and Pakatan are gearing for national polls expected to be held way before the 2013 deadline, with pundits predicting it will take place towards the end of 2011. Prime Minister Najib Razak was also in Sabah, in Sandakan, promising to” bring about a great change to our beloved Malaysia”.

However, Kit Siang poured scorn on the PM’s promise to curb extremism, which Najib had said he was saddened by and conceded was a stumbling block to national progress.

“Najib’s job as Prime Minister is not just to express sadness at the rise of extremism but to provide leadership to stamp out racial bigotry and religious extremism especially when they come from UMNO and allied or outsourced groups,” Kit Siang said.

“There can be no question that the rhetoric of race and religion had reached an unprecedented level in the past 17 months since he took over the helm of federal government, and what compounded the problem was that the racial bigotry and religious extremism were all coming from one direction – UMNO and its allied or outsourced groups, raising the fundamental question whether Najib has the political will and leadership to stand up and be counted to stamp out extremism coming from his own camps.”

Racism a result of S’pore’s stint in Malaysia: Mahathir

September 16, 2010
Mahathir and Kuan Yew – old foes

(Straits Times) – Former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday that racism in Malaysia is the result of Singapore’s two-year membership in Malaysia.

Rebutting recent comments made by Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Mahathir wrote in his blog: “With the background of Singapore’s activities in Malaysia in the short three (sic) years of its membership, can we really believe that if it had not been ‘turfed out’, race relations would be better in Malaysia?

“While Kwan Yew (sic) talks about his belief that all ethnic communities should free themselves from the shackles of racial segregation in order to promote fairness and equality among the races, he also said that ‘once we are by ourselves (out of Malaysia) the Chinese become the majority’.”

Lee, in an interview with The New York Times, compared how Singapore and Malaysia handled racial relations.

He said Malaysia would have achieved much of what Singapore had accomplished if it had accepted a multiracial base, and described Malaysia as being in a “most unhappy situation”.

“I think if the Tunku had kept us together, what we did in Singapore — had Malaysia accepted a multiracial base for their society — much of what we’ve achieved in Singapore would have been achieved in Malaysia. But not as much, because it’s a much broader base. We would have improved inter-racial relations and an improved holistic situation,” Lee had said in the interview, referring to Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

But Mahathir rejected the view, saying it was “not supported by facts of history”.

“Before Singapore joined the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia, there was less racial politics in the Federation of Malaysia,” he wrote.

Singapore became a part of Malaysia in 1963. Mahathir claimed that Lee reneged on a promise that the People’s Action Party (PAP) would not participate in peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak politics and attempted to displace the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) in the Alliance by appealing to Chinese sentiments in the peninsula.

“Of course the slogan was ‘Malaysian Malaysia’, which implied that the Chinese were not having equal rights with the Malays. If this appeal to Chinese sentiments against the Malays was not racial, I do not know what is racial,” the 85-year-old Mahathir said.

He said that following the Malaysian Malaysia campaign, a few Umno leaders tried to rouse Singapore Malay sentiments.

‘There were demonstrations in Singapore where before there were none. Kwan Yew accused Jaafar Albar for instigating the Singapore Malays. Although I never went to Singapore, nor met the Malays there, I was labelled a Malay-ultra by Kwan Yew himself,’ he said.

By 1965, racism had taken hold and the Tunku was forced to end Singapore’s membership in Malaysia, the former Malaysian premier wrote.

Mahathir also took aim at politics across the Causeway. “Whether the PAP admits it or not, the party has always been led and dominated by ethnic Chinese, and has won elections principally because of Chinese votes. The others are not even icing on the cake,” he said.

“If Singapore is a part of Malaysia, the PAP can certainly reproduce the Singapore kind of non-racial politics, because together with the Malaysian Chinese, the PAP will ethnically dominate and control Malaysian politics. No dissent would be allowed and certainly no one would dare say anything about who really runs the country,” he wrote.

“Amnesia is permissible, but trying to claim that it is because Singapore had been ‘turfed out’ for the present racist politics in Malaysia is simply not supported by facts of history.”

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had on Monday said that Lee’s remarks were “ill-informed and coloured with historical bias”.

But Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said Lee’s remarks were a “historical statement”, while Selangor senior executive councillor and opposition politician Teresa Kok said Singapore was ahead of Malaysia because it placed merit above race considerations.

Khalid said Lee had a right to express his mind about the issue, just as Mahathir also had a right.

“You can’t say Singapore has progressed while Malaysia has not. Malaysia’s progress is subject to several constraints, and so is Singapore’s,” Khalid told the Malaysian Insider. “The future is not about that, it’s about how we can work together.”

Teresa said: “One of the key reasons of Singapore’s success as a small city nation is because it is out of racial politics and concentrates on merit.” It successfully attracted a talented pool as well as investors from all over the world because of such policies.

MCA president Chua Soi Lek admitted that race relations are not as good as they should be. But it would be unfair “to say that Malay leaders always harp on Malay superiority. This is the tactic of the opposition to make Umno look bad”, Bernama quoted him as saying.  – Asia News Network

Related Stories:
Mahathir’s rebuttal to Kuan Yew on race relations... 
Lee Kuan Yew: Don’t judge a man until you’ve closed his coffin
Is Soi Lek for real – Umno doesn’t believe in Malay supremacy... 
Kuan Yew’s comments not far off the mark :Pakatan.. 
Colour-blind, merit-based policies led to S’pore success :Teresa Kok
MCA claims Umno leaders don’t preach Malay supremacy...