Archive for August, 2010

Berikan kepercayaan penuh kepada PAS- Abdul Hadi

August 31, 2010

(Harakahdaily) – Seluruh rakyat negara ini diseru memberikan kepercayaan penuh kepada PAS menggantikan Umno untuk memimpin mereka dengan lebih adil.

Menurut Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang, Umno tidak boleh lagi diberi kepercayaan kerana mereka mengelirukan masyarakat dengan memutar-belit ajaran Islam sebenar dan menggunakan isu perkauman utuk kelangsungan politik mereka.

“Kita menyeru kepada masyarakat Islam untuk memberikan kepercayaan kepada PAS sebagai alternatif yang memimpin mereka dan mengajak masyarakat yang bukan Islam supaya tidak memgambil contoh yang buruk yang ditunjukkan oleh Umno berhubung dengan Islam,” kata Presiden PAS itu dalam kenyataan kepada Harakahdaily.

Keadilan PAS jelasnya boleh dilihat sendiri oleh masyarakat bukan Islam semasa pemerintahan mereka di Kelantan, Terengganu dan negeri-negeri Pakatan Rakyat di ketika ini, bahkan terus istiqamah dengan prinsip Islam semasa dalam kerajaan pada tahun 70-an.

Menurutnya lagi, punca kepada kecelaruan yang berlaku hari ini adalah kerana kefahaman salah yang ditunjukkan oleh Umno selama puluhan tahun berkuasa di bumi Malaysia ini.

Sejak sekian lama, Umno katanya tidak pernah puas menjadikan isu agama dan perkauman sebagai senjata ampuh mereka menarik sokongan masyarakat.

Paling teruk apabila tindakan Umno tersebut sering digambarkan kepada masyarakat khususnya Melayu sebagai menepati ajaran Islam yang sebenar.

“Mereka telah mencampur adukkan sentimen perkauman sempit dan mengaitkannya seolah-olah tindakan mereka adalah dari ajaran Islam yang sebenar,” jelasnya lagi.

Tindakan Umno itu pula jelasnya disambut dan diangkat oleh media Umno sehingga mereka cuba menggambarkan seolah-olahnya hubungan antara kaum dalam negara kita ini berada dalam tahap yang paling buruk.

Masyarakat Islam jelasnya lagi dikelirukan dari segi fahaman agama yang sebenar, manakala masyarakat bukan Islam pula diadu-domba dengan api perkauman dan ketegangan hubungan kaum.

“Saya ingin memberikan nasihat kepada pihak media yang menggunakan isu agama ini untuk menghentikan tindakan mereka, kerana sebenarnya mereka telah mengelirukan umat Islam dengan kegagalan mereka merujuk kepada Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah yang menjadi sumber rujukan umat Islam sejak zaman berzaman,” katanya.

Sehubungan itu beliau juga menyeru agar umat Islam meneliti setiap maklumat yang disebarkan supaya tidak diperangkap oleh sesuatu maklumat yang salah.

PAS juga menurutnya sentiasa konsisten dengan prinsip Islam dan bersedia untuk berdepan dengan semua pihak termasuk Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan, untuk menjelaskan garispanduan yang sebenar dalam semua perkara yang berkait dengan umat Islam.

VIDEO Barisan leaders praise their own Merdeka celebrations

August 31, 2010

Though held indoors, the Merdeka Day celebrations draw praise from several Barisan leaders.

http://www.youtube.com/v/reqYT7ea_iY?version=3

VIDEO Blaze of glory – 2010 Merdeka Day celebrations

August 31, 2010

The Merdeka Day celebrations – “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation – was marked by colourful performances, a 14-gun salute, reading of pledge and displays of grit and courage by the country’s security forces.

VIDEO Embrace the future – PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye

August 31, 2010

PKR vice president Dr Lee Boon Chye urges Malaysians to embrace the future at a ceramah in Simpang Pulai Perak.

http://www.youtube.com/v/mFIB92LwspU?version=3

VIDEO Hishamuddin Rais: Negara Ciplak

August 31, 2010

Hishammudin Rais – Jelebu’s famous son. Former student leader, filmmaker, author, activist, columnist, educator and Tukar Tiub blogger tells what Merdeka is to him.

http://www.youtube.com/v/uK_P9vQ9NXg?version=3

Soi Lek says Namewee irresponsible, has to ‘face the music’

August 30, 2010
MCA president Chua Soi Lek

KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysian Insider)– MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek told controversial songwriter Wee Meng Chee today to “face the music” for offending other races and religious groups through his music video allegedly containing racial slurs.

Johor police denied today that they were arresting the songwriter, better known as Namewee, following his post on his Facebook page late last night that policemen in three patrol cars had come to his house in Muar to arrest him.

“Freedom of expression should come with responsibility to consider sensitivities towards other races and religions,” Dr Chua told reporters today.

“Once he (Namewee) breaks that responsibility, he has to face the music,” he added.

The MCA president pointed out that he had helped Namewee extend an apology to the government after producing a headline-grabbing music video in 2007 that purportedly ridiculed the national anthem and the Islamic call for prayer.

“The end result was that he was pardoned,” said Dr Chua.

Namewee at his recording studio

The MCA president slammed Namewee’s use of vulgar words and rude signs in his music video.

“I saw on (You)tube his singing and lyrics. There were a lot of vulgar words and signs that should not be used at all,” said Dr Chua.

“He should not bother with vulgarities,” he added.

Namewee is under investigation for allegedly producing a seditious music video which was uploaded on video sharing site YouTube.

The video which contains racial slurs is a stinging criticism of Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor’s allegedly racist remarks against Chinese and Indian students.

The SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra school head allegedly said during a school assembly that “Chinese students … can return to China,” and likened the prayer strings used by Indians to dog leashes.

“If those two school heads are proven (to make racial slurs), police should also charge them,” said Dr Chua, referring to Siti Inshah and another school principal in Kedah who was accused of telling Chinese students to return to China.

“This will send a strong signal that the government should reject any form of extremism,” he added.

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reportedly said that they were now waiting for the Public Service Department director-general’s decision on Siti Inshah, following the submission of the Education Ministry committee’s findings to him upon completing their investigations.

Namewee removed the video on Siti Inshah from Youtube following public disapproval.

The video resulted in calls for government to take stern action against Namewee, including arresting him under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and revoking his citizenship.

Click here to read more

Umno launches new attack on Guan Eng, this time for ‘Korban’

August 30, 2010

(Malaysiakini) – Another allegation involving Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the Muslim community is now making the rounds and irking PAS, who said it was meant to destroy the party’s relationship with its allies in Pakatan Rakyat.

Federal Territory PAS Youth chief Herman Samsudeen claimed that an Umno cybertrooper going by the moniker “PAS Beruk (monkey)” has designed and distributed via the Internet a superimposed image of Lim slaughtering a cow for the consumption of Muslims.

The image, said Herman in a statement, carried the tagline “Are we willing to see things become like this? What excuse is there to justify DAP’s action?”

Herman said Umno continues to use ‘malicious’ tactics to destroy PAS and Pakatan’s image despite it being the holy month of Ramadan.

“The action by the cybertrooper has gone overboard and was done purposely to incite religious sentiments,” he added.

Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching accused of improper surau visit

Herman said the Youth wing regretted Umno’s “culture of slander” and accused the latter of acting against the teachings of Islam.

He said Umno supporters were willing to create such a picture for their own political interests, where the actual person slaughtering the cow was former Perak menteri besar Nizar Jamaluddin, who is from PAS.

“The picture was designed to show that the cooperation between PAS and DAP will destroy Islam,” he said.

In recent weeks several allegations involving the DAP and the Islamic religion have surfaced, with the latest target being MP for Serdang Teo Nie Ching.

Teo has raised a storm among Umno figures and media over what they purport was her improper presence and actions in a surau in Serdang.

Earlier, Lim, who is also DAP national secretary-general, was accused of ordered that his name replace the Agong’s in Friday sermons in Penang. Lim has vehemently denied the claim.

Zainuddin Maidin

Two days ago former Umno information chief Zainuddin Maidin had accused PAS of having called during the May 1969 riots for properties belonging to the Chinese to be seized.

He had also alleged that PAS supported Indonesia’s plan to attack Malaysia during the Konfrontasi in the 60s.

“These are part of Umno’s fantasy. Now they are playing with photos, similar to what they did to Zaid (Ibrahim) in Hulu Selangor, showing him drinking alcohol,” said Herman in reference to the Hulu Selangor by-election.

“This shows that Umno is bankrupt of ideas to make PAS-Pakatan look bad; we hope they will repent as the more slander they spread, the more their weaknesses are exposed,” he added.

“The more slander they spread, the rakyat becomes more disgusted with Umno and be ashamed. To the Muslim community and to Allah, the filthy act of slander is worse than that of murder,” he added, saying these actions were rejected by all communities or religions.

Lim Guan Eng

Meanwhile, in his Merdeka message in Penang, Lim lamented that the country appears more divided than ever by racial, religious and even personal hatred.

“Fomenting racial and religious intolerance and hatred is now the rule rather than the exception,” he said in a press statement.

“Penang is under constant siege and attack by extremists and political foes from BN and Umno, who use lies to create tension and division,” he added.

“It is because our opponents are bankrupt of ideas that they resort to race and religion,” he stressed.

Lim said race and religious hatred was the final weapon of the extremists who cannot win any debate based on facts and logic or find any weaknesses in Pakatan’s performance.

Their desperation can be shown in the failure to show proof of the Penang Pakatan government was corrupt or had abused its power or wasted public funds, he added.


Click here to read more

Happy Merdeka, let’s wish upon a star …

August 30, 2010
PM Najib Razak

Malaysia Chronicle

Amid rocketing race and religious politicking, Prime Minister Najib Razak and Pakatan Rakyat leaders have called for cool heads to prevail and for unscrupulous quarters to cease fomenting hatred and uneasiness amongst the various ethnic groups.

But despite the common call for “true unity”, a rocky road still lies ahead and the destination out of reach until there is clarity on who is the “enemy” that must be tamed.

Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Hadi Awang

“There has been too much hypocrisy and doublespeak. Najib may referring to Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan as the people causing tension, while Anwar and Pakatan may be referring to Tun Mahathir, Muhyiddin, Perkasa and that gang,” a political analyst whom Malaysia Chronicle spoke with said.

“So people get confused. They hear on TV and see in the newspapers conciliatory words but the fighting is only starting to intensify. Someone should actually ask the people – do a survey on who they regard as the real enemies to unity and national progress. These are the ones who need to be weeded out.”

Wishing on a star

But given the current political space where Najib’s BN is insistent on retaining a monopoly on power and refusing to accept a two-party system, such an idea is unlikely to see the light of day.

 Mahathir Mohamad ruled Malaysia from 1981 to 2003

To those who have been following the country’s political scene, it seems impossible that some Malaysian leaders, especially former premier Mahathir Mohamad and his group, could be so out of sync with the society’s frustration and anger.

At an age where the majority call is for inclusiveness and to keep abreast with a fast globalizing world made smaller by the Internet and new technology, they seem to be still trying to foist on the country their own decades-old brand of ‘nationalism’ and ‘patriotism’.


Brave enough? Yes sir, we are. But so too must you be.

Nevertheless or perhaps because of the political commotion, this year’s Merdeka seems to be more precious than the recent ones. It may seem surprising but the reason is easy to find. It is because the little unity that Malaysians still have was almost burnt away by irresponsible megalomaniacs during the past few months.

And until the next general election when the citizenry can again make their wishes known, Malaysians will have to get tougher with their leaders and pin them to their words.

Save Malaysia

The rakyat will have to stay on their toes and keep questioning and challenging their politicians. They must not take for granted as they did in the past that all will end well. Or there may not be a Merdeka next year.

Starting with Prime Minister Najib, who on Merdeka eve had these very inspiring words for a nation fed with incessant politicking caused not by a two-party system but by ill-intentioned racial and religious bigots.

“Everything which we have achieved, everything which we have built, and things which are dear to us, will be destroyed. We should, therefore, value the prevailing peace, harmony and stability in the country,” said Najib.

“Please remember that Malaysia is our homeland; this is the place where we were born, the place where we grow up, where we find our livelihood, a place where we find happiness and where we shall be laid to rest.

“Refusing to be contented with the status quo, and out of sheer determination, our forefathers took Malaysia from one success to another. Today, it is our turn to lead Malaysia to greater heights of progress and prosperity. The question is, are we courageous enough to break away from tradition and achieve the extraordinary?”

Yes sir, we are. But so too must you be.

Merdeka messages from Pakatan leaders: 

Let Penang be a beacon of hope for Malaysia :Guan Eng

August 30, 2010
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

Lim Guan Eng

PENANG – As we celebrate our 53rd Merdeka, the country appears more divided than ever by racial, religious and even personal hatred. Fomenting racial and religious intolerance and hatred is now the rule rather than the exception.

The biggest challenge is whether Malaysians can rise above the language of violence used by extremists and fulfil our destiny of Merdeka 53 years ago of a shared society belonging to all and promising prosperity to everyone. Penang is under constant siege and attack by extremists and political foes from BN and Umno who use lies to create tension and division.

Pearl of the Orient

Amongst the lies still used is that the Penang state government has banned the Maulidur Rasul procession, banned Pasar Ramadan, replaced the YDP Agong’s name in Friday sermons with the Chief Minister’s name, only evict Malay villagers and traders. Up till today, the state government has not evicted a single Malay or non-Malay household and when enforcement action is taken against traders, only 30 per cent is Malay. Even when eviction is done by private landowners, the state government has also intervened to negotiate a settlement.

It is because our opponents are bankrupt of ideas that they resort to race and religion. Race and religious hatred is the final weapon of the extremists who can not win any debate based on facts and logic or find any weaknesses in PR’s performance.

Say No to Graft

Their desperation can be shown when the Penang PR government can not be faulted for being corrupt, abuse of power or wasting public funds. None of PR leaders have become rich or own luxury homes. We lived in a moderate lifestyle and travel by economy air wherever we can.

PR has reduced corruption with our CAT governance of Competency, Accountability and Transparency by turning around a projected deficit of RM35 million in 2008 to a record surplus of RM88 million. This was repeated again in 2009 by turning around a projected deficit of RM40 million to a surplus of RM77 million. For the first time in history, Transparency International praised Penang’s CAT governance for fighting corruption.

An early initiative by the Guan Eng administration

That is why the state government can afford its senior citizens appreciation programme of annual payout of RM100 to all over 60 years and RM1,000 one-off to beneficiaries of senior citizens which costs nearly RM20 million. That is why the state government can give RM100 water rebate in 2008 to all poor and middle-income households costing nearly RM 20 million. That is why the state government can give money annually to partially-assisted schools of RM 11.3 million. That is why the state government can double the allocation for Islamic affairs to RM 24.3 million in 2010 as compared to RM 13.5 million under BN in 2008.

Financial Planning

All these successes in implementing a people-centric government have made our political opponents desperate. They become more desperate when Penang became the first state to ban sports betting(judi bola) after the Federal government issued the licence. Due to Penang’s lead, the Federal government had no choice but to cancel the judi bola licence. Certainly many BN and UMNO leaders must be angered by the cancellation of the judi bola licence because of loss of revenue of hundreds of millions of ringgit.

Penang will forge ahead in establishing the first people’s government in Malaysia that listens to the people, do the people’s work and give hope to the people. We will also remain steadfast in barring sports betting in the state as this is the common aspirations of 1.5 million Penangites regardless of race.

Let Penang be a beacon of hope for Merdeka, democracy, integrity, public morality and a people’s government as well as a symbol of national unity where Penangites live together in harmony and mutual respect.

(The above is the 2010 Merdeka speech delivered by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng)

Mahathir’s latest racist blast annoying not scary, faces irrelevancy

August 30, 2010

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad raised eyebrows with his latest blog posting warning of “the violence of the Communist revolution” if the “minor protection afforded by the NEP” was removed, but the reaction he sparked was not one of fear that perhaps he had intended.

By now, most Malaysians are used to his racism-laced remarks and perceive them as being aimed to further his own interests rather than the nation’s. Murmurings that began a while ago finally erupted into the open with impatient comments like “the old man has lost his marbles” making the rounds rather any panic about possible civil unrest.

Hatta Ramli

“What revolution is Mahathir talking about? Who wants the revolution? Does he want to topple his own BN? For us in Pakatan Rakyat, we don’t object to the New Economic Model which is actually copied from our economic manifesto,” Kuala Krai MP Hatta Ramli told Malaysia Chronicle.

“Even if Prime Minister Najib Razak fails to launch the NEM because of Mahathir, when Pakatan takes control of Putrajaya, we will do away with the NEP and install something much better to benefit all the Malays and the other races. Right now the NEP only takes care of the rich, so we have to make sure wealth is distributed down the line. No siphoning or leakages to cronies.”


NEM has a clearer agenda

Even so, Mahathir’s comments still touched a raw nerve because they followed hot on the heels of similarly sinister remarks from his Perkasa associate Ibrahim Ali. Ibrahim had hurled a string of unnecessarily violent comments against DAP MP Teo Nie Ching for entering a Malay prayer hall, and made dark references to Malcom X and how the famous American civil rights activist had been shot.

Mahathir and Ibrahim Ali

Today Mahathir continued with the racist binge, using university scholarships to further drive the wedge deeper between various ethnic groups in the country. “The reality is that in Malaysia the bumiputeras need new skills and a new culture even. These cannot be had by them in a mere 20 years. The original planners of the NEP were too optimistic,” said Mahathir.

But the NEP or New Economic Policy was actually launched in 1971 by Najib’s father Abdul Razak, the country’s second prime minister. It expired in 1990 but was extended by Mahathir and as such has been around for 40 years. Najib has announced plans to replace it with a New Economic Model.

Although, there have been few details given, the NEM basically strives to distribute income on a needs-basis similar to the Pakatan plan. The NEP was also aimed to eradicate poverty, but through years of abuse and corruption by the Umno elite, many in the Malay community remain poor. And although the lower-income Malays are mostly disgruntled with the NEP, it has not stopped Mahathir from insisting that he is fighting for the NEP for them.

Ramon Navaratnam

“The NEM in fact spells out more clearly that it would aim to reduce poverty for the lowest 40 percent of the income groups. This is an advance over the NEP as it indicates the cut-off point at RM1,500 per month, which is about double the poverty line income under the NEP,” wrote Ramon Navaratnam, a former top civil servant who had helped draft the NEP, in a recent note.

Doors are closing on fretful Mahathir

Meanwhile, among Umno watchers close to Najib, there is some anger at the recent ruckus kicked up by Ibrahim and Mahathir. Umno, the country’s ruling party for the past 53 years, is now going through one of its worst patches.

PM Najib Razak

Not only does it have to fend off Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan coalition, internal factions led by Mahathir who also count Najib’s deputy Muhyiddin Yassin in their camp, are trying hard to block Najib from implementing his policies – whether social or economic.

They have stirred racial and religious non-issues into major controversies strong enough to spark civil unrest. Fortunately the Malaysian public has not reacted in the way Mahathir and his group have perhaps hoped for even though they have openly warned of racial riots similar to those in May 1969, where hundreds of lives had been lost.

“Don’t bother about Tun Mahathir. He can threaten, rant and rave but he is not the PM. Frankly, he is irrelevant now. The Najib administration is no longer listening to him because his demands are becoming too irrational. Nothing satisfies him, maybe he wishes he were still PM and that’s why he keeps agitating for his own way. He put Abdullah Badawi through the same hell,” an Umno watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.

“But he must get the message. He is not the PM, Najib is the PM. It is for Najib to try out his own vision for the country. Mahathir cannot be so sour grapes as to insist that his policies and ways are carried on by his successors. Times change, new ideas, new solutions are called for. Mahathir must let go. He is not only hurting himself, he is hurting the nation.”

Related Stories: