It’s not "illegal" to talk about the special position of the Bumis

Veteran lawyer Azzat Kamaludin laments that certain quarters are now trying to deem it “illegal” to discuss Article 153 of the federal constitution, which touches on the special position of the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

As the country as a whole celebrates Malaysia Day for the first time, veteran lawyer Azzat Kamaludin said the federal constitution, meant to be the foundation of the country, has failed through the various interpretations put on it.

“The failure is not in the provisions but in their interpretation and in the abuse of their application by those on the fringes of the political parties that we have – be it the political parties organised and based on communal lines or otherwise,” he said.

“The fact that we meet today to discuss a topic entitled ‘National Integration with Constitutional Integrity’; that today we have to speak of 1Malaysia, even as some speak of ketuanan Melayu, that today one citizen can tell another that he is a pendatang or to balik China, speak volumes of our failure to build upon that firm foundation so proudly planted 53 years ago and extended 47 years ago,” he said.

Speaking during one of the panels at the 5th National Congress on Integrity at UCSI University this morning, the former diplomat also drew parallels with the “proclamation” that Malaysia is an Islamic state by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Religion used to widen divide

“As if the ever widening racial divide is not enough, the political leaders and parties have added to it the element of religion,” he said, quoting the consitution which states that “Islam in the religion of the federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the federation”.

“Yet in 2001, the then prime minister in his opening address to the Gerakan party’s national delegates conference, said that ‘Umno wishes to announce loudly that Malaysia is an Islamic country’.

“It is a measure of the respect that Umno has for the judiciary that the PM went on to say that ‘this is based on the opinion of ulama who had clarified what constituted an Islamic country’,” he said.

Azzat also recounted his experience when he found out that the college bell to summon students for their meal times or assembly had been removed on the advice of an alim (learned man).

“It should be easy for you to guess the reasoning of the alim. My friend and I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“It is no laughing matter though when the measures taken in the name of religion keep on driving people apart. Acrimony and animosity of religion and race will destroy the firm foundation that our founding fathers built,” he said.

Constitution should be discussed

Speaking on Article 153 which touches on the special position of the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak, he said that it is now ludicrous that there are quarters deeming it “illegal” to discuss it.

“People are trying to pass laws making it illegal to discuss about Article 153. But mind you, the provision has been entrenched.

“In any laws, there are provisions that does allow you to discuss on the implementation. Because you should be talking about whether assistance is going to the right people or not.

“If not, how will we know that it is going to the right person?” he asked.

In recent times, efforts by the Malaysian Bar Council in their ‘MyConstitution’ campaign to educate citizens on the federal constitution have been met with brickbats by certain quarters in Umno as well as the 1Malaysia Youth Graduands Club.

They have claimed that by discussing the highest laws of the land, the council is advocating the changing of provisions, especially those that touch on the special position of Malays and Islam.

They had also claimed that the group is “seditious”, which the Bar Council has vehemently denied. – Malaysiakini

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Dr M’s racial politics outdated – from the 1960s : Pakatan youth

Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysian Insider) – Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers lambasted former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for frustrating the nation’s efforts to move forward, calling his remarks stale and irrelevant to the needs of younger Malaysians.

They said the country should do well focusing on bread and butter issues rather than harp on issues from the 1960s, such as the circumstances surrounding Singapore’s expulsion from Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir, in his latest blog post, had claimed that “Racism in Malaysia is clearly the result of Singapore’s membership of the country for just three years.”

He was responding to the island republic’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, who remarked in his New York Times interview that Malaysia’s inter-racial relations would have been if Singapore were not expulsed from the federation.

PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, one of a clutch of rising young political stars in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) stable, sent out this message on his Twitter site earlier this week: “Let’s focus on the future. They’re fighting the cultural wars from the 1960s. We have more urgent battles to fight.”

The first-term Seri Setia assemblyman’s views were echoed by PR colleagues Nurul Izzah Anwar, the DAP’s Liew Chin Tong and Dzulkefly Ahmad from PAS.

The trio observed that Dr Mahathir’s arguments were growing increasingly stale among the younger generation of voters who are more concerned with how Putrajaya handles bread-and-butter issues in an increasingly competitive global landscape.

“Harping on the events of August 9, 1965 won’t resolve anything,” said Nurul Izzah, the eldest daughter of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, referring to the date Singapore was booted out of Malaysia.

The Lembah Pantai MP observed that the long-standing battle between the two former prime ministers had nothing constructive to work on in the way of nation-building today.

“We have to learn the past, but focus on the current if we want solutions.

“What we decide to do today will shape Malaysia’s future; and the current tit-for-tat shouldn’t distract us from managing issues such as the need for Malaysia to implement economic reforms, improve quality of education in the country and continue to address alleviation of poverty,” she stressed.

Liew, who is Bukit Bendera MP, subscribed to Nik Nazmi’s observation likening the verbal jousts between Dr Mahathir and Lee as an outdated “cultural war from the 1960s” that had no place in the present day society.

“That cultural war has nothing to do with us. I think we have moved beyond the question of if Singapore should be out or in,” said the DAP international secretary.

“I think we should not be distracted by Dr Mahathir. Let him do whatever he wants. He was a racist, and then he was inclusive…he’s changing colours every decade. He should not concern Malaysians pondering their future,” he added.

Liew observed that Dr Mahathir had been racist in his approach in the first half of his term in office in the 1980s but had switched to preaching inclusiveness after he nearly lost to Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh in the 1990 general elections.

Political scientist Agus Yusoff echoed the two first-term legislators and called Dr Mahathir’s argument “irrelevant”.

“I disagree with Dr Mahathir’s argument that Singapore is to blame for racism in Malaysia. It’s irrelevant. Why should we care what Lee Kuan Yew says in Singapore or in New York for that matter?” the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) lecturer said.

“What we have to concern ourselves with is what’s happening in our own country. Racism is a problem in Malaysia because there are organisations like Perkasa,” he stressed.

“We don’t have many politicians who support the prime minister’s concept of 1 Malaysia. They don’t even understand what the concept is all about,” he added.

Agus warned that Malaysia would not be able to go far in fighting racism as long as there are political groups championing the rights of a single ethnicity.

“We can’t go far if even in the BN, if there are political groups that fight for only the rights of one racial group, Malay rights, Chinese rights… That’s why racism keeps happening in this country,” he insisted.

PAS lawmaker Dzulkefly Ahmad said Dr Mahathir is the nation’s biggest obstacle to racial harmony and pegged him the “Father of All Racists”, paraphrasing minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s criticism against the ex-premier in a rare show of support across the political lines.

The Kuala Selangor MP slammed the elder statesman for not owning up to his failure to stop the rift from widening during the latter’s 22 years in office.

“He had 22 years and the longest premiership. What was he doing all those years? He can’t blame an event in history or attribute the problems to another country,” Dzulkefly told The Malaysian Insider.

The PAS central working committee member pointed out that Dr Mahathir’s argument was flawed and only served to highlight the gravity of Malaysia’s inter-racial rift.

“He himself is admitting there is a serious racial divide in no uncertain terms. His only denial is that he is the catalyst for that,” Dzulkefly said.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was at least “trying to enhance racial relations by taking an inclusive, market-friendly approach”.

He contends the 85-year-old’s patronage of hawkish Malay rights group Perkasa had further fanned racial conflicts here.

“He is now calling for racially-biased politics and reminding the current PM, in fact, coercing the PM not to ever debate those politics and not to marginalise Perkasa for fear of losing the Malay vote,” Dzulkefly said.

The PAS man warned that Umno was at a most crucial political crossroads and its survival to stay relevant with the Malay community depended on whether it would choose Najib’s reform-minded inclusiveness or continue to parade itself as the “most supreme Malay party on Earth”.

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Azmin offers himself for PKR No. 2 post

Zaid and Azmin dog fight

Malaysia Chronicle

As expected, PKR vice president Azmin Ali has thrown his hat into the ring for the party’s deputy presidency, setting the stage for a thrilling fight with FT division chief Zaid Ibrahim.

He also promised a clean fight as advised by PKR de-facto head Anwar Ibrahim, who has warned both him and Zaid to follw the code of ethics laid out by the party for its first-ever direct election, where each member will get to vote in November.

“After considering the opinions of the top leadership, party members and direct discussions with Syed Husin, I would like to offer my services for deputy presidency with much humility and tawadhu’ (humblesness),” he said in a statement

“I also aim to ensure that the 2010 party elections will be held in a healthy atmosphere and in with a family spirit throughout the campaign and polls.”

Already unhealthy

However, Azmin’s wish for ‘healthy’ fight might easier said than done,. Both he and Zaid have alarmed party members with aggressive actions that have raised eyebrows. Azmin’s colleagues in Parliament and in the state assemblies have vouched for him,while Zaid has taken his fight to the media.

“I think Zaid has ruined his own chances by hitting out at PKR. If he thinks PKR is like Umno, why did he leave Umno and later join us? He has shown he is ruthless and only cares about his own power even to the extent of hitting out at Anwar. ? If he doesn’t respect our culture or think we are beneath him, he should leave. We hope that he will resign,” a PKR member close to Azmin told Malaysia Chronicle.

However, those close to Zaid insist Azmin started it with his “series of infantile shows of support”. So far, the Gombak MP has received more than a dozen pledges of endorsement from PKR lawmakers including Teluk Kemang MP Kamarul Abas , Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin and Kapar MP S Manickavasagam.

“Is it necessary to show off like this? Just because he has been in the party longer doesn’t mean he owns it. PKR needs new direction and Zaid is the better qualified individual as far as we are concerned. He has got the multiracial touch and PKR is a mixed party not a Malay-dominated one like Umno. I think Zaid is fighting on a matter of principle. If he is in the party, and he wants to go for a post, why not challenge for it? What is there to be scared,” a PKR member close to Zaid told Malaysia Chronicle.

Keeping a close watch

To be able to contest, both Azmin and Zaid will need to get two nominations each. Both are sure to get them. However, there is still speculation that a third contender in the form of Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim may enter the fray later on. There is still another two weeks to go before nominations end.

If Khalid does spring a surprise, insiders say it will be due to prodding from very “high-up”, perhaps Anwar himself, and for the purpose of deflating the steam generated by the Azmin-Zaid dog fight. Anwar flagged off the contest a few days ago when he wrote in his blog that he would not accept any nominations for the presidency.

To PKR pundits, this means that party president Wan Azizah will defend her post. She is unlikely to be challenged given the respect party members hold for her as their founding member. However, few were willing to bet that Anwar would not change his mind in the event that Azmin and Zaid got out of control and their bickering began to seriously damage the party.

More than 200 of the party’s divisions throughout the country will began nominating candidates for the central leadership by the end of this month. Their fates will be determined by about 400,000 members through direct elections in November.

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Ban single-race parties to pre-empt extremism :Pakatan

Malaysia Chronicle

As BN leaders showered the nation with flowery Malaysia Day messages, Pakatan Rakyat leaders called for the abolition of single-race political parties to prevent extremism and fascism from taking root.

They pointed to the examples set by Germany in the aftermath of World War II and more recently in Australia.

“It is telling that after 47 years the nation is still haunted by racial discord and the ruling regime remains dominated by a single-race party,” Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Tian

“We are quite backwards in terms of our political practices. Because Malaysia is multiracial, political parties in this country must reflect the mix of ethnic groups. Then only can people feel a sense of confidence that their rights will not be betrayed by a larger group,” Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming told Malaysia Chronicle.

Proof of the pudding is in the eating

Meanwhile, PAS national unity chairman Mujahid Yusof Rawa reminded the people, especially Sabahans and Sarawakians, not to take the ‘sweetened’ words from the BN leaders for granted.

Nga

“Not that we want to split hairs but 16th September is recognized as Malaysia Day only after the rise of Pakatan Rakyat,” Mujahid, who is also the MP for Parit Buntar, told Malaysia Chronicle.

He also slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak for not taking a firmer hand in the recent outbreak of racism at schools, warning it could lead to further deterioration in race relations if not handled correctly.

“Until now, there is no update on the status of the probe undertaken by the Education ministry to resolve the issue currently and in the future. If nothing is done, it will be seen to be unfair. At the very least, BN needs to give a proper accounting to all Malaysians, otherwise what is there to celebrate Malaysia Day for,” added Mujahid.

Royal Commission for 20-points agreement

Mujahid

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang also took the federal government to task for ignoring the grouses of the East Malaysian people.

“The very fact that it has taken 47 years for Malaysia Day to be recognized officially as a national public holiday is testimony of why Sabahans and Sarawakians feel so aggrieved at not being accorded full and proper treatment as an integral part of Malaysia,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said in a statement.

He urged Najib to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to independently investigate the claims of Sabahans and Sarawakians that the 20-points agreement they entered into with the peninsula to form the Malaysian federation were still largely unfulfilled.

Kit Siang

“Najib should not come empty-handed to Sabah for the Malaysia Day celebrations but should use the occasion to announce policy decisions and measures to instill the spirit behind the declaration of Malaysia Day as a national public holiday into all aspects nation-building policies to give to Sabahans and Sarawakians their rightful dues as equal citizens of Malaysia,” said Kit Siang.

“This is the best and opportune occasion for Najib to announce a Royal Commission of Inquiry to assess the success or shortfalls into the 20 Points Agreement to address the root causes of grievances of the people of Sabah and Sarawak in the past five decades.”

Happy Birthday Malaysia! GE13 also on the cards?

Don Amache

So we are officially one now after 47 years. And as a birthday gift, are general elections on the cards soon to commemorate the momentous occasion and once and for all, and for all time, cement our relations with our brothers and sisters across the South China Seas?

Well, it would seem like a logical outcome. As Sarawak focuses on the upcoming state election, there are rumours that a snap 13th general election will be held simultaneously.

“There is a possibility that both elections will be held at the same time,” one commentator speculated on a web portal recently.

“It will be a master strategy for the Barisan Nasional leadership to have both elections at the same time as it will prevent Peninsular-based Pakatan Rakyat leaders from campaigning in Sarawak,” reported Free Malaysia Today.

National general elections would handicap Pakatan leaders, “keen on capturing Sarawak to provide a boost to their pursuit of Putrajaya,” as they will be confined to campaigning in their respective constituencies.

Commentator JK Jayan feels that Sarawak’s landscape and the short campaign period usually allocated for general elections, that Pakatan leaders from the peninsula would “dare not to waste precious time in Sarawak.”

“The Sibu by-election has taught some bitter lessons to the BN leadership. It revealed what will happen if key Pakatan leaders are allowed to campaign in Sarawak”, he feels.

But Sarawak BN faces a political conundrum. Whether to allow Chief Minister Taib Mahmud to lead the coalition?

“Sources familiar with Sarawak politics say that while Pakatan is heading into Sarawak with some confidence, BN is in a Catch-22 situation, saddled with problems and issues associated with Taib,” the report concludes.

If BN keeps Taib as chief minister, they will be facing a barrage of questions and criticisms from the opposition regarding the myriad allegations of corruption against him.

But if the BN drops Taib, they will be losing one of the most experienced and seasoned leaders in the history of Sarawak politics.

The coalition will then be faced with the unenviable task of naming a capable leader to lead the BN thrust in Sarawak.

“The BN will be torn between naming a Melanau Malay or a Dayak as the next chief minister and Sarawak BN leader.”

But by naming a Dayak, the BN will be able to drastically change the current political situation in Sarawak by “soothing the feelings of the community and knocking out a key political strategy mooted by the Pakatan leadership – to name a Dayak leader as chief minister in the event they win the state election.”

But the odds of carrying out simultaneous elections at the Federal level with Sarawak seem a little remote.

Detractors feel that too many thorny issues have cropped up in too short a time in the very recent past.

Perhaps, the biggest thorn, is the Perkasa issue and the apparent divisiveness it has created among Umno members and the subsequent fall out with the coalition partners.

And not forgetting the PKFZ scandal and the arrest of some very big wigs, the impending GST will hit hard the voters pocket and just might tip the scales against the ruling coalition in the event of a snap GE 13.

Added to this are the Felda cases that have gone against the federal government – and the BN needs the support of these settlers badly in a crunch battle.

Also the cost of financing a general election is no walk in the park and would bleed depleting coffers.

But as Shakespeare says in Hamlet, “thrift” may be the reason for holding simultaneous elections. When asked why his mother married his uncle so soon after his father’s death, he replies that they saved money by using the leftover meats from the funeral for the wedding banquet.

Would a prudent and astute politician call for a general election with so many negatives factors in the air?

Unlikely. But then, stranger things have occurred during trying times.

Khir Toyo: I don’t want to be MB again

Khir Toyo

(Malaysiakini) – There will be no return to glory for former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. Ousted in 2008 when Pakatan Rakyat wrested the state in a surprise general election coup, Khir said he is no longer interested in the post because he cannot bear the damage done to the state which he had led for eight years.

“I will tell you honestly that I have no interest in becoming an MB any more because the damage done (by the current government led by Pakatan Rakyat) is too bad [sic], it is un-repairable in a short time,” he said.

This is not because he is shirking the tough job, he said, but because he thinks others should be given a chance.

After all, he said, when he was first-appointed MB at the age of 33, the state reserves were down to RM200 million and all the government-linked companies were in the red.

“Alhamdulillah, not many people have criticised me about the development of the state of Selangor, on procedures, etc. But politically, people say I am not a good leader. That’s why (I say) give it to other people,” he said.

As is the case of the Selamatkan Selangor (Save Selangor) campaign, he is happy to just follow in the shadow of Selangor BN deputy chairperson Noh Omar and recently appointed BN senator Ezam Mohd Nor.

“Noh Omar first, then Ezam and then me,” said Khir, who is now Opposition Leader in the state legislative assembly.

His stark absence during the roadshow, however, marks what some believe is an increasingly steep downward slide for once high-flyer.

According to Khir, his choice to “trail” Noh and Ezam is less because he is a liability to BN, and more because he feels guilty for BN Selangor’s defeat in 2008.

“When (BN fell in Selangor), of course I felt guilty. The responsibility was mine. I met with (then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak) and said that I did not want a large responsibility and that I would rather get to know my supporters in my constituency.

“I had only served as a state assemblyperson for eight months when I was appointed MB. I was not close to my constituents. I felt guilty of this too, so now I am rectifying my faults.”

Asserting that he is out of the spotlight by choice, Khir discounts talk that he is has been ‘sidelined’ as he is now a liability to BN, what with the incessant allegations of graft against him.

“I am not a liability. I don’t feel that. When I speak people still listen. If I am really a liability then (Pakatan) doesn’t need to get so personal with me.

“If people don’t like me, then they don’t have to worry so much about me. But they get so personal with me. Whenever I make a statement, they have to attack back.”

Why he stays on

He also said that, ever since he became Opposition Leader, Pakatan representatives have tried hard to scare him into submission but he remains unfazed by this brand of “mafia” and “childish politics”.

“So many people have come up to warn me, some came themselves, and then sent representatives (to say), ‘Don’t make too much noise. We have more (on you)’.

“I am not worried. I am responsible (for criticising the state government) because I am the Opposition Leader. If I don’t point it out (their mistakes), then who will?”

But his efforts to keep the state government in check, he said, have not gained much support from the media, not even the Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia.

“When the ‘opposition coalition’ became the government, I found that there has been a tendency for the media to not criticise them. That’s what I see. I don’t know why. As if criticising the government is an offence. This is not right. We have to change our attitude,” he said.

Nevertheless, he admitted that this was probably the case when he was in government as well, with the exception of “social media”.

Unlike DAP, PAS and PKR which enjoyed much support from this medium, said Khir – who is also a blogger – social media have snubbed the opposition (BN in Selangor) this time around.

Not getting much love either from his party (albeit by choice), the media or the state government, one wonders why this former top politician is still in the game.

Already raking in RM50,000-60,000 in monthly pay before he was made MB – he is a dentist by profession – it is also not the state assemblyperson pay-cheque that he is playing for.

At the end of the day, he said, it is a question of loyalty.

“I don’t want people to say that I am a leader who forgets his party. I will be with the party forever. I will serve my party well, I will serve my leader well,” he said.

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When the PM opened his mouth, the people got angrier

Najib – caught in one flip-flop too many

Richard Loh

The Prime Minister is supposed to be the most powerful person in this country but sadly he is only powerful in talking but powerless to take action.

He should not be saddened over problems that arises under his leadership, instead he must be strong and with the power invested in him, he should be able to solve or at least control the problems from escalating. He must act immediately without fear or favor in accordance to the law of this country.

Just take a look at how his talk can make the people angrier.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today expressed strong opposition to the actions of extremist groups or individuals who believe in their radical views and actions against others.

“It saddens me that despite living in an independent multi-cultural nation for over 50 years, there are still those among us who cannot tolerate, much less accept the benefits of a [peaceful] society,” he said.

Without any evidence to indicate that the country’s security was compromised, Raja Petra Kamarudin, Teresa Kok and Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested under the ISA.

But today he can see the complete live evidence of extremist groups and radical individuals excreting the racists and extremists pollutants almost everyday and all he can do is to express his strong opposition.

What the hell is he sad about, he is the most powerful man in Malaysia and he can only complain about his sadness but powerless to do anything. Go after Perkasa and Utusan and I will guarantee that he will not be saddened anymore.

The PM tweet today will make you even more angrier.

“NajibRazak: It’s International Day for Democracy. Malaysia believes in the ideas and principles of democracy, including accountability and transparency.”

Is this the reaction from a PM pretending to be democratic but not so?. No commitments and totally disregard the principles of democracy. Look at how he uses the words “believes” and “ideas”. He can only believes in the ideas and he spoke about it only once a year during the International Day for Democracy. He just include the “accountability and transparency” words to complement himself, knowing that his government will not put it into practice and for democracy, it will have to follow Umno’s interpretation.

Up to this point, what we can say is, “He looks like a PM, talks like a PM but is he really the PM?

http://ousel.blogspot.com/2010/09/when-pm-opened-his-mouth-people-got.html

Close ranks, Tsu Koon urges Penang BN

Tsu Koon – getting tough?

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) — Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders in Penang need to close ranks and discuss matters through the internal channels rather than openly through the media, said its state chairman Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

Koh, who is also Gerakan president, said all issues discussed at meetings within the party and Penang BN should remain confidential and not be made public.

“No doubt, at the Gerakan and Penang BN internal meetings, we had discussed various possible scenarios and corresponding strategies. However, as these strategies need further discussion and fine-tuning, they should remain confidential” he said in a statement issued here today.

He said Gerakan would continue to fight for the interest of Penang and its people, and although the party lost in the 2008 general election, Gerakan would not abandon Penang and neither would it give up hope.

Penang Gerakan had been gearing up the party machinery, and stepping up services and other activities in the constituencies it lost, he said.

“But we acknowledge that we need to do more, much, much more,” he said, adding that the statement by Gerakan Penang chairman Dr Teng Hock Nan about BN not being able to regain the mandate in Penang in the 13th general election was his (Teng’s) personal observation and not the official stand of Gerakan or Penang BN.

Koh said drawing on and learning from previous experiences, Gerakan and Penang BN had steadfastly and steadily been making reforms and improvements.

He said at the moment, the focus of Penang BN and Gerakan was on supporting the prime minister’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), besides fully utilising their energy and resources to meet the needs of the people and challenges of the future in Penang.

“Penang BN’s Co-ordinating Committee will hold its next monthly meeting soon to continue driving our political transformation and other programmes, including dispelling any misunderstanding,” he added.

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Birth with its fair share of ‘labour pains’

MALAYSIA, officially known as the Federation of  Malaysia, was born on Sept 16, 1963. The birth of the new nation, however, was not without its pains. Opposition to a greater Malaysia came from several quarters following first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman’s historical proposal of a “merger” of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah (then North Borneo), Sarawak and Brunei at a luncheon function in Singapore on May 27, 1961. This was some five years after the Aug 31 “Merdeka” for Malaya.

A few leaders in Sabah and Sarawak wanted the British to grant them their own independent states.

In 1962, a team called the Cobbold Commission was set up to ascertain whether the people in Sabah and Sarawak were in favour of becoming part of the federation. The Commission found that the people favoured the formation with “one-third for it, one-third undecided and one-third objecting.”

Some in Singapore also sought independence. There was a revolt in Brunei which resulted in the oil-rich state opting to stay out of Malaysia.

Intending to block the formation of the federation, Indonesia and the Philippines pressed the United Nations to set up another commission of inquiry. This was started on Aug 26, 1963, a few days before the date originally set for the formation of Malaysia consisting of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, which was Aug 31.

On Aug 24, it was announced that a new date was to be fixed. However, the British kept their decision to grant independence to both states on Aug 31.

The UN mission led by secretary-general U-Thant later reported that “a sizeable majority of people” were in favour of joining Malaysia and his report sealed the creation of Malaysia.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong duly signed a proclamation declaring Sept 16 as “Malaysia Day” in accordance with the provisions of the Malaysia Act.

That did not stop Indonesia from declaring konfrantasi against Malaysia, a state of undeclared war from 1962 until 1966.

The Philippines, meanwhile, brought up its claim on Sabah.

And hours before the proclamation of the new federation, Kelantan sued Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Malaya government and asked for a declaration that the Malaysia Act was illegal. The suit was thrown out, however.

Malaysia finally became a reality on Sept 16, with the new Malaysian flag containing 14 stripes ceremonially unfurled at colourful parades attended by thousands of people in all the 14 states.

At Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, the inaugural Malaysia Day celebrations took place in the evening with a parade and fireworks display. Earlier in the day, official festivities had been conducted in Sabah at Jesselton, the old name for Kota Kinabalu, and in Sarawak at Kuching.

An afternoon reading of the proclamation on the steps of City Hall was a high point in Singapore, which eventually split from Malaysia in 1965 to become a republic.

Since that historic day of celebrations across the nation, Malaysia Day festivities have been mostly confined to Sabah and Sarawak where Sept 16 has been a public holiday for some years now.

Last October, heeding the voice of east Malaysians, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak declared Sept 16 a national public holiday.

And, 47 years later, the first nation-wide celebration of Malaysia Day is being held in Sabah today.

Raja Petra Kamarudin: Umno’s public enemy No. 1

This is RPK

New Mandala

The name Raja Petra Kamarudin – popularly known as RPK – is dreaded by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

His blog, Malaysia Today , Malaysia’s most popular blog (read here), has been a source of embarrassment to the ruling party as RPK reveals, mostly with documented evidence, the litany of abuses that UMNO is involved in.

His biggest scalp thus far has been none other than current Prime Minister, Najib Razak. RPK has made a statutory declaration that Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor (read here), was at the scene of the crime of the murder of Altantunya Sharibu (read the account of the case here). Najib, despite vehemently denying any involvement, has not sued RPK for defamation nor did the police investigate his claims.

http://www.youtube.com/v/f4yE5vv73DA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

RPK is now a fugitive in the United Kingdom after being released from detention under Malaysia’s draconian Internal Securities Act (read here).

He is considered too hot even for the BBC’s hard-hitting socio-political programme, HARDTalk, which cancelled at the last minute, a scheduled interview with him – reportedly under pressure from either the British or Malaysian government (read here and here).

With elections in Malaysia drawing near, RPK remains a threat to UMNO. His latest revelation, shows how Tajuddin Ramli, a Mahathir-Daim crony (read here), plundered nearly RM9 billion through control (purchase, operation and sale) of Malaysian Airlines (read here ).

His website is now believed to be under attack. It has been shut down twice in recent days and now experiences low bandwidth (read here). Many believe that this is the work of the Malaysian government or their agents (read here and here).

RPK has broken more stories (e.g. scandals, controversial UMNO/BN government plans and conspiracy, etc) than any other media organisation.

As long as RPK is free, Malaysians can be assured of continued breaking news of government shenanigans. This should keep UMNO, marginally at least, on its toes.
– http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2010/09/16/raja-petra-kamarudin/ 

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