Politik, Legislatif, Dasar dan Tadbir Urus

Umno president and BN chairman Najib Razak has given the Chinese community here a stern warning - either you vote for MCA or lose your representation in the federal government. Looks like the prime minister is threatening the Chinese community in such way that MCA is already so desperate that until it needs a top Umno leader to give the community an ultimatum. Why can't the top leaders in the MCA say all these words by themselves? Even if the Chinese community do have certain representatives in the federal government as at now, we did not see the effectiveness of these leaders who use to claim to "represent" the Chinese community. When Umno became from a moderate to an extremist political party, chanting anti-unity slogans, waving their weapons to threaten other races, wanted to repeat the 13 May 1969 incident, wanted bloodshed in their quest for a wider ketuanan melayu ( actually ketuanan Umno), instilling hatred, creating chaos, holding racist rallies nationwide and so...

The happy idea of using a proletarian holiday celebration as a means to attain the eight-hour day was first born in Australia. The workers there decided in 1856 to organize a day of complete stoppage together with meetings and entertainment as a demonstration in favor of the eight-hour day. The day of this celebration was to be April 21. At first, the Australian workers intended this only for the year 1856. But this first celebration had such a strong effect on the proletarian masses of Australia, enlivening them and leading to new agitation, that it was decided to repeat the celebration every year. In fact, what could give the workers greater courage and faith in their own strength than a mass work stoppage which they had decided themselves? What could give more courage to the eternal slaves of the factories and the workshops than the mustering of their own troops? Thus, the idea of a proletarian celebration was quickly accepted and, from Australia, began to spread to other countries ...

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani Social injustice is one of the top three reasons behind the country’s brain drain, the World Bank said today, adding that Malaysians are only willing to return if the government shifts from race-based to needs-based affirmative action policies. The World Bank conducted an online survey in February of 200 Malaysians living abroad in conjunction with the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In its fourth issue of the Malaysia Economic Monitor, the report stated that 60 per cent of the respondents found that social injustice as their main concern to migrate or return-migrate, citing unequal access to scholarships and higher education especially among the younger generation within the non-Bumiputera community. Of those surveyed, 66 per cent found that lack of career prospects was a major factor and 54 per cent agreed that unattractive salaries as underlying factors in the Malaysian diaspora. The report also showed that a large number of the diaspo...

By Lee Wei Lian World Bank senior economist Philip Schellekens painted a gloomy picture of the Malaysian brain drain situation today saying that it not only grew rapidly but is likely to intensify, further eroding the country’s already narrow skills base. Schellekens said that the number of skilled Malaysians living abroad has tripled in the last two decades with two out of every 10 Malaysians with tertiary education opting to leave for either OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries or Singapore. “Brain drain from Malaysia is likely to intensify in the absence of mitigating actions,” he said at the launch of the World Bank report titled “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Brain Drain”. The report defined brain drain as the outflow of those with tertiary-level education. The economist said Malaysian migration was increasingly becoming a skills migration with one-third of the one million-strong Malaysian diaspora now consisting of the tertiary educated. “Expect the...

A recent report released on the website of the extremist Perkasa as well as the one in Malaysiakini today had finally confirmed that the racist group had successfully infiltrated into our country's People's Volunteer Force (RELA). And according to the Selangor Perkasa chief, self-proclaimed "Colonel" Abdullah Mansor, his group had obtained the approval from the home affairs minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to establish the Briged Setia Negara militia within the RELA structure. Looks like Perkasa's plan to establish its own para-military wing within RELA had proven to be very threatening and we are wondering why is the federal government, particularly the home affairs ministry is allowing this to happen. We are very certain that if the Chinese guides and associations were to make a call to establish a Chinese Regiment within the RELA structure, the home affairs minister would not allow that to take place. But in Perkasa's case the minister allowed i...

Penang Gerakan legal and human rights bureau chairman Baljit Singh mentioned that the federal government cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the threats posed by Perkasa against national security and unity of this nation. This local state Gerakan leader is doing all his best for the people and the nation but somehow, his top leaders does not seem to even come up to support nor defend him when Umno leaders came bashing him up. Even when an Umno supreme council member Nazri Aziz called him "this punjabi boy" , the Penang Gerakan state chairman Dr Teng Hock Nan and Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon were both dumb and did not even come out to defend their man who is sincerely working so hard trying to rebuild the party that both Dr Teng and Dr Koh had reigned till its downfall. What is the point if you have a very good local party leader but its top leadership are so useless and did not even dare to voice out in defense of their own party when a dominant party, Umno in the BN co...

Deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president Muhyddin Yassin said recently that Utusan Malaysia represents the Malays and boycotting the paper will muzzle the community’s voice. Muhyddin's statement shows that he is contradicting with his prime minister and party president Najib Razak who had earlier stated that Utusan's call for 1Melayu, 1Bumi has nothing to do with the federal government and Umno at all. So, even the prime minister cum Umno president and his deputy are both not even united in their stand on so many issues. Muhyddin's statement clearly contradicts to that of Najib's 1Malaysia concept. Does Najib really enjoy the support from the entire Umno membership? Source close to the party had also indicated that Muhyddin might be plotting to overthrow his boss because of their contradicting policies, disagreements and leadership. But no one is clear right now if Muhyddin would get the support from the Umno members if he were to contest against Najib for the p...

When the 12th general elections is over and the people gave their verdict, when the Sarawak state election concluded and the people also gave their verdict, the BN government is pointing their fingers at the people, particularly the Chinese community, blaming them for being ungrateful. Let us point out who is really ungrateful in the current situation. For decades, we have been voting blindly for the BN, thus giving them more than two-thirds majority to govern this nation up to this day; for decades, from our previous generations until today, we all have been faithfully paying our taxes and other revenues to the government without question; during the previous general election which saw the Malay community effectively abandoned Umno and BN for PAS and Semangat 46, the Chinese community came out in full force to vote for BN and save them from being dethrone and when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed hand over his premiership to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, we all gave a an almost 100 ...

Actually in the 12th general elections in 2008 and the recently concluded Sarawak state election, it is all about politics, political parties contesting for seats to get into the parliament and the state legislative assembly in order to serve the people. All contesting political parties are out to prove to the people of their worth and their effectiveness in serving the electorate entirely. But all these elections has been marred with much publicized racial tone. Just because the BN's Chinese-based component parties like MCA, Gerakan and SUPP had lost most of their seats and popularity to the fast emerging DAP and PKR, Umno had started to reason that it is the Chinese who did not want to support the BN coalition government. Umno says that the Chinese in particular had in fact ditched BN for the opposition parties. Umno says that the Chinese community in this nation had decided to go against BN. Because BN had lost in majority of all these urban areas which are predominantly Chinese...

The Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has told Barisan Nasional (BN) to ignore the Chinese community for not supporting the ruling coalition during yesterday’s Sarawak state elections. BN’s Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) lost more than two-thirds of the 19 seats it contested in a snub by the tiny but vociferous China community. In its weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia, columnist Awang Selamat stressed that re-elected Sarawak chief minister Taib Mahmud’s new cabinet will reflect the “reality of the ballot box.” “The average Chinese voters have rejected BN and supported DAP. Therefore the BN state government can no longer be too generous in providing positions to representatives from this particular community", Awang added. Looks like Utusan is playing up the racist card again by trying to instill hatred onto the Chinese community following the later's rejection of SUPP in the recently concluded state elections. In the article, Utusan is also urging the BN leaders both federal an...

Recently defeated SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan has deliberately blamed the state and federal government’s failure to listen to the people’s grouses as the reason for the party’s unprecedented loss in the Sarawak state election. Dr Chan, who unexpectedly lost to DAP newcomer Ling Sie Kiong by 1,590 votes in Piasau constituency, said Barisan Nasional (BN) had also reacted “too little too late” to correct the “unjust and unfair policies”. “I am very sad over what has happened. We acknowledge that some of the policies in place now are unfair. SUPP tried very hard to speak up against these injustices and correct them but apparently, it was too little too late." Dr Chan spoke like what Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon and the then MCA presidents had said. Same old grandfather reasons of blaming their main BN coalition when their parties lost to the opposition. Come on Dr Chan, if the state BN government and Putrajaya did not listen to you on some unjust policies, why still sta...

In aftermath of the Sarawak state election, the state Barisan Nasional (BN) managed to retain its government seat, but thanks to PBB president Taib Mahmud, his major coalition partner SUPP was defeated so badly. SUPP president George Chan lost his stronghold while most of his anointed candidates did not make it to the state legislative assembly. SUPP is current left with only 6 seats. And because of the SUPP's massive defeat which saw the party's strength being reduced to a minor one, questions arise among top leaders of PBB, the Chinese community are being so "ungrateful" and voted for the opposition. "What else do they want?", asked one PBB leader. "We had in fact given them everything", the PBB leader added. We would like to ask the state BN leaders not to blame the voters but instead blame themselves, blame SUPP for the defeat and lost of confidence by the Chinese community. But if these BN leaders really do not know or unaware of what the Chin...

By Lim Mun Fah It is normal for the rare earth refinery project in Gebeng, Kuantan to be greatly discussed. It is because people always raise their awareness and establish a sense of crisis through a crisis. The public have a greater understanding and concern over radiation only after the outbreak of the Japan's nuclear crisis. Since the people have become more alert about the issue, a people-oriented government should not just ignore it. Would the rare earth refinery bring harm to its surrounding environment and the people's health? Would the Bukit Merah rare earth plant tragedy 30 years ago repeat itself in Kuantan? These questions require patient exposition from experts and rationality from the public. To tell the truth, I would be worried for myself, as well as my children's future if I were living in Kuantan. Who would be willing to expose themselves to radiation? Who would be willing to expose themselves to the environment that may cause cancer? They do not have to ov...

The DAP had led the Pakatan Rakyat charge in the Sarawak state elections very well and the party had won 12 out of 15 seats it had contested. Its coalition partner PKR had won 3 seats while the third partner PAS did not win any. However, we wish to congratulate the Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat for their outstanding success. For those who did not make it, we also wish them the best. You had done the opposition coalition proud for being able to put up a very brave fight. This is also another wake up call for Pakatan Rakyat to learn from this state election, to have a better strategy to counter their common enemy effectively in near future. Who knows, the 13th general elections is underway. So, don't be overjoy but to get ready for the next battle.

A Perak Umno state assemblyman for Slim Mohd Khusairi Talib had recently told the press that he felt so much offended and insulted by two DAP state assemblymen, A.Sivanesan (Sungkai) and V.Sivakumar (Tronoh) who wore their traditional Indian attires Jippa and Dhoti during the state legislative assembly sitting. Just what the heck this racist Mohd Khusairi is trying to prove? Wearing a traditional cultural attire would insult you or the state legislative assembly? Which provision in the standing orders of the state legislative assembly or the state constitution says that state assemblymen are barred from wearing traditional attires or lounge suite during the state legislative assembly sitting? No, nothing was mentioned at all pertaining the attires that are compulsory during the state legislative assembly sittings. It is just that Mohd Khusairi is a racist who belongs to a racist-based political party called Umno. Umno is the political party who started the May 13 1969 racial riots th...

Tomorrow 16 April 2011 will be the final solution on the Sarawak's question. On this day, almost all Sarawakians shall come out to vote in the state election to elect the new state government. One thing clear in their minds are, either they vote for change or there shall never be any change for the rest of their lives. We hope the majority in the state i.e. the Dayaks and Ibans would realize how very endanger is their position now, if they were to return the state BN to power on tomorrow's election. Just look at all the plunders that the chief minister had carried out for more than 30 years. What the Dayaks and Ibans got in the end? Their homes were displaced, their farms are being destroyed, their forests were being taken away, their peaceful livelihood were taken away, their natural resources were stolen from them, their incomes were taken away and even their traditions were being taken away. Sooner, the entire community would be wiped out just like that. Thanks to the traito...

With six more days to go for the Sarawak state elections, the already confirmed cash-strapped finance ministry is heading for bankruptcy after its finance minister who is also the nation's prime minister Najib Razak decided to stay on in Sarawak until 16 April 2011. It is widely believed that Najib is expected to announce a very large amount of financial incentives to Sarawak on the eve of the state elections in order to ensure BN garners enough votes on the next day. Yes, with Najib's usual statement "if you help me, I will help you", is widely expected by everyone in Sarawak as the BN is desperately doing all of its kinds of tricks and cheats to please the mostly disappointing people there. Cash were given out to those attending their "ceramah", free food, t-shirts and whatever they have are given out to assure the people that they are "financially" best but certainly to us, not the people's best. The Sarawak BN state government is also alrea...

On 2 September 2010 last year, the Putrajaya's both National Council for Local Government as well as the Housing and Local Government Ministry had decided that new swiftlet nest farms would not be allowed at heritage sites in Penang and Melaka while those existing ones in these two states would have to clear out within three years starting from the above date. Penang State Executive Councillor Chow Kon Yeow had said that the state government would not wait to the last minute of the grace period is over before taking any action. That means, those existing swiftlet nest farm operators would have to start taking their initiatives now to get their transitions started. However, the MCA "constituency coordinators" for Pengkalan Kota and Komtar, PC Loh and CT Loh had both instigated these swiftlet nest farm operators with wrong information citing that they are going to be chased out by the state government and stern actions would be taken against them. To ensure this event turn ...

Umno flexes its muscle on its fellow BN component party, Gerakan again to show that who is in charge in the disoriented coalition. Penang Gerakan legal and human rights bureau chairman Baljit Singh has drawn flak for calling on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Cabinet to take individual religious vows to prove that they are of impeccable moral standing. Rubbishing the call, Umno supreme council member Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said, "tell this Punjabi boy, where is he coming from? Is he from BN or is he from the opposition?" Umno is making yet another racist remark on Gerakan, one of the member party of the BN coalition. Nazri had ultimately directed the racist remark by calling Gerakan's Baljit a "Punjabi boy" because he called on Najib and his ministers to take up their religious vows on their moral standing. So Baljit, what are you going to say about this? We are certain that your Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon would not be able to defend you because he ...

After the magistrate's inquest, then the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the murder of Teoh Beng Hock and his case is still ongoing till today. Then suddenly, another man, a senior customs official was found dead at another state headquarters of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). Cause of death, according to the police - sudden death, but according to MACC insiders it might be a suicide. So where is the suicide note? Can it be trace now or only after a year? Despite experiencing Beng Hock's murder in their other office, these MACC officials has yet to learn their lesson. Yes, it is your duty to combat corruption. But why lead to the death of your alleged "witnesses"? How do you all actually categories those whom you are questioning? When they are alive, you labelled them as "suspects" but after they are found dead, then you change their tags to "witnesses" in order to protect your reputation. After two deaths in the MACC, it is enough ...

In this short story, we will show you what the Elections Commission (EC) officer should not do, while confirming you as voter at the gazetted electoral list and passing to you the ballot paper to vote. The below are the summary which the EC officer cannot do: The EC officer cannot write down the ballot paper serial number on the electoral list, The EC officer cannot write down your NRIC no. at the ballot paper, The EC officer cannot write down your NRIC no. at the electoral list, Or whatever attempt by the EC officer which could have reveal your vote. And if such situation persist, you as a voter has your constitutional right to object whatever action the EC had attempted to reveal your vote. Your vote in the ballot is secret and no other persons has any right to violate your rights and reveal whoever you vote for. Remember your right as a voter.

After 53 years and 3 months old, this nation called Malaysia had went through the thick and thins both politically and economically. But the greatest disappointment here is, eventhough our nation had gained its independence more 53 years ago, the unity of our multiracial society is still immature. Politically divide here had became from bad to worse. As the result, racial and ethnic tensions had also became very critical. Religious restrictions and unjust treatment over those of other faith and religions by the authorities had also add more salt onto the wound. Who else could we blame? Partly we should blame ourselves too. Why? It is because our votes count. Whom do we vote for all these years? Yeah, most of us obediently voted for Barisan Nasional (BN) for decades because we wanted "stability", not knowing that the BN leaders had used up our money, turned corrupt and became extremists. During the reign of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he created Bangsa Malaysia to foster unity a...

By Dr Toh Kin Woon After much pressure, the Federal Government finally relented to public demand for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to get to the bottom of the death of Teoh Beng Hock (TBH), an aide to State Executive Councillor in Selangor, Ean Yong Hian Wah. Ever since his death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the 16th July, 2009, both Beng Hock's family and the public at large have been eager to know who caused his death and why. Unfortunately, their desire for the truth has till today remained as yet unfulfilled. Now that the RCI has been set up, there is hope that the truth may finally be revealed. Or will it? If there is such a doubt in the minds of the family and the public, they can be excused. Already, both the family's lawyers and the family have shown their total lack of confidence in the ability of the RCI to seek the truth by withdrawing from the hearing. Besides, many a state institution, public agency and commission of...

The Election Commission (EC) has decided not to give accreditation to Mafrel (Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections) to be an independent observer of the 10th Sarawak state election, polling of which is on April 16. EC secretary Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria said this was because Mafrel had failed to fully comply to EC's requirements. "Among them are for Mafrel and its affiliates to be non-partisan in their work," he said in a statement here Friday yesterday. Previously the EC has also rejected Mafrel's application to observe the Sibu parliamentary by-election citing that Mafrel had often sided with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat. Mafrel however, proceeded with its observation on limited basis. Well, EC says Mafrel failed to be non-partisan and non-compliance of certain EC requirements. We want to ask the EC, are they being non-partisan in discharging their responsibilities all this while? In so many occasions EC has been seen as sided with the Barisan Nasional (BN) ...

By Chua Jui Meng The truth is now rapidly emerging of the dirty finger prints all over the fabricated sex video that is seeking to implicate Anwar, the PKR and opposition leader. It is a sordid case of moral bankruptcy, political connivance at the highest level and money politics of which UMNO is the undisputed number one in ranking in the region, if not the world. According to Syed Azidi, a blogger who writes under the name of Kickdefella, Eskay Shazryl, one of the infamous “‘Datuk T” trio that concocted this sex video, had met up with him, five other bloggers and an “alternative media” news editor to share details of Anwar’s sexual escapades with the select group. During the meeting which clearly was intended to recruit the blogging community in smearing Anwar and destroying PKR and Pakatan ahead of the Sarawak and national elections, Eskay had said, “I am not interested in politics ...I saw Anwar’s presence in Malaysian politics as good for “check and balance.” Eskay also said “I am...