Politik, Legislatif, Dasar dan Tadbir Urus

Premier Najib and allies use law to bludgeon critics In 2012, with Malaysia’s national ruling coalition facing a tough reelection campaign, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak promised a raft of human rights reforms including cutting the country’s infamous colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial. None of those reforms happened. Instead, in the past several months, Najib, faced with a revolt within his United Malays National Organization, has in effect replaced the internal security act with a sedition law that he had also promised to do away with. Under its provisions, as many as 20 opposition political figures, lawyers and at least one journalist have been charged and are confronted with varying penalties in what the Malaysian press has taken to calling “operation dragnet,” an oblique reference to Operation Lalang, in which former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ordered the roundup of dozens of opponents in 1987 and jailed them under ...

My article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 1/11/2014 When an Umno divisional leader from Selangor called on the government to shut down Chinese vernacular schools, MCA was the first BN component party to rebuke him. We applaud the MCA central committee (CC) member for his quick reaction on this issue. However, in reply, the said Umno division leader fired back at the CC member by asking him to shut his mouth instead, stating that it was none of MCA business and labelled MCA as already irrelevant to the Chinese community. The Umno man added more salt to the wound by saying that many MCA leaders only won their seats in the general elections because of Malay votes. Not surprisingly, the entire MCA leadership got numbed and sought assistance from Umno president and BN chairman Datuk Ser Najib Razak via a “close door” meeting. In the end, we saw nothing at all on what is really BN’s official stance pertaining to the Chinese vernacular school system. We all know that many MCA le...

My article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 17/10/2014 After more than 57 years of independence, it is indeed sad that we have yet to achieve the much desired one-nation and one-identity concept which stresses on equality for the citizenry regardless of race, culture or belief. The running of our nation’s affairs is still heavily dependent on race-based policies. In addition to all those race-based policies and systems, some followers of one particular religion have also systematically evolved into a machinery of threat and fear in order to control and subdue others into submission. A large number of elected representatives from the ruling party have also proven to be unable to articulate and analyse logically on issues of distributive and regulative justice. Instead, it seems that they prefer to harp on issues involving race, religion, the rulers, as well as fan hatred, violence and suspicion among Malaysians. Other concerns which are equally disturbing are the unjust poli...

Penang assembly Speaker Law Choo Kiang said the police and attorney-general (AG) cannot prosecute any elected representatives for any wrongdoings committed in the House. Law said the authorities cannot act on the assemblypersons without the agreement of the speaker. "So this clearly cancels the (planned) charge against Seri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer for sedition under the 1948 Sedition Act," the PKR Bukit Tambun assemblyperson said in a statement yesterday. Law said a warning based on the assembly's standing orders has been issued to Rayer not to repeat the remark "Umno celaka" (damned Umno), which the latter allegedly uttered in the House on May 20. Based on the standing orders, the 10 disgruntled Umno assemblypersons were also told to table an emergency motion to the Penang special assembly committee to deal with their indignation over Rayer's remark, Law added. "But Umno failed to obtain enough quorum or votes for the motion, so they couldn...

My article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 29/5/2014 Umno, a Malay party that dominates the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, has always been claiming that it protects the Malays and bumiputeras as well as upholds Islam, calling others from the community who do not embrace Umno as deviants and traitors. Ever since Umno and BN lost their two-thirds majority in the 2008 general election, Umno has embraced the politics of hatred, threat, violence and racism as part of their effort to create situations of fear among Malaysians. They have no qualms warning people to refrain from supporting the opposition parties, whose influence is on the rise. Apart from this, Umno has also resorted to many kinds of personal and sexist attacks on the opposition parties in a number of by-elections recently. Other dirty tactics employed by Umno include using several front organisations such as Perkasa, Isma, Pekida, Muafakat and Jati to carry out various kinds of political actions on its b...

Malaysia should consider enacting laws prohibiting hate speech, former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today amid controversial remarks by Muslim groups attacking the minority Chinese and Christians. The activist, however, expressed reservations on whether new legislation governing free speech, or the National Harmony Act which is set to replace the Sedition Act, would be implemented fairly. “Going by the Sedition Act, it’s so obvious — the blatant abuse of the Sedition Act,” Ambiga told The Malay Mail Online today. DAP leader Teresa Kok was charged with sedition last Tuesday over a satirical video clip that purportedly mocked the education system and the Sulu terrorist intrusion in Lahad Datu. The late Karpal Singh, then the national chairman of the DAP opposition party, was also convicted with sedition last February for saying that the Perak sultan’s actions in the 2009 state constitutional crisis could be questioned in a court of law. After Ikatan Muslimin Ma...

After Perkasa showcasing on their racist and extremists jokes and unnecessary dislikes, now we have another one racist and extremist NGO here called, Isma trying to outdo their rivals in order to champion their alleged race and religion. For the sake of "defending" their race and religion, they sacrifice their brains too frequent in order to prove their blind loyalty to certain leaders or idols of theirs. Now we have Isma complaining that a church in Seremban used Bahasa Malaysia to promote its Easter musical which will be held later this week. Isma questioned why the church need to use the national language in its banners to promote the Christian event, when Christians are largely made up of Chinese and Indians. Isma also stated that since only Chinese and Indians made up the Christian population, English should therefore be used. Negri Sembilan Isma chief Zamani Ibrahim had lodged a report at the state's Islamic Affairs Department (JHEINS) and urged the r...

This article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 2/3/2014 Since 2008, there have been many allegations that the Malays and Islam have been insulted, undermined and challenged. The impression given is that they are constantly under threat. The situation has turned from bad to worse. Nowadays, when someone criticises a top leader of Umno, the dominant party in the ruling coalition, he or she would inevitably be accused of insulting the Malay race, Islam and even challenging the special rights of the Malays. Almost everyone is wondering why the country’s political landscape has turned so ugly. Why must politics be so racist and be filled with threats and acts of vengeance? We keep asking all these questions to the politicians almost every day. The country gained its independence more than 56 years ago and by now, it should be developed, civilised and mature in terms of political, socio-economic and human rights, or whatever you could name. Unfortunately, our ...

This article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 16/2/2014 Many reviews and observations have been made on Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s Chinese New Year video clip which was posted on YouTube. An honest assessor would admit that the video is satirical but has nothing to do with race or religion. It is about the difficult life of Malaysians, poking fun on our politics, corruption, power abuse and mismanagement that are really happening. The fact is that it is a comical depiction of all that is wrong with our governance but there was no mention at all of the Malays or Malay rulers. The opposition MP was trying to drive home the message that the people have been “robbed” and thus the need to buy many “branded handbags” for use to fend off those street robbers or snatch thieves. Then all of a sudden, a group of Umno-linked NGOs came together in the name of “Coalition of Muslim NGOs” and rolled out its threats of violence in the street, claiming that the video clip ...

Initially, these pro-Umno NGOs had made an offer of RM500 to anyone who could slap the Seputeh MP Teresa Kok over her Chinese New Year video clip. Then these groups of extremist and racist NGOs increase their offer to RM1200 for the same slap threat. And now, in a surprise move, these extremist and racist NGOs are offering pork to anyone who could slap the opposition MP. We wonder what kind of situation are they trying to provoke. First they offer money, now they are offering pork. Are they trying to create havoc or to promote more hatred? Are such actions Islamic as proclaimed by these extremist and racist NGOs? Now they are putting up pork as a reward to anyone who could slap the MP, knowing that pork is a non-halal meat to Muslim and to many of the leaders of these extremist and racist NGOs who are Muslims themselves. Can the leaders of these extremist and racist NGOs give the public a clearer picture on their cash and pork offer, on whether the RM500 to RM1200 cash rewards...

This article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 27/1/2014 When the Bangsa Malaysia concept was introduced to promote national unity and the Malaysian entity amongst its citizens, most of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s race-based policies were kept intact. Therefore, efforts aimed at fostering unity came to nought and Bangsa Malaysia turned out to be a mere window dressing. Later on, when the Malaysian Malaysia concept was expounded by opposition leaders, the BN government condemned this concept, describing it as being anti-Malay, against the Islamic values and principles, a kind of ideology on republicanism which aimed to abolish the country’s monarchy system. Then recently, the Malaysian Malaysia concept was also labelled as an attempt to create a Christian state by abolishing Islam as the official religion of the federation. These allegations were made by many BN-linked racial and religious extremist groups. The 1Malaysia concept was introduced when...

A pro-Umno racist and extremist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has continuously blamed the opposition leaders for failing to see Islam is under threat from elements of Jews, Freemasons and Christians or whatsoever they saw it as "western", thus further accusing the oppositions as pro-western and pro-Christian as well. So, Isma, is this why Churches and other places of worship has been attacked and fire-bombed recently. Is this some sort of your so-called warning? Isma speaks and behaves like a terrorist at large. Isma should also realize are all their actions such as, hate, racism and violence in line with the teachings in the holy Quran. In fact, whatever Isma is doing right now is certainly attacking and damaging the reputation of Islam itself. Isma has done nothing good for the sake of Islam so far because whatever actions that they have been carrying out all this while are all against the principles and teachings of Islam and the holy Quran. Isma has indeed ...

Does everyone know what religion and what is the function of the religion? Religion is the way of life that should enable each individual to attain the highest possible development in his spiritual, moral, physical and intellectual faculties. The function of every religion is to establish and to maintain the most harmonious relationship between men and his Creator on the one hand and between men to men in all aspects of their relationship on the other. But if a religion is often misinterpreted, misused and corruptly abused by some quarters of men who are in power, like the ruling elites, powerful politicians and made part of the government’s day to day rule and enforcement in order to control and subdue the citizens as well as other religions, then the religion of that state has become what Karl Marx, a renowned German philosopher and founder of the revolutionary communism, had defined the term as “the opiate of the people”. So, this particular religion of the state...

The recent questions on whether Christians can use the word Allah in their publications has indeed stirred up a lot of angers and hatred. First, the bombing of churches by some religious extremist groups, then a leader of an extreme racist organization had called for the Holy Bible to be burned as a warning to those who insist the usage of Allah in their recitations and prayers. The question is, are those who are behaving in such an uncivilized manner, like showing the sign of violence, issuing threats, warnings and inciting hatred to the public really carry the value of Islam in themselves? Are they really representing Islam in whatsoever actions they have been carrying out over the issue of Allah? In which part of the Islam’s holy book did carries the need to be threatening, to use extensive violence, to commit harm and to instill hate onto others in order to seek what they claimed as theirs? Why do they have to be so uncivilized in order to be “Islamic”? Are ther...

Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Umno president Najib Razak has openly admitted recently that it was difficult to "reform" Umno and shed off its racist and extremist characteristics. Selangor Umno state liaison committee chairman Noh Omar had even supported his party boss' statement by saying that the Malay community still needs help and the only way is to maintain its thicken race-based policies. So, Umno has been running this country for about 56 years now, and Umno leaders are now saying that in 56 years of their rule, the Malay community which they claim to represent still lacks behind, are even poorer and still needs help today. Then, where on earth is the validity of Umno and its leaders to claim that they are the champions of the Malay community? In fact, they are not fit at all to claim themselves and the political party they are in being Malay or Islam. Umno do not possess the values of the Malays and Islam at all. Totally none at all. Umno has indeed ...

Since when did our words, comments, criticisms, talks or whatever we do became an insult to the royalty? Recently, we could see and hear many political radicals, extremists, racist and those who are taking advantage on the royalty are continuously calling for a law or some kind of treasons Act to be in place to punish anybody who "insults" the king, queen, agong, agung, sultans, pemerintahs, undangs, maharajas, emperors, empress, tengku mahkotas, raja mudas, princes, crown princes, or whatever you can name up there which are in bright colours. Are these radical, extreme and racist politicians taking advantage on the royalty? Are all these absolute irresponsible politicians trying to make use of the royalty to justify their political stands and personal agendas? Since the last two general elections, we had observe that a race-based dominant political party form the ruling coalition has been losing our people's support, and they are attempting to put all the blame onto...

When the results of the 13th general elections (GE13) was announced, the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had managed to spring a bigger surprise over its rival, ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) by having increased its parliamentary and state seats nationwide. As the opposition coalition and their supporters were overjoyed, BN leaders, particularly from Umno then aimed their salva at the Chinese community, alleging that the Chinese has revolted against the BN government by not supporting the ruling coalition, thus immediate called the GE13 results as a typical "Chinese Tsunami". From there, Umno leaders continuously attacked the Chinese community and had urged the government to avenge their defeat on the second largest ethnic in our nation. And until yesterday, it was still Umno's claim of the "Chinese Tsunami". Umno leader wanted to remind the other ethnics every day that it was the Chinese who are against the other ethnics. However, if yo...

The 13th general elections (GE13) has concluded since last month. Barisan Nasional (BN) got the slimmest majority it had never experience before, while Pakatan Rakyat (PR) increased their inroads dramatically this time since 1969. Then, when Chinese-based BN component parties, like MCA, Gerakan and SUPP performed badly in the last GE13, their big brother, Umno had started their blame game by smashing the Chinese community for making life like a hell for the BN and its race-based component parties. First, it was BN chairman Najib, who said it was terrible Chinese tsunami, then former premier Mahathir joined the chorus by citing the tsunami was a tragic one, followed by the rest of the Umno leader who kept drumming up their hate sentiments against the Chinese community by repeating the words nationwide blaming the Chinese community for their reduced majority in the parliament and state legislative assemblies. And recently, controversial Perlis Umno warlord and newly appointed mi...