It is expected that Sabah BN may gradually split into two, with one stays together with the federal government and another will leave BN and form an independent coalition, being the third force after BN and Pakatan Rakyat. (Source Sin Chew Daily)
There was no motion for a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister Monday (23 June). The tension of BN has been slightly released while the hopes of Pakatan Rakyat are gradually fading. Both of the parties wonder whether Datuk Yong Teck Lee is really serious about it.
In the past few days, I have asked some Pakatan Rakyat MPs and all of them did not understand why Yong was doing it.
Has Yong rubbed on the magic lamp? Was there a genie inside? If so, was the genie being released? A MP told me that the original plan was like horse racing in which more than a hundred of horses burst out when the gate opens after the race gun goes off However, no shot could be heard and the gate remained closed. But a horse escaped from the gate and ran on the track. It made no difference with only the strength of one. The no-confidence motion might not be mentioned again within a short period of time.
Yong and SAPP have also exposed themselves in which they can no longer hide under the protection of Sabah BN to bargain with the federal government.
It seems like Yong and Pakatan Rakyat have failed to achieve their objectives while Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and BN are safe for the moment. At the same time, we could see that this is not yet the time for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat.
They still do not have enough of seats to overthrow Pak Lah's government.
However, Yong's calculation might not be such simple. He has long-term political agenda. And perhaps, this is just the beginning. First of all, Yong has suddenly become popular in Sabah.
The first horse that burst out from the gate has grabbed the people's attention. Sabahans who are discontented with the federal government could find satisfaction from Yong.
SAPP used to be a tiny political party and it will remain a tiny political party if it stays in the BN coalition. Moreover, based on the current political situation in Sabah, staying in BN might lead to the lose of its existing seats in the Parliament. So, Yong took its first step to secure its future.
Currently, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has carved up Chinese seats of SAPP while SAPP are not allowed to take seats belonging to Kadazan and Muslim member parties of BN. Yong has no way to expand its power.
Confronting BN does not only enhance its popularity, but as well earns a greater space for SAPP. SAPP can interfere in LDP's constituencies and it can also expand to non-Chinese constituencies in the future.
Secondly, Sabah BN has shown the federal government its strength through Yong. Yong did not really fight alone. Instead, he was supported by leaders from other parties.
Ghapur Salleh, Anifah Aman from Sabah Umno, and Bernard Dompok from United PasokMomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) are powerful leaders in Sabah. This time, they were “sympathetic” over Yong, forcing BN to cautiously handle the problem.
No matter whether they have reached an agreement with Yong, at least they have opened a space for their future cooperation. Anti-federal-government Sabah leaders did not want to see Yong being sacrificed because if so, they might meet the same fate as Yong.
It is expected that Sabah BN may gradually split into two, with one stays together with the federal government and another will leave BN and form an independent coalition, being the third force after BN and Pakatan Rakyat. Based on their political sense, they know that leaving BN will be more conducive to gain Sabahans' support.
It is learnt that about 14 to 18 Sabah BN MPs are now tend to form the new coalition. As Yong has taken the first step, naturally, he has become one of the leaders.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had spent 10 years to divide Sabah politics into several large pieces. For Muslim, he terminated United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) and introduced Umno. For Kadazan, he weakened Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and hastened the formation of Upko and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah(PBRS) to split Kadazan's political power. For Chinese, he let SAPP and LDP to contradict and check and balance each other.
Today, Dr Mahathir's “grand plan” is gradually collapsing. Sabah political power is reforming and its structure is changing. It seems that it is the will of Sabahans.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/85184 Dr M: 22 fiascos in 22 years of power Batman | Jun 27, 08 4:45pm Many of those who worshiped Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad cannot understand why Malaysians blame TDM for the woes of the country. I have compiled excerpts of reports which were published in the media in past years to refresh the memories of Malaysians, as to why many Malaysians feel that TDM did more bad than good for the country in his 22 years.
These 22 fiascos were published in the form of questions directed to TDM:
1. On clean government
You came to power in 1981 and introduced the slogan Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah (Clean, Efficient and Trustworthy). What did you do to further that? Did you make the Anti-Corruption Agency more independent and effective? Did you ensure that the police and judiciary did their jobs properly and reduce corruption in their ranks? Did you ensure that ministers and chief ministers not have incomesbeyond their legal means? How many big guns were prosecuted for corruption offences during your tenure? What happened to Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah?
2. Press freedom
Your criticism of the present government got plenty of coverage in the local media whereas, during your time, criticisms against you by two former prime ministers were muted in the mainstream newspapers. Editors in Umno-linked newspapers, too, were removed for not toeing the line. What did you do to advance the cause of responsible press freedom?
3. Proton
You went ahead with the national car project in 1983 despite a number of experts disagreeing with you, especially with respect to the lack of economies of scale. Isn’t it true that Proton’s profits over the past 20 years came from the vastly higher prices that the Malaysian public has had to pay to subsidiseProton, resulting in considerable hardship for Malaysians who need cars because of the poor public transport system? Why was it necessary for Proton to buy a stake in a failed Italian motorcycle manufacturer when it could not even produce cars competitively?
4. Heavy industries
Why did you push into heavy industries such as steel and cement in the 1980s, ignoring studies which suggested developing natural resource-based industries instead? They caused major problems and billions of ringgit in losses.
5. Immigration
Why did you allow hordes of people to emigrate, mainly from Indonesia, in such an unregulated way that there are as many or more illegal immigrants than legal ones now, accounting for some three million or more people? Did you not realise that this would cause serious social problems?
6. Operasi Lallang
Why did you have to resort to this move in October 1987, when you used the Internal Security Act (ISA) to detain over 100 people, close down four newspapers and cause a wave of fear throughout the country? Was it to consolidate your tenuous hold on power then by using an oppressive law?
7. Judiciary
What was your motive to take action in 1988 to remove the then Lord President and several Supreme Court judges from their positions under allegations of judicial misconduct, a move which was heavily criticised by the Bar Council and other bodies? Was it because you needed more compliant judges whose rulings would not threaten your position of power in a number of cases in court?
Was this the first step in dismantling the judiciary’s role as a system of check and balance against the legislature and the executive? What have you to say to repeated assertions by many, including prominent ex-chief justices, who maintain that this led to the erosion of judicial independence?
8. Education
Why did you allow our national school system, which is the ideal place to develop ties among young Malaysians, to become so divisive? Why is it that our local universities, once the preferred choice of tertiary education, have deteriorated to a level that even students who gain admission prefer to enroll into local private universities.
9. Malaysia Airlines
Why did your government sell MAS (private sale) to Tajuddin Ramli who had no knowledge whatsoever about running an airline? Why did your government then later bail out Tajuddin by paying RM8 per share when the shares were trading at only RM3.60 in the open market, costing close to RM1 billion of the rakyat’s money.
10. Privatisation
Why did you allow privatisation to take place in such a manner that the most profitable parts of government operations were sold away like Telekom Malaysia, Pos Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional? Tolled roads had guaranteed toll rate increases and compensations in the event traffic projections were not met. Independent power producers (IPPs) had contracts that guaranteed them profits at the expense of Tenaga Nasional. What was the justification of privatising the government medical stores to Southern Task Sdn Bhd, and the resulting increase in the prices of medicines?
11. Putrajaya
What is the justification for spending RM20 billion on a grandiose government city at a time when office space was available in Kuala Lumpur? Could the money not have been put to better use, such as improving educational resources?
12. Indah Water Konsortium
What was the basis of granting Indah Water Konsortium a concession to manage the national sewerage system? Could you explain the RM1.4 billion soft loan to IWK which clearly has irrecoverable losses?
13. Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad
Why did you rescue Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad (then owned by your son Mirzan) and which had debts of RM1.7 billion using funds from Petronas? Was it not your administration which forced Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC) to acquire the assets of Konsortium Perkapalan Nasional?
14. Time Dotcom Bhd
Why did your administration bail out Time Dotcom Bhd which was saddled with a RM5 billion debt? Why did your government use RM904 million from Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen to buy up 273.9 million of unwanted Time Dotcom shares incurring an instant loss of RM280 million?
Did you not force the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to buy 81.6 million of the unsubscribed public portion of the initial public offering (IPO) of Time Dotcom Bhd at RM3.30 per share when the shares were trading at only between RM1.95 and RM2.10 and in the process incurring an instant loss of RM100 million?
15. LRT
Why did you bail out the light rail transit operators Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik Sdn Bhd (Putra), which belonged to Renong, and Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan Sdn Bhd (Star) using almost RM600 million from the EPF, which still resulted in EPF having to write off RM135 million with a share loss of RM96 million?
16. North-South Expressway
Why did your administration award the North South Expressway concession to UEM (which then formed Plus) and then provide them with a loan of RM1.6 billion which was half of the tender price of RM3.2 billion? What was the justification for your administration to grant Plus such over-generous terms, which included annual increment of toll rates and guaranteed traffic volumes?
17. PSC Industries Berhad
Why did your administration in 1998 award a RM24.3 billion contract to PSC Industries Berhad, together with an advance of more than RM2.5 billion to build naval patrol boats? Why were they also given exclusive rights to service the Malaysian navy’s entire fleet? Could you confirm that the first two ships built by PSCI could not even pass pre-delivery trials? How would you answer to the Public Accounts Committee’s revelation that it will cost the government another RM120 million just to salvage the first two vessels nearing completion after seven years?
18. Bakun Dam
Why did you award Ekran Bhd the contract to build the Bakun hydroelectric dam in Sarawak? Why did your administration take over the construction of the dam by bailing out Ekran by almost RM200 million for ‘work done’?
19. InventQjaya
What was the basis of inviting Libyan-American Sadeq Mustaffa to Malaysia to set up InventQjaya Sdn Bhd and to also give him a grant of RM440 million? What was the benefit for Malaysia and how has Malaysia benefitted? What has happened to InventQjaya now?
20. Forex losses
Why did your administration dabble in speculation in the international money market which ultimately cost Bank Negara almost RM9.3 billion in losses?
21. Bank Bumiputra
Why did you allow the mismanagement of Bank Bumiputra, to the extent that it had to be bailed out three times, costing the country a total of RM3 billion? Again, by dipping into Petronas’ funds?
22. Perwaja Steel
Why did your administration allow Perwaja Steel to be mismanaged resulting in RM2.9 million of the rakyat’s money being squandered?
There you are - 22 fiascos in 22 years. The bad news is that there are actually more than 22. Remember the APs, Maminco, Renong and many more. Those who remember, please add on to this list.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85286 Don't let judges be victims Jun 30, 08 11:11am ‘If Justice Chin should be investigated for misconduct then it is only fair for Dr M to be interrogated as well with a lie detector. There is certainly no smoke without fire.’
On Dr M vs judge: Tit-for-tat continues
Marion Tharsis: Despite the fact that Dr M is no longer the head of the government, he has a free hand and given free publicity by the controlled media to dictate what he wants everyone else to do.
Almost a day does not go by without his attacks, demands or detrimental statements. There are also his stooge pigeons coming out of nowhere (or perhaps from their slumber) to speak in support of their 'divine' leader.
He gets bolder with his remarks knowing very well the BN government still 'kow tows' to him. Otherwise, they would have either told him to keep quiet or investigated into his past dubious dealings and management.
If Justice Chin should be investigated for misconduct then it is only fair for Dr M to be interrogated as well with a lie detector.
There is certainly no smoke without fire and very often, only a minority will speak up for justice and at the end, they are either victimised or incarcerated for speaking the truth.
Let us not make Justice Chin an innocent victim of blind justice. Be fair and let the truth prevail by getting into the bottom of this astounding revelation.
I also hope that other judges who have also faced harassment and victimisation in the line of duty, speak up to restore honour and dignity to the due process of the law without fear or favour.
On PM: Najib and wife not involved in Altantuya murder
Mooshie Mooshie: Strange things are happening in the case of the Mongolian murder trial with all this talk by the PM and DPM and police reports for and against everybody, including the DPM's wife Rosmah.
Some, meanwhile, are trying to speak up or cover up for each another. The big question is, is there something that the prime ministers know that we don't? Can some one help?
Sometimes, for things like this, we don't like to speculate.
On RPK's declaration: Damage done
KB Gan: In the report, the writer said, ‘Razak is a defence expert who helps to facilitate defence contracts that run into billions of dollars. The amount of commissions from such deals is a subject of intense speculation...’
Allow me to correct this inaccuracy. It was widely reported during the time when the Altantuya story broke that Razak Baginda was a political analyst. He was not a defence expert by any stretch of the imagination. The huge commission he received from a certain defence deal does not make him one.
Najib has denied any impropriety saying they followed standard procedure. He should credit Malaysians with more intelligence.
If it is standard procedure to give a reported RM100 million commission to a third party who has no expertise in the matter and hence does not add value, then we are in deep trouble with the way the government is run.
On Shahrir's motion: 129 yes, 78 no
Mooshie Mooshie: The BN government thinks that it has ‘won the confidence’ of the MPs in the endorsement of the fuel price increase. To many, however, the government has lost the war.
These so-called peoples' representatives ( the Barisan MPs) have betrayed their constituents who had voted these very people in to highlight their hardships to the government.
Don't these MPs have their constituents’ interests at heart? Can they not speak out for the rakyat? So, this is ‘democracy ‘BN-style is it? As we knew all along.
On Why should Petronas be the exception to the rule?
Soo Lai Mun: I am just curious to know what happens if our crude oil is of low quality. Do we still export or just consume the oil ourselves? To export it does not make much sense. If we use the oil ourselves, then how much will Petronas charge the consumer?
To export our oil at a high price and to import oil at a lower price, logically, we should still be enjoying the oil at minimum price, that is if we take the oil (exported and imported) as one entity. The problem now is they are not. Our exported and imported oil are taken as separate entities.
That’s why the consumer is still subjected to world oil price. If the government decides to reduce the price, Petronas will then have to forego part of their export price profit (which the government regards as the 'subsidy’).
The government said they will saved billions as a result of the reduction in subsidies. I think the people now would like to know how much they will really save after the government has given out rebates, commissions, subsidies and whatever free monies back to please the people.
On Five percent oil royalty for S'wak too little
Perplexed: Whether it is a five or ten percent royalty, where has all the money been chanelled to? What took these states so long to realise that they have been taken for a ride?
Why, in the first instance, their so-called elected leaders have been keeping 'mum' all this awhile?
Where has all the timber ‘goldmine' monies disappeared to? Ask your beloved CM who has entrenched himself firmly in the throne for umpteen years. He may be able to provide the answers to it all.
Ask the rest of the powers-that-be sitting in their high citadels as to what they have done with all these funds.
Draw a list of all those ministers, their cronies, their siblings and their wealth and the number of corporations they own. I bet my last single sen, you will not find a single poor, honest man (or woman) amongst them. It is disgusting.
On Dayaks may have to set up their own party
Joseph Tawie: I must admit that some promoters of the Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) have joined PKR as they know that the government will not register MDC as a political party.
However, the few of us who are still left behind are still pursuing MDC’s registration as a political party. We have consulted a number of Dayak leaders in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu and they have urged us to continue with our struggle.
We have now engaged a law firm to sue the government for failure to respond to our appeal. The appeal was submitted on August 12, 2006 after the Registrar of Societies rejected our application on ‘security’ grounds.
We share with the views expressed by the writer that Dayaks must have a party of their own if they are going to play a meaningful role in the democratic process of the country.
Currently there is no Dayak party, after the government de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak on flimsy grounds on Oct 21, 2004.
Those who claim to represent the Dayak community are actually representing their own periuk nasi (rice bowls).
I therefore call upon all those who share our aspiration to support MDC and its promoters in our court battle against the government.
On PM: Bumi equity only at 19.4%
Enough Already: After 38 years, despite having near carte-blanche to do whatever it pleased, the government is still whining and making pathetic excuses for not achieving the goals of the NEP.
Either this government is hopelessly incompetent or lying. If the NEP itself is so poorly crafted that it just cannot deliver the goods, scrap it for goodness’ sake and come up with a better programme.
Meanwhile, Pak Blah, stop the lies already. The government's claims are totally divorced from reality, based on par value rather than market value - as independent research from the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) clearly showed last year.
Let's see you and other Umnoputeras sell your assets at par value. And buy underwater assets at par!
Reporters and editors, to provide context and balance. Please note that all BN's claims about the shortfall in bumiputra equity are based on par value, and that research based on market value shows bumi ownership as high as 45 percent, according to Asli.
Also, we would like to know how the supposed 19.4 percent equity, according to Pak Lah, is distributed among Malays - regionally, individually and dynastically.
My View: Year in year out, we read and hear about this umi equity not achieving its target of 30%. To me, this percentage thing is a 'relative' matter and there will be no end to this target of 30% bumi equity being achieved.
Let say, for example, if government give shares in the ratio of 30% to the bumi and 70% to the non-bumi, but overnight, the bumi sold this 10% to a non-bumi for quick money. Immediately, the bumi's equity will be reduced to 20%.
Another example is if this bumi did not sell his 30% equity but, contented with this percentage, did not work further to increase or maintain his wealth. The non-bumi, however, works doubly hard to ensure he accumulates more money and increases his worth.
So then again, the bumi equity will decrease to less than 30% when compared to the non-bumi equity even though in 'absolute' terms the bumi's worth is still pegged at its original value.
Thus, based on this simple mathematic, it is not fair for the government to work on a percentage basis.
On Looking at the Malay problem
Siew Wah: Having read through this article, I feel he speaks for all Malaysians although for the most part, he dealt with the problems affecting Malays.
He is indeed a tough, conscientious Malay leader in the same league as former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim who has reformed and ready to take over the reins of running Malaysia.
I believe men of integrity who have been locked up in detention by the phony Mahathir regime but still remained strong in their beliefs will be better able to contribute to the good of the nation if elected to office.
Let's hope those BN fencesitters, think this over and give their support to PKR.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85290 Your say: Is it fair to blame Pakatan? Jun 30, 08 11:34am ‘The opposition deserves more leeway. No one has experienced what is happening in Malaysia before and everyone is going to make some stumbles.’
On Opposition pledges yet unfulfilled
Maidin Bacha: The writer makes a fundamental error in his article - it is not the opposition that can bring the price of petrol down, it is the government. While Pakatan Rakyat having power in five states complicates the situation, I'm sure petrol prices and many other economic woes the writer blames on the opposition are the purview of Putrajaya.
He also makes many unsubstantiated claims - for instance, he says ‘many (PR lawmakers) are still in a state of shock having been transformed overnight from ‘street fighters' battling police to lawmakers’. Where is the evidence?
He also criticises the ‘crossover’ moves PKR is undertaking. The jury is out on this one. There is some truth that stretching this out distracts from more pressing issues. But if it does actually happen by Sept 16, it may not be that bad a thing after all.
It is hypocritical to suddenly start talking about the ‘ethics’ of crossovers when there have been so many instances in the past of underhanded political tactics, many done blatantly.
But on balance, the writer may be right in that this whole thing is turning into more of a liability than an asset for Anwar Ibrahim. If something is brewing, he should get it done fast and move on.
I think the opposition deserves more leeway and more time. No one has experienced what is happening in Malaysia before and everyone is going to learn on the job and make some stumbles.
Remember, the old system many people voted against is weakened, but still in power. This is not the time to start ‘looking back fondly’ - if that is possible - at the pre-March situation.
Lambroghini Tan: Barely six months into the job and ridiculous people are demanding for an overnight change of what has been done for the past 50 years. Give them a break and give them ample time to do their work.
You gave BN ample time to destroy the country so why can't you give PR enough time to do the work that they promised? Do remember, BN raised the petrol price not PR.
Please don’t do the ugly Malaysian thing and demand for an overnight change.
The Silent Saint: I am truly amused reading this article. It sounds as though Anwar Ibrahim is the PM of Malaysia who is failing miserably in addressing the several issues confronting the nation today.
Even a child can see that the BN government is more concerned about surviving the political battle than solving the economic woes of the people.
The ruling government is bent on denying even the slightest opportunity to the opposition to bring about any form relief to the middle and lower-income people.
The withdrawal of funds for the Porr and monorail projects in Penang is a classic example. The opposition is strong in Parliament but does not have the majority to bring about changes.
It is ridiculous to expect DSAI or the PR to fulfill their pledges when they are not in power.
What DSAI is doing is to try and wrestle power from the flip-flop PM and his corrupt cabinet in order to bring about the real reforms. Let’s be fair and give the opposition due credit.
Don’t forget that after almost 50 years, it is only now that the people’s voice is being heard in Parliament.
As for the fuel price cost, it may go up in the global market but if we manage the revenue from Petronas properly, we should be able to continue with the fuel subsidy, thus keeping the price within manageable limits.
Kenny Gan: The writer is mischievous in conveniently ignoring the fact that many of Pakatan Rakyat's election promises can only be fulfilled if they capture the federal government.
Among them are the promise to lower oil prices, equal treatment of all races and increase of wages. Even local council elections are subject to federal law.
Unlike the writer, Malaysians are able to distinguish between what PR can and cannot do and apportion blame accordingly.
The tone of the report to put the blame squarely on PR for promises which are contingent on winning the federal government speaks of a biased political agenda.
On Penang fumes over scrapping of mega-projects
Alfred Ho: It does not take a rocket scientist to realise why the cancellation - or as the Barisan government would lead us to believe that the ‘postponement’ - of the Penang monorail and outer ring road projects was done.
The BN government says this is because of the lack of funds. However, every right-thinking Malaysian know only too well that this is an outright lie but rather to punish Penangnites for voting in the Pakatan Rakyat.
I wonder how Lim Guan Eng and Co will react to this announcement.
Old Timer: I think many have missed the critical issues. The main problem with Penang is the many vehicles plying its roads thus contributing to its perennial taffic jams and gridlock.
There are many similarities between Penang and Singapore and its problems are not new.
There is little need to re-invent the wheel here, so to speak. Much of the answers and solutions for a comprehensive urban transport system is already available in Singapore.
Building more roads and bridges will not help if the annual increasing number of vehicles on the roads is not stemmed at the same time.
My view is that the state government is in a unique and privileged position to take over the ‘baton’ passed by the federal government to undertake the management of public transport and show their stuff. The political capital is now in their hands.
Lim Guan Eng and his team should make a detailed study of Singapore's system and implement it in Penang. Whatever lobbying is needed to be made to the federal government, do it now to clear the path for this state project.
Even if you are unable to leave any other legacy behind by the time your administartion is completed, do leave at least an efficient and effective public transportation system behind. We will remember you for it.
Do go ahead and make Penang into another ‘First World Singapore. I am sure you will have the blessings of many Penangnites and other Malaysians elsewhere.
Don't forget, however, at the same time, your spiritual and cultural side.
Remember to develop and help promote and instill the Baba-Nyonya heritage. Be like Korea where there is - or was - well-rounded development.
Do not replicate Singapore's weakness in this very important area of human capital development.
Lilian Tan: In the immediate aftermath of the elections, so many of us had hoped that Barisan Nasional – and more specifically, Umno – would come to its senses, put the people's interests first and work with Pakatan Rakyat.
Alas, we have only seen more spin and subterfuge from the federal government, saying one thing and doing something else. The shelving of the Penang monorail and Porr projects is the latest but surely not the last of the ‘betrayals’ we can expect from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi government. And yet, however bleak it might seem, we, the people, still have a choice.
Those of us who voted for the opposition on March 8 made a conscious choice to deny Barisan Nasional an outright victory.
We knew then, that economic punishment would follow and indeed it has but we must stand strong and together, and remember that this is but small price to pay for the years of lies, abuse and neglect that Barisan Nasional has dished out to us.
The worst thing we can do is to let our tormentors break our spirit and bully us into returning them to power in the next elections.
If this happens, the following will surely happen which would be truly tragic.
Barisan Nasional will not only re-launch itself in all its shameless pomp and corrupt glory and wreak vengeance to make up for lost time/opportunitites, it will also re-engineer the constitution and workings of every arm of government to ensure that no opposition party or coalition can ever seize power again.
For our sake and those of the future generations of Malaysians, we must not let that happen. We simply cannot afford to.
This is what Anwar Ibrahim told Agence France Presse (AFP) in a telephone interview this morning:
Anwar said the allegations were aimed at derailing his spectacular political comeback as the figurehead of the opposition which made unprecedented gains in March elections, and came just as he was about to re-enter parliament.
"This is their intention. You know we will announce a by-election this week. I will contest in the by-election, the police knew that," he said. [...]
"Umno members and MPs have promised to come out and campaign for me so they come out with these sexual allegations to stop me from securing power," he said.
When questioned on the existence of a photograph of Saiful and his (Najib’s) special officer, taken at the office of the deputy prime minister, Najib said that the photo was taken when Saiful had come to his office to seek a government scholarship to pursue his studies.
==================================
Ha ha ha! Since when was the DPM’s office in charge of scholarships? Where is the Ministry of Higher education and all Scholarship boards that come under it? Is he is a son of a military man? Huh. You have lost this mr Najis. Sorry!
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/85323 BN gov't cannot afford a repeat of 1998 Anwar trial An Observer | Jun 30, 08 4:18pm On the cusp of attaining political power, Anwar Ibrahim is hit again with allegations of sodomy.
This has been seen by many as plot to assassinate him politically and to lock him up to keep him away from the political scene.
Never mind that this round is even more unbelievable than the first round in 1998 when he was charged and convicted on similar allegations. The fact is that convincing the public of his guilt now will be an uphill task.
The standard of proof in this case will need to be very high to convince a skeptical public who feel that they had been served with a litany of deceit and chicanery to insult their intelligence in that infamous case 10 years ago.
We must remember that in 1998, Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of sodomy on the most filmiest of evidence.
He was basically convicted on the testimony of one man who proved to be an unreliable witness by changing his story many times in court. The accuser in question had not even been medically examined to certify that he had been sodomised.
The attorney-general then changed the date of the alleged act twice. In the first date tendered, the condominium where the crime was alleged to have taken place was not even built yet!
Two of Anwar’s male associates who were convicted of having a sexual relationship with him declared publicly that their confessions were extracted under extreme duress and sought legal redress.
Anwar’s tennis partner was arrested for illegal possession of a bullet although he had a gun license and allegedly threatened with the death penalty if he did not cooperate in implicating Anwar. When the plot was exposed in court, the judge sentenced the lawyer to jail for bringing it up.
In the absence of any substantial evidence, a stained mattress was carried in and out of court to the bemusement of the public.
The judge had been specially promoted to hear the case. Suffice to say that the conduct of the judge did not give the impression of impartiality.
In light of the above events, the public can be forgiven for treating the current allegation against Anwar with grave doubt. Failure to expel their doubts will reinforce the suspicion that Anwar is yet again a victim of political persecution.
Should Anwar be charged and brought to trial again, the powers-that-be had best not treat the public as gullible imbeciles as in 1998.
He cannot be convicted on the basis of one accuser’s testimony without any collaborative evidence. Any evidence tendered must be ironclad.
The judge selected to hear the case must be well-known for his impartiality when deciding cases involving the government. I would suggest that justice Sri Gopal Ram or Ian Chin will be a good choice.
If the authorities are not absolutely certain that Anwar can be convicted in a fair trial, it is best to drop the case. Malaysia cannot afford a repeat of the 1998 trial which saw the reputation of the judiciary being dragged through mud.
The political repercussion of a show trial akin to 1998 will be enough to generate another political tsunami which will surely sweep the BN from power.
Nampaknya 916 tak kesampaian. Kenapa? Sebab Malaysia telah disumpah oleh Tunku Abdul Rahman(PM pertama) dengan megunakan namanya RAHMAN dalam partinya iaitu UMNO? Atau takdir?? Biar saya tafsirkan nama RAHMAN. R = Rahman (Pm pertama) A = Abdul Razak (PM kedua) H = Husein Onn (PM ketiga) M = Mahathir (PM keempat) A = Abdullah (PM kelima), Anwar(disngkirkan) N = Najib ?? Bakal PM keenam??
Jadi kitaran ini habis siapa yang jadi PM? TIME Khiamat?? Sama-samalah kita mendoa agar sejatera.. SEKIAN TERIMA KASIH..
There's no more musical chair on show in Sabah as the players are glued to their seats with only music tunes change. However, an AMxx dynasty is forming with KL influence grows weaker. A new leader in Sabah must look after not only the welfare of the original local citizens but the “foreigners” too. Some of these “foreigners” are doing “part-time” job once in 5 years as “Voters” to decide what leaders and government that we should have. What a shame really, we the peasant not only have to rely on the “foreigners” to work for building our economy but also in the process of selecting our new leaders and government.
...tidak ada istilah "Ketuanan Melayu" di bumi Sabah...yang ada hanyalah "Ketuanan Malaya" dan ini juga akan pupus pada satu masa yang sesuai!
Politik UMNO diselaputi dengan unsur-unsur perkauman. Tidak salah untuk memperjuangkan nasib serta halatuju sesuatu bangsa itu dalam apa jua aspek...tetapi amat salah jika di tengah jalan sesuatu bangsa itu menonjolkan bahawa bangsa merekalah yang "TUAN" manakala bangsa-bnagsa lain adalah lebih rendah martabatnya!
Apa sudah jadi dengan angan-angan membentuk Bangsa Malaysia? Bangsa-bangsa di bumi Sabah ini walaupun dari pelbagai kepercayaan agama seharusnya bersatu menentang dakyah-dakyah "perkauman Malaya".
Kalau Bangsa Malaysia hanyalah satu fantasi...mari kita bangsa-bangsa Sabah tunjukkan pada orang-orang Malaya bahawa kita boleh jadikan Bangsa Sabah satu realiti!
Bila orang Malaya tanya kita.."You apa bangsa?"....kita jawab..."Kami Bangsa Sabah...atau Anak Kinabalu!"
Ya! Kami adalah Anak-Anak Kinabalu.....dan jangan cuba LAGI untuk mencerai-beraikan kami! Pergi jahanam dengan sifat angkuh "ketuanan" kamu itu!
Lord of the Nunuk Ragang, Gunung Kinabalu
PS:...we need not PR nor BN to decide what's best for us...we Sabah/Sarawak decide for ourselves! We should look forward into being the "other factor that decides in forming the next federal government!" ...the """"Sabah/Sarawak peoples all-races revolutionary association"""""........the much awaited third and decisive force within the Malaysian federation
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85355 YOUR SAY: Do not test the rakyat's patience Jul 1, 08 9:18am ‘I call upon the police to exercise logic, restraint and fair treatment in the wake of this latest revelation involving Anwar Ibrahim. I do not think that any arrest will go down well with the rakyat. Please do not test their patience.’
On Anwar files libel suit against aide
Amir Hamzah Amha: Never before have I been more angry than what happened at on June 28, the date when another police report was lodged against Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI) by one Saiful Bahari for sodomy.
I urge all supporters of Pakatan Rakyat to exercise restraint and patience and not to resort to anything drastic.
Whilst the Barisan Nasional was busy deflecting criticism for the single highest petrol fuel hike in the world - even for non-oil producing countries, as well as denouncing the statutory declaration implicating Rosmah Mansor for the murder of Mongolian Altantuyaa Shaariibuu, a plan was devised to attack Anwar directly to silence further dissent.
The plan was to arrest Anwar and to pre-empt any efforts by Pakatan Rakyat to take over Malaysia by Sept 16 which includes to sabotage the mammoth rally against the petrol fuel hike to be held on July 6 2008 at Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
I call upon the Royal Malaysian Police to continue to exercise logic, restraint and fair treatment in the wake of this latest revelation. Investigate where necessary but do not impair your reputation by kow-towing to the Barisan Nasional by resorting to unnecessary arrests.
Let us leave the disturbing episodes of ten years ago in the black annals of Malaysian history.
I sincerely believe - looking at the results of the 12th Malaysian general elections - that the majority of the rakyat is hungry, desperate and broke and they all look to Anwar as their saviour.
I do not think that any arrest will go down well with the rakyat. Please do not test their patience.
Yumcious: Seems like we are all letting our distaste for all things ruling-party muddle our thinking on this latest allegation of sodomy.
I, for one, think there's something much more sinister than just a fella being rear-ended. I find it suspicious that this police report was so quickly leaked, and pictures of the person so quickly made available.
This whole episode is calculated to cause maximum embarrassment to the ruling government, especially Najib. Now all the comments I've read so far indicate that people seem to think this is the work of the government.
I know the masterminds know that it is sheer stupidity to launch another broad-side against Anwar, especially when the last one didn't quite take. And the seeming theatrics of taking refuge in an embassy smacks of play-acting.
A blogger called it sheer audacity. I tend to call it sheer brilliance, as it has successfully turned more people, including Umno rank-and-file, against the ruling elite. Now, who would want that to happen? Mahathir? Or PKR themselves? Makes for interesting times ahead.
And no, I didn't vote for BN the last time, if that's what you're thinking.
Jeremiah Liang: The latest news on the Web is that a police report was filed against the opposition leader. At present, we do not know the truth and the details of the report. Whom can we trust for truthful information when there are doubts over the objectivity of the mainstream papers?
Even several blogs can't be trusted because of their political leanings towards one party or another.
However, we can learn from the history of the world - in every political crisis, the first thing and most powerful thing to do is to pray to God that He will intervene for the truth to prevail, for the lies to be exposed, for the injustice to be reversed and the innocent to be protected from the evil that has taken the hearts of men.
So if we read or hear about a dramatic turn of events (such as the arrest of a prominent political leader), I think we should be prepared for a major crisis in the country.
As an individual citizen, now is probably the time to gather our families and friends together in our homes and places of worship to pray as a nation that the next tsunami will be as peaceful and mature as the first one on March 8.
G Krishnan: I imagine you were as surprised as I was to read the news that a police report has been filed against Anwar Ibrahim accusing him of sodomising an aide. I could not believe my eyes.
If ever there was a desperate regime trying to hang on to power, this Umno-led cast of desperados has certainly got to be it. Let's be clear: there is no doubt what is being orchestrated here is an offensive maneuver to counter the pressure being faced by the Najib-regime in-waiting.
You know the expression, 'the best defence is an offence'? The 'insiders' have now gone on the offence, and the game is only going to get uglier.
The fact is, I suspect most Malaysians will see right through this ploy and know that their government is resorting to dirty games again – and again with the veneer of seemingly enforcing the law – to serve the narrow and personal political ambitions of a few.
While I am inclined to agree with Anwar, what I find offensive is the propensity for a few with power to act with impunity and to exploit public institutions and resources to fulfill their personal ambition.
This time, maybe we won't be subjected to a kind of public relations farce where the government would parade a mattress being transported to court each day during Anwar's last trial. But mind you, don't rule out some other theatrics.
In fact you can most certainly count on it. After all, these are prodigies of Mahathir we are dealing with.
But in all my cynicism about this latest twist of events, I feel a deep sadness about how we Malaysians have allowed these politicians to ram our country's image into the dirt. I am mad that my fellow Malaysians felt it worthy to re-elect a group of politicians so transparently misguided.
I am disappointed that we have to endure such gutter politics when there is so much we could be achieving. And then I also wonder about another saying: we get the kind of government we deserve.
Joe Fernandez: Apparently, Anwar's aide was missing for two days before the police report was lodged, according to media reports.
He was sent for a medical examination. What guarantee is there that the aide was not sodomised, during the two days he went missing, by a person or persons unknown, in order to create a fait accompli? Deja vu?
Will the police report be used to hang like a Sword of Damocles over Anwar Ibrahim's head? It won't be easy to drag him into court again for the same thing unless we want a long drawn out repeat of the infamous ‘mattress’ incident.
What's happening in this country? Why aren't people focussing on managing the economy?
First, we had the RPK’s statutory declaration on the Mongolian bombing and now, apparently in a tit for tat, this police report.
Earlier, we had a bombshell from Justice Ian Chin and Sapp's no confidence announcement. All this could make a good script for a Hollywood movie with flashbacks included!
Everybody is trying to shut everybody up.
23PSI: This latest sodomy allegation shows just how seriously the threat of Anwar forming the next federal government is being taken.
It strikes at the very heart of what is probably the only viable opportunity Malaysians have at seeing a credible 2-party system taking root in the country.
Undoubtedly, some people/parties are willing to do just about anything to prevent the dismantling of the Umno/BN hegemony.
Faizul Zainol: With the political backdrop weighing heavily against BN, they are forced to go back to their old script but with different players or actors. They must know that the rakyat cannot stomach this.
Never will the rakyat be able to accept this, as was forced on them in 1998, all these sodomy allegations. My take is that this action is too desperate.
Desperate situations call for desperate measures and certain losers in the BN will - at any cost - ensure that Pakatan Rakyat doesn't form the new Malaysian government or that Anwar will ever set foot onto the political stage again.
So, Saiful is now being used? How much is this despicable scum of the earth paid I wonder? I am not saying that Anwar is a 100% maksum but to accuse him of being a sodomite again is just downright dirty and totally abhorrent.
It won't work this time as we are in 2008 and we have knowledge of how Mahathir framed Anwar using the AG's Chambers, the police and the judiciary (read the Lingam Tape scandal report).
Against a backdrop of negative public opinion, there is a real risk that if Anwar were prosecuted, many people would take to the streets, which the government may respond by clamping down.
Anwar would be well-advised to stay out of circulation until it can be confirmed that all charges against him have been dropped and that his personal safety can be guaranteed by the ruling administration.
Malaysians must stay calm and stay cool; we must not give the Umno-BN government the chance to declare a state of emergency and a return of Razak's National Operations Council (NOC) era.
To BN, I say make the rakyat angrier as if we are not angry enough with oil prices, inflation and shrinking savings. Any foolish move from the powers-that-be such as this is miscalculated and will only harden the resolve of the rakyat and at the same time hasten the BN's demise.
Eternal Optimist: This whole debacle is disturbing - that Anwar would be so 'careless' to do as he is alleged to have done. It does seem unlikely. Thus, it is not surprising that people are screaming 'setup'.
But, equally desperate it would seem, is PKR's claim that photos of the ex-aide with ministers etc is proof that there is a government conspiracy.
From various reports, this Saiful chap is/was an aspiring politician, and having been a student leader, it's quite possible he would have attended events or meetings where he could have asked for photographs with the attending minister or other VIP.
It's quite a leap of faith to go from that to (and it must be said, without other substantive/ supporting arguments) turning it into 'proof of collusion'.
As a common person, I think all parties should just let the police investigate the charges. If it's all a load of hot air, things will clear themselves soon enough.
Marion Tharsis: A lot of happenings are taking place almost daily since the recent elections. Some are startling and some are ludicrous. The opposition having control of some states, are delving into past mis-managements and abuse of power by the BN state governments.
It is like really kicking-up a storm that went unabated and without any check and balance for far too long. People have come to realise the racial game or intimidation won’t not hold water any more and they are more united in their stand than ever. The people have awoken and cannot be fooled any longer.
You can stop federal funds to Penang and other states under opposition, make accusations and ridiculous reports about the opposition leaders, control and threaten the media, interfere and dictate terms to the judiciary and police who are supposed to uphold the honour of law and order.
You can even use bullying tactics, typical of a police state. All these actions are only going to further isolate you from the people at large and not gain you an iota of support.
A point in question now, is Anwar. Resurrect the old issue which till today, is very questionable with a lot of loopholes. This new allegation is seen as a very desperate attempt to divert some of the more pressing issues that need answers, accountability and punishment.
Quite clearly, it has the makings and ingredients of a conspiracy to undermine the popularity of the man who is viewed as a threat and future leader of the country. It would be very interesting to see what unfolds this time. Perhaps, again, a mattress as evidence?
It is very embarrassing for us and also gives the outsider an impression that our people are no longer safe in their own country and cannot be assured of any protection and have to seek refuge in a foreign embassy.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Bravehart: Where else will they take us? This just proves one point - we need to get Umno and Barisan Nasional out of the parliament. Our so-called leaders are too old and complacent. Politics has become ‘harta pusaka’ (ancestral wealth)’.
They feel they can do anything and no one will question. If these people can’t even handle a political turmoil creatively, how can they handle global challenges intelligently?
Enough is enough. Malaysians will no longer tolerate such a blatant mockery of civil rights and an outright bastardisation of the national judiciary system.
Azman Hamed: I was hoping that Dollah Badawi would be different from Mahathir but when he uttered that it is normal for an accused person to plead innocence, he had, in fact, much to my disappointment, echoed his previous boss.
And that is in being cynical instead of being concerned, of wanting to stay in power as long as he wants, of defending tainted ministers and bringing the country into more debts.
What a sad affair this is turning out for me and my future generations. Sigh. If only we can turn back time, we would have definitely have stopped Mahathir before he did more damage.
Nithiyaavaani: I'm not surprised at all to hear the allegation by Saiful against Anwar. After 10 years, again a drama is taking place.
The director and the producer are none other than the ruling party BN to divert attention from the price hikes over fuel and food, not forgetting the case of Altantuya.
I'm thinking that the ruling party is still thinking that the people in Malaysia are dumb? Haven't they learned the lesson of March 8?
Just an advice to PKR - please don't accept anymore new faces without knowing their intentions. I'm sure it's hard to determine who is a double agent but this is the best way to protect your party and also PKR leaders.
It is always money politics in Malaysia. If you could, let us know whether Azizan is doing very well now.
To the people out there, know that there is no more a clean system in Malaysia. Let us unite and change it. We chose the leaders and we can change them because the power is with the people, not with political parties which use dirty tricks.
I'm sure we don’t want to be slapped again and again by BN anymore. Let us unite for our nation and prove that the power is with the people.
On Najib denies involvement in 'conspiracy'
CH Ong: He (Najib) said that the photo of his special officer with Saiful was taken when the 23-year-old came to his office to seek a government scholarship to pursue his studies.
I thought that government scholarships are handled by Jabatan Perkhidmtan Awam. I did not know that the office of the Timbalan Perdana Menteri provides government scholarships.
A Good Deputy PM: Najib is really a man of the rakyat. Why ?
Because he meets up with poor students who want scholarships. To do this, he must find the time and he must really be a good manager of time because there must be thousands who want to apply for scholarships.
What a good deputy PM!
On Rais To Meet Turkish Envoy Over Anwar
Thinker Seeker: ‘We will ask the ambassador to reconsider as it is meddling in Malaysia's internal affairs.’
Well, I'm sorry. But we don't trust Malaysia to handle her own affairs.
We do not trust the police, we do not trust the justice system and we've stopped reading your newspapers a long time ago.
I think it's high time we allow the international community to meddle into our business.
On We Chinese don't need to know what Anwar is or was...
Siew Wah: I agree with the writer that Chinese Malaysians just need to give their 100% support to capable leaders like Anwar Ibrahim, his deputy R Sivarasa, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and a host of dedicated men of honour in order to ditch the dishonest, inefficient, half-past-six administration of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
We have just learnt that interested parties of the current adminstration have tainted Anwar Ibrahim with another sodomy charge which is a complete fabrication.
The BN administration is sinking and the ‘boat people’ are trying to keep it afloat.
May the hand of justice protect the good men whose names are mentioned above and clean up the mess.
The most important thing to remember in all this is that the people of Sabah are fed up with all the loathsome racist policies that have been foisted on Sabah to racial cleanse the Chinese out of Sabah while minimizing the proportion of the KDM and other local natives by granting citizenship to vast numbers of Indonesian and Filipino illegal immigrants. Sabah's timber is depleted while the oil money is 95% taken by the federal government. So the Sabah people gets no benefit from all the natural bounties of its rich resources. And when the oil is gone in another 20 years or less and with the Chinese all fled to other countries, there will be no economic engine to provide jobs and incomes for the Sabahans. And Sabah will become as poor and socially chaotic as Indonesia and the Philippines. This is why Sabah people are dissatisfied and angry with the federal government.
This is why the policies of Sabah and the federal policies regarding Sabah must be changed. And the only way to change these policies is to change the government which means the UMNO-BN government must be replaced by a new government that is more responsive to the welfare of Sabah.
One way is for the Sabah parties to get out of BN and join PR. Another alternative way is for Sabah and Sarawak member parties of BN to get out of BN but instead of each joining PR individually, they should form an alliance - call it Pan-Borneo Alliance or PBA. Then PBA can negotiate with the other two alliances to see which will give it the best deal. If PR will give the best deal in terms of better immigration policy and higher percentage of oil revenue, etc. then PBA can form a coalition with it to form a government where PBA and PR are equal partners.
This way Sabah and Sarawak can become a powerful force to protect its member parties while being able to compel the new government to give favorable policies to Sabah and Sarawak. Most important of all, PBA can remain an independent cohesive and powerful political force and not having each individual party being swallowed up by PR and become impotent nonentities.
But the question is whether these parties can get together and cooperate and act in unity. If they can find the political maturity to cooperate, then it will become a powerful force for the benefit of the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak. Otherwise, they will continue to be divided and conquered by UMNO-BN.
But the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak have another option to go if the parties of Sabah and Sarawak cannot form a pan-Broneo alliance. The DAP and PKR have already established a beachhead in KK and Kuching. It is easy to predict that the next election the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak will mostly vote for DAP and PKR just like in the last election the peoples of Malaya had dumped MIC, MCA, Gerakan and other BN parties to vote for DAP and PKR. So the BN parties of Sabah should not take it for granted that they will always have the support and vote of the Sabah people. Otherwise, they will be as surprised as BN on March 9, 2008.
In a case of rape there must be hard evidence such as semen of the rapist in the genitals of the victim or skin of the rapist under the nail of the victim or hair of the rapist on the person of the victim and signs of defensive injuries on the person of the victim. You cannot just say such and such raped you and have the charge stick. You got to have proof. Otherwise nobody is safe from the vengefulness of a jilted lover or the spitefulness of a defeated business rival or, as in this case, the desperate machinations of a threatened political party on the verge of collapse.
Frankly, I don't think any of the above mentioned hard evidence can be provided by the victim and authenticated by the police. Furthermore, in a case of consensual suxual act - as this case is premably alleged to be - the evidence required is even more stringent. You will need actual video evidence or the testimonies of many witnesses who had actually witnessed the sexual act and whose honesty are beyond question. I just don't know where such witnesses can be found in this case. I surely doubt if there is any video evidence of the two actually engaging in the act. So there simply is no credible proof that a consensual sexual act had taken place anytime anywhere.
But the danger is that the police will simply arrest Anwar and put on a kangaroo trial and rush him off to jail and let the public condemnation be damned. Some had suggested that this is a plot engineered not by UMNO-BN but by PKR itself to discredit UMNO-BN. The way things have gone down the rabbit hole, anything is possible. One can only hope that this madness could end quickly with the ouster of UMNO-BN and the start of a new and more democratic government that respects the rights of all peoples so that all can do their best to contribute to the growth and development for the benefit of all peoples.
And one way that the Sabah and Sarawak politicians can help is to quickly organize the Pan-Borneo Alliance and then form a coalition to take over the government. Then the new government will be in control of th police and can put an end to all the dirty baseless plots. And instead investigate those who are making all the false accusations and put them in jail.
I sincerely hope SAPP will abide by the verdict of the polls set up. Currently the wish of the people is for SAPP to leave BN and join Pakatan Rakyat. Please do not disappoint the people again.
Do the right thing by leaving BN.
If the SAPP do not leave BN, then please don't set up polls to deceive the people next time and then dash their hopes.
Continuation of topic....
ReplyDeleteThere was no motion for a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister Monday (23 June). The tension of BN has been slightly released while the hopes of Pakatan Rakyat are gradually fading. Both of the parties wonder whether Datuk Yong Teck Lee is really serious about it.
In the past few days, I have asked some Pakatan Rakyat MPs and all of them did not understand why Yong was doing it.
Has Yong rubbed on the magic lamp? Was there a genie inside? If so, was the genie being released?
A MP told me that the original plan was like horse racing in which more than a hundred of horses burst out when the gate opens after the race gun goes off
However, no shot could be heard and the gate remained closed. But a horse escaped from the gate and ran on the track. It made no difference with only the strength of one. The no-confidence motion might not be mentioned again within a short period of time.
Yong and SAPP have also exposed themselves in which they can no longer hide under the protection of Sabah BN to bargain with the federal government.
It seems like Yong and Pakatan Rakyat have failed to achieve their objectives while Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and BN are safe for the moment. At the same time, we could see that this is not yet the time for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat.
They still do not have enough of seats to overthrow Pak Lah's government.
However, Yong's calculation might not be such simple. He has long-term political agenda. And perhaps, this is just the beginning. First of all, Yong has suddenly become popular in Sabah.
The first horse that burst out from the gate has grabbed the people's attention. Sabahans who are discontented with the federal government could find satisfaction from Yong.
SAPP used to be a tiny political party and it will remain a tiny political party if it stays in the BN coalition. Moreover, based on the current political situation in Sabah, staying in BN might lead to the lose of its existing seats in the Parliament. So, Yong took its first step to secure its future.
Currently, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has carved up Chinese seats of SAPP while SAPP are not allowed to take seats belonging to Kadazan and Muslim member parties of BN. Yong has no way to expand its power.
Confronting BN does not only enhance its popularity, but as well earns a greater space for SAPP. SAPP can interfere in LDP's constituencies and it can also expand to non-Chinese constituencies in the future.
Secondly, Sabah BN has shown the federal government its strength through Yong. Yong did not really fight alone. Instead, he was supported by leaders from other parties.
Ghapur Salleh, Anifah Aman from Sabah Umno, and Bernard Dompok from United PasokMomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) are powerful leaders in Sabah. This time, they were “sympathetic” over Yong, forcing BN to cautiously handle the problem.
No matter whether they have reached an agreement with Yong, at least they have opened a space for their future cooperation. Anti-federal-government Sabah leaders did not want to see Yong being sacrificed because if so, they might meet the same fate as Yong.
It is expected that Sabah BN may gradually split into two, with one stays together with the federal government and another will leave BN and form an independent coalition, being the third force after BN and Pakatan Rakyat. Based on their political sense, they know that leaving BN will be more conducive to gain Sabahans' support.
It is learnt that about 14 to 18 Sabah BN MPs are now tend to form the new coalition. As Yong has taken the first step, naturally, he has become one of the leaders.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had spent 10 years to divide Sabah politics into several large pieces. For Muslim, he terminated United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) and introduced Umno. For Kadazan, he weakened Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and hastened the formation of Upko and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah(PBRS) to split Kadazan's political power. For Chinese, he let SAPP and LDP to contradict and check and balance each other.
Today, Dr Mahathir's “grand plan” is gradually collapsing. Sabah political power is reforming and its structure is changing. It seems that it is the will of Sabahans.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/85184
ReplyDeleteDr M: 22 fiascos in 22 years of power
Batman | Jun 27, 08 4:45pm
Many of those who worshiped Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad cannot understand why Malaysians blame TDM for the woes of the country. I have compiled excerpts of reports which were published in the media in past years to refresh the memories of Malaysians, as to why many Malaysians feel that TDM did more bad than good for the country in his 22 years.
These 22 fiascos were published in the form of questions directed to TDM:
1. On clean government
You came to power in 1981 and introduced the slogan Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah (Clean, Efficient and Trustworthy). What did you do to further that? Did you make the Anti-Corruption Agency more independent and effective? Did you ensure that the police and judiciary did their jobs properly and reduce corruption in their ranks? Did you ensure that ministers and chief ministers not have incomesbeyond their legal means? How many big guns were prosecuted for corruption offences during your tenure? What happened to Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah?
2. Press freedom
Your criticism of the present government got plenty of coverage in the local media whereas, during your time, criticisms against you by two former prime ministers were muted in the mainstream newspapers. Editors in Umno-linked newspapers, too, were removed for not toeing the line. What did you do to advance the cause of responsible press freedom?
3. Proton
You went ahead with the national car project in 1983 despite a number of experts disagreeing with you, especially with respect to the lack of economies of scale. Isn’t it true that Proton’s profits over the past 20 years came from the vastly higher prices that the Malaysian public has had to pay to subsidiseProton, resulting in considerable hardship for Malaysians who need cars because of the poor public transport system? Why was it necessary for Proton to buy a stake in a failed Italian motorcycle manufacturer when it could not even produce cars competitively?
4. Heavy industries
Why did you push into heavy industries such as steel and cement in the 1980s, ignoring studies which suggested developing natural resource-based industries instead? They caused major problems and billions of ringgit in losses.
5. Immigration
Why did you allow hordes of people to emigrate, mainly from Indonesia, in such an unregulated way that there are as many or more illegal immigrants than legal ones now, accounting for some three million or more people? Did you not realise that this would cause serious social problems?
6. Operasi Lallang
Why did you have to resort to this move in October 1987, when you used the Internal Security Act (ISA) to detain over 100 people, close down four newspapers and cause a wave of fear throughout the country? Was it to consolidate your tenuous hold on power then by using an oppressive law?
7. Judiciary
What was your motive to take action in 1988 to remove the then Lord President and several Supreme Court judges from their positions under allegations of judicial misconduct, a move which was heavily criticised by the Bar Council and other bodies? Was it because you needed more compliant judges whose rulings would not threaten your position of power in a number of cases in court?
Was this the first step in dismantling the judiciary’s role as a system of check and balance against the legislature and the executive? What have you to say to repeated assertions by many, including prominent ex-chief justices, who maintain that this led to the erosion of judicial independence?
8. Education
Why did you allow our national school system, which is the ideal place to develop ties among young Malaysians, to become so divisive? Why is it that our local universities, once the preferred choice of tertiary education, have deteriorated to a level that even students who gain admission prefer to enroll into local private universities.
9. Malaysia Airlines
Why did your government sell MAS (private sale) to Tajuddin Ramli who had no knowledge whatsoever about running an airline? Why did your government then later bail out Tajuddin by paying RM8 per share when the shares were trading at only RM3.60 in the open market, costing close to RM1 billion of the rakyat’s money.
10. Privatisation
Why did you allow privatisation to take place in such a manner that the most profitable parts of government operations were sold away like Telekom Malaysia, Pos Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional? Tolled roads had guaranteed toll rate increases and compensations in the event traffic projections were not met. Independent power producers (IPPs) had contracts that guaranteed them profits at the expense of Tenaga Nasional. What was the justification of privatising the government medical stores to Southern Task Sdn Bhd, and the resulting increase in the prices of medicines?
11. Putrajaya
What is the justification for spending RM20 billion on a grandiose government city at a time when office space was available in Kuala Lumpur? Could the money not have been put to better use, such as improving educational resources?
12. Indah Water Konsortium
What was the basis of granting Indah Water Konsortium a concession to manage the national sewerage system? Could you explain the RM1.4 billion soft loan to IWK which clearly has irrecoverable losses?
13. Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad
Why did you rescue Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad (then owned by your son Mirzan) and which had debts of RM1.7 billion using funds from Petronas? Was it not your administration which forced Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC) to acquire the assets of Konsortium Perkapalan Nasional?
14. Time Dotcom Bhd
Why did your administration bail out Time Dotcom Bhd which was saddled with a RM5 billion debt? Why did your government use RM904 million from Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen to buy up 273.9 million of unwanted Time Dotcom shares incurring an instant loss of RM280 million?
Did you not force the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to buy 81.6 million of the unsubscribed public portion of the initial public offering (IPO) of Time Dotcom Bhd at RM3.30 per share when the shares were trading at only between RM1.95 and RM2.10 and in the process incurring an instant loss of RM100 million?
15. LRT
Why did you bail out the light rail transit operators Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik Sdn Bhd (Putra), which belonged to Renong, and Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan Sdn Bhd (Star) using almost RM600 million from the EPF, which still resulted in EPF having to write off RM135 million with a share loss of RM96 million?
16. North-South Expressway
Why did your administration award the North South Expressway concession to UEM (which then formed Plus) and then provide them with a loan of RM1.6 billion which was half of the tender price of RM3.2 billion? What was the justification for your administration to grant Plus such over-generous terms, which included annual increment of toll rates and guaranteed traffic volumes?
17. PSC Industries Berhad
Why did your administration in 1998 award a RM24.3 billion contract to PSC Industries Berhad, together with an advance of more than RM2.5 billion to build naval patrol boats? Why were they also given exclusive rights to service the Malaysian navy’s entire fleet? Could you confirm that the first two ships built by PSCI could not even pass pre-delivery trials? How would you answer to the Public Accounts Committee’s revelation that it will cost the government another RM120 million just to salvage the first two vessels nearing completion after seven years?
18. Bakun Dam
Why did you award Ekran Bhd the contract to build the Bakun hydroelectric dam in Sarawak? Why did your administration take over the construction of the dam by bailing out Ekran by almost RM200 million for ‘work done’?
19. InventQjaya
What was the basis of inviting Libyan-American Sadeq Mustaffa to Malaysia to set up InventQjaya Sdn Bhd and to also give him a grant of RM440 million? What was the benefit for Malaysia and how has Malaysia benefitted? What has happened to InventQjaya now?
20. Forex losses
Why did your administration dabble in speculation in the international money market which ultimately cost Bank Negara almost RM9.3 billion in losses?
21. Bank Bumiputra
Why did you allow the mismanagement of Bank Bumiputra, to the extent that it had to be bailed out three times, costing the country a total of RM3 billion? Again, by dipping into Petronas’ funds?
22. Perwaja Steel
Why did your administration allow Perwaja Steel to be mismanaged resulting in RM2.9 million of the rakyat’s money being squandered?
There you are - 22 fiascos in 22 years. The bad news is that there are actually more than 22. Remember the APs, Maminco, Renong and many more. Those who remember, please add on to this list.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85286
ReplyDeleteDon't let judges be victims
Jun 30, 08 11:11am
‘If Justice Chin should be investigated for misconduct then it is only fair for Dr M to be interrogated as well with a lie detector. There is certainly no smoke without fire.’
On Dr M vs judge: Tit-for-tat continues
Marion Tharsis: Despite the fact that Dr M is no longer the head of the government, he has a free hand and given free publicity by the controlled media to dictate what he wants everyone else to do.
Almost a day does not go by without his attacks, demands or detrimental statements. There are also his stooge pigeons coming out of nowhere (or perhaps from their slumber) to speak in support of their 'divine' leader.
He gets bolder with his remarks knowing very well the BN government still 'kow tows' to him. Otherwise, they would have either told him to keep quiet or investigated into his past dubious dealings and management.
If Justice Chin should be investigated for misconduct then it is only fair for Dr M to be interrogated as well with a lie detector.
There is certainly no smoke without fire and very often, only a minority will speak up for justice and at the end, they are either victimised or incarcerated for speaking the truth.
Let us not make Justice Chin an innocent victim of blind justice. Be fair and let the truth prevail by getting into the bottom of this astounding revelation.
I also hope that other judges who have also faced harassment and victimisation in the line of duty, speak up to restore honour and dignity to the due process of the law without fear or favour.
On PM: Najib and wife not involved in Altantuya murder
Mooshie Mooshie: Strange things are happening in the case of the Mongolian murder trial with all this talk by the PM and DPM and police reports for and against everybody, including the DPM's wife Rosmah.
Some, meanwhile, are trying to speak up or cover up for each another. The big question is, is there something that the prime ministers know that we don't? Can some one help?
Sometimes, for things like this, we don't like to speculate.
On RPK's declaration: Damage done
KB Gan: In the report, the writer said, ‘Razak is a defence expert who helps to facilitate defence contracts that run into billions of dollars. The amount of commissions from such deals is a subject of intense speculation...’
Allow me to correct this inaccuracy. It was widely reported during the time when the Altantuya story broke that Razak Baginda was a political analyst. He was not a defence expert by any stretch of the imagination. The huge commission he received from a certain defence deal does not make him one.
Najib has denied any impropriety saying they followed standard procedure. He should credit Malaysians with more intelligence.
If it is standard procedure to give a reported RM100 million commission to a third party who has no expertise in the matter and hence does not add value, then we are in deep trouble with the way the government is run.
On Shahrir's motion: 129 yes, 78 no
Mooshie Mooshie: The BN government thinks that it has ‘won the confidence’ of the MPs in the endorsement of the fuel price increase. To many, however, the government has lost the war.
These so-called peoples' representatives ( the Barisan MPs) have betrayed their constituents who had voted these very people in to highlight their hardships to the government.
Don't these MPs have their constituents’ interests at heart? Can they not speak out for the rakyat? So, this is ‘democracy ‘BN-style is it? As we knew all along.
On Why should Petronas be the exception to the rule?
Soo Lai Mun: I am just curious to know what happens if our crude oil is of low quality. Do we still export or just consume the oil ourselves? To export it does not make much sense. If we use the oil ourselves, then how much will Petronas charge the consumer?
To export our oil at a high price and to import oil at a lower price, logically, we should still be enjoying the oil at minimum price, that is if we take the oil (exported and imported) as one entity. The problem now is they are not. Our exported and imported oil are taken as separate entities.
That’s why the consumer is still subjected to world oil price. If the government decides to reduce the price, Petronas will then have to forego part of their export price profit (which the government regards as the 'subsidy’).
The government said they will saved billions as a result of the reduction in subsidies. I think the people now would like to know how much they will really save after the government has given out rebates, commissions, subsidies and whatever free monies back to please the people.
On Five percent oil royalty for S'wak too little
Perplexed: Whether it is a five or ten percent royalty, where has all the money been chanelled to? What took these states so long to realise that they have been taken for a ride?
Why, in the first instance, their so-called elected leaders have been keeping 'mum' all this awhile?
Where has all the timber ‘goldmine' monies disappeared to? Ask your beloved CM who has entrenched himself firmly in the throne for umpteen years. He may be able to provide the answers to it all.
Ask the rest of the powers-that-be sitting in their high citadels as to what they have done with all these funds.
Draw a list of all those ministers, their cronies, their siblings and their wealth and the number of corporations they own. I bet my last single sen, you will not find a single poor, honest man (or woman) amongst them. It is disgusting.
On Dayaks may have to set up their own party
Joseph Tawie: I must admit that some promoters of the Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) have joined PKR as they know that the government will not register MDC as a political party.
However, the few of us who are still left behind are still pursuing MDC’s registration as a political party. We have consulted a number of Dayak leaders in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu and they have urged us to continue with our struggle.
We have now engaged a law firm to sue the government for failure to respond to our appeal. The appeal was submitted on August 12, 2006 after the Registrar of Societies rejected our application on ‘security’ grounds.
We share with the views expressed by the writer that Dayaks must have a party of their own if they are going to play a meaningful role in the democratic process of the country.
Currently there is no Dayak party, after the government de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak on flimsy grounds on Oct 21, 2004.
Those who claim to represent the Dayak community are actually representing their own periuk nasi (rice bowls).
I therefore call upon all those who share our aspiration to support MDC and its promoters in our court battle against the government.
On PM: Bumi equity only at 19.4%
Enough Already: After 38 years, despite having near carte-blanche to do whatever it pleased, the government is still whining and making pathetic excuses for not achieving the goals of the NEP.
Either this government is hopelessly incompetent or lying. If the NEP itself is so poorly crafted that it just cannot deliver the goods, scrap it for goodness’ sake and come up with a better programme.
Meanwhile, Pak Blah, stop the lies already. The government's claims are totally divorced from reality, based on par value rather than market value - as independent research from the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) clearly showed last year.
Let's see you and other Umnoputeras sell your assets at par value. And buy underwater assets at par!
Reporters and editors, to provide context and balance. Please note that all BN's claims about the shortfall in bumiputra equity are based on par value, and that research based on market value shows bumi ownership as high as 45 percent, according to Asli.
Also, we would like to know how the supposed 19.4 percent equity, according to Pak Lah, is distributed among Malays - regionally, individually and dynastically.
My View: Year in year out, we read and hear about this umi equity not achieving its target of 30%. To me, this percentage thing is a 'relative' matter and there will be no end to this target of 30% bumi equity being achieved.
Let say, for example, if government give shares in the ratio of 30% to the bumi and 70% to the non-bumi, but overnight, the bumi sold this 10% to a non-bumi for quick money. Immediately, the bumi's equity will be reduced to 20%.
Another example is if this bumi did not sell his 30% equity but, contented with this percentage, did not work further to increase or maintain his wealth. The non-bumi, however, works doubly hard to ensure he accumulates more money and increases his worth.
So then again, the bumi equity will decrease to less than 30% when compared to the non-bumi equity even though in 'absolute' terms the bumi's worth is still pegged at its original value.
Thus, based on this simple mathematic, it is not fair for the government to work on a percentage basis.
On Looking at the Malay problem
Siew Wah: Having read through this article, I feel he speaks for all Malaysians although for the most part, he dealt with the problems affecting Malays.
He is indeed a tough, conscientious Malay leader in the same league as former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim who has reformed and ready to take over the reins of running Malaysia.
I believe men of integrity who have been locked up in detention by the phony Mahathir regime but still remained strong in their beliefs will be better able to contribute to the good of the nation if elected to office.
Let's hope those BN fencesitters, think this over and give their support to PKR.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85290
ReplyDeleteYour say: Is it fair to blame Pakatan?
Jun 30, 08 11:34am
‘The opposition deserves more leeway. No one has experienced what is happening in Malaysia before and everyone is going to make some stumbles.’
On Opposition pledges yet unfulfilled
Maidin Bacha: The writer makes a fundamental error in his article - it is not the opposition that can bring the price of petrol down, it is the government. While Pakatan Rakyat having power in five states complicates the situation, I'm sure petrol prices and many other economic woes the writer blames on the opposition are the purview of Putrajaya.
He also makes many unsubstantiated claims - for instance, he says ‘many (PR lawmakers) are still in a state of shock having been transformed overnight from ‘street fighters' battling police to lawmakers’. Where is the evidence?
He also criticises the ‘crossover’ moves PKR is undertaking. The jury is out on this one. There is some truth that stretching this out distracts from more pressing issues. But if it does actually happen by Sept 16, it may not be that bad a thing after all.
It is hypocritical to suddenly start talking about the ‘ethics’ of crossovers when there have been so many instances in the past of underhanded political tactics, many done blatantly.
But on balance, the writer may be right in that this whole thing is turning into more of a liability than an asset for Anwar Ibrahim. If something is brewing, he should get it done fast and move on.
I think the opposition deserves more leeway and more time. No one has experienced what is happening in Malaysia before and everyone is going to learn on the job and make some stumbles.
Remember, the old system many people voted against is weakened, but still in power. This is not the time to start ‘looking back fondly’ - if that is possible - at the pre-March situation.
Lambroghini Tan: Barely six months into the job and ridiculous people are demanding for an overnight change of what has been done for the past 50 years. Give them a break and give them ample time to do their work.
You gave BN ample time to destroy the country so why can't you give PR enough time to do the work that they promised? Do remember, BN raised the petrol price not PR.
Please don’t do the ugly Malaysian thing and demand for an overnight change.
The Silent Saint: I am truly amused reading this article. It sounds as though Anwar Ibrahim is the PM of Malaysia who is failing miserably in addressing the several issues confronting the nation today.
Even a child can see that the BN government is more concerned about surviving the political battle than solving the economic woes of the people.
The ruling government is bent on denying even the slightest opportunity to the opposition to bring about any form relief to the middle and lower-income people.
The withdrawal of funds for the Porr and monorail projects in Penang is a classic example. The opposition is strong in Parliament but does not have the majority to bring about changes.
It is ridiculous to expect DSAI or the PR to fulfill their pledges when they are not in power.
What DSAI is doing is to try and wrestle power from the flip-flop PM and his corrupt cabinet in order to bring about the real reforms. Let’s be fair and give the opposition due credit.
Don’t forget that after almost 50 years, it is only now that the people’s voice is being heard in Parliament.
As for the fuel price cost, it may go up in the global market but if we manage the revenue from Petronas properly, we should be able to continue with the fuel subsidy, thus keeping the price within manageable limits.
Kenny Gan: The writer is mischievous in conveniently ignoring the fact that many of Pakatan Rakyat's election promises can only be fulfilled if they capture the federal government.
Among them are the promise to lower oil prices, equal treatment of all races and increase of wages. Even local council elections are subject to federal law.
Unlike the writer, Malaysians are able to distinguish between what PR can and cannot do and apportion blame accordingly.
The tone of the report to put the blame squarely on PR for promises which are contingent on winning the federal government speaks of a biased political agenda.
On Penang fumes over scrapping of mega-projects
Alfred Ho: It does not take a rocket scientist to realise why the cancellation - or as the Barisan government would lead us to believe that the ‘postponement’ - of the Penang monorail and outer ring road projects was done.
The BN government says this is because of the lack of funds. However, every right-thinking Malaysian know only too well that this is an outright lie but rather to punish Penangnites for voting in the Pakatan Rakyat.
I wonder how Lim Guan Eng and Co will react to this announcement.
Old Timer: I think many have missed the critical issues. The main problem with Penang is the many vehicles plying its roads thus contributing to its perennial taffic jams and gridlock.
There are many similarities between Penang and Singapore and its problems are not new.
There is little need to re-invent the wheel here, so to speak. Much of the answers and solutions for a comprehensive urban transport system is already available in Singapore.
Building more roads and bridges will not help if the annual increasing number of vehicles on the roads is not stemmed at the same time.
My view is that the state government is in a unique and privileged position to take over the ‘baton’ passed by the federal government to undertake the management of public transport and show their stuff. The political capital is now in their hands.
Lim Guan Eng and his team should make a detailed study of Singapore's system and implement it in Penang. Whatever lobbying is needed to be made to the federal government, do it now to clear the path for this state project.
Even if you are unable to leave any other legacy behind by the time your administartion is completed, do leave at least an efficient and effective public transportation system behind. We will remember you for it.
Do go ahead and make Penang into another ‘First World Singapore. I am sure you will have the blessings of many Penangnites and other Malaysians elsewhere.
Don't forget, however, at the same time, your spiritual and cultural side.
Remember to develop and help promote and instill the Baba-Nyonya heritage. Be like Korea where there is - or was - well-rounded development.
Do not replicate Singapore's weakness in this very important area of human capital development.
Lilian Tan: In the immediate aftermath of the elections, so many of us had hoped that Barisan Nasional – and more specifically, Umno – would come to its senses, put the people's interests first and work with Pakatan Rakyat.
Alas, we have only seen more spin and subterfuge from the federal government, saying one thing and doing something else. The shelving of the Penang monorail and Porr projects is the latest but surely not the last of the ‘betrayals’ we can expect from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi government. And yet, however bleak it might seem, we, the people, still have a choice.
Those of us who voted for the opposition on March 8 made a conscious choice to deny Barisan Nasional an outright victory.
We knew then, that economic punishment would follow and indeed it has but we must stand strong and together, and remember that this is but small price to pay for the years of lies, abuse and neglect that Barisan Nasional has dished out to us.
The worst thing we can do is to let our tormentors break our spirit and bully us into returning them to power in the next elections.
If this happens, the following will surely happen which would be truly tragic.
Barisan Nasional will not only re-launch itself in all its shameless pomp and corrupt glory and wreak vengeance to make up for lost time/opportunitites, it will also re-engineer the constitution and workings of every arm of government to ensure that no opposition party or coalition can ever seize power again.
For our sake and those of the future generations of Malaysians, we must not let that happen. We simply cannot afford to.
This is what Anwar Ibrahim told Agence France Presse (AFP) in a telephone interview this morning:
ReplyDeleteAnwar said the allegations were aimed at derailing his spectacular political comeback as the figurehead of the opposition which made unprecedented gains in March elections, and came just as he was about to re-enter parliament.
"This is their intention. You know we will announce a by-election this week. I will contest in the by-election, the police knew that," he said. [...]
"Umno members and MPs have promised to come out and campaign for me so they come out with these sexual allegations to stop me from securing power," he said.
Najib:
ReplyDeleteWhen questioned on the existence of a photograph of Saiful and his (Najib’s) special officer, taken at the office of the deputy prime minister, Najib said that the photo was taken when Saiful had come to his office to seek a government scholarship to pursue his studies.
==================================
Ha ha ha! Since when was the DPM’s office in charge of scholarships? Where is the Ministry of Higher education and all Scholarship boards that come under it? Is he is a son of a military man? Huh. You have lost this mr Najis. Sorry!
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/85323
ReplyDeleteBN gov't cannot afford a repeat of 1998 Anwar trial
An Observer | Jun 30, 08 4:18pm
On the cusp of attaining political power, Anwar Ibrahim is hit again with allegations of sodomy.
This has been seen by many as plot to assassinate him politically and to lock him up to keep him away from the political scene.
Never mind that this round is even more unbelievable than the first round in 1998 when he was charged and convicted on similar allegations. The fact is that convincing the public of his guilt now will be an uphill task.
The standard of proof in this case will need to be very high to convince a skeptical public who feel that they had been served with a litany of deceit and chicanery to insult their intelligence in that infamous case 10 years ago.
We must remember that in 1998, Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of sodomy on the most filmiest of evidence.
He was basically convicted on the testimony of one man who proved to be an unreliable witness by changing his story many times in court. The accuser in question had not even been medically examined to certify that he had been sodomised.
The attorney-general then changed the date of the alleged act twice. In the first date tendered, the condominium where the crime was alleged to have taken place was not even built yet!
Two of Anwar’s male associates who were convicted of having a sexual relationship with him declared publicly that their confessions were extracted under extreme duress and sought legal redress.
Anwar’s tennis partner was arrested for illegal possession of a bullet although he had a gun license and allegedly threatened with the death penalty if he did not cooperate in implicating Anwar. When the plot was exposed in court, the judge sentenced the lawyer to jail for bringing it up.
In the absence of any substantial evidence, a stained mattress was carried in and out of court to the bemusement of the public.
The judge had been specially promoted to hear the case. Suffice to say that the conduct of the judge did not give the impression of impartiality.
In light of the above events, the public can be forgiven for treating the current allegation against Anwar with grave doubt. Failure to expel their doubts will reinforce the suspicion that Anwar is yet again a victim of political persecution.
Should Anwar be charged and brought to trial again, the powers-that-be had best not treat the public as gullible imbeciles as in 1998.
He cannot be convicted on the basis of one accuser’s testimony without any collaborative evidence. Any evidence tendered must be ironclad.
The judge selected to hear the case must be well-known for his impartiality when deciding cases involving the government. I would suggest that justice Sri Gopal Ram or Ian Chin will be a good choice.
If the authorities are not absolutely certain that Anwar can be convicted in a fair trial, it is best to drop the case. Malaysia cannot afford a repeat of the 1998 trial which saw the reputation of the judiciary being dragged through mud.
The political repercussion of a show trial akin to 1998 will be enough to generate another political tsunami which will surely sweep the BN from power.
maybe Saiful wants to apply C4 scholarship in his office?
ReplyDelete同样是丑闻缠身，安华和纳吉应对丑闻的方式迥然而异。赛夫上周六指控安华鸡奸他之后，安华在第一时间起诉前者诽谤，可是斥责柏特拉凭空捏造案情的纳吉迄今没有透过法律途径，向拉惹柏特拉讨回清白。
ReplyDelete国阵当中某些人因忌讳安华阔步走向布城首相署，因捏造鸡奸的罪名打击他的政治前途。他说：“全世界都说安华将是马来西亚下一任首相，每个人都知道，走到街上问每个人，你想要谁当下一任马来西亚首相？我可以很有把握地告诉你，大部分人都会说，安华依布拉欣。”
“到世界各地问记者、领袖，他们想见谁？安华。他们估计谁是下一任首相？安华。当然有些在国阵里头的人不想看到此事成真，这是相当清楚的，因此国阵一些人为了诋毁安华的形象和名誉，不顾一切试图阻止安华或拖慢他走向他在布城的办公室。”
Nampaknya 916 tak kesampaian. Kenapa? Sebab Malaysia telah disumpah oleh Tunku Abdul Rahman(PM pertama) dengan megunakan namanya RAHMAN dalam partinya iaitu UMNO? Atau takdir?? Biar saya tafsirkan nama RAHMAN.
ReplyDeleteR = Rahman (Pm pertama)
A = Abdul Razak (PM kedua)
H = Husein Onn (PM ketiga)
M = Mahathir (PM keempat)
A = Abdullah (PM kelima),
Anwar(disngkirkan)
N = Najib ?? Bakal PM keenam??
Jadi kitaran ini habis siapa yang jadi PM? TIME Khiamat??
Sama-samalah kita mendoa agar sejatera..
SEKIAN TERIMA KASIH..
There's no more musical chair on show in Sabah as the players are glued to their seats with only music tunes change. However, an AMxx dynasty is forming with KL influence grows weaker.
ReplyDeleteA new leader in Sabah must look after not only the welfare of the original local citizens but the “foreigners” too.
Some of these “foreigners” are doing “part-time” job once in 5 years as “Voters” to decide what leaders and government that we should have. What a shame really, we the peasant not only have to rely on the “foreigners” to work for building our economy but also in the process of selecting our new leaders and government.
...tidak ada istilah "Ketuanan Melayu" di bumi Sabah...yang ada hanyalah "Ketuanan Malaya" dan ini juga akan pupus pada satu masa yang sesuai!
ReplyDeletePolitik UMNO diselaputi dengan unsur-unsur perkauman. Tidak salah untuk memperjuangkan nasib serta halatuju sesuatu bangsa itu dalam apa jua aspek...tetapi amat salah jika di tengah jalan sesuatu bangsa itu menonjolkan bahawa bangsa merekalah yang "TUAN" manakala bangsa-bnagsa lain adalah lebih rendah martabatnya!
Apa sudah jadi dengan angan-angan membentuk Bangsa Malaysia? Bangsa-bangsa di bumi Sabah ini walaupun dari pelbagai kepercayaan agama seharusnya bersatu menentang dakyah-dakyah "perkauman Malaya".
Kalau Bangsa Malaysia hanyalah satu fantasi...mari kita bangsa-bangsa Sabah tunjukkan pada orang-orang Malaya bahawa kita boleh jadikan Bangsa Sabah satu realiti!
Bila orang Malaya tanya kita.."You apa bangsa?"....kita jawab..."Kami Bangsa Sabah...atau Anak Kinabalu!"
Ya! Kami adalah Anak-Anak Kinabalu.....dan jangan cuba LAGI untuk mencerai-beraikan kami! Pergi jahanam dengan sifat angkuh "ketuanan" kamu itu!
Lord of the Nunuk Ragang,
Gunung Kinabalu
PS:...we need not PR nor BN to decide what's best for us...we Sabah/Sarawak decide for ourselves! We should look forward into being the "other factor that decides in forming the next federal government!" ...the """"Sabah/Sarawak peoples all-races revolutionary association"""""........the much awaited third and decisive force within the Malaysian federation
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85355
ReplyDeleteYOUR SAY: Do not test the rakyat's patience
Jul 1, 08 9:18am
‘I call upon the police to exercise logic, restraint and fair treatment in the wake of this latest revelation involving Anwar Ibrahim. I do not think that any arrest will go down well with the rakyat. Please do not test their patience.’
On Anwar files libel suit against aide
Amir Hamzah Amha: Never before have I been more angry than what happened at on June 28, the date when another police report was lodged against Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI) by one Saiful Bahari for sodomy.
I urge all supporters of Pakatan Rakyat to exercise restraint and patience and not to resort to anything drastic.
Whilst the Barisan Nasional was busy deflecting criticism for the single highest petrol fuel hike in the world - even for non-oil producing countries, as well as denouncing the statutory declaration implicating Rosmah Mansor for the murder of Mongolian Altantuyaa Shaariibuu, a plan was devised to attack Anwar directly to silence further dissent.
The plan was to arrest Anwar and to pre-empt any efforts by Pakatan Rakyat to take over Malaysia by Sept 16 which includes to sabotage the mammoth rally against the petrol fuel hike to be held on July 6 2008 at Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
I call upon the Royal Malaysian Police to continue to exercise logic, restraint and fair treatment in the wake of this latest revelation. Investigate where necessary but do not impair your reputation by kow-towing to the Barisan Nasional by resorting to unnecessary arrests.
Let us leave the disturbing episodes of ten years ago in the black annals of Malaysian history.
I sincerely believe - looking at the results of the 12th Malaysian general elections - that the majority of the rakyat is hungry, desperate and broke and they all look to Anwar as their saviour.
I do not think that any arrest will go down well with the rakyat. Please do not test their patience.
Yumcious: Seems like we are all letting our distaste for all things ruling-party muddle our thinking on this latest allegation of sodomy.
I, for one, think there's something much more sinister than just a fella being rear-ended. I find it suspicious that this police report was so quickly leaked, and pictures of the person so quickly made available.
This whole episode is calculated to cause maximum embarrassment to the ruling government, especially Najib. Now all the comments I've read so far indicate that people seem to think this is the work of the government.
I know the masterminds know that it is sheer stupidity to launch another broad-side against Anwar, especially when the last one didn't quite take. And the seeming theatrics of taking refuge in an embassy smacks of play-acting.
A blogger called it sheer audacity. I tend to call it sheer brilliance, as it has successfully turned more people, including Umno rank-and-file, against the ruling elite. Now, who would want that to happen? Mahathir? Or PKR themselves? Makes for interesting times ahead.
And no, I didn't vote for BN the last time, if that's what you're thinking.
Jeremiah Liang: The latest news on the Web is that a police report was filed against the opposition leader. At present, we do not know the truth and the details of the report. Whom can we trust for truthful information when there are doubts over the objectivity of the mainstream papers?
Even several blogs can't be trusted because of their political leanings towards one party or another.
However, we can learn from the history of the world - in every political crisis, the first thing and most powerful thing to do is to pray to God that He will intervene for the truth to prevail, for the lies to be exposed, for the injustice to be reversed and the innocent to be protected from the evil that has taken the hearts of men.
So if we read or hear about a dramatic turn of events (such as the arrest of a prominent political leader), I think we should be prepared for a major crisis in the country.
As an individual citizen, now is probably the time to gather our families and friends together in our homes and places of worship to pray as a nation that the next tsunami will be as peaceful and mature as the first one on March 8.
G Krishnan: I imagine you were as surprised as I was to read the news that a police report has been filed against Anwar Ibrahim accusing him of sodomising an aide. I could not believe my eyes.
If ever there was a desperate regime trying to hang on to power, this Umno-led cast of desperados has certainly got to be it. Let's be clear: there is no doubt what is being orchestrated here is an offensive maneuver to counter the pressure being faced by the Najib-regime in-waiting.
You know the expression, 'the best defence is an offence'? The 'insiders' have now gone on the offence, and the game is only going to get uglier.
The fact is, I suspect most Malaysians will see right through this ploy and know that their government is resorting to dirty games again – and again with the veneer of seemingly enforcing the law – to serve the narrow and personal political ambitions of a few.
While I am inclined to agree with Anwar, what I find offensive is the propensity for a few with power to act with impunity and to exploit public institutions and resources to fulfill their personal ambition.
This time, maybe we won't be subjected to a kind of public relations farce where the government would parade a mattress being transported to court each day during Anwar's last trial. But mind you, don't rule out some other theatrics.
In fact you can most certainly count on it. After all, these are prodigies of Mahathir we are dealing with.
But in all my cynicism about this latest twist of events, I feel a deep sadness about how we Malaysians have allowed these politicians to ram our country's image into the dirt. I am mad that my fellow Malaysians felt it worthy to re-elect a group of politicians so transparently misguided.
I am disappointed that we have to endure such gutter politics when there is so much we could be achieving. And then I also wonder about another saying: we get the kind of government we deserve.
Joe Fernandez: Apparently, Anwar's aide was missing for two days before the police report was lodged, according to media reports.
He was sent for a medical examination. What guarantee is there that the aide was not sodomised, during the two days he went missing, by a person or persons unknown, in order to create a fait accompli? Deja vu?
Will the police report be used to hang like a Sword of Damocles over Anwar Ibrahim's head? It won't be easy to drag him into court again for the same thing unless we want a long drawn out repeat of the infamous ‘mattress’ incident.
What's happening in this country? Why aren't people focussing on managing the economy?
First, we had the RPK’s statutory declaration on the Mongolian bombing and now, apparently in a tit for tat, this police report.
Earlier, we had a bombshell from Justice Ian Chin and Sapp's no confidence announcement. All this could make a good script for a Hollywood movie with flashbacks included!
Everybody is trying to shut everybody up.
23PSI: This latest sodomy allegation shows just how seriously the threat of Anwar forming the next federal government is being taken.
It strikes at the very heart of what is probably the only viable opportunity Malaysians have at seeing a credible 2-party system taking root in the country.
Undoubtedly, some people/parties are willing to do just about anything to prevent the dismantling of the Umno/BN hegemony.
Faizul Zainol: With the political backdrop weighing heavily against BN, they are forced to go back to their old script but with different players or actors. They must know that the rakyat cannot stomach this.
Never will the rakyat be able to accept this, as was forced on them in 1998, all these sodomy allegations. My take is that this action is too desperate.
Desperate situations call for desperate measures and certain losers in the BN will - at any cost - ensure that Pakatan Rakyat doesn't form the new Malaysian government or that Anwar will ever set foot onto the political stage again.
So, Saiful is now being used? How much is this despicable scum of the earth paid I wonder? I am not saying that Anwar is a 100% maksum but to accuse him of being a sodomite again is just downright dirty and totally abhorrent.
It won't work this time as we are in 2008 and we have knowledge of how Mahathir framed Anwar using the AG's Chambers, the police and the judiciary (read the Lingam Tape scandal report).
Against a backdrop of negative public opinion, there is a real risk that if Anwar were prosecuted, many people would take to the streets, which the government may respond by clamping down.
Anwar would be well-advised to stay out of circulation until it can be confirmed that all charges against him have been dropped and that his personal safety can be guaranteed by the ruling administration.
Malaysians must stay calm and stay cool; we must not give the Umno-BN government the chance to declare a state of emergency and a return of Razak's National Operations Council (NOC) era.
To BN, I say make the rakyat angrier as if we are not angry enough with oil prices, inflation and shrinking savings. Any foolish move from the powers-that-be such as this is miscalculated and will only harden the resolve of the rakyat and at the same time hasten the BN's demise.
Eternal Optimist: This whole debacle is disturbing - that Anwar would be so 'careless' to do as he is alleged to have done. It does seem unlikely. Thus, it is not surprising that people are screaming 'setup'.
But, equally desperate it would seem, is PKR's claim that photos of the ex-aide with ministers etc is proof that there is a government conspiracy.
From various reports, this Saiful chap is/was an aspiring politician, and having been a student leader, it's quite possible he would have attended events or meetings where he could have asked for photographs with the attending minister or other VIP.
It's quite a leap of faith to go from that to (and it must be said, without other substantive/ supporting arguments) turning it into 'proof of collusion'.
As a common person, I think all parties should just let the police investigate the charges. If it's all a load of hot air, things will clear themselves soon enough.
Marion Tharsis: A lot of happenings are taking place almost daily since the recent elections. Some are startling and some are ludicrous. The opposition having control of some states, are delving into past mis-managements and abuse of power by the BN state governments.
It is like really kicking-up a storm that went unabated and without any check and balance for far too long. People have come to realise the racial game or intimidation won’t not hold water any more and they are more united in their stand than ever. The people have awoken and cannot be fooled any longer.
You can stop federal funds to Penang and other states under opposition, make accusations and ridiculous reports about the opposition leaders, control and threaten the media, interfere and dictate terms to the judiciary and police who are supposed to uphold the honour of law and order.
You can even use bullying tactics, typical of a police state. All these actions are only going to further isolate you from the people at large and not gain you an iota of support.
A point in question now, is Anwar. Resurrect the old issue which till today, is very questionable with a lot of loopholes. This new allegation is seen as a very desperate attempt to divert some of the more pressing issues that need answers, accountability and punishment.
Quite clearly, it has the makings and ingredients of a conspiracy to undermine the popularity of the man who is viewed as a threat and future leader of the country. It would be very interesting to see what unfolds this time. Perhaps, again, a mattress as evidence?
It is very embarrassing for us and also gives the outsider an impression that our people are no longer safe in their own country and cannot be assured of any protection and have to seek refuge in a foreign embassy.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Bravehart: Where else will they take us? This just proves one point - we need to get Umno and Barisan Nasional out of the parliament. Our so-called leaders are too old and complacent. Politics has become ‘harta pusaka’ (ancestral wealth)’.
They feel they can do anything and no one will question. If these people can’t even handle a political turmoil creatively, how can they handle global challenges intelligently?
Enough is enough. Malaysians will no longer tolerate such a blatant mockery of civil rights and an outright bastardisation of the national judiciary system.
Azman Hamed: I was hoping that Dollah Badawi would be different from Mahathir but when he uttered that it is normal for an accused person to plead innocence, he had, in fact, much to my disappointment, echoed his previous boss.
And that is in being cynical instead of being concerned, of wanting to stay in power as long as he wants, of defending tainted ministers and bringing the country into more debts.
What a sad affair this is turning out for me and my future generations. Sigh. If only we can turn back time, we would have definitely have stopped Mahathir before he did more damage.
Nithiyaavaani: I'm not surprised at all to hear the allegation by Saiful against Anwar. After 10 years, again a drama is taking place.
The director and the producer are none other than the ruling party BN to divert attention from the price hikes over fuel and food, not forgetting the case of Altantuya.
I'm thinking that the ruling party is still thinking that the people in Malaysia are dumb? Haven't they learned the lesson of March 8?
Just an advice to PKR - please don't accept anymore new faces without knowing their intentions. I'm sure it's hard to determine who is a double agent but this is the best way to protect your party and also PKR leaders.
It is always money politics in Malaysia. If you could, let us know whether Azizan is doing very well now.
To the people out there, know that there is no more a clean system in Malaysia. Let us unite and change it. We chose the leaders and we can change them because the power is with the people, not with political parties which use dirty tricks.
I'm sure we don’t want to be slapped again and again by BN anymore. Let us unite for our nation and prove that the power is with the people.
On Najib denies involvement in 'conspiracy'
CH Ong: He (Najib) said that the photo of his special officer with Saiful was taken when the 23-year-old came to his office to seek a government scholarship to pursue his studies.
I thought that government scholarships are handled by Jabatan Perkhidmtan Awam. I did not know that the office of the Timbalan Perdana Menteri provides government scholarships.
A Good Deputy PM: Najib is really a man of the rakyat. Why ?
Because he meets up with poor students who want scholarships. To do this, he must find the time and he must really be a good manager of time because there must be thousands who want to apply for scholarships.
What a good deputy PM!
On Rais To Meet Turkish Envoy Over Anwar
Thinker Seeker: ‘We will ask the ambassador to reconsider as it is meddling in Malaysia's internal affairs.’
Well, I'm sorry. But we don't trust Malaysia to handle her own affairs.
We do not trust the police, we do not trust the justice system and we've stopped reading your newspapers a long time ago.
I think it's high time we allow the international community to meddle into our business.
On We Chinese don't need to know what Anwar is or was...
Siew Wah: I agree with the writer that Chinese Malaysians just need to give their 100% support to capable leaders like Anwar Ibrahim, his deputy R Sivarasa, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and a host of dedicated men of honour in order to ditch the dishonest, inefficient, half-past-six administration of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
We have just learnt that interested parties of the current adminstration have tainted Anwar Ibrahim with another sodomy charge which is a complete fabrication.
The BN administration is sinking and the ‘boat people’ are trying to keep it afloat.
May the hand of justice protect the good men whose names are mentioned above and clean up the mess.
The most important thing to remember in all this is that the people of Sabah are fed up with all the loathsome racist policies that have been foisted on Sabah to racial cleanse the Chinese out of Sabah while minimizing the proportion of the KDM and other local natives by granting citizenship to vast numbers of Indonesian and Filipino illegal immigrants. Sabah's timber is depleted while the oil money is 95% taken by the federal government. So the Sabah people gets no benefit from all the natural bounties of its rich resources. And when the oil is gone in another 20 years or less and with the Chinese all fled to other countries, there will be no economic engine to provide jobs and incomes for the Sabahans. And Sabah will become as poor and socially chaotic as Indonesia and the Philippines. This is why Sabah people are dissatisfied and angry with the federal government.
ReplyDeleteThis is why the policies of Sabah and the federal policies regarding Sabah must be changed. And the only way to change these policies is to change the government which means the UMNO-BN government must be replaced by a new government that is more responsive to the welfare of Sabah.
One way is for the Sabah parties to get out of BN and join PR. Another alternative way is for Sabah and Sarawak member parties of BN to get out of BN but instead of each joining PR individually, they should form an alliance - call it Pan-Borneo Alliance or PBA. Then PBA can negotiate with the other two alliances to see which will give it the best deal. If PR will give the best deal in terms of better immigration policy and higher percentage of oil revenue, etc. then PBA can form a coalition with it to form a government where PBA and PR are equal partners.
This way Sabah and Sarawak can become a powerful force to protect its member parties while being able to compel the new government to give favorable policies to Sabah and Sarawak. Most important of all, PBA can remain an independent cohesive and powerful political force and not having each individual party being swallowed up by PR and become impotent nonentities.
But the question is whether these parties can get together and cooperate and act in unity. If they can find the political maturity to cooperate, then it will become a powerful force for the benefit of the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak. Otherwise, they will continue to be divided and conquered by UMNO-BN.
But the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak have another option to go if the parties of Sabah and Sarawak cannot form a pan-Broneo alliance. The DAP and PKR have already established a beachhead in KK and Kuching. It is easy to predict that the next election the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak will mostly vote for DAP and PKR just like in the last election the peoples of Malaya had dumped MIC, MCA, Gerakan and other BN parties to vote for DAP and PKR. So the BN parties of Sabah should not take it for granted that they will always have the support and vote of the Sabah people. Otherwise, they will be as surprised as BN on March 9, 2008.
In a case of rape there must be hard evidence such as semen of the rapist in the genitals of the victim or skin of the rapist under the nail of the victim or hair of the rapist on the person of the victim and signs of defensive injuries on the person of the victim. You cannot just say such and such raped you and have the charge stick. You got to have proof. Otherwise nobody is safe from the vengefulness of a jilted lover or the spitefulness of a defeated business rival or, as in this case, the desperate machinations of a threatened political party on the verge of collapse.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I don't think any of the above mentioned hard evidence can be provided by the victim and authenticated by the police. Furthermore, in a case of consensual suxual act - as this case is premably alleged to be - the evidence required is even more stringent. You will need actual video evidence or the testimonies of many witnesses who had actually witnessed the sexual act and whose honesty are beyond question. I just don't know where such witnesses can be found in this case. I surely doubt if there is any video evidence of the two actually engaging in the act. So there simply is no credible proof that a consensual sexual act had taken place anytime anywhere.
But the danger is that the police will simply arrest Anwar and put on a kangaroo trial and rush him off to jail and let the public condemnation be damned. Some had suggested that this is a plot engineered not by UMNO-BN but by PKR itself to discredit UMNO-BN. The way things have gone down the rabbit hole, anything is possible. One can only hope that this madness could end quickly with the ouster of UMNO-BN and the start of a new and more democratic government that respects the rights of all peoples so that all can do their best to contribute to the growth and development for the benefit of all peoples.
And one way that the Sabah and Sarawak politicians can help is to quickly organize the Pan-Borneo Alliance and then form a coalition to take over the government. Then the new government will be in control of th police and can put an end to all the dirty baseless plots. And instead investigate those who are making all the false accusations and put them in jail.
I sincerely hope SAPP will abide by the verdict of the polls set up. Currently the wish of the people is for SAPP to leave BN and join Pakatan Rakyat. Please do not disappoint the people again.
ReplyDeleteDo the right thing by leaving BN.
If the SAPP do not leave BN, then please don't set up polls to deceive the people next time and then dash their hopes.