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UN In Malaysia Hopes Election Commission Will Use Its Election Report – October 24, 2012 22:35 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) — United Nations (UN) in Malaysia hopes the government and the Election Commission (EC) to use its ground breaking report to enhance Malaysia's electoral reform efforts before the 13th General Election.
UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Kamal Malhotra said the report, which was issued last month, presents a strategy to increase the likelihood that incumbent politicians and governments would deepen democracy and improve the integrity of national elections.
Kamal said UN had long established a reputation for being globally the most experienced neutral and credible organisation on such issues worldwide.
"Indeed, since 1991, we have provided electoral assistance to more than 100 UN member states and four territories, including Mexico, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya," he said in his speech at the UN Malaysia Award 2012 here, Wednesday.
Applauding the EC for their recent decision to implement 26 out of the 32 recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reform, he said the UN was prepared to share its vast experience and technical expertise in the area. Kamal also said that the UN commends and supports Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in countinuing on a path of law reform through the Political Transformation Programme which was consonant with international human rights norms and standards.
"We know that the government and people of Malaysia are committed to nation building and democratic consolidation," he said.
Earlier, the Malaysian Bar Council was conferred with the UN Malaysia Award 2012 for its role in promoting democracy and human rights.
The UN Person of the Year Award was also posthumously awarded to the late Prof Khoo Kay Jin in recognition of his lifetime of outstanding achievement.
Selected Commentator Comments :
How could the Bar Council accept the award with a straight face when it could not disbar V.K. Lingam for his role in perverting the course of justice?
Mr Bean October 25, 2012 at 7:13 am
Hussin must be his dreaming self again. It is time he has both feet on the ground. The failure to purge the honorable profession of members seen to be flouting its own rules is symptomatic of a wider problem that continues to make a mockery of its struggle to give meaning to the rule of law.
Here is a profession which grew from some 600 members in the '60s to multiples of 3,000 members today in the short space of a few decades and whose members for the most part depend on the government directly or indirectly for their livelihood, to put food on the table for their famiies, it is wishful thinking to think that they could be more than anything else but a group of self serving individuals who would prostitute their profession and betray the principles of their profession, sell their grandmothers and throw others under the bus when push comes to shove.
Having said that there have been a committed and dedicated handful fiercely loyal to their profession who are working to bring back honor to their profession that have alluded it over the years. But even they are powerless to bring change where change is most needed.
Mr Bean October 25, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Toad! This award is entirely inappropriate. How could the UN award the Bar Council when Kugan (ok a car thief is a criminal but does not deserve to die so terribly and under such poor procedure) Teo Beng Hock (political sacrifice by DAP – anyone who took on the ACA at that time was doomed, DAP just didn'y like TBH's politics and sent TBH to TBH's doom) and Altantuya (the world knows this one, diplomatic fallout no end for BN . . . ) died without legal redress? When socio-economic apartheid continues uncontrolled? When forced military conscriptions are unaddressed? Where the country is being bled by term limitless nepotists in either BN or PR coalition, and Orang Asli land is stolen ALL THE TIME? Does the UN know that Malaysia lacks :
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
;and that the Bar Council (which I visited in person but were all unwilling to address APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA) is asleep on the job regards even Article 1 of the Human Rights Charter which is equality that Malaysians do not have, Article 18 of the Human Rights Charter which is freedom of choice in religion which Malaysia ALSO does not have? Bar Council are panders and colluders to Malaysian insouciance and opacity, hiding behind a legal junta of undemocratically installed judge that collude with MPs to hide all sorts of Human Rights abuses?
For years the United Nations has aggressively worked against the best interests of our country and many of our allies. The UN's actions and intentions toward the United States have been nothing short of reprehensible." Republican congressman Connie Mack Saturday Oct 27 2012 . . .
Well, faux-Muslets at the Bar Council? Did Bar Council bribe the UN for this award? The people don't need a legal education to understand all the above facts. I am shocked at the UN! What is wrong with the UN?
How many times have the Muslim Traders Association had to protest DAP's policy en masse on the street, and even small traders been targetted, land laws corrupted to benefit DAP, illegal distribution of tax funds that the proud among Penangites refuse to accept?
DAP has institutionalized corruption, while BN's corruption is undertable.
Because one writes a corrupt law (i) much like creating a Minister Mentor and Senior Minister's posts to STEAL tax monies with the assent of MPs, or (ii) 750K funerals for CMs and Assemblywomen wives 120K funerals AT THE Rakyat's expense)
;does not represent the will of 99% of the REAL voters – Representative Democracy is NOT 1 man 1 vote TRUE democracy . . .) does not make DAP any more moral or shows more integrity in DAP.
At least in some cases MCA is ashamed and tries to hide corruption DAP is totally shameless like PAP's creating the 4 million + yearly Minister mentor and Senior Minister posts (this was kept but had Minister mentor created because the short form SM also means Sado-Masochist – and the taxpayers by MP collusion had to tolerate ANOTHER 4 million in a new post for Beloved Leader . . .),
;and writes shameless laws to justify corruption, saying 'thats the law', but none of the Rakyat would ever allow those laws, only the colluding MPs will . . .
Meanwhile BOTH MCA (Barisan) and DAP (Pakatan), dare not attack apartheid. Vote for 3rd Force!
The battle for Nibong Tebal – by Oppailyn Mok – October 26, 2012
The busiest part of the Nibong Tebal constituency is Jawi town. The next general election is expected to be the closest fight to form the new government. And several seats across the nation are likely to see heated battles with the victor winning by the slimmest of majorities. The Malaysian Insider takes a look at some of these hot seats in what will be an intense election for control of Malaysia.
NIBONG TEBAL, Oct 26 — Located on the southern part of Seberang Perai, this small township of about 50,000 people is almost like the last frontier of mainland Penang.
That's because there is a spot in this quiet little town where you just need to take one step forward and you would have left Penang and stepped right into Perak.
Perhaps it is due to its distance from the busy city of George Town but not many Penang folk would venture here except for foodies intent on trying out the town's famed Teochew crab porridge, boiled baby octopus and curried freshwater prawns.
Far from the sea, it may seem strange that this mainland township's fame is tied to "seafood" but considering the Krian River runs through it, the mud crabs and freshwater prawns are obviously local catches.
Jawi is the busiest part of the whole constituency where there is a concentration of shoplots, food courts, wet markets, restaurants, supermarkets and government offices.
Nibong Tebal is spread out over three state constituencies — Jawi, Sungai Acheh and Sungai Bakap — with different racial groups in different villages.
The whole of Nibong Tebal is made up of about 55 per cent non-Malays and about 45 per cent Malays, with a majority of the Malays located in the Sungai Acheh area where agriculture is the main industry.
Jawi town is the main hub with its rows of shophouses.
That's why choosing a candidate to contest the parliamentary seat can be tricky as the contesting parties will need to satisfy the needs of both the Malays and non-Malays.
Previously, the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat and its three state seats, Sungai Acheh, Sungai Bakap and Jawi, were all Barisan Nasional (BN) seats.
In the 2004 general election, Umno (BN) newcomer Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman won the parliamentary seat with a 6,005-vote majority while the three state seats also saw BN winning with huge majorities but in 2008, BN only managed to retain the Sungai Acheh state seat with a slim majority of 250 votes and lost the rest.
This coming election, Zainal Abidin is tipped to be the one to try to win the seat back for BN even though the current MP, Tan Tee Beng, who won the seat on the PKR ticket, is now an independent MP.
Zainal Abidin is tipped to be the BN candidate for the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat.
Zainal Abidin was previously a parliamentary secretary in the Foreign Ministry when he was the Nibong Tebal MP in 2004.
A local boy, Zainal Abidin's family home is located in one of the villages here but other than to his fellow villagers, he is not that well-known in the non-Malay community.
Instead, he often appears at BN functions with Nibong Tebal BN co-ordinator Tan Cheng Liang, who is also former Jawi state assemblyman and tipped to contest the Jawi state seat, purportedly to show a united BN front.
It is obvious that Nibong Tebal has been "under attack" by BN which is intent on winning the two state seats and the parliamentary one back this time around.
This year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a RM8.5 million allocation for Nibong Tebal for development projects such as construction of a multi-purpose hall in Nibong Tebal (RM3 million), repainting of apartments (RM2 million), repairing of houses in Indian and Chinese villages (RM2 million) and rebuilding of Sekolah Agama Rakyat Al-Amin (RM1.8 million).
Fishing is an industry in the area as the Krian River runs through Nibong Tebal.
A few months ago, Tan handed out cooking utensils and equipment worth about RM160,000 to single mothers and low-income families under the 1Azam programme.
There was also a "promotional blitz" of sorts when the MCA launched its Jom Masuk Kampung (Let's Enter The Villages) roadshow in Penang at Nibong Tebal with all of the top MCA leadership spending the day at various villages in the constituency.
More recently, BN allocated a further RM3 million, on top of the RM1 million it had earlier allocated, to the building fund of SMJK Jit Sin II which is located in the constituency. The school is in the midst of raising RM30 million for its building fund.
But all this attention by BN does not seem to impress many of the constituents. "We are not small children who can be pleased by offerings of sweets and candies. Do they think us stupid?" a resident said when asked if they feel indebted to BN for all the goodies it has been handing out to the constituency.
After speaking to the villagers, it is clear that the general sentiment seems to be one of disgust, disappointment and even hatred for BN and its leaders.
"They think we are slow-thinking villagers who do not know how to access the Internet to get the real story behind their corruption and excesses? There they are spending our money like their own and then when elections come, they pretend to give us little titbits as if it is from their own pocket," one Jawi resident said.
Many of them said they would not give BN another chance to "cheat" and "lie" to them. "If I see any of them, I turn around and walk away. I feel it is really time that we changed the whole federal government, not only change our state assemblymen and MP," said an elderly resident who's been following the political scene closely through the news and the Internet.
A quiet village in Nibong Tebal, where the electorate is made up of about 55 per cent non-Malays and about 45 per cent Malays,
He said it was not really about the individual component parties any more but more about BN versus Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "Even if PR were to put a PAS candidate for the parliamentary seat, I am certain PR will still win the seat," he said.
He added that the scare tactics by BN about hudud did not turn the non-Malays off PR but instead make them even more disgusted with BN. "Again, they seem to think we are fools. We all know hudud is only for Muslims so why should we even be afraid of something that has nothing to do with us?"
Zainal Abidin is expected to go head to head with Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman, the Penang PKR chief. Mansor is the incumbent Penanti state assemblyman and it seems he's destined for bigger things, such as a Cabinet position if PR succeeds in its bid to win Putrajaya.
Mansor may be the PR candidate for Nibong Tebal.
A PKR member said voters in Nibong Tebal were not in the least bit angry with PKR over Tan Tee Beng leaving the party and becoming a BN-friendly independent MP. "In fact, voters may construe this as another dirty trick by BN and this may just anger them more so this could mean more votes for PKR," he said.
He said this may be why Mansor may be chosen to contest this seat as he is the PKR state chief and the current deputy chief minister. "Having someone more 'established' and experienced will be an advantage to PKR," he said.
Earlier there was talk that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wanted to take this seat but he has confirmed that he will continue to stand in Permatang Pauh. There is also talk of Anwar's second daughter, Nurul Nuha, being proposed as a candidate for Nibong Tebal.
Mansor also reportedly confirmed that Nurul Nuha's name was listed as a possible candidate for Nibong Tebal.
So, will it be the relatively new Nurul Nuha or will it be Mansor? According to a voter, it doesn't really matter.
"As long as it is Pakatan Rakyat, we will vote for the candidate but we do not want another frog so the party better put someone reliable there," said the PKR member. Despite the positive reactions PR has been getting from voters there, a grassroots member said it would still be a tough fight.
"We are not so worried about the non-Malay votes but winning the Malay votes can be tough so it will be a close call," he predicted.
Battle? Don't be so dramatic. The MP is supposed to LEAVE after 2 terms preferably or they become a stale colluding farce that cannot challenge APARTHEID despite parliamentary immunity that allow Road Tolls, forced military conscriptions, Astro monopolies (refusing to legalise satellite dishes) and other nonsense like refusing to lower Election Deposits which are so high that the majority of the lower and middle class are prevented from running for election due to the sheer cost in a form of plutocracy that becomes nepotistic then dictatorlike and eventually resorts to sabotage of activists and the 5th estate via social sabotage, staged 'embarassing events' (that result in sh1t cake retaliations) or even worse, neurotech and psychiatric sabotage in extreme cases where the target is too clever for their fundo mindsets, LIES and undemocratic intentions against the people.
He added that the scare tactics by BN about hudud did not turn the non-Malays off PR but instead make them even more disgusted with BN. "Again, they seem to think we are fools. We all know hudud is only for Muslims so why should we even be afraid of something that has nothing to do with us?"
. . . so why should we even be afraid of something that has nothing to do with us? . . .
Politics of expedience gives rise to the racists to apply apartheid and fuels the cowardice of Pakatan politicians who think like this. This is an ethically corrupt stance that will lead to dictators, nepotists and death of democracy in general. BN is apartheid and corrupt, but Pakatan is as bad if not worse in this sort of severe weakness. Hudud is an abomination against Human Rights and any person who goes . . . so why should we even be afraid of something that has nothing to do with us? . . . is one of the people of the world who fuels the cause of evil and oppression of humanity. If they have no capacity to care for such issues, they cannot care for democracy and thus are unqualified to run the nation . . .
Novelist portrays dark underbelly of Chinese politics HONG KONG | Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:08am EDT – by Sisi Tang – Reuters
HONG KONG, Oct 25 — Chinese author Wang Xiaofang, a former government official turned best-selling novelist, is a forceful advocate for democratization and staunch critic of Chinese contemporaries who he sees as too cosy with the establishment.
Since resigning as secretary to the deputy mayor of Shenyang city in northeastern China, Wang has written "officialdom" novels drawing on his Communist Party insider's experience to expose greed, intrigue, corruption and factional rivalry in the highly secretive and murky world of Chinese politics.
In "The Civil Servant's Notebook," his first book translated into English and due out next month, Wang, 49, skewers politicians reminiscent of Bo Xilai, the ousted politician at the centre of China's biggest political scandal in two decades.
The Shenyang-based Wang, whose 13 novels have been widely pirated and have sold 3 million official copies, spoke with Reuters on the sidelines of the Hong Kong Literary Festival about Honore de Balzac and urine-drinking as a metaphor for absolute authority.
Q: What kinds of difficulties have you encountered in publishing your type of work in China?
A: "My fourth book, 'The Mayor's Secretary,' made its rounds all over China in the search of an accepting publisher. I managed to get through to some publishers that would have frequent changes in management and editors so I can sometimes slip something through but even then, it would get rejected most of the time. I have not published for two years. I have four books waiting to get published. The environment has become more restrictive in the past two years.
"I stayed low profile in mainland China for a while. I don't publicize my work there. There's no TV series or film I can profit from. I have not received Chinese awards. They wouldn't dare make a film out of this, and they're not allowed to. In the beginning I received many threats, telling me to stop or they will chop off my hands. Some officials would look through my fictional work and say I'm writing about them and directly implicating them. They all look for themselves."
Q: How do you feel about the works of other Chinese writers? What's your reaction to Mo Yan being awarded the Nobel Prize?
A: "I give my congratulations to Mo Yan. His works stem from the stories and civilization of his hometown, depicting the life and culture of that society. Not all literature necessarily has to lash out against the government. One can certainly write about a myriad of things in life. Mo Yan took that route.
"Many Chinese writers do comply with the system. They have stable salaries even if they don't write. China's writers, once they earn a bit of reputation, will aim for official positions in writer's associations. The well-known writers in China are all vice chairmen or chairmen of these associations, which means they are Party officials. They have their private cars.
"Most Chinese writers in the mainland eulogize authority. For instance, something like Honore de Balzac's critical realism — mainland writers do not employ that. They employ eulogistic realism. They applaud the system.
"I aspire to a new style of writing, like how Joyce and Proust made contributions to literary history with their stream of consciousness approach, or Franz Kafka's impact on 20th century literature. But there hasn't been a similar literary movement in China. They imitate previous styles and ideas from the West but never created their own genre. Lu Xun, for instance, whom I respect very much, did not create a new style."
Q: How are your books a commentary on the Bo Xilai scandal and on China's current political atmosphere?
A: "The Bo Xilai and Wang Lijun case may seem out of the ordinary, but they are in fact inevitable. There will be other similar occurrences. It's the system. They are all the same characters. There's a character similar to Bo Xilai in my recent book. As long as there's absolute authority, it will produce such authority figures. Absolute authority means absolute corruption. This event shows the urgency and necessity of reform in the Chinese system.
"In this book, one of the officials had been drinking urine for five years because he thinks it has medicinal benefits. Then during a banquet his friends poured him a beer and he cried because he had been drinking urine for such a long time. The urine symbolizes the cultural garbage inherent to the system that the official complies with, and that's believed to be beneficial. I won't comment on the political, but I hope that China can move towards reform. Reform of civil society and law is China's Golden Road towards future progress. I hope the new leadership can bring this about."
Q: Do you see a burgeoning Chinese literary movement? Will this society in transition produce a new crop of writers?
A: "If they all become party officials, then no. Many don't have the courage to rely solely on their pen to make a living…
"Most of the material coming from Chinese writers today, the ones translated into English, talk about the period before or during the Cultural Revolution but do not focus on China's current affairs. As for works that do focus on current society, the ones that write about urban life are full of depictions of song and dance and wealth, while the ones set in the countryside depict the beautiful scenery. They do not touch upon the darkness of current reality. Under such a system, we cannot be ourselves. We become spiritual eunuchs and helpless bystanders. This is extremely painful. Your soul is not free."
"In this man-made system, the human has become a non-human. So if I just sat on the inside and kept watching, then I will also turn into a beetle, like in Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis.' The person from my past political life has passed. The person sitting in front of you is an ordinary man, a writer." — Reuters
. . . urine-drinking as a metaphor for absolute authority . . .
Little wonder the Lee junta family in Singapore introduced 3% reprocessed sewer treated waste water (thats both urine AND faeces), into the water system in Singapore. That way the NLP will affect the people and make them more 'obedient'. Aren't we all glad we are not living in Singapore? Incidentally troublemaker Japan looks quite bad too in creating the 'Faeces Steak'. Please educate the peoples of ASEAN what they are up against writers and 1st world minded nations, the political junta has in place a system of oppression, subtle or not, and purveyors of such 'urine drinking by proxy (i.e. grey water)' mindsets must not be let off and must be outed. 2 terms only!
Hello Shitty!
Jakarta Men Arrested for Alleged Unlicensed Sale of Airsoft Guns – Bayu Marhaenjati & Zaky Pawas | October 22, 2012
Jakarta Police display airsoft guns seized during the arrest of two men accused of selling the illegal guns on Facebook at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday. (JG Photo/Safir Makki) Jakarta Police display airsoft guns seized during the arrest of two men accused of selling the illegal guns on Facebook at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)
TheSplodge – 10:41pm Oct 22, 2012
Commentator Commentary :
What a pathetic waste of time and how is this the 2nd headline? These guns fire plastic pellets for gawd sake. Is this really the best use of police time? Mind you, anything harder than plastic and the police would have run away.
Aceh Shuts Down Buddhist Temples and Churches – Rangga Prakoso | October 22, 2012
Indonesia's Interfaith Dialogue and the Reality Of Religious Minorities' Neglected Aspirations 4:26pm Oct 18, 2012
Sampang Shiites Still Live as Refugees as Government Intervention Fails 12:01pm Oct 8, 2012
Achieve Religious Harmony in Indonesia First, Activists Tell SBY 9:28am Sep 28, 2012
GKI Yasmin Still Unsettled 9:22am Sep 27, 2012
Peace is Key in SBY's UN Speech 8:56am Sep 26, 2012
President Susilo, too busy colluding, or asleep behind the wheel? Any can detest Christians and Buddhists but they have a right to be present in all societies in the world as much as a Satanist or a Goth into Vampirism. Muslims in fact are much noisier what with the loudspeakers and all that . . . Anything beyond the decibel level of human voices should be deemed illegal but why the demolitions in such a fundo manner? President Susilo? Investigations? Reparations?
Mind your language – THE CORRIDORS OF POWER – Monday, 22 October 2012 Super Admin – Raja Petra Kamaruddin
So, legally, a Member of Parliament cannot resign his or her seat and re-contest that seat in a by-election. This means that issue first needs to be addressed. And then we need to amend/abrogate the Article in the Constitution that guarantees all Malaysians freedom of association. You will be denied freedom of association once you get elected into office.
First please read Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng's press statement below. I have not edited or amended it because I want you to read it as it is.
It looks like someone had translated this statement into English from the original Chinese version. Since this press release carries the Chief Minister's name there should be a higher standard of language used. The grammar and sentence structure should be as flawless as possible and words or phrases such as 'political frogs' should be avoided.
Name-calling cheapens the message. If we indulge in name-calling where do we draw the line? Mahathir al Mamak. Anwar al Jubur. Khalid (Ibrahim) al Lembik. Najib al Tantuya. Ibrahim (Ali) al Katak. Hee al Camry.
Can you see that the list of 'names' we can attach to various Malaysian personalities is endless? You only need to allow your imagination to run wild and Malaysians certainly have a world-class imagination when it comes to giving people 'names'. I bet the comments below are going to be flooded with some very creative and imaginative 'names' of people you love to hate, me included.
Nevertheless, I am giving Guan Eng the benefit of the doubt and will assume that his aides and speechwriters would usually prepare his press statements. I am sure Guan Eng is too busy to sit down with pen and paper and spend hours writing all these statements. Guan Eng has to review the quality of his staff and outsource some of this work if necessary in the interest of maintaining a higher standard.
One of the criteria of a good speechwriter would be the research required. The statements must not only be consistent with earlier statements and the party stand but they must also be consistent with the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the State Constitution, convention, tradition, cultural norms, religious sensitivities, sentiments and whatnot.
There are so many things to consider in making a statement because in this age of the information revolution people will remember what you said even 30 or 40 years ago. So you cannot make a faux pas and get away with it. It will come back to haunt you later. And the 'I have been misquoted' excuse no longer works, as many people have discovered.
I can afford to ignore all these 'pitfalls' and write 'no holds barred'. I do not need for people to like or love me because I will not be contesting the election and, therefore, do not need your votes. The same can't be said for Guan Eng. Public perception and public support is very crucial in Guan Eng's case. This will determine whether he wins or loses the election.
Now, before you go off tangent and start saying that this is a Guan Eng bashing article, please note for the record that Guan Eng is one of my more favourite politicians. I actually went to Penang back in 2008 to help campaign for him. I did not do that for the other Pakatan Rakyat politicians other than Ronnie Liu and Nurul Izzah Anwar (and the proof is all on YouTube if you care to do a Google search).
Nazri Aziz made a statement in Parliament today saying that Malaysia is neither a Secular State nor an Islamic State. And the reason Nazri said this, according to him, is because Malaysia's Constitution is 'silent' on the matter and makes no mention of it.
I find that politicians will quote the Constitution when it suits them and if it does not then they will quote the Qur'an, the Hadith, the Sunnah, the Social Contract, the Merdeka Agreement, the 18-Point Agreement, the 20-Point Agreement, the New Economic Policy, the Election Manifesto, the Reid Commission, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and whatnot.
If Nazri wants to follow the Constitution then the Constitution is also silent on the matter of the race and religion of the Prime Minister. Legally, Lim Guan Eng can become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. But Guan Eng cannot become the Prime Minister even though legally, according to the Constitution, he can. And we know why he cannot and also know that it has nothing to do with the Constitution.
Basically, politicians will make a statement and then they will find the justification for that statement. And most times they will contradict themselves from one statement to another. And if they fail to find the right justification they can always use convention, tradition, cultural norms, religious sensitivities, sentiments, etc., as the excuse to justify what they say.
So which 'guideline' do we follow then? The Constitution, the Qur'an, the Hadith, the Sunnah, the Social Contract, the Merdeka Agreement, the 18-Point Agreement, the 20-Point Agreement, the New Economic Policy, the Election Manifesto, the Reid Commission, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, convention, tradition, cultural norms, religious sensitivities, sentiments, the powers of the Minister, or what?
We must note that each of those various 'guidelines' may contradict one other. So, when yesterday we used one, today we use another, and tomorrow we use yet another, this means we are contradicting ourselves.
Legally, when you vote for someone, whom are you voting for? At the back of your mind you may be voting for the party rather than the candidate. That may be what you are subconsciously doing. But I am asking: legally, whom do you vote for?
When a Member of Parliament stands up in Parliament, the Speaker will address you as, say, "Ahli (Member) dari Lembah Pantai". The Speaker does not address you as "Ahli dari PKR" or "Ahli dari Pakatan Rakyat". So you are the wakil or ahli from Lembah Pantai. That is your 'legal status'. Which party you are from is not the issue. Hence even if you change parties that does not affect your Parliament status.
Now, if we want whoever changes parties to resign (by law) and re-contest the seat in a by-election, we will first need to amend the law that bars someone who resigns from re-contesting for a period of five years.
Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail resigned her Permatang Pauh seat in mid-2008. That means she cannot contest any Parliament seat until at least mid-2013. And that also means she will have to give the coming general election a miss, unless she decides to contest a state seat instead.
So, legally, a Member of Parliament cannot resign his or her seat and re-contest that seat in a by-election. This means that issue first needs to be addressed. And then we need to amend/abrogate the Article in the Constitution that guarantees all Malaysians freedom of association. You will be denied freedom of association once you get elected into office.
It also must be made clear that if you get elected into office you are not Wakil Rakyat but Wakil Parti. And to make sure this is clear, the Speaker must address the Members of Parliament as, say, "Ahli dari PKR" and not "Ahli dari Lembah Pantai".
Can you see the changes that will be required? It is not merely a simple matter of amending a few words in the State Constitution. A paradigm shift will be required including reconditioning the minds of the voters and the minds of those people who the voters vote into office.
Okay, back to Nazri's statement today. Nazri is using the Constitution as his guide and his argument is that Malaysia is neither a Secular State nor an Islamic State. So what are we then?
For sure Malaysia is not a Republic because we are a Constitutional Monarchy. And the nine State Rulers are Heads of Islam in their respective states while His Majesty the Agong is Head of Islam for the Federation (plus the four states that do not have Rulers and instead have Governors).
What powers do the Rulers have as Head of Islam? For example, say, Their Highnesses the Sultans of Kelantan and Terengganu want to implement Hudud in their respective states since these two State Assemblies have already approved it years ago. Can this be done?
Nazri would say 'no' because Parliament first needs to approve these laws. And since Parliament has not approved it (or has rejected it) then it can't be done. New laws or amendments to old laws need to be approved by Parliament.
But then is Islam a State matter under the charge of the Rulers or a Federal matter under the charge of Parliament? Ah, Nazri will argue, but Hudud is a legal matter, not a religious matter. So the Federal government and not the State governments have authority over this matter.
Okay, but then apostasy (leaving Islam), drinking/selling of liquor, adultery, illicit sex (sex outside marriage), khalwat (close proximity), etc., are also religious issues. And they are also legal issues. Each state has its own laws and its own forms of punishment for these 'crimes'. And they differ from one state to another.
We must also remember that although, officially, there are no Hudud laws in Malaysia, those crimes I mentioned above come under Hudud. Hence we DO have Hudud in Malaysia. The only thing is we do not call them Hudud. It is 'silent' as to what they are. So, for purposes of giving them a name, we call them Shariah laws.
But Shariah laws are a collection of laws. And one of these collections of laws under the Shariah is Hudud. So what Malaysia has done is it has allowed the implementation of (part of) Hudud as long as you call them Shariah laws and not Hudud laws. You can implement Hudud laws but do not label them as Hudud although they are in reality Hudud laws.
It is like the issue of usury or riba'. In Islam, riba' is haram (forbidden). So don't call it riba'. Call it faedah (benefit/interest) or keuntungan (profit/gain). Then it is no longer haram. It is halal (kosher).
Sex outside marriage (zina) is also haram. So don't call it zina. Call it mut'a (temporary marriage). You get married for a couple of hours just for sex so it is no longer zina and hence not haram. After the sex you 'divorce'.
Can we take this further? Say you have a bad cough. You then get the doctor (a Muslim doctor if need be) to say that you need some brandy to get rid of your cough. So, for health reasons, you can drink brandy and it is no longer haram. You don't call it arak. You call it ubat.
Yes, then we can issue a fatwah concerning 'defending' Islam and then blow up a school bus with 50 Jewish children inside it. It is not called murder any longer. It is called jihad.
Can you see there is no limit to what we can do when we twist and turn to suit our agenda? And can you also see why Malaysians in general and Malays-Muslims in particular are a very confused lot? They contradict themselves and make statements to suit their objective even though these statements do not make sense.
One day they scream about freedom of this, that or the other. The next day they make a statement that violates all these freedoms. The issue of Islam and the rules of Islam is one case in point. Do we arrest and then jail, cane, fine, tickle, torture, slap, fondle, spank or punch a Muslim who is caught drinking liquor? Furthermore, do we just punish the offender or also the person/establishment that 'collaborated' in the 'crime'?
When you allow prostitution in your massage parlour, not only the prostitutes but also the massage parlour owner will be punished. If your pub employs Muslim staff and they sell beer to Muslims, not only the Muslim customer will be punished. The Muslim staff and the pub owner will face punishment as well.
Is this the law? Yes, according to some states, but not according to the Federal government — or else the government-owned establishments and GLCs will also face punishment. But then they do not face punishment, do they?
So it appears like this is a State criminal law and not a Federal criminal law. People can face criminal action in some states. And this is Hudud although not called Hudud. Hence it appears like the States can by-pass or ignore Parliament if they wish to do so. But then the Federal government says that the States cannot implement or amend laws without the approval of Parliament.
Aiyah! Pening kepala! Yang mana yang betul ni?
Okay, so can Penang introduce laws or amend laws that make party-hopping a crime? Do they need Parliament's approval or an amendment to the Federal Constitution for this? And while on that subject, can Penang then also pass a law that DOES NOT make it a crime for Muslims to drink beer?
And if not, why not? Is it because His Majesty the Agong and not the Penang State government is the authority over Islam? And if that is the case then can His Majesty the Agong introduce Hudud in Penang whether the Penang State Government and/or DAP/Pakatan Rakyat agrees or not?
Yes, confusing, is it not? Sometimes the Minister has sole authority. Sometimes the Cabinet is the authority. Sometimes the Menteri Besar/Chief Minister has authority. Sometimes the State EXCO has authority. Sometimes Parliament has authority. Sometimes the EXCO Member has authority. Sometimes the Ruler has authority. Sometimes the Mufti has authority. Sometimes the Religious Department has authority. Sometimes the Attorney-General has authority. Sometimes the IGP has authority. Sometimes the OCDP has authority. Sometimes the CPO has authority. Sometimes the court is the authority.
And sometimes the dogcatcher is the final authority as to whether to kill the stray dogs by drowning or send them to a dog's home.
Lim Guan Eng's Press Release today
The PR state government will not be deterred by BN's support for the culture of political frogs but is determined to table a historic constitutional amendment to push through an anti-hopping law in the Penang state assembly meeting on 1 November 2012. The State Legal Advisor has been tasked with the necessary process of gazetting the proposed constitutional amendment.
Any amendment to the Penang state constitution requires a 2/3 majority and PR has the required numbers by holding 29 out of the 40 seats. All 3 parties in Penang PR of PAS, PKR and DAP have also supported the proposed constitutional amendment requiring State Assembly members who jump or change their party affiliation to resign and re-contest in a by-election.
BN and MCA have taken the opportunity to hit out at the Penang state government at yesterday's MCA Annual General Assembly by dramatically labelling the proposed anti-hopping law as unconstitutional and that it will even creating a constitutional crisis that will be the very foundation of the Federal Constitution and the nation at risk. The Penang state government believes that the anti-hopping law should be within the Federal Constitution for 3 principal reasons.
One, it respects the democratic mandate of the people being kingmakers by allowing their constituents to either support or reject the decision of their elected representatives to hop from one party to another. As parliamentary democracy is the basis of our Federal Constitution, the anti-hopping law by reinforcing its democratic character will only serve to strengthen the Federal Constitution.
Two, the anti-hopping law does not infringe on a person's right of freedom of association as he or she can join any party subject to a renewal of mandate by the constituents. Finally this will also ensure the practice of political accountability as well as principled values and public integrity in Penang, where elected representatives can not be traded like a commodity at the highest price.
BN and MCA's condemnation of Penang PR's anti-hopping laws provides a stark difference between BN's focus on party interests and personalities as compared to PR emphasis on policies and people.
Lim Guan Eng
No word on apartheid but more attempts to control power in DAP? Fools do not understand that a political party is not a family business. DAP really needs to be taught a lesson for trying to force MPs to stay in the party. As per democracy, any MP can leave, but a by-election should be conducted immediately WITH that MP allowed to run for election so long as that MP has not yet spent a second term in office because the people may be on the MP's side and not the party in individually considered cases. This current CM has spent 1.5 terms in office and the political culture has worsened since and become less democratic since DAP won in Penang. Time for 3rd Force parties to take over before DAP becomes a second PAP like in Singapore. They imagine synchronicity will work here to ensure DAP's rule forever. That will not be so, DAP will be kicked out because DAP has failed to keep 90% of campaign promises and has been particularly antagonistic to the Muslims here.
What Is A Private Attorney General
Private attorney general is an informal term usually used today in the United States to refer to a private party who brings a lawsuit considered to be in the public interest, i.e., benefiting the general public and not just the plaintiff.[1] The person considered "private attorney general" is entitled to recover attorney's fees if he or she prevails. The rationale behind this principle is to provide extra incentive to private citizens to pursue suits that may be of benefit to society at large.
Many civil rights statutes rely on private attorneys general for their enforcement. In Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises,[2] one of the earliest cases construing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the United States Supreme Court ruled that "A public accommodations suit is thus private in form only. When a plaintiff brings an action . . . he cannot recover damages. If he obtains an injunction, he does so not for himself alone but also as a 'private attorney general,' vindicating a policy that Congress considered of the highest priority." The United States Congress has also passed laws with "private attorney general" provisions that provide for the enforcement of laws prohibiting employment discrimination, police brutality, and water pollution. Under the Clean Water Act, for example, "any citizen" may bring suit against an individual or a company that is a source of water pollution.[citation needed]
Another example of the "private attorney general" provisions is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). RICO allows average citizens (private attorneys general) to sue those organizations that commit mail and wire fraud as part of their criminal enterprise.[citation needed] To date, there are over 60 federal statutes[citation needed] that encourage private enforcement by allowing prevailing plaintiffs to collect attorney's fees.
Attorneys who function as a private attorney general do so without compensation. The statutes permitting a plaintiff to recover attorneys' fees have been held not to apply when the plaintiff is an attorney.
Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Award Act
The U.S. Congress codified the private attorney general principle into law with the enactment of Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Award Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. § 1988. The Senate Report on this statute stated that The Senate Committee on the Judiciary wanted to level the playing field so that private citizens, who might have little or no money, could still serve as "private attorneys general" and afford to bring actions, even against state or local bodies, to enforce the civil rights laws. The Committee acknowledged that, "[i]f private citizens are to be able to assert their civil rights, and if those who violate the Nation's fundamental laws are not to proceed with impunity, then citizens must have the opportunity to recover what it costs them to vindicate these rights in court." Where a plaintiff wins his or her lawsuit and is considered the "prevailing party," § 1988 acts to shift fees, including expert witness fees [at least in certain types of civil rights actions, under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, even if not in § 1983 actions], and to make those who acted as private attorneys general whole again, thus encouraging the enforcement of the civil rights laws. The Senate reported that it intended fee awards to be "adequate to attract competent counsel" to represent client with civil rights grievances. S. Rep. No. 94-1011, p. 6 (1976). The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the act to provide for the payment of a "reasonable attorney's fee" based on the fair market value of the legal services.
Other uses
The term also refers more generally to any person who holds a general power of attorney from someone else, and also to any person who represents the public in any civil or criminal court proceeding. Most criminal prosecutions today in the United States and other countries in the Anglo-American legal tradition are conducted by public prosecutors who are public employees, but until the late 19th century most criminal prosecutions in the United States were conducted by private persons, usually but not always lawyers, either paid by private parties or asked by the court to serve pro bono. Private criminal prosecutions are still legal in several of those countries, including several states of the United States.
Henceforth with the correct facts and correct case, ALL citizens are Attorney Generals. Meanwhile Bar Council ignores all sorts of abuses in law and constitution . . .
MCA touts 'Ah Jib Gor' factor for Chinese vote – Monday, 22 October 2012 Super Admin – Nomy Nowzir and Hafidz Baharom, The Malaysian Insider
Datuk Seri Najib Razak's popularity or the "Ah Jib Gor" factor will help cajole a segment of the Chinese community back to Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming polls, MCA grassroots leaders have agreed, but warned that the same sentiment could not topple the opposition in its urban fortresses.
This was the resounding sentiment among delegates attending the MCA's 59th annual general meeting at Wisma MCA yesterday, which is seen as the party's final chance to chart its election strategies in the months ahead as it heads into its toughest battle yet.
"Najib is good because he has done a lot of programmes for the people, I am sure the Chinese will vote BN," said one delegate, Lim Chee Cheong, from Rasah in Negri Sembilan.
"Najib has done a lot for the Chinese. And he has our support and the Chinese community support as well," another delegate, Loke Poh Chye from Pengkalan Kota in Penang, toldThe Malaysian Insider.
During the meeting earlier, among one of the key battle cries sounded by the party leadership was a call for delegates to "Stand with Najib", who was extensively described as a leader popular among the Chinese.
In his presidential address, party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek repeatedly praised Najib's transformative policies and attention to Chinese community issues, even telling the prime minister, "Sir, sometimes I think that you are too kind."
At the MCA Youth AGM on Saturday, party deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai predicted that the MCA will "rise again" in the coming polls, citing Najib's popularity among the Chinese community as one of the key reasons behind the possibility.
He said the prime minister's outreach towards the Chinese community, even resorting to social media tools like Facebook to create a Chinese persona, "Ah Jib Gor" (Brother Najib), had successfully convinced voters that the community would not be left out of the nation's development.
"The feel-good factor is coming back. And the commitment from the PM to the Chinese… the Ah Jib Gor factor shows that he will listen to the Chinese community," Liow had said.
But despite these leaders' optimism, several MCA delegates approached by The Malaysian Insider yesterday agreed that the party would suffer the most when attempting to sway the urban Chinese vote, pointing out that in areas like Petaling Jaya Selatan or key states like Penang, it would be near impossible for the MCA to trounce the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal opposition pact.
"I don't think so we can win back PJ, they are entrenched already with the opposition. I don't think we can take Penang back either," said Loh KF, a delegate from the area.
Loh was among several delegates who also admitted that the issue of corruption would be among BN's greatest stumbling block to woo the Chinese vote, complaining that it was hard to answer voters who brought up issues like the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal and other graft cases.
"Bribery is really bad, I was a victim myself," said Sungai Siput MCA delegate Tham Siew Poh.
Tham was also critical of the MCA's focus on hudud law, a wedge issue used against the DAP and PAS who are members of the PR opposition pact.
"Most Chinese already understand that the hudud issue is hands-off, it's a religious question, very sensitive. This issue shouldn't be commented upon.
"After all, hudud has already been implemented in many countries, why be scared if we do no wrong?" Tham said.
But his opinion was not shared by Tenggara MCA delegate Catherine Chia, from Johor.
Chia said the hudud issue was critical to be highlighted on as it affects Chinese culture and was demeaning towards women.
"I think this hudud will affect everybody, not only Chinese, the whole nation. If the nation is under hudud law, we will become just like the Middle East nations. And eight of the most corrupt nations come from that region," Loke said.
Hey MCA morons. How about 'Ah Jib Peng'. ('Peng' = Friend or EQUAL / 朋友 or Péngyǒu). Who needs a 'Gor' (Older Brother in Hokkien dialect)? Who needs to be a Junior or a 'Lek' (Little brother in Hokkien dialect). MCA Pres. malay Title holding Minister Chua Soi Lek, just because your name has a 'lek, does not mean that Najib is EVERYONE ELSE'S 'Gor' for the whole of the Chinese community. And given China's size compared to Malaysia, how the hell can the Chinese Community be a 'Lek'?
At very least equality. . . (and that is already stretching the fact that Malaysia is not even in USA's league to be an equal to China . . . ) Lapdog Alert! Chua Soi Lek, has billions, the MCA has billions, if the MCA cannot even get equality for the Chinese, the MCA are a disgrace to the Chinese community, and already are term limitless as well.
Grant the below 3 items to justify the term limitlessness at very least or GTFO of Dewan! Weak and undemocratic! Shame on MCA! 'Gor'?!? MCA = STUPID and COWARDLY . . . 'Gor' ? More like Gorean (S&M subculture) . . . more so when China is already starting to challenge USA no way will the Chinese be a 'Lek' – in fact the Chinese should be 'Gor'! But this is not the Chinese way, so equality will be fine though the true situation should be that a Chinese PM will be insisted on by the Malays AS WELL AS EQUALITY so that China will be so pleased that they will invest in Malaysia more, than tolerate MCA's misrepresentations and self serving manipulations – indirectly suffering dhmmitude of the local Malaysian Chinese by TACIT ASSENT via inaction . . . Grant the below 3 items to justify the term limitlessness at very least or GTFO of Dewan! Weak and undemocratic yet too wealthy as well!
Shame on MCA! 'Gor'?!? Equal is all anyone will tolerate especially since the Malays could well be Yunnan Chinese who interbred with the Orang Asli (Austronesian Negritos) to become the mixed race calle 'Malay' after all! NO Big Brother mentality par excellence Ketuanan.
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
Wee: PAS in favour of the dark ages – Sunday, 21 October 2012 Super Admin – Leven Woon, FMT
The MCA Youth chief says that it was only after the separation of politics and religion that the European countries prospered.
MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong attacked PAS for trying to return the country to the dark ages by implementing a theocratic state, which he said was a feudal political system.
In his opening address at the 48th MCA Youth Annual General Assembly meeting today, Wee said that the European countries have spent thousands of years to do away with a political system that combines with religion.
"It was only after the separation of politics and religion that saw the birth of the Renaissance and eventually the Industrial Revolution" he said
Wee told some 600 delegates that it would be mockery should PAS strive to reintroduce a system that had been abandoned by the world.
"We must remember that the democracy and human rights which we have today is the result of the separation of politics and religion.
"We must not allow PAS to return us to an age that has long past us. This ideology must be rejected by the people of this country," he said.
He also took a jab at DAP's inconsistency on the hudud issue, saying that the party chairman Karpal Singah and advisor Lim Kit Siang once made a strong stance against hudud law, but not the current leadership.
"The new generation of leadership in DAP has changed their stand by saying that there is no need to fear an Islamic state as long as you don't steal or rob," he said.
Later at a press conference, Wee was asked if MCA's constant harping on hudud issues would translate to Chinese support to BN. Sarawak's SUPP also highlighted the hudud issue but they did not do well in the state election last year.
Wee said the opposition's reaction would not have been so great if the Chinese were not concerned by the hudud issue.
MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai, who was also at the press conference, believed in the Chinese's wisdom to differentiate between a national election and a state election.
"(In a national election), you elect the federal government, where the Federal Constitution is of utmost importance to the nation. You can't allow PAS to become the government to implement such a policy in this country," he said.
BUT STILL no word for equality? Does Wee know that even without a Theocratic state which MCA has kindly chosen to fight against, that the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA still represents something as bad (though not twice as bad with Hudu as well?). China is virtually becoming the GREATEST nation on Earth at least for this next century as Russia builds up that Russian backyard . . . Wee should never accept less than equality for all Malaysians ESPECIALLY the Chinese minorities.
Malaysia can barely qualify to be China's lackey or match Iran or even the USA. Don't tell me that the Chinese do not deserve at very least equality in Malaysia, even when Malaysia will never ever be China's equal. Since the Chinese are a majority and a eventual dominant power in the world, should the Chinese demand Special Privileges instead? The Malays are not giving the Chinese minorities face in Malaysia and thus are indirectly insulting China by refusing to grant equality. Think Minister Wee, as a Chinese where the China stands, don't be complacent and term limitless.
BTW, MCA youth is not very youthful at all, youth ends the instance people get married or reach 18 or 21 years old, or in some considerations reach puberty. Wee is an old guy with wife and family ALSO multimillions worth, and term limitless to boot. I see no youth there. Wee is a big fat corrupted lapdog-grade boss type that probably has loads of mistresses and possibly drinks 50K in XO/VSOP on the weekends – youth? No way. Gotta be joking. Get some skinny callow (thats callow not sallow as in a certain LCW . . . sellouts to certain spiritual principles . . . ) unmarried AND poor, people to be 'Youth'. MCA's youth are middle aged and even OLD like Wee. Grant the below 3 items to justify the term limitlessness at very least or GTFO of Dewan! Weak and undemocratic!
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
Sallow (sometimes also caused by certain 'sucking' habits IMHO) :
Musa case: Swiss probe continuing – Hornbill Unleashed – October 22, 2012 – Calvin Kabaron
Bruno Manser Fund says the probe into the RM40 million donation to Sabah Umno is ongoing.
A Swiss government investigation into the mystery donation of RM40 million to Sabah is still going on .
The Switzerland-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) said the case against UBS AG, a Swiss global financial services company operating out of Basel and Zurich, Switzerland, which is linked to the money, is continuing.
Lukas Straumann, director of BMF, confirmed that the investigation launched by the Swiss Attorney General is ongoing.
"It started on Aug 29 and is expected to take a couple of months at least until its conclusion," he said in a message to his affiliates here.
The statement comes after the Dewan Rakyat was told on Oct 11 that the amount concerned that was seized by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) from a Sabah businessman at the Hong Kong International Airport in 2008 was a 'political contribution' to Sabah Umno by an unidentified donor.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz in a written reply to parliament on the outcome of the investigation into the affair denied that the seized amount was Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman's money.
However BMF's Straumann said: "We have submitted strong evidence showing the relationship between UBS and the Musa family.
" From what we see, it is a very clear case of money-laundering. This is why the
official investigation was opened in the first place."
He added that BMF has applied to be admitted as a private plaintiff in order to gain access to the case files.
"This might be a unique chance to find out more on the business between UBS and Musa because Swiss banking secrecy will be lifted during the investigation.
"Our position in this application is much stronger if we are backed by people from Sabah. This is why we seek to get plaintiffs from among Sabahans," Straumann said referring to the BMF offer published in local news portal and also in its letters.
It is understood that several Sabahans have consented to be plaintiffs in the case being pursued in Switzerland.
Musa, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's point man in Sabah and the state's longest serving Chief Minister has found himself in centre-stage after Sabah timber tycoon, Michael Chia Tien Foh, the man caught red-handed with S$16 million (about RM40 million) in his bag was detained by the ICAC in 2008.
Chia had allegedly told the ICAC that the money was not his but the Sabah Chief Minister's. Musa subsequently denied all knowledge of Chia despite claims by Sabah businessmen that the two were close associates.
Nazri, who is also de facto Law Minister, has unwittingly added further controversy to the affair by sweeping it aside as a simple matter.
No explanation was given why the large amount of cash was being hand carried by Chia rather than through a an inter-bank transaction or how the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had come to the conclusion it was a political donation for Sabah Umno after investigating the case for four years.
Musa in a statement at the last Sabah State Assembly sitting said that he was not afraid of any investigation over the RM40 million and that the money was not his but Umno's.
His remarks came days after Najib said in Kuala Lumpur that MACC had completed its investigation and that the papers were then with the Attorney-General, Abdul Gani Patail who is related to Musa through marriage.
While Nazri has claimed that the powerful ICAC wrapped up its case (perhaps through a government-to-government arrangement), it is not known for now how the Hong Kong-based Chia can escape prosecution as it is illegal for anyone to bring or take out such a large some of cash without a permit.
Chia's link to Musa, who is also in charge of Yayasan Sabah which holds in trust for Sabahans large tracts of timber concession areas, was exposed by Sarawak Report which published online, flow charts of the money transactions that connected them.
Why does Nazri pretend there were no arrests? The EU and HK-ACC can obviously see whats happening.
Explosive Altantuya Revelations Coming? – Hornbill Unleashed – John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel – October 21, 2012
Retired Malaysian police chief schedules mysterious Bangkok press conference Monday to announce "new revelations" in murder for hire case
The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand announced Saturday that Musa Hassan, who retired recently as Malaysia's national police chief, would hold a Monday press conference in Bangkok with "new revelations" over the 2006 murder for hire of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu.
"After her death it was revealed that she had been linked to the sale of two French-made submarines to Malaysia for US$1.3 billion – a deal under heavy suspicion of high-level corruption," the FCCT announcement said. "The current Malaysian PM, Najib Razak, was then Minister of Defense and the national police chief was Musa Hassan. The revelations shook the Malaysian political landscape."
Musa Hassan
It remains unsure if the announcement was a hoax. Attempts to reach Musa were unsuccessful. A Malaysiakini reporter said he has reached the former chief, but that Musa refused comment and said he hadn't heard of the press conference. There was at least one error in the announcement — that Musa had quit as head of the police when he had actually retired with full honors. Although there have also been subsequent rumors that the press conference has been canceled, an FCCT officer told Asia Sentinel it appears to still be on, although it was moved from Oct. 19 to Monday.
The 60-year-old Musa retired on Sept. 13 after 41 years of service, the last six as national police chief. He was previously deputy inspector general. He has long been a controversial figure, having been investigated himself on allegations of corruption, particularly over the release of three members of illegal betting syndicates. Reform critics have accused him of using his police power to thwart investigations into corruption and to protect powerful figures in the government.
Officials with the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition said they had been caught off guard by the announcement that Musa would speak in Bangkok.
Local media reported earlier that Musa has been flirting with Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the fundamentalist Islamic component of the three-party opposition. Musa, however, has publicly denied he intended to join PAS. A source with Pakatan Rakyat told Asia Sentinel Musa had met with a top leader of PAS several months ago, but that the former police chief had no interest in politics and that it was unlikely he would join.
However, if anybody knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak, it would be Musa Hassan.
Six years ago, according to court testimony in a long-drawn-out Kuala Lumpur trial, bodyguards attached to the office of Najib, now the prime minister, dragged the translator and party girl out of a car into a patch of jungle near the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Shah Alam, As she begged for her life and apparently that of her unborn child, they knocked her unconscious, then shot her twice in the head.
Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, members of the elite Unit Tindakan Khas, then wrapped Altantuya's body in C4 plastic explosives and blew her up, possibly to mangle her remains so badly that the fetus would be destroyed, according to a confession that Sirul made but which was never introduced in court despite its seeming validity.
In his cautioned statement, as confessions are called in Malaysia, the police corporal told authorities he and Azilah had been offered RM100,000 to kill the woman and her two companions, who were causing highly public embarrassment for Abdul Razak Baginda, Najib's best friend. The 28-year-old Mongolian woman, in a letter found after her death, wrote that she was sorry she had been blackmailing Razak Baginda.
Ironically, if unknown persons hadn't ordered Altantuya's death, the story of the massive bribes for the purchase of the submarines would by this time probably have disappeared. Similar scandals with the same magnitude of questionable overpayments have since died down, one involving the purchases of Sukhoi jets and another involving the waste of hundreds of millions of dollars on a company owned by an United Malays National Organization crony to build patrol boats. However, continuing questions about her murder have kept the story alive.
As Asia Sentinel reported in June, French police records alleged that Razak Baginda was a central figure in a bribery case in which a total of nearly €150 million in payments were steered to two Razak Baginda companies, Perimekar Sdn Bhd and Terasasi Hong Kong Ltd from subsidiaries of DCN, the French defense giant, in connection with the purchase of the submarines by the Malaysian defense ministry. The records seized from DCN by the French police show that former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe were aware of the transactions. Memos obtained by Asia Sentinel show the French expected at least part of the money to be steered to UMNO, Malaysia's biggest ethnic political party.
Despite a 14-month trial, neither the prosecutors, the defense nor the judge asked who had offered the RM100,000 payment to the two men. Najib's chief of staff, Musa Safri, reportedly dispatched the two policemen to pick up Altantuya and her companions, who mercifully weren't around.
Altantuya appears to have been killed at the behest of someone with considerable clout in Kuala Lumpur. If her dying statement to Sirul Azhar is to be accepted, as he recounted it in his confession, she appeared to have been carrying the baby of someone, perhaps high in power in Malaysia.
Najib has sworn on the Quran that he never met Altantuya, although she appears to have been in France at the same time as he was, accompanying Najib's best friend, Razak Baginda. On June 11, 2005, for instance, Najib gave a press conference after having visited the site where the Scorpene submariners were being trained and, according to the log of an Australian submariner association, presented jackets made available by Perimekar – Abdul Razak Baginda's company – to the crew.
After the arrest of the two bodyguards, eventually Abdul Razak Baginda was acquitted without having to put on a defense. There were a long string of irregularities in the trial, which as much as anything appeared to be designed on the part of the judiciary, the prosecution and perhaps the defense to make sure nobody in Najib's office was investigated or called as witnesses.
The two bodyguards were convicted and sentenced to death. Their appeals were supposed to have been heard in February this year, eight months ago. Mysteriously their appeals have been delayed. They were supposed to be heard in August. They have been delayed again.
Last week Musa dropped a 2008 defamation suit against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim after Anwar accused him and Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail of conspiring to cover up a 1998 physical assault which left the then-imprisoned Anwar with a black eye and a permanent back problem. The dropping of the suit also fueled speculation that Musa was moving towards a rapprochement with the opposition. However, an opposition leader said the PR leadership was convinced he dropped the suit because he knew he wouldn't be able to win it.
Send Interpol after the creeps! DAP did not keep 90% of campaign promises, (totally failed GE12's Manifesto by which the voters cast their vote – those voters might as well vote for THEMSELVES as independents), no Local Councils, no asset declarations etc.. So that should mean DAP is also cheating, and are thieves of GE12, with nepotistic dictatorship at the top level in DAP that have caused near a score of top level member quits from DAP. The world now is indeed a global village.
Who wants to be a millionaire? – Hornbill Unleashed – Mariam Mokhtar – October 20, 2012
To those who still doubt that Umno is the curse of the Malays, try cutting off the links between Umno and these people, and see what happens.
Most people are familiar with the song or TV game show "Who wants to be a millionaire?". Had that question "Who wants to be a millionaire?" been put to Malaysians in the past, a majority of the rakyat would have responded, "Yes, I would"; but today, in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's prosperous "1Malaysia", the most likely reply from a Barisan Nasional crony would be a dismissive, "Huh. I'm already a multi-millionaire."
The secret to success? Being an Umno politician, of course; but entry to this exclusive club is conditional upon selling one's soul, integrity and mind, to serve a new master – Umno and all it stands for. So, while some Malays mock other religions for being idolatrous, they conveniently forget that they themselves worship the goddess Umno.
Umno uses religion for control. Umno's brand of Islam is not to make better people out of the Malays, to ensure they live harmoniously with Malaysians of other faiths and to practise the tenets of their religion. Instead, Islam is used liberally in Umno politics, to subjugate and subdue the Malays. Few Malays speak up, because to be seen questioning Umno might be misconstrued as doubting Islam.
The intricate relationship between politics and business existed long before independence, but during former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's era, business and politics became inseparable. Under the guise of the NEP (New Economic Policy), the purpose of which was to lift the Malays out of poverty, Mahathir made some Malays millionaires, in what could only be described as an "overnight sensation".
Umno expanded this business-cum-politics relationship, so that in today's Malaysia, Najib makes no attempt to hide fraud and criminal activity; he just says it is for Umno, so it must be right. Najib does not even bother to deny that having close ties with Umno, will make Umno politicians and their cronies, members of the "millionaire's club".
Established businessmen, landowners, celebrity divas and VVIPs have all become millionaires, some with eight-figure fortunes, all because they pay homage to Umno. Civil servants, members of the judiciary, policemen and chief ministers all have the capacity to make several millions.
To those who still doubt that Umno is the curse of the Malays, try cutting off the links between Umno and these people, and see what happens. Imagine a child learning to ride a bicycle. The use of stabilisers will help. When these are removed, the child may tumble, but after a while, he will get the knack. Why are Malays so afraid of developing their own abilities?
At the event "Sepagi Bersama Perdana Menteri" (A morning with the prime minister) in Teluk Intan yesterday, Najib ridiculed the efforts of the opposition in bringing development to the country, but he was full of praise for BN's track record and experience in development. He rubbished claims that the opposition coalition was stronger than BN.
Najib said, "The BN government knows that in shouldering the responsibility, we've got to have a sense of humanity and tawadduk [humility] to understand the aspirations of the people, to feel the pulse of people."
Must win to survive
Talking about pulse, was Najib at all bothered that the son of one of his ministers can escape punishment after he and his bodyguard beat up men who are only doing their jobs? Would Najib care to comment on the high scale corruption of his ministers and why he is afraid of sacking them?
Did Najib sense the rakyat's anger when Michael Chia attempted to smuggle RM40 million into the country? Was he aware that Sabah Umno members are furious that their party's name was sullied? They believe that to protect Chief Minister Musa Aman, Najib claimed the money was meant for Sabah Umno. It is alleged that the money was Musa's. One wonders how a chief minister would acquire that amount of cash.
Does Najib understand the rage of the rakyat when chief ministers abuse the public purse and use it for personal functions, like the recent wedding of the son of Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam, or last year's scandal, when Najib was alleged to have abused his position and flown close friends and family to attend the engagement party of his daughter to the nephew of the Kazakhstan president?
Najib told the Perak crowd that despite the changing times, the guiding principles of BN had not altered and that it was necessary to have continuity: "The government should have continuity because if there is no continuity, the government can't make long-term plans."
Even a fool can see that Umno needs to win the 13th general election to survive. Umno needs to stay in power, to further ravage the country; Umno politicians need to raid the treasury to maintain their lifestyle. The alternative is a long prison term for robbing the nation, when the rakyat makes them answerable for their crimes.
Najib claimed that change was not good for the country because the people and nation would lose out: "As a developing country with a future, we need continuity, we need it not just for the sake of power, but for the people to get greater benefits under the BN."
Najib might as well have said, "We need to continue to hoodwink you for Umno's prolonged benefit."
He then blamed the opposition for causing dissent among the masses, and teaching them a hatred of BN. He said that BN was confident of winning the GE13.
Naturally, Najib failed to mention the harassment of NGOs, civil liberty groups, the alternative media, the opposition and the ordinary members of the rakyat who have been championing true democracy. He omitted to say that his budget was an election budget.
Najib then told the 10,000-strong audience that BN had plans to develop the coastline of Perak and that the West Coast Expressway project would bring benefit to the people from Taiping to Banting.
Predictably, a few more BN cronies will become millionaires from this lucrative highway project, but most members of the rakyat will gain nothing.
Is Mariam Mokhtar, Amina Mariam Bokhary? As in Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary's daughter?
I recall Mariam saying something about being involved in orphanages or defending the way Malaysian orphanages were run before once . . .
Suaram takes Scorpene scandal to the grassroots – Hornbill Unleashed – by Susan Loone – October 23, 2012
Yesterday, Suaram teamed-up with youth movement Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) to train some 80 people on how to give ceramah on the issue in their respective constituencies.Human rights NGO Suaram has embarked on a programme to take information about the Scorpene submarine scandal to the masses in an attempt to fight back accusations by the authorities that it publicly lied on the issue.
The campaign plans to attract about 200 speakers, largely from opposition political parties, from around the country to focus on spreading the issue to the people, especially to villagers in the kampung.
NONEFormer Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel (left) yesterday conducted a 'training of trainers' programme for a group of people, made up mainly of PKR grassroots leaders from the northern region of the peninsula.
Cynthia spoke at length about the case during the two-hour session and distributed several documents on the explosive subject to the participants.
She explained the difference between the French and Malaysian court systems, saying that Suaram has always maintained that the case was being investigated by two Paris-based judges and not going through a full-blown trial in France.
The participants were also told that Suaram's revelations on the Scorpene case have so far been based on French judicial papers.
The information was derived from findings made after Suaram filed a complaint against state-owned shipbuilder, DCNS, in 2009 for alleged payment of commissions, which is illegal in France, to top Malaysian officials for the purchase of the two Scorpene-class submarines.
Demonising Suaram
Cynthia was referring to a recent statement by French prosecutor Yves Charpenel, who was quoted by New Straits Times as saying that, despite claims by Malaysian online media, there was no trial going on in the Scorpene case.
Charpenel's statement on this was then corrected by Suaram's Paris-based lawyer, William Bourdon, who said the "inquiry is ongoing" and the question of a trial on the Scorpene matter would be decided by the investigating judges and not by the prosecutor.
NONE"Since the BN-controlled media and the government are all out todemonise and harass Suaram and its efforts to promote transparency and accountability in military spending, which amounts to billions of the rakyat's money, we have no choice but to take this issue to the ground," Cynthia said.
"Since it is impossible for us to be everywhere, we are happy to work with various groups that are interested in the truth and can help us share it with the people," she said.
By harassment, Cynthia was referring to the action of six government agencies probing Suaram, which has been active since Operasi Lalangin 1987 when 106 social and political activists were detained under the Internal Security Act.
Cynthia and her team later spoke at a Bersih event in Padang Serai featuring the coalition's co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan, before launching the Jelajah Scorpene campaign with SAMM in Telok Ayer Tawar late last night.
'Mother of all issues'
SAMM chairperson Badrul Hisham Shaharin told PKR political speakers to equip themselves with proper knowledge about the Scorpene scandal that cost the country RM7.3 billion.
NONEHowever, Badrul Hisham, who is widely known as Chegu Bard, cautioned them not to be too technical so that the crowd they were speaking to fully understood the details of the deal, which was inked in 2002 when Najib Abdul Razak was defence minister.
Badrul reminded the audience that Najib, who is now prime minister, and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, may have to attend the court in France should they be subpoenaed.
Najib and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin have refused to respond when asked about the inquiry in Paris, while Ahmad Zahid made a U-turnabout testifying in the matter, after having said earlier that he was prepared to.
Two of Najib's former bodyguards were charged with the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, who is believed to be involved in the deal.
abdul razak baginda pc 201108 05Najib's close associate, defence analyst Abdul Razak Baginda (right), was charged with abetting them in the murder, but he was acquitted without his defence being called.
"The Scorpene issue is the mother of all issues and we plan to make it the main issue during the coming general election," Badrul in his speech at the launch of the campaign.
"This issue has opened a can of worms and revealed so many other issues, including possible corruption, transparency and accountability issues, rakyat's money being wasted on military spending and the murder of a Mongolian national," added the former PKR Youth leader.
Other speakers who spoke briefly in support of the campaign included Penang PKR vice-chairperson Abdul Halim Hussein, Kebun Bungah assemblyperson Jason Ong Khan Lee and state PKR Youth chief Amir Ghazali.
Najib has denied any involvement in the case and the Defence Ministry insists that the deal was done above board.
DAP makes no attempt to fight back accusations by the authorities that it publicly lied on the issue of 90% failed campaign promises – failed Local Council Elections, no declarations of MP assets, and many others that caused near a score of top level defections in DAP so far . . . why doesn't Suaram take DAP to task? Selective persecution by SUARAM shows lack of ethics. Quangocrat alert! And with this sort of collusive mindset guess what will happen to Democracy when DAP entrenches itself? Vote 3rd Force!
Danau Melikin native Ibans charged in Court – Hornbill Unleashed (Editor) – October 22, 2012
5 native Iban farmers were this morning charged in the Magistrates Court in Serian this morning.
Village Headman Nyalu Anak Tampa, together with 2 other farmers Sanjan Anak Ambol and Samad Anak Junna, were jointly charged under section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to Andrew Wong King Kiat, an administrative executive of United Teamtrade Sdn Bhd, a company issued with a provisional lease for 73,000 ha oil plam plantation over the land of which the 3 accused claimed are NCR land of Kampung Danau Melikin and 22 other Iban native communities in the area.
Another Danau Melikin farmer Donny Anak Mambu was accused of using an excavator under his control to damage a bridge across Sg Danau on 27.08.2012 and is charged under section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief and causing damage to the amount of RM25 or upwards.
In the other case, an aged farmer Balon Ak Giang was charged for criminal intimidation, that he had on 27.08.2012 verbally threatened to cause hurt to the oil palm estate manager Lee Beng Sing with the words "kamu jangan kerja sini kalau kamu kerja lagi saya bunuh tembak kamu" (You can't work here and if you do that I will shoot and kill you).
The prosecuting officer informed the court that in both the cases of Donny Anak Mambu and Balon Ak Giang, though separately charged, were one single transaction and witnesses are the same. He applied for the 2 cases to be jointly tried.
All the accused pleaded not guilty and they were each released on RM5000 court bail with one surety each.
The presiding Magistrate Puan Portia Tham ordered the case against Village Headman Nyalu Anak Tampa, Sanjan Anak Ambol and Samad Anak Junna to be managed on 12 November and trial date is scheduled for 3 December 2012.
In the 2 cases involving Donny Anak Mambu and Balon Ak Giang, the Magistrate ordered for case management on 31 October 2012 and trial on 13 October 2012.
Lawyers Baru Bian, See Chee How and Desmond Kho, who appeared in the Serian Magistrate Court this morning, are representing the 5 native accused from Kampung Danau Melikin.
More than 150 other native villagers also crowded the Serian Magistrate Court to show their support for the 5 accused.
File for secession then throw out all charges, throw out all colonialists, all non-locals and make your own country. Only the East Malaysian locals have rights to any East Malaysian land, and the federal 'laws' are written to take those lands especially offensively ancestral lands away! I'm sure the village elders will know who was around before East Malaysia was stolen with obviously illegal laws! BN or PR, also 3rd Force, return all stolen lands or expect secession!
Speaker bans pay-cut motions against ministers – by Clara Chooi (Assistant News Editor) – October 22, 2012 – UPDATED @ 06:17:38 PM 22-10-2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Pandemonium broke in the Dewan Rakyat this morning when Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia announced a blanket ban on all motions filed by MPs to cut the salaries of ministers, a move traditionally used by lawmakers to push through a no-confidence vote.
Pandikar, when addressing the House, reasoned that he had conducted a detailed study on the matter and discovered that no other parliamentary democracies in the world debate such motions.
"The reason is because should this be allowed, it goes against the question of privilege," he pointed out.
"Next, the justifications (for the motion), which in the past were always used, are justifications that have already been touched on during policy stage debates," Pandikar (picture) added.
The Speaker acknowledged that such pay-cut motions under Standing Order 66(9) should not be used for such purposes as this would be tantamount to an abuse of the provision.
Standing Order 66(9) states: Any member may move an amendment to the schedule to reduce by RM……… the sum to be allotted for any head of expenditure in respect of any sub-head or item therein, but at least two clear days' notice of such amendment shall be given.
"If I allow it, and it is debated, and accepted by the House, a question of law will be raised, which is the right of an individual to receive a salary, meaning the minister has a right to a salary; this cannot be taken by the House.
"When this is taken into consideration, I think it is inappropriate for us to prolong this precedent," he said, to objections from several opposition parliamentarians.
When the MPs stood to object to his decision, the Speaker cited Standing Order 57(4) that allows him to reject any motion if he felt that the justifications given were "frivolous".
Arguing, Pua told Pandikar that the motions had been rejected without allowing their applicants to state the justifications for filing them.
Teo also disagreed with the Speaker's assertions, pointing out that she had not raised her justifications during policy stage debates earlier as she had meant to raise them when the motion was debated during committee stage.
In the past, such pay-cut motions were automatically allowed for debate during the committee stage.
At a press conference outside chambers later, the opposition MPs revealed that in Pandikar's letter rejecting the motions, the Speaker had "created" three conditions, which he said was necessary if motions under Standing Order 66(9) were to be tabled in the future.
According to the letter distributed to the media here, Pandikar had said that such motions must clearly state the pay cut amount being sought, reasons for the cut, and detailed justifications for the reasons.
"The Speaker was contradicting himself… in the letter he tells us that we did not give justifications and we should do so under Standing Order 66(9) but then he used his power as Speaker to reject the motion on the grounds that the justifications given were 'frivolous'," Pua said.
Agreeing, Teo said the House should first move to amend the Standing Orders to include these three conditions, instead of allowing the Speaker to "abuse" his power by imposing them without allowing debate.
. . . "If I allow it " . . . If every other or even a minority number of MPs want to discuss this the Speaker cannot deny them the right. Time to vote for another Speaker? Voters really need to kick out BN . . . and at least drop 50% of DAP's term limitless and nepotism corrupted ranks.
Amangate: Umno sinks into deeper QUAGMIRE by Kim QuekSaturday, 20 October 2012 18:55
Parliament should consider censuring Minister Nazri Aziz for giving completely contradictory answers in parliament within the short interval of one week in respect of the contraband S$16 million cash seized in Hong Kong International Airport which both Nazri and Prime Minister Najib Razak denied that it was Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman's money, claiming it was donation to Sabah Umno.
It should also consider rebuking Prime Minister Najib for having irresponsibly denied that the illegal attempt by Michael Chia Tien Foh to board the plane with the contraband cash was not an act of smuggling cash in breach of law, simply because Nazri has made some dubious statements in parliament.
On Oct 11, answering MP Chua Tian Chan, Nazri stated that the Attorney General (AG) had decided that corruption was not proven, based on the reports submitted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Nazri further stated that, based on this outcome of MACC's investigation, Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) did not take any further action.
However, answering MP Tan Kok Wai on Oct 11, Nazri said investigation carried out on the case was not done by MACC, but by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which had subsequently stated that there was no corruption in this case.
One moment, it was MACC's investigation that led to AG's verdict of no corruption. But the next moment: no, it was not MACC, but ICAC which investigated and concluded that there was no corruption.
The contradictions are puzzling.
Could it be that Nazri thought our AG and MACC's credibility might not be good enough for Malaysians, and decided to attribute the findings to the world famous ICAC noted for its anti-corruption prowess, hoping to get better reception from Malaysians? Otherwise, how could he reconcile the two completely contradictory statements?
In fact, Nazri not only has problem reconciling these two different statements, but he also has problem reconciling both these statements against a MACC statement a few days earlier.
On Oct 5, MACC's deputy chief commissioner (operations) Shukri Abdul said that investigation on the Hong Kong contraband cash case was still ongoing as its review panel requested for further investigation.
Apart from these multiple contradictions thrown by Nazri to parliament, his claim that ICAC has concluded that there is no corruption is also fishy.
This is evident from the fact that the S$16 million cash seized on 14th August 2008 was only released at the end of the statutory retention period limit of three years, when ICAC failed to wrap up the case due reportedly to Malaysian government's refusal to extend co-operation in the investigation. If there was no case as claimed by Nazri and Najib, would the Hong Kong authorities have kept the money for the full legally allowable period of three years?
In fact, Michael Chia was arrested and investigated for both offences of money smuggling and money laundering.
Sneaking out the country with large amount of cash in breach of law is called smuggling money. I fail to see how Najib could claim it was not smuggling just because his minister Nazri has answered some questions in parliament – and badly answered at that, I must add.
Answering a question in a press conference on Oct 19 whether there was any basis to claims that the money was smuggled or laundered through Hong Kong, Najib answered curtly: "No. It has already been explained in parliament". By that, Najib was of course referring to Nazri's duplicitous answers abovementioned.
It is most unbecoming of the prime minister to base his answer to such a serious scandal on such a shady foundation.
Members of parliament should seek the following from Nazri in parliament, in addition to asking him to explain the many contradictions in his abovementioned statements:
1. Full disclose of the communications between the governments of Hong Kong and Malaysia on this issue; in particular a) whether ICAC has forwarded its findings to MACC including the money flow chart trailing the Sabah timber corruption money all the way to Musa Aman's UBS AG account in Zurich, b) whether ICAC has requested for inter-country co-operation, c) whether ICAC has categorically stated that there was no corruption in the case and that it has ceased to pursue the case further.
2. When did MACC start its investigation, and whether it is still on-going. If so, why it has not been able to complete the task after such a lengthy investigation.
3. What role the AG has played in this case – in relation to the Hong Kong authorities and in relation to the Malaysian government, in particular, MACC.
Unless Nazri is forthcoming with satisfactory answers, he should be censured and referred to parliamentary select committee (privileges and power) for further probing.
Kim Quek is the author of banned book The March to Putrajaya
Strong case to continue probe on money laundering – Calvin Kabaron – Saturday, October 20, 2012
Bruno Manser Fund says the probe into the RM40 million donation to Sabah Umno is ongoing.
KOTA KINABALU: A Swiss government investigation into the mystery donation of RM40 million to Sabah is still going on .
The Switzerland-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) said the case against UBS AG, a Swiss global financial services company operating out of Basel and Zurich, Switzerland, which is linked to the money, is continuing.
Lukas Straumann, director of BMF, confirmed that the investigation launched by the Swiss Attorney General is ongoing.
"It started on Aug 29 and is expected to take a couple of months at least until its conclusion," he said in a message to his affiliates here.
The statement comes after the Dewan Rakyat was told on Oct 11 that the amount concerned that was seized by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) from a Sabah businessman at the Hong Kong International Airport in 2008 was a 'political contribution' to Sabah Umno by an unidentified donor.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz in a written reply to parliament on the outcome of the investigation into the affair denied that the seized amount was Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman's money.
However BMF's Straumann said: "We have submitted strong evidence showing the relationship between UBS and the Musa family.
" From what we see, it is a very clear case of money-laundering. This is why the official investigation was opened in the first place."
He added that BMF has applied to be admitted as a private plaintiff in order to gain access to the case files.
"This might be a unique chance to find out more on the business between UBS and Musa because Swiss banking secrecy will be lifted during the investigation.
"Our position in this application is much stronger if we are backed by people from Sabah. This is why we seek to get plaintiffs from among Sabahans," Straumann said referring to the BMF offer published in local news portal and also in its letters.
It is understood that several Sabahans have consented to be plaintiffs in the case being pursued in Switzerland.
Musa, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's point man in Sabah and the state's longest serving Chief Minister has found himself in centre-stage after Sabah timber tycoon, Michael Chia Tien Foh, the man caught red-handed with S$16 million (about RM40 million) in his bag was detained by the ICAC in 2008.
Chia had allegedly told the ICAC that the money was not his but the Sabah Chief Minister's. Musa subsequently denied all knowledge of Chia despite claims by Sabah businessmen that the two were close associates.
Nazri, who is also de facto Law Minister, has unwittingly added further controversy to the affair by sweeping it aside as a simple matter.
No explanation was given why the large amount of cash was being hand carried by Chia rather than through a an inter-bank transaction or how the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had come to the conclusion it was a political donation for Sabah Umno after investigating the case for four years.
Musa in a statement at the last Sabah State Assembly sitting said that he was not afraid of any investigation over the RM40 million and that the money was not his but Umno's.
His remarks came days after Najib said in Kuala Lumpur that MACC had completed its investigation and that the papers were then with the Attorney-General, Abdul Gani Patail who is related to Musa through marriage.
While Nazri has claimed that the powerful ICAC wrapped up its case (perhaps through a government-to-government arrangement), it is not known for now how the Hong Kong-based Chia can escape prosecution as it is illegal for anyone to bring or take out such a large some of cash without a permit.
Chia's link to Musa, who is also in charge of Yayasan Sabah which holds in trust for Sabahans large tracts of timber concession areas, was exposed by Sarawak Report which published online, flow charts of the money transactions that connected them.
Whose money is Musa holding?' – FMT Staff – July 3, 2012
Sabah Chief Minister Musa has claimed that a large part of his multi-million fortune held in foreign accounts is not privately owned by him.
KUALA LUMPUR: PKR wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to clarify "leaked" investigation papers that a Swiss bank account linked to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman contains US$100 million belonging to Umno.
Musa allegedly told Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers that the money in question traced to a bank in Zurich, Switzerland and under investigation by banking and criminal investigation agencies overseas was not his but Umno's, said a senior PKR official.
PKR vice president Tian Chua who is also MP for Batu, said Najib must explain Musa's alleged statement linking Umno and therefore the government to the hitherto secret party slush fund.
The money is part of a large sum being traced by international investigative reporters including of online media, Sarawak Report, who published details of transactions connecting Musa, Sabah businessman Michael Chia as well as many in Malaysian and Swiss banking in questionable financial deals crisscrossing several countries.
When Chia was caught with S$16 million cash in Hong Kong few years ago, he reportedly told the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that the money belonged to Musa.
Musa however immediately denied knowing Chia and by inference anything about the money.
However pictures of them together and details of transactions including payments to Musa's two sons in Australia were then exposed by the online media raising further questions about the matter.
This prompted more information being exposed by authorities in Zurich, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.
According to Tian Chua, on June 15, PKR deputy secretary general Darell Leiking, parliamentarian Sivarasa Rasiah and he held a press conference in the Parliament House questioning the government's inaction despite detailed information becoming public of a money laundering operation that has implicated Musa.
"On June 21, I received a reply from the prime minister on the status of the investigation of corruption allegations against Musa following the arrest of Michael Chia in Hong Kong.
"The answer from PM stated that MACC had provided full cooperation with Hong Kong ICAC and had completed the investigation. Presently the file is on the table of Attorney-General but so far no action has been taken," he said.
Funds 'held in trust'
Tian Chua said the case received new attention when NGO activist Prof Monika Roth filed a suit against Swiss UBS Bank linking the bank with the money laundering operations in Sabah.
However, once again, there was total silence from the Malaysian government, he said.
"A few days ago, I received a mysterious phone call from an unknown person who claimed that he was a staff member of MACC.
"He revealed that the MACC had initiated a new investigation on Musa where he was interviewed by several MACC officers on a date not told to me.
"Musa defended his actions and told the MACC officers to "check their facts with the prime minister."
"Musa claimed that a large part of his multi-million fortune held in foreign currency accounts overseas was not privately owned by him.
"Instead it was held in trust on behalf of Umno. Now the public is eager to know whether this is true, and if the PM is aware of this.
"As the phone call was confidential and I had no means to verify the information, I hereby call upon the PM to step forward to clarify whether the MACC had initiated a new investigation on Musa.
"I also call on (Attorney-General) Abdul Gani Patail to step aside vis-a-vis the investigation related to Musa as it is clear that the AG is unable to convince the public of his impartiality," said Tian Chua.
Why did Nazri say there were no arrests when the Hong Kong's Anti-corruption police can corroborate that there were arrests? Is? Is Malaysian becoming a information blackout or media spin nation? Fortunately mass media is so proliferated now. What was buried in the past before the mass media and internet age? –
Jingga 13 Questions Top Leader on Ex-Maid's House in Indonesia – NEWS/COMMENTARIES – Sunday, 21 October 2012 admin-s
(Malaysian Digest) – PKR-linked NGO Jingga 13 has questioned a top politician over how a former maid has managed to afford a luxurious RM100,000 house in Indonesia.
Jingga 13 coordinator Fariz Musa, who submitted a memorandum to the office of the said politician yesterday, alleged that the maid could not have purchased the house based on her low income earned in Malaysia.
"If she (the maid) hadn't spent a single cent from her (few) years' salary, with a RM300 monthly salary for the first few years, increased to RM500 after that, we don't think she could save even RM50,000."
He claimed that the maid has remained unemployed since 2007, after her return to Indonesia,
When asked how the NGO obtained their information, Fariz said Jingga 13's investigative team video-interviewed the maid in Indonesia in March 2012.
"Our accompanying Indonesian friends have told us that her house is estimated at RM100,000."
"The photos that we took of it show that the fencing and furniture are specially-designed. We think they are not cheap."
Pressed on whether the maid has informed the funding source of her new house, Fariz replied that the maid was afraid to speak "because of Malaysian official restrictions" and that her husband kept interrupting during the interview.
Fariz said he will refer the matter to the Indonesian embassy and subsequently lodge a report to police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Neurotech or sheer lust?
Arrested youth's family fear Johor palace interference, urge cops to help – by Clara Chooi, Assistant News Editor November 04, 2012
Ahmad Abd Jalil is being investigated over allegedly seditious remarks he had made against the Johor Sultan on his Facebook page. – Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The family members of Ahmad Abd Jalil, who was arrested on Friday for insulting the Johor Sultan, is pleading with the police not to permit the palace authorities to haul the youth to the royal house for an apology.
The family, responding to talks that Ahmad may be brought personally before the Sultan to apologise for his remarks, expressed fear today over the safety of the 27-year-old if he were to be taken to the palace.
According to an SMS from Ahmad's sister to one of the family's lawyer late last night, the police had told her mother that, "if the palace calls, they (the police) would be forced to bring Ahmad to face the Sultan".
"If they want my son to apologise, bring him to court. Once he enters someone else's territory, anything can happen and we wouldn't know who to blame," Ahmad's father Abd Jalil Abd Rahman told The Malaysian Insider today.
"Everyone has to respect the due process of the law. And if they want to take my son to court to extract an apology, then so be it.
"Do not force him into palace custody where we have no control over. We are Penangites. We are not used to having a Sultan and we have heard many horror stories. This is our right," he added.
The 60-year-old former government servant said the police have so far refused all attempts by his family to visit Ahmad, who was arrested in Kuala Lumpur at 8pm on Friday and transferred into the Johor police custody the same night.
As at noon today, Abd Jalil said he will be meeting with the investigating officer in Ahmad's case.
"We hope to have a positive outcome from the meeting… I just want to see my son," he said, adding that if it would look bad on the police if they were to forbid him from doing so.
In an SMS to The Malaysian Insider, Ahmad's older brother agreed with his father in saying that the youth must be kept safely away from the palace compound.
"It is wrong to extract him from the balai/lokap to anywhere. We an apologise but thru proper procedures. Ahmad will apologise openly at court.
"Otherwise, we condone that the system is being used as 'mode of ugutan (threat)'," he said in the text message.
Ahmad is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, believed to be over allegedly seditious remarks he had made against the Johor Sultan on his Facebook page.
He was picked up from his office at around 8pm in Cheras yesterday by several plainclothes policemen before he was brought to the Wangsa Maju police station for questioning.
According to Ahmad's lawyer Mohd Zakwan Adenan yesterday, the youth was at first not informed of his offence, except that he was allegedly being investigated under the Sedition Act 1948.
"They said they wanted to charge him under the Sedition Act for remarks he made on Facebook but when we asked the police which statement they were referring to, they could not answer," he said.
Section 4(1) stipulates that any person who utters, prints or publishes any seditious words, on conviction, would be liable for a first offence to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.
After interrogating him for several hours at the Wangsa Maju police station yesterday, the police raided Ahmad's parents' house in Damansara Damai before taking the youth with them to Johor.
At 3pm yesterday, Ahmad was taken before a Johor magistrate by the police to obtain a three-day remand order.
The reverse could be said of having the case in Penang and the more urban areas of Malaysia, where the animosity towards all Sultans (who due to tacit approval of Bumiputra Apartheid, contributes in substantial measure to this sort of disafffection, or in some uncommon cases monopoly like involvement in business sectors when the mere exalted position of Ruler should be quite enough to not feel inclined to compete with the citizens in government for evidently commercial projects – well maybe consultative roles for favourite related projects i.e. trains . . .) could be intentionally used to dismiss the case intentionally to make a salient point about apartheid (minorities) or absolutism (non-Royalist/anti-royalist Malays) rather than to administer justice which in this case, should be an equitable apology to the the measure of insult offered on the social networking site simply to show magnanimity rather than petty mindedness.
Malaysian judges and the legal system in Malaysia are not impartial, and always are politically motivated rather than professionalism or justice motivated, as much as the Bar Council does not address the lack of :
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
;for the Bar Council's own political or financial (contract) based profit. I had written on the apartheid issue to every individual Sultan before and had no response whatsoever. Perhaps the letters were intercepted as so many other communications might have been. And due this, or simply crypto-racism, if not authoritarianism, I received no response on the matter whatsoever as any civil society might have and issues like the above continue to mar relations between the intended as symbolic rulers and and the masses. Stature and privilege should be enough to even ignore this sort of insult, the palace certainly has the resources to unofficially argue back without getting directly involved but from the looks of this sandiwara which might well have ulterior motives of sounding out the pop-ulace's less well written to identify those against the palace, has chosen to get directly involved instead.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012 18:49
WOW, HOW RACIST! Dr M's banking reforms INSPIRED by anti-Jew policy – Sanusi
KUALA LUMPUR, — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was inspired by Germany's past policy of limiting Jewish financial influence to help the Malays but it was later thwarted by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former Cabinet minister Tan Sri Sanusi Junid said today.
Sanusi told a Malay economic forum that Dr Mahathir and former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin were hoping that Malays would control the economy but when they saw progress was slow, they decided to follow the German example of not granting banking licences to Jews.
But the plan failed when Anwar became finance minister and approved two banking licences to non-Malay banking groups — Alliance Bank and Hong Leong Bank.
"We thought that if we can't control the economy, we would follow Germany," Sanusi said at the Malay Economic Congress here. "In Germany banking licences are not given to the Jews."
He said while pre-existing licences had been given to non-Malays, Daim made sure that all banks had Malay directors, which was important to ensure all banks had Malay influence.
"But unfortunately a huge disaster happened (kecelakaan besar); when Anwar became finance minister he approved banking licences for Alliance Bank and Hong Leong bank," he said. "We didn't want to give."
Sanusi said that as a result there are now "two non-Malay banks without Malay influence."
Malaysia's banking system was formerly largely controlled by the Chinese but many were taken over by or forced to merge with government-controlled entities.
The loss of Chinese-founded banking institutions is widely perceived by the Chinese community as of one of the ways they have been discriminated against under the guise of helping the Bumiputera community.
The Umno-led Barisan Nasional government however had previously maintained that direct intervention was required to uplift the Bumiputeras and that mergers would help create stronger banks that could withstand globalisation.
The Najib administration has said however that it will gradually liberalise the financial sector and any banking mergers should now be based on market forces.
Sanusi also said at the forum that Malays were unable to accumulate wealth as while they earned money, it was ultimately spent in non-Malay businesses.
"Who is rich? We are? Where is the money? There is none. It goes through the channels of non-Malays. The money only passes through Malays and that's why we are unable to accumulate," he said.
The former Kedah mentri besar noted that normally political power is held by those who have economic power.
"But Malays have political power because they are smart," he said.
–The Malaysian Insider
Malays smart? No really overall – listen in to the translated debates and one will find all kinds of stupidity and also unstatemanlike behaviour and words . . . Maybe they make good thieves of conscience and destroyers of Human Rights worthy ideals and UN politically correct aspirations that are the mainstay of civilisation. The other reasons are because the Chinese don't know if the army and police will be fair because the Chinese don't know if the army and police will be fair in the event of a 2nd race riots and finally because MCA/MIC/Gerakan/PPP etc.. are not very brave in fighting apartheid as well is greedy and corrupt, is why the Malays have political power.
Fair, secular nation better label than Islamic, says ex-Perlis Mufti – by Amin Iskandar – Assistant News Editor – October 24, 2012
Asri described the battle over whether Malaysia is a secular or Islamic state as akin to a fight over "branding". — File pic
SHAH ALAM, Oct 24 ? The debate over Malaysia's Islamic nation status has been described as a "branding" quarrel by popular cleric Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who said a secular nation that is fair is better than an Islamic country that exploits religion.
The Federal Constitution is Malaysia's supreme law but minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said this week that the country was never declared a secular nation; he stopped short, however, of calling it an Islamic state as declared by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"You can name the country as an Islamic country but you exploit Islam, for what? You name the country secular but give the people rights; that is better. The most important (thing) is the values carried. People like to exploit brands.
"However, I am not interested in terms; I am more interested with the content of a country," the former Perlis mufti told The Malaysian Insider after the 15th Sinar Harian Wacana titled "Ulama's Role, Advising Leaders (Peranan Ulama, Menasihati Pemimpin)" at the Karangkraf Complex yesterday.
"I ask from PAS especially, don't fight about branding. We have to think whether social justice can be carried out in a multiracial country," he said, talking about the Islamist party that has accused Umno of using a secular constitution inherited from the British colonial masters.
Repeated accusations from PAS led then-prime minister Dr Mahathir to announce in 2001 that Malaysia is an Islamic state, in his bid to regain support from the Malay community who had voted for the opposition in the 1999 general election.
Mohd Asri, who resumed teaching in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) after leaving his post as Perlis mufti, agreed that Malaysia was an Islamic state rather than secular.
"The definition of Islamic state is when the country is controlled by Muslims and at least part of the Islamic laws (Syariah laws) are implemented; that is enough.
"The strongest proof that Malaysia is an Islamic state (is) when we Muslims in Malaysia demand for Islam (to be) strengthened in the country," said the scholar who ironically was arrested by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) in 2009 for allegedly being linked with spreading puritanical Wahabi teachings from Islam's birthplace, Saudi Arabia.
Then-JAIS director Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi said Mohd Asri's arrest was for lecturing without approval and not for any other offence.
But Dr Mohd Asri pointed out that being Islamic did not mean forcing non-Muslims to comply with religious laws and practises.
"We cannot demand the non-Muslim to pray, we have to recognise he's a Muslim first, then only we ask him to fast.
"When we ask our country to practise Islam, that means we recognise that it is basically Islamic," he said.
Dr Mahathir claimed yesterday that Malaysia is "by definition" a Muslim country since it is acknowledged as such by the Muslim world.
"We don't care about what these people say in order to make it a political issue," he added, referring to the ongoing debate about whether Malaysia is a secular state.
The former PM also expressed his disappointment that the hudud issue was being politicised by those who are pushing for its implementation.
"(This kind of) hudud, which is used for politics, is not exactly hudud," he stressed. "It is hudud used to give victory over one side.
"Pity the Muslim. If he steals, his hand will be chopped off. But his (non-Muslim) friend who steals together with him will only get two months in jail. Is that fair? That is not Islam."
On Monday, Nazri said in Parliament that Malaysia was never declared or endorsed as a secular state, saying that the word "secular" was not found in the Federal Constitution.
Dr Mohd Asri said the issue of naming Malaysia as a secular or Islamic country frequently became polemic as general elections draw near.
"But we have to know countries don't enter heaven or hell, (the ones) that enter heaven or hell are humans. So we have to correct not just the branding of the country only but what we have to correct is the contents of the country.
"A sign that a country is Islamic (is) when it truly fulfils the responsibilities of its rule to the rakyat.
"Leaders carry out their responsibilities, the people carry out their responsibilities. Where there's justice, God's syariat is there. No matter what you name the country."
The debate over the country's status continues as the 13th general election draw near, with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's mandate ending by April next year.
In Election 2008, BN lost its traditional two-thirds majority and the five states of Selangor, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Kelantan to federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR), a pact composed of PKR, DAP dan PAS.
Perak has since fallen back into BN's fold after the defection of several lawmakers from PR.
The only spot of good news [except the 'an'] in quite some while. Does Dr.Mohd Asri believe in :
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
If so, make clear your intent Dr.Asri, if Najib is mentally incapable of doing at least this despite all the power and mandate and respect, how about Asri make an attempt for the betterment of humanity (and becoming a future moderate face of Islam and also a secular PM who understands that non-muslims have a right to their entertainments) raising the stature of Malays, granting Malays who do not want Islam equality, or Malays who do not need Apartheid and would speak for their minority friends and fellow citizens, by endorsing the above 3 items with intent to grant and getting as many less than 2 term MPs as possible to sign on under penalty of vacating the political seat? HONESTY please, not subversion or faux conversions of critics of Islam which will make islam into a petty and insane cult rather than a bona fide religion.
The Feds are Dangerous to the Rights of Minorities – by Mike Maharrey
Jose owns a little market on a big-city street corner. Business is pretty good, but he has a problem with neighborhood thugs coming in – shoplifting, harassing customers and basically making a nuisance of themselves. Jose deals with them as best he can, shooing off troublemakers with a little intimidation of his own manufactured by Louisville Slugger. Every once in a while he calls the cops.
Business continues to grow.
Then one day, Bruno walks into the store. Bruno serves as muscle for the largest gang in the city. He suggests that his syndicate can provide "protection" for a nominal fee. Bruno strongly suggests Jose accept the generous offer.
Of course, Jose ponies up the cash. Sure enough, the neighborhood thugs disappear. No more petty theft. No more loitering. No more customer harassment. But every so often, Bruno makes a visit. Jose knows that a visit from Bruno means the cost of protection is about to rise. On top of that, Bruno's associates eventually begin dropping in frequently at the store. They help themselves to merchandise, intimidate customers and basically create a nuisance.
But unlike the neighborhood thugs who used to cause problems, Jose can't merely shoo Bruno's people away with a baseball bat. He tried it once. They quickly reminded him that they work for Bruno. Bruno runs the neighborhood for the syndicate. Jose can't even call the cops. They won't come. Bruno's boss has them under his thumb. Jose knows he stands powerless to halt the mischief.
While it caused some difficulties and cost him a little money, Jose was able to deal with the unorganized neighborhood thugs that used to hassle him. But he finds he had no control whatsoever over Bruno and his clan.
During a recent discussion about devolving power back to the states and constraining the federal government in its constitutionally prescribed role, a big-government proponent argued that we must maintain a strong hand in Washington D.C. to protect minorities.
"The states have proved they can't be trusted to protect the rights of the people, especially minorities," he quipped.
This narrative has dominated American politics since the 1950s. Southern governors and legislators appealed to the idea of "states' rights" to perpetuate segregation. Mention state sovereignty and proponents of a strong federal government will quickly call up images of Birmingham police officers firing water cannons at black people, and remind us that Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus ordered National Guard troops to block the entrance of Little Rock Central High School in order to keep nine African-American students out. Most Americans consider the victories in the Civil Rights battles of the 50s and 60s shining examples the successful application of federal power.
In fact, brave heroes such as Rosa Parks, and countless nameless folks who simply refused to submit any longer, ultimately won the victory. But the federal government did play a role and helped break down an evil system of segregation in the South.
But as we say in Kentucky, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and again.
In fact, the indignities of segregation pale in comparison with some of the evils perpetrated by the feds.
The reasoning goes something like this: certain state governments proved they will oppress minorities in the middle of the 20th Century; therefore we need a bigger, more powerful central government to force the states not to oppress minorities today.
But it wasn't the state governments that rounded up more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans and locked them up behind barbed wire during WWII.
It wasn't the state governments that studied the unchecked progression of syphilis in poor black sharecroppers in Tuskegee, Ala. Federal officials told the subjects of these studies that they were receiving free government health care. They never told them that they had syphilis, nor did doctors ever treat them for the disease. The victims were told their treatments were for "bad blood."
And it wasn't the state governments that sprayed low-income residents in St. Louis with toxic, radioactive particles.
Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor recently uncovered documents revealing that the feds blew a fine powder made of zinc cadmium sulfide into the air over poor neighborhoods. Cadmium was even then a known toxin, although federal officials claimed in the 1990s that the residents were not subjected to dangerous levels.
But Martino-Taylor says she also found indirect evidence that the powder was laced with a fluorescent additive – a suspected radiological compound.
"There are strong lines of evidence that there was a radiological component to the St. Louis study," she said.
In fact, in 1993 a congressional study confirmed conducting radiological testing occurred in Tennessee and some western states.
The professor of sociology at St. Louis Community College said documents reveal the spraying occurred during two separate periods between 1953 and 1954 and again from 1963 to 1965. The aerosol was sprayed from blowers installed on rooftops and mounted on vehicles as part of a biological weapons testing program.
"The powder was milled to a very, very fine particulate level. This stuff traveled for up to 40 miles. So really all of the city of St. Louis was ultimately inundated by the stuff," Martino-Taylor told CBS St. Louis.
The government planted news stories to cover up the nature of the spray.
"There was a reason this was kept secret. They knew that the people of St. Louis would not tolerate it," Martino-Taylor said. "And they told local officials and media that they were going to test clouds under which to hide the city in the event of aerial attack."
The areas sprayed were predominately black. Army documents called it "a densely populated slum district." This during the same time-period that the feds were "fighting for minorities" in the South.
Evidence points to higher than normal incidences of cancer in residents who lived in the area at that time, although after all these years, researchers admit it's difficult to gather conclusive evidence.
Here's a question for you. Why do we never hear the Tuskegee experiments, or Japanese internment, or feds spraying poor people in St. Louis invoked as a reason to distrust and limit federal power in the same way big government apologists use the Civil Rights era as a rational for growing the federal government and limiting the power of the states?
Fact: governments do bad things. All of them. Local governments. State governments. National governments. The question becomes, how can "we the people" best control them? The answer: limit their power and break them into as many competing jurisdictions as possible.
Americans instinctively distrust economic monopoly. They assume that if one company corners the market on a given product or service, the monopolist will screw the consumer. It will raise prices, limit service and pretty much run roughshod over the customer. After all; no competition exists to hold it in check.
Probably a pretty rational fear.
Then why do Americans so readily embrace a political monopoly centered in Washington D.C.?
Seems to me they're trading the neighborhood thugs for Bruno.
Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of '98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He also maintains the blog, Tenther Gleanings.
So think minority Malaysians, what the Lynas Radioactive material processing will give 'Muslims' and racists in BN supported by minority lapdogs access to. As of now cyanide particles appear to have affected majority Chinese areas
in Raub the cyanide particle issue is already very serious, they may target Kuantan with radioactive part
in Raub the cyanide particle issue is already very serious, the may target Kuantan with radioactive particles next, and who knows, the worst among the racists would access these radioactive particles and poison water sources in local water treatment in all plants where there are minorities elsewhere? If this does not help the voters' idiotic minorities to vote properly and keep supporting minority lapdogs, the threat of a destroyed and very much sickened next generation seems very likely. Pakatan as well should be watched very carefully for those that do not want to make clear on :
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)