Norizan Salleh, a 30-year-old single mother who was mistakenly shot five times by police officers last year, finally got her wish to take her grouses to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, reports Malaysiakini. . Norizan (right in photo) plans to sue the police force for the serious injuries inflicted by the gunshots when she was travelling in a car with friends on Oct 30, 2009.
She had earlier sought a meeting with the minister to hand over a protest memorandum, but this was turned down.
Accompanied by her lawyer N Surendran, Norizan spoke to Hishammuddin in his office in Parliament for about 10 minutes demanding for justice over the ordeal she had suffered.
During her visit at about 10.20 am, Norizan handed a memorandum to Hishammuddin demanding an investigation against the police officers who shot her.
Hishammuddin did not comment on the matter but a statement was read to reporters by his parliamentary secretary, Markiman Kobiran, said that he will look into the matter and get feedback from the police.
The home minister had told Parliament last month that the Attorney-General's Chambers found no reason to pursue the matter.
"The case has been investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder. The investigation papers have been sent to the deputy public prosecutor who decided not to take any further action on the case."
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s choice of location in announcing the much- awaited New Economic Model (NEM) has come under fire from opposition leaders.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has questioned Najib’s decision to announce a “significant policy” outside of Parliament when the House was in fact in session.
He said Najib’s action did not reflect the 1Malaysia concept sloganeering “People First, Performance Now”.
“Najib’s announcement seems to contradict the people first concept, because he made the announcement outside the Dewan Rakyat,” he said alluding to Najib announcement of the NEM at the Invest Malaysia Conference on Tuesday.
Echoing Hadi’s views, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has described Najib’s actions as an insult to the dignity of the Dewan Rakyat.
“He had every opportunity to make the announcement in Parliament... and he did not,” said Lim
Both party captains along with Opposition Leader Anway Ibrahim were present at a Pakatan Rakyat press conference yesterday on the NEM.
Najib had laid out a slew of broad-based economic reforms aimed at transforming the country into a high-income nation by 2020.
The NEM effectively replaced the current New Economic Policy (NEP) set in place by his father former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein in the 1969.
Anwar said that the NEM was as a copycat version of Pakatan’s own economic model, the Malaysian Economic Agenda (MEA) , which was its manifesto for the 2008 general election.
“These were ideas that Pakatan had raised in the past. The people who are wise to Pakatan’s economic model will probably be smiling after hearing Najib speak of the NEM because it appears that the principal issues were from our model (MEA),” he said.
Anwar was also of the opinion that the government was not brazen enough and had no political will to implement the necessary reforms to safeguard the country.
Can there be a last-minute reversal that will see MIC or its deputy president G Palanivel not being able to contest in the upcoming Hulu Selangor by-election? After all, politics is the art of the impossible.
The first sign came from former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, who labelled Palanivel as a “problematic” candidate.
However, he later changed his mind, and stated that the Hulu Selangor seat should be given to MIC in the spirit of Barisan Nasional.
The influential Umno warlord said the spirit of understanding nurtured since 1957 between BN parties should not be compromised just because of the desire to win in one constituency.
Despite his 180 degree turn, Khir's initial statement has done some damage to Palanivel's candidature. It sparked off a debate on whether convention should be observed, or if BN should focus on winning this crucial by-election by fielding the best available candidate irrespective of the party.
The controversy over Palanivel’s candidature is also partly due to the fact that MIC president S Samy Vellu announced MIC’s candidate even before the Election Commission decided on the date for the by-election.
This prompted the Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia to lash out against Samy Vellu, saying that it should be Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak as BN chairman who should decide the candidate.
'They want Mike Tyson in the ring
'As for sentiments on the ground, local Umno leaders and even some pro-BN Indian groups want former menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib, fondly known as Mike Tyson, to contest the seat. They believe that he has what it takes to wrest back the seat from Pakatan Rakyat.
Muhammad had been the former sate assemblyman in the constituency and being a local with a pleasant disposition, he has the charisma to win the hearts and minds of the voters.
His contributions in developing the constituency during his tenure as menteri besar will help him chalk up a victory similar to what Mohd Isa Samad did in Negeri Sembilan's Bagan Pinang by-election.
Pakatan appears set to field a Malay candidate from PKR in this constituency which has about 54% Malay voters. Since MIC is seen as being weak, and riddled with problems, the Malay voters may cast their ballots in favour of a Malay candidate. This is exerting tremendous pressure on Umno to take the seat from MIC.
Even the Indian voters, who make up 19 percent of the total electorate, are divided with regard to Palanivel.
Local MIC sources claimed that MIC Youth leader V Mugilan, who hails from Hulu Selangor, has been campaigning for the seat, saying that the party should field him since he is younger than Palanivel and stands a better chance of winning it.
The Kerling-born Mugilan is also the Hulu Selangor MIC Youth chief.
However, the MIC leadership moved in swiftly to set things in order. Recently, the National Youth Council, which includes Mugilan, expressed its unanimous support for Palanivel.
Tamil Nesan, the Samy Vellu-aligned daily, published a statement today (April 1) where Mugilan declared his full support for Palanivel. He also vowed to resign from all posts if it can be proven that his “behind-the-scenes” campaign can lead to Palanivel being dropped.
Palanivel’s candidature also faces opposition from another local party stalwart, V Chandran.
Chandran is the former Hulu Selangor MIC division deputy chairman and former chairman of the Batang Kali Bandar Utama MIC division.
He has indictaed that he will contest as an independent if MIC decides to field Palanivel.
Previously, Chandran was a long-time staunch supporter of Palanivel, but their relationship soured last year, and the former was expelled from MIC.
Since Chandran is well known among the local residents and MIC members, he can do some damage to Palanivel’s chances irrespective of whether he stands as an independent or not.
Dr M: You may win the party polls but ...
Although such local opposition is common for any candidate in a constituency, in this particular by-election it can be crucial since the fight is expected to be close.
Winning the bulk of the 19% Indian votes is a must for the MIC candidate if he is to win the constituency.
The Malay voters are expected to be divided while the majority of the Chinese voters (27 percent) are expected to vote in favour of Pakatan in view of DAP’s strong presence in the Selangor state government.
MCA is still in disarray after its recent party elections and is unlikely to make any significant impact in roping in Chinese votes.
The Indian community remains disillusioned with MIC and Samy Vellu due to a string of highly publicised scandals, involving Maika Holdings, MIED and Aimst University.
Therefore, the dissatisfied Indian voters may use this by-election to send another strong signal to MIC and its president.
Palanivel, whose political stars shone brightly due to Samy Vellu's help in the past, may also see the stars dim because of his mentor.
Furthermore, supporters of Palanivel's rivals in the last party elections, S Subramaniam and S Sothinathan, may see this as an opportunity to exact revenge and refrain from voting for him in the Hulu Selangor by-election.
On the same note, supporters of MIC vice-president and Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam may also withold their votes as a victory for Palanivel can put an end to Subramaniam's tenure as minister.
In view of all these developments, there is talk that the BN leadership may opt for another candidate with a clean slate and no political baggage.
If Palanivel loses the by-election, it will have a cascading effect on MIC where aspiring leaders will attempt to lay seige on his position as deputy president.
At this juncture, the wise words of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad must be ringing in Palanivel's ears:
“You can win a position in the party election, but you may still lose in a general or by-election.”
Comments written by R Mutharasan, who is an observer and writer on Malaysian politics and Indian issues. He is the web-master of www.indiantoday.net and has also authored the book ‘Winning Strategies of Anwar Ibrahim’.Courtesy of FMT
Continuing the verbal war on whether race or nationality takes precedence, opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had made a mockery of the 1Malaysia concept. The DAP veteran also extended his challenge to all Umno and Barisan Nasional ministers to declare if they were Malaysians first and Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans second or the reverse.
Lim said that he felt sorry for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak because his “1Malaysia” brainchild had been “torn to smithereens” by his deputy on the eve of his firt anniversary as head of state (April 3).
"In fact, thanks to Muhyiddin, Najib’s 1Malaysia concept had been turned nationwide into an April Fool's joke," added the Ipoh Timur MP, who declared himself Malaysian first, and Chinese second.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin, in response to an earlier challenge by Lim, said he was Malay first but this did not mean he was not Malaysian.
The deputy premier added that if he called himself Malaysian first, he would be shunned by his own race.
Muhyiddin also lambasted the opposition leader for trying to drive a wedge between Najib and him, and claimed that the “chauvinistic” DAP was rattled by the appeal of the 1Malaysia concept. Enemies are within not without
Meanwhile, Lim clarified that he never said that a person who regarded himself as a Malay first and Malaysian second was not a Malaysian.
"But clearly this person does not qualify to become a '1Malaysian'," he stressed.
In explaining who could be a '1Malaysian', Lim said this was clearly spelt out in the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap launched by the prime minister in January.
The roadmap declared that the goal of 1Malaysia is “to make Malaysia a greater nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society”.
Recalling what he had said during his speech in Parliament on March 18, Lim said that 1Malaysia's greatest adversary was not from outside BN but from inside Umno.
"And Muhyiddin had proved me right," he added.
Lim also posed a difficult question to Gerakan president Koh Tsu Khoon, who is the minister responsible for the GTP roadmap.
"I want to ask the minister whether it is tenable for him to continue as Cabinet minister when the very rationale of his portfolio – 1Malaysia GTP – had collapsed and was destroyed by none other than the deputy prime minister?" he said.
In less than one year after Datuk Seri Najib Razak took over the leadership mantle, the people in Sabah were already enjoying the development transformation championed by the prime minister.
There are various changes visible all over the state — regardless at village or town.
At the north coast of Sabah, the people of the “cowboy town” known as Kota Belud have every reason to smile as they are enjoying upgraded roads in the villages and schools in the outskirts.
According to the Kota Belud district chief, OKK Tungking alias Amirshah Kantiong, the upgrading project worth RM30 million was started less than a year after Najib became the prime minister.
The same goes to the agricultural project to eradicate poverty, generate economic activities for farmers through the rice bowl programme for Kota Belud and the rural electricity supply project.
“In advocating development for the people, the Prime Minister has mobilised all the elected representatives and community leaders to identify the problems at the grassroot level,” said Tungkin.
The fishermen in the east coast too have every reason to rejoice as people like Hamis Mingkilan, 65, from the fishing village of Kampung Indrasabah Tawau, finally got to see metal roads in their village after waiting for decades.
The metal roads for the fishing villages help the villagers to market their produce — fishes, anchovies and dried fishes — or to ferry agricultural produce like the oil palm to the factories to be processed.
In those days, said Hamis, many of the vehicles plying the route end up getting stuck in the mud especially when it rains. The 12-kilometer laterite route was opened by his grandmother after the Japanese Occupation.
“My own car had ended in the mud many times especially when I returned with my wife from the town at night. I have to leave the car there and return the next day to free the car from the mud,” he told Bernama.
The village was named Indrasabah after his grandmother, Saadullah from the Suluk ethnicity and her friend Indal from the Tidung ethnicity.
Hamis hoped that his village which now enjoys facilities like electricity, mosque and many others, would also see clean water supply as the people there depend on rain water.
Another villager Jamal Abdul Sani, 20, noted that before the road was surfaced those travelling up and down to the town had to bear with the dust, especially during the dry season.
“In those days, to reach the town, it took almost an hour from the Balung town roundabout. Now it only takes less than 20 minutes,” he added.
Najib’s approach in getting to the ground serves as the core principle in serving the people and has boosted the spirit of Sabah’s leaders and the elected representatives.
Meanwhile, the fishermen in several villages in the Batu Sapi Parliamentary constituency in Sandakan are enjoying solar powered lights that make it easy for them to return at night other than providing safety to the villagers who use the jetty in the dark.
This is due to the initiative taken by the Batu Sapi Parliament Member Datuk Edmund Chong Ket who had allocated RM200,000 to finance the solar light system in 15 jetties.
So far, the solar powered lights have been installed at five of the jetties and when the installation is completed in all the 15 jetties, about 1,000 fishermen will benefit from it.
Jamil Ismail, a fishermen in Pulau Tronglit, noted that the lights would help the fishermen there to land their catch at night unlike previously where they had to do it in the dark.
A housewife Suraya Otoh, 26, noted that the solar powered lights were also installed at several homes near the jetty and they no longer need to use the generator.
A private sector employee, Francis Junior Chu from Penampang felt that the government led by Najib have taken into consideration many of the issues relating to Sabah and Sarawak.
“Maybe because Sabah and Sarawak have helped Barisan Nasional(BN) to secure its victory during the last general election...So Najib wants to see these states develop on par with the other states in Peninsula,” he said.
The United Sabah Bajau Organisation (Usbo) President Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said Keruak said Najib’s first year at the helm witnessed many success and has placed the nation’s economy on a more stable position.
“Within the context of Sabah, the effort and approach taken by the federal government like the Sabah Development Corridor(SDC) will bring a paradigm shift for the people,” he added. — Bernama
Matthias Chang is on Hunger Strike until Justice Noor Azian agrees not to abuse lawyers and/or litigants and the relevant authorities agree to review the draconian contempt law as provided under Order 52 1(A) of the Rules of the High Court 1980.
Matthias Chang, the ex-political secretary to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was taken to jail today to serve a month-long sentence after he refused to pay a RM20,000 fine for contempt of court.
The 60-year-old lawyer, dressed in a grey suit, was whisked to the Kajang Prison after he was served the committal order by the High Court.
Earlier, he arrived at the Jalan Duta Court complex at 9.30am with about 30 supporters and family members.
He was cited for contempt on March 25 when he refused to apologise after an argument with the judge and a lawyer during cross-examination in his defamation suit against American Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
Chang had sued American Express for breach of contract and defamation because his card was suspended.
The same court dismissed the suit the following day after hearing witnesses from both sides. Bernama
It has been reported that part-time model, Kartini Sari Dewi Shukarno, who was supposed to be caned six times tomorrow at 8.30am, has her whipping sentence commuted to three weeks of community service by the Sultan of Pahang. Kartini's father could not confirm on the recuded sentence but only stated that Kartini was on her way to the Pahang Islamic Religious Department at Kuantan.
Why accuse, accuse, deny, deny? Just show the documents and let Malaysians see for themselves how their tax money is being spent. Malaysians are not as stupid as you may think they are. They can read and understand the implications of what is going on. And the bottom line is all their tax money is being wrongly spent.
Can you imagine if I said I was Chinese first and Malaysian second? I would most probably be told to get lost from this land I call home (not that it has not happened before), the land I was born in and the land I would shed my blood for!
This is precisely what is wrong with our country when we have leaders who think along tribal lines of the past whilst ignoring the reality of what our country truly is and that time will stand still for us to get our "collective" act together!
This beloved country of ours is destined to go back in time to the tribal ages so long as we have racial bastards within our ruling elites who only can think along narrow tribal mindsets whilst the rest of Malaysian society is moving on.l
I have nothing against being proud of one's ethnic heritage but to ask us to go back in time so that the ruling elites remain comfortable with the same old way of doing things is a travesty to this nation.
Putting it bluntly, these Jurassic age politicians from UMNO/BN can only operate when they keep us fearful of change and ignorant that they are on a losing track of the shrinking minority. Arrogant and boastful as they may be, they can't stop time! Like it or not, Malaysia and Malaysians are getting younger by the day and with the ever increasing educated youth, who can see that UMNO never cared for them except use their tribal name to keep themselves relevant!
Relevance is time sensitive, which these racists do not understand is that it makes no difference if we are Malay or Chinese or Indian first or second or third when the country slips into hardship, we all suffer!
Like it or not, we all suffer for a f*&k#^g racist bastard like our DPM!
The onus is on us to make sure that we correct the mistakes of the past by never allowing such politicians to use the broken system of nice sounding "power sharing" to ever lord over us again!
1Malaysia sounds so false when no.1 wants it and no.2 is trying so desperately hard to wreck it! Time for Jibby to put his deputy in place and show us his capability and resolve or step aside and let ordinary Malaysians take over.
Say NO to Racism! And the DPM can crawl into the hole where the sun don't shine!!!
The term has been hijacked by those who choose to invent their own meaning of the expression.
By Azmi Sharom (The Star)
AH ... the social contract — a theory propounded by the philosopher Hobbes where the citizens of a country agrees to give power to a government in exchange for the guarantee of their own civil liberties and rights.
It is a term meant to dictate a type of governance where the needs of a powerful authority are balanced by the protection of citizens from abuse of that power. In this Hobbesian philosophy we find a weapon against tyranny.
But this is not so in Malaysia. The term “social contract” has been hijacked by those who choose to invent their own meaning of the expression. When “social contract” is used on these shores, it means that Malay political power must always hold sway and a state of perpetual pro-Malay economic policies must remain in place and everyone else must keep quiet as their forefathers had agreed to it.
The founders of this country did not have such racialist aspirations when we obtained our independence in 1957. The provisions in the Constitution which provides for the “special position” of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak (note there is no such thing as “Malay rights” in our Constitution), were meant as a stop gap measure but not a permanent crutch.
Tun Dr Ismail likened it to a gold handicap where you give the weaker party a boost until he reaches a point where he can play on equal terms. Indeed the time limit initially set was for the affirmative action to last 20 years.
But hey, don’t take my word for it. Allow me to regale you with some quotes that can be found in the Report of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission “… in an independent Malaya all nationals should be accorded equal rights, privileges and opportunities and there must not be discrimination on grounds of race and creed …”
And the people who said this were not the British and their pompous hats. It was the Alliance which in case you have forgotten who they were, consisted of the Malayan In-dian Congress, the Malayan Chinese Association and the United Malay National Organisation. That’s right our great leaders of Umno hoped and dreamt of a Malaya based on equality. And you can see this aspiration reflected in the Constitution. Article 8 guarantees equality except in situations specifically provided for in the Constitution. In other words, if an affirmative action is not specifically allowed for in the Constitution, it is unlawful.
And there are other provisions as well; like Article 136 which states that all government servants must not be discriminated against based on race and creed. So our non-Malay public servants have a Constitutional protection against poor treatment for example in promotions. I don’t see all these “warriors for the social contract” waving placards demanding impartial treatment to all civil servants. Of course not, it would not do to defend the non-Malays, will it?
By the way, it is not only the politicians who wanted a country where there is racial equality, the rulers, our Sultans themselves said that they “... look forward to a time not too remote when it will become possible to eliminate communalism as a force in the political and economic life of the country”.
But in case you think I am making this up, it’s in the report mentioned above on page 71. Check it out yourself.
So the next time some ex-premier, or multi-millionaire Malay, or racist rhetoric politician, go on and on about the “social contract”, please be informed that this kind of self- serving bigoted behaviour was not part of the dream that is independent Malaya. Our founders did not have such base ideals they wanted better, and so should we.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak today defended his deputy’s declaration that he considered himself “a Malay first”, and only then a Malaysian, saying there isn’t a contradiction.
“I think what he was saying reflects the provision in the constitution, the provision in the constitution is based on which ethnic group you belong to,” the prime minister said.
“He also said he is committed to 1 Malaysia, so I don’t see that as a contradiction. Being a Malay doesn’t mean you are against 1 Malaysia, similarly if you are a Malaysian Chinese, doesn’t mean you don’t think like a Malaysian or subscribe to 1 Malaysia,” he added.
Responding to a challenge from DAP’s Lim Kit Siang, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday said that it was not proper for him to identify himself as Malaysian first and Malay second.
Lim had earlier dared Muhyiddin to state that he was Malaysian first, and Malay second to prove that he did indeed believe in the concept of 1 Malaysia which had been Barisan Nasional’s “unifying” slogan.
Muhyiddin also described Lim’s challenge as an attempt to drive a wedge between him and Najib.
“The question of 1 Malaysia should not be brought up. When a leader talks about the interest of his own race, it does not mean he doesn’t support 1 Malaysia. 1 Malaysia is based on the Constitution,” said Muhyiddin said yesterday.
“There is nothing wrong in leaders fighting for their own race. Don’t tell me Kit Siang does not fight for the Chinese?” he said.
Lim had also alleged that Muhyiddin had been making public statements that were in apparent conflict with Najib’s 1 Malaysia message forcing the Umno deputy president to declare his support to the campaign.
Najib introduced the 1 Malaysia concept when taking office last April 3, pledging to listen to the people and declaring that “the era where the government knows best is over”.
The opposition have called such initiatives populist moves to win back support for the BN which suffered unprecedented losses in Election 2008 in which Pakatan Rakyat (PR) captured four more states and 82 federal seats to deny the ruling coalition its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has reminded Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen that wealth and qualifications will not guarantee that they will remain popular among voters.
On the contrary, the prime minister said the support of the voters to elected representatives would remain strong if they continue to provide good deeds and services to the people.
"We must strive to be better, effective and well-liked elected representatives. When the people love us, they will remember us for a long time.
"I know of elected representatives, we can even call them PPRT (hardcore poor scheme) elected representatives... some even called themselves PPRT elected representatives but they are still popular.
"This proves, if we are wealthy, it does not mean we will be popular. Some elected representatives, they are wealthy but they do not stay long.. some only one term... some with degrees, after one term.. They (people) had enough, they want new persons," he added.
He was speaking a dinner with members of the State Assemblymen's Club at his residence, Sri Perdana,last night.
Also present was his wife Rosmah Mansor.
Najib, who is also BN chairman, said the people's support for the BN was increasing day by day and that this was clearly evident during his visits to the states, including Sabah and Sarawak.
Waiting to meet Zulkifly
As such, he reminded BN elected representatives to work very hard to ensure the BN obtained a resounding victory in the next general election.
At the same time, Najib also took to task the Opposition which he said was only good at slandering him and making all sorts of promises to the people but had yet to deliver despite two years having passed.
He said the Opposition's big lie started with its attempt to take over the government in 2008 purportedly with the support of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and military.
"They tried to entice BN MPs to cross over but when their assemblymen deserted them, started screaming at the BN.
"The question is who was planning the coup...who started this game. For them everything is "halal" (permissible), the end justifies the means, Because in politics, for them facts are not important, only perception," he said.
Najib also said that he was waiting to meet Kulim-Bandar Baru MP, Zulkifli Noordin, who had alleged in Parliament that he was offered a large sum of money to implicate the prime minister and his wife in the murder of Mongolian woman , Altantunya Shaaribuu.
"Others do not dare to swear their innocence, I do. No need to frame people because we can plan but it is God who will determine the outcome...if we are onthe right path there is nothing to worry," he added. — Bernama
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek says that he would let bygones be bygones in order to strengthen his party.The former health minister said that he was willing to put the past behind him and continue working with members to restore the Chinese community's confidence in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).
"I've already said many times I'll work with anyone if that will strengthen the party," he replied when asked to comment on the party's Wanita chairman Chew Mei Fun who had said that she would quit if he had won the top post.
Chew was one of Chua's most vocal critics who had repeatedly questioned his moral character as a leader after his sex DVD surfaced two years ago.
No word after party elections
Chew had also vowed to quit her party post if Chua became MCA chief, but had kept silent on the matter after the party elections on Sunday.
Chua said that he had received many phone calls from the women's wing's central committee members about their chief.
"For the stability of Wanita, Chew Mei Fun will have to think carefully.
"I don't take to heart what was in the past. That is how we succeed," Chua told reporters after hosting a dinner for local MCA divisional members here tonight.
Chua also pledged RM50,000 for the Hulu Selangor MCA division for the upcoming parliamentary by-election, in an attempt to cobble together grassroots support for the heavily splintered party.
The Hulu Selangor seat fell vacant following the death of its MP Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad last week.
IN an interview with The Nut Graph, Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) president Datuk Ibrahim Ali was careful to mention that Perkasa wants affirmative action for all races. He was also careful to mention "native rights" in the same breath as Malay Malaysians.
But despite the word "pribumi" in its name, Perkasa has championed little for the Orang Asli and Orang Asal of Malaysia. Despite professing to be defenders of Malay Malaysians and native bumiputera, Perkasa's rhetoric has focused solely on the Malay Malaysian race.
As shown in recent reports on the plight of the Orang Asli regarding their rights to healthcare and ancestral lands, the original peoples of Peninsular Malaysia only have the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA). The JHEOA's commitment and capabilities, however, are suspect if evidence compiled by civil society groups is anything to go by.
And even as Perkasa loudly champions for Malay bumiputera rights and privileges, some of which are constitutionally enshrined, who really looks after the Orang Asli, who are the only non-migrants in this country?
No constitutional protection
Article 153 of the Federal Constitution on the special position of Malay Malaysians and bumiputera omits mention of the peninsular Orang Asli. Only the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are specified. That's why Parti Keadilan Rakyat supreme council member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim had to correct Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz's assertion that Orang Asli had the same constitutional rights as bumiputera. Zaid also noted that the poorest Malaysians were Orang Asli.
Orang Asli in Kampung Rembai, Selangor (Pic by Azdla @ Flickr)
"Others are dictating to the Orang Asli what they deserve. They are treated as charity cases, which is completely wrong. Orang Asli should be allowed to work within the government system, to contribute to the advancement of their own people, and to make decisions for themselves.
"This paternalistic attitude towards the Orang Asli has to stop, and a complete change in the system has to be made," Bar Council past immediate president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasen tells The Nut Graph. She represented Orang Asli at their 24 Feb 2010 protest against the JHEOA.
Ambiga
Outside government
What has evolved over the years is that advocacy for the Orang Asli has developed on a separate track outside the government's ambit. Civil society groups like the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) are the ones pursuing research on what affects the Orang Asli. Church groups are providing food and medical assistance to villages. Many churches maintain long-standing ties with Orang Asli villages, and have been helping develop community projects.
I know this because of my own participation in church efforts to give tuition to Orang Asli children in the Tras area in Pahang. Several of these kids were enrolled late in school, some attending school for the first time at age 11.
The common complaint by their parents was that nobody from the JHEOA came to their villages to register new births or to ensure that their children were schooled. Some parents did not even know they had to register their children's births.
On 27 March 2010, I attended the opening of a boarding home for Orang Asli children in Tras. Some 25 indigenous children live there as it is closer to the school they attend, as opposed to travelling daily from their villages in the jungle interior. The home, run by staff of a Christian non-governmental organisation, was officially opened by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. Tras assemblyperson Choong Siew Onn was also present.
Dompok, in his speech, said that while he may not be able to directly affect change for the Orang Asli in his ministerial capacity, he would always be available to listen to their concerns and raise them in cabinet.
Dompok giving his speech (Pic courtesy of Eugene Khoo)
That's commendable of Dompok. But in the larger picture, what does this indicate? It suggests to me that higher levels of authority are indeed aware of how JHEOA has fallen short of fulfilling its mandate. Despite this awareness, there is a lack of political will within the government to reform the entire system of Orang Asli welfare and development.
Perkasa's rhetoric
Do we need the Orang Asli to be specifically mentioned in the constitution before their status as the poorest of Malaysia's poor is to be taken seriously? Are they not logically the true pribumi of Peninsular Malaysia? Why, then, do they rarely figure in public discourse and policy about disadvantaged Malaysians?
To let a group like Perkasa get away with claiming that it fights for all pribumi when it is only concerned with Malay Malaysian privileges is an injustice to the Orang Asli who are pribumi.
It is also a distortion of historical fact to equate Malay Malaysians with pribumi when the only ones who can rightfully claim to be the original inhabitants of this land are the indigenous peoples. As the ancestral stories of many Malay Malaysian interviewees in The Nut Graph'sFound in Malaysia section show, Malay Malaysian bloodlines originated from a variety of places through migration and inter-marriages.
Perkasa's rhetoric holds that Malay Malaysians, as the majority, deserve the most help. Unfortunately, it's a view that has long shaped the minds of some of our policymakers and executors. What about the Orang Asli, who are a minority, but in fact the original dwellers of this land?
Some of the Orang Asli kids Deborah Loh has helped with tuition didn't have the motor skills to hold a pencil, let alone write. Courtesy of Nut Graph
ONE of Malaysia's most beloved singers, Datuk Sheila Majid has been wowing fans with her jazzy and R&B-flavoured brand of contemporary pop since the 1980s. From the release of her debut album Dimensi Baru in 1988 to the bestselling Legenda in honour of the late Tan Sri P Ramlee, she has continued to break records through the years.
She was the first Malaysian artiste to have success in Japan, and perform a sold-out concert at the Royal Theatre in London's West End in 1996. She was also the first local artiste to perform at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.
She tells The Nut Graph about her childhood, and her thoughts about Malaysia past and present, in this interview in February 2010.
TNG: When and where were you born?
Sheila Majid: I was born in Kuala Lumpur, 45 years ago. I'm a born and bred KL city girl. I remember less traffic jams back then, and life being much [safer]. I could wake up in the morning, go out cycling and meet friends, go to the bookstores and read comics.
What are some of the childhood memories you hold dear?
My childhood was a lot of fun. My father worked in the forestry department, with the government. So we lived in a government house behind Bank Negara, near Swettenham Road. There was a lot of space to play for us eight siblings. Thank God we were in the hutan — we found many things to do.
I was the youngest, so had my fair share of being bullied! But it was a house full of laughter. We didn't have to buy stuff. Nowadays kids want Toys"R"Us, but I remember my mother would come with this huge grocery box, and as soon as the things were taken out, we would tear that box apart. We'd sit on it and slide down the hill. I really miss those days. Somehow I feel my children don't get to do that.
We were also in an area where there were many JKR (Public Works Department) people, so we played with the neighbourhood kids a lot, most of them Indian [Malaysians].
Sheila (right) with her sisterWhen I was young and in school, we never looked at other races as different. We felt that we were the same. Perhaps we had different colours, but we grew up with the same values: to do good, to be good to others.
Can you trace your ancestry? Where are your grandparents or ancestors from?
My father was Javanese, and my mother has always been from Kuala Lumpur. My mother's great-great grandfather was actually a friend of Yap Ah Loy's. His name was Sutan Puasa, and is from the Mandailing clan, who are originally from Sumatera. The Mandailing are still around today; most of them are in Kajang. Sutan Puasa was the first of their settlers in KL, and most of the land was owned by him at the time. Later, he was involved in a clash with the Bugis. But the Mandailing lost because the British were behind the Bugis, and so they lost KL to Selangor.
The history books never highlighted this because, well, they obviously write more about the Bugis family. I know why Bukit Nenas is named as such, for example. At the time the Mandailing wanted to keep the Bugis out, so they built many pineapple trees as a foil against the enemies.
If my family meets any others from the Mandailing clan today, we say "Horas!", which is like "Aloha" in the dialect, though we don't know or speak it anymore lah.
On my father's side, my great-grandfather was Javanese, who travelled to Mecca from Indonesia. They lived in Mecca for 10 years and were very religious. On his way back, my great-grandfather's ship was shipwrecked, and he ended up on the shores of Peninsular Malaysia. He set up home here, and changed his Javanese name to Haji Salleh. Then there was my grandfather Haji Shahid, and later my father Haji Majid.
My father actually has a family tree that goes right up to the Majapahit warriors. My father's lineage comes from Raden Hussein, who is the brother of Raden Hasan, the first Muslim sultan of Demak in Indonesia. Both were the sons of Probowo Wijoyo the Fifth of Majapahit, who was Hindu.
Sheila's parents
Did that rich ancestry feature in or influence your upbringing?
Well, my father studied in Oxford University, England, so he is very English oriented. When we grew up he emphasised education, being an academic person. Therefore when I wanted to become a singer, he freaked.
My parents encouraged us to listen to all kinds of music and sent me for classical piano lessons, but he never thought I was going to be a singer. He thought it was fine as a hobby, but not as a career.
I'm glad to say, however, that before he passed away in 1996, he saw that I could make a living out of this, and that I was not in it for the wrong reasons. I love singing, I'm passionate about music, and am very much into my art. So I think when he passed away, he was quite assured that I'd be okay.
Our parents were very religious, and we had our spiritual foundation, but they also brought us up in a very open-minded kind of way. When we were young, we could wear shorts and things like that, they never asked us to cover up. It was a very balanced upbringing.
How do these stories affect you when it comes to your identity as a Malaysian? Especially in the current landscape of controversial racial and religious issues?
Performing in the 80s. Sheila's dress says "Central Market KL" It's all petty. None of us originated from here! I'm sure your ancestors came from China and they were probably merchants who came here. Same with the Indian [Malaysians]. Everybody was travelling the world to conduct business, and they decided to stay put in a certain area.
I think all the issues today are very petty because 30 years ago, we were doing very good together. Why is it all coming up today? It is all political. I'd say leave the people alone. If you want to play your politics, don't get us involved. We were fine and well before, and we lived together in harmony. It's all about power and money. I think so many have forgotten the fundamentals of life — being nice to each other.
The Malaysia then was more open and tolerant. From a musician's perspective, for example, you have concerts and foreign artists coming in today, but people want to make a fuss over little things. We have a TV in our living room, and at the touch of a button our children can already see all those skimpy clothes if they want to. We are making an issue over little things, when there are other more important issues to be addressed.
Come on, do not insult our intelligence. Do you think they will go to a concert and suddenly want to be exactly like that? I may want to have a body like Beyonce (laughs), but, come on, I'm not going to be like her. I go and watch, learn and take what's positive, and will not do whatever I feel is against my religion or culture. My parents brought us up in an environment which was very open-minded, and we could discuss a lot of things, and yet they made sure we had our religious values, too. We grew up okay!
And not less Malay.
I was brought up and exposed to Western culture, but it does not make me less Malay. I speak English because my father was an academic man, and he wanted us to speak the language well. Today I can converse in both Malay and English.
Why was the generation before more confident than the generation today? What happened along the way? For my children, we speak Malay and English at home, but I also send them to Chinese school. My eldest is 19 and speaks Mandarin, English and Malay. They will all know Mandarin. I think it's an asset, and I think China is going to be a big economic powerhouse.
And say what you want, but English is an international language today. Malay [Malaysians] are beginning to have an inferiority complex because they cannot converse in English fluently. We are talking about, "Oh you must make sure you are Malay, and know your language." Well, of course we will know the Malay language, it is our mother tongue! At the end of the day, we are just going to be katak bawah tempurung and jaguh kampung lah.
With husband Hasridz Murshim Hashim, better known as Acis, and her children
What are your hopes for Malaysia? What gives you hope?
Keep politics out of our music, keep it out of sports. When everyone wants to put their two cents' worth when they don't even know the subject, it is worrying.
Let us put it this way: there are two houses. One has a beautiful exterior, but the other is sturdy. If you ask a lay[person], of course he [or she] would pick the beautiful one; but ask an architect, and he [or she] would tell you that it does not have the right foundation or structure. Today people with no expertise whatsoever are giving opinions in whatever fields they like. Leave it to the experts!
I am not saying everything is negative in this country, but compared to 30 years ago, people's priorities are so different. Today people are more into self gain, rather than what is good for the community, society and country. But my children give me hope. They are global in their outlook.
I always say you must not forget your roots, however modern you are. Hopefully they will grow up to be people who are compassionate and caring. I think it is important for it to start with parents and the schools, to bring all of this back. To not look at each other as Indian, Chinese or Malay. We are Malaysians, kan?
Nazri says the EOC does not threaten Article 153 of the constitution. — file pic
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz slammed Perkasa as political opportunists after the right-wing group claimed that the proposed Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) is against the country’s constitution.
The EOC is a mechanism under the New Economic Model (NEM) unveiled on Tuesday but Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali argued it was against Article 153 of the Federal Constitution because it ensured every Malaysian would be given equal opportunities.
The de facto Law Minister explained that Article 153 would not be in any jeopardy because the EOC is subjected to the framework of the constitution.
“You can have the Equal Opportunity Commission subject to the requirement of the constitution. Equal opportunity for all must be subject to the provisions of the constitution,” Nazri told The Malaysian Insider last night.
“Equal Opportunity Commission cannot decide something against the constitution. They can make any decision but as long as it does not contravene the Constitution then it is okay,” he added.
Ibrahim, who is Pasir Mas MP, affirmed that Perkasa had no problem with the NEM but would fight against the EOC “to the end” if it did not adhere to the relevant constitutional provisions.
Nazri explained that the establishment of EOC does not “contravene” the constitution and the decisions made by the body will be monitored. The commission is set up to cover discriminatory and unfair practices.
“The creation of the Equal Opportunity Commission itself is not offensive … we want to see what the decision is. Any decision made by them should not contravene the Constitution,” he said.
Perkasa and the Malay Consultative Council (MPM), which comprises other Malay groups, are pressing the government to ensure the NEM contains elements of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that seeks to increase Bumiputera share equity to 30 per cent of the national economy and alleviate poverty.
However Nazri argued that if Perkasa is against equal opportunity then they should also condemn the NEP.
“How can it be equal when the NEP said that Bumiputera’s rights is only 30 per cent? So 70 per cent is non-Bumi but you did not make any noise then? If you want to be calculative then the NEP should have been scrapped because it only gives 30 per cent to Bumi and 70 per cent to non-Bumi,” he said.
The minister added that Perkasa was using EOC for political interest and mileage.
“So that is not equal opportunity but you didn’t make any noise then? I think it is just a wild imagination and political opportunism over issue which is really nothing,” he said.
Nazri also stressed that the constitution does not state that the Bumiputera share in the national economy must be 30 per cent.
“So I want to know what do you mean by you are against equal opportunity? NEP does not give equal opportunity to Bumiputeras but he didn’t object and everybody is happy.
“In the constitution, it does not say that Bumiputera must get 30 per cent. It doesn’t say. They are jumping the gun, political opportunism,” he said.
Perkasa’s inaugural congress last Sunday was launched by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who once made Ibrahim a deputy minister of law in his 22-year administration.
The Malay right-wing group has spread to all states since the Independent MP founded it two years ago. It counts many Umno stalwarts among its pro-tem committee officials and has protested the Najib administration’s move to free the economy and erase affirmative action policies.
Perkasa has warned political parties, especially Umno, not to be “enemies” with the movement if it wants support in the next general election.
Who is Chitiraka? An irate MIC president S Samy Vellu had allegedly posed this question when he was quizzed about P Chitirakala Vasu, the former chief executive officer of the party's troubled education arm.
According to former MIC Youth chief SA Vigneswaran, who raised the prickly issue, his subsequent answer raised the temperature further during the Maju Institute Education Development's 23rd annual meet at the party headquarters here.
Vigneswaran, who is a MIED life member, responded: “It is the Chithirakala whom you gave a salary of RM25,000.00 from MIED per month, whom you helped get a National Service Camp, whom you gave the Perodua and Proton dealership to and whom you gave paid holidays.”
Vigneswaran's initial question, when the accounts for 2009 was tabled, was how much MIED had forked out in legal fees to initiate court action against the former CEO for alleged misappropriation of funds.
“I was informed that the records as of today do not indicate what amount had been paid as legal fees,” he said.
Vigneswaran then plunged the knife deeper when he asked why MIED did not sue the 'negligent' trustees who were the signatories to the cheques for the alleged payments misappropriated by Chitrakala.
“I got no answers to my questions,” he said.
'Negligent' Samy blamed
Going for the jugular, the former MIC Youth chief told Samy Vellu, who is the MIED chairman, that all the problems arose as a result of the latter's negligence.
This, Vigneswaran said, led to a heated exchange.
“I also told him (Samy Vellu) that he has been negligent in his duties as the chairman of the Board of Trustees and he should not be the chairman and the trustee of MIED,” he said.
Early last year, the spotlight fell on MIED when S Sothinathan, who was then MIC vice-president, lodged two police reports over missing MIED files.
The reports claimed that files pertaining to the MIC-owned university Aimst were missing from the party headquarters.
Following this, Samy Vellu issued a show-cause letter to Chitirakala to explain the discrepancies in the accounts of MIED, which runs the party's Aimst University through a subsidiary company, MIED Capital Sdn Bhd.
Chitirakala later accused the MIC president of siphoning MIED funds, which Samy Vellu denied.
She also filed three defamation suits against Samy Vellu, his wife R Indrani and Tamil daily Tamil Nesan, which is linked to the MIC president.
It was also reported that MACC is investigating a former executive of MIED who allegedly banked RM4 million into his account that was initially given out as a loan to a subsidiary of MIED.
Mystery over RM7 million debt
Meanwhile, Vigneswaran said when the accounts for 2007 were tabled, he had asked if Rashid Manap, the former chairman of Maika Holdings, had paid RM2 million in cash for MIED shares.
“Samy Vellu repeatedly claimed that he paid in cash. Then, I asked the auditors for reconfirmation on whether the payment million was in cash or was it a contra. At that point, Samy Vellu admitted it was a contra made to monies owed to Rashid.
“It is unclear how the contra was done when other trustees have no clue about it and no resolutions were passed to the effect,” he said.
Maika Holdings is the debt-ridden investment arm of MIC, of which Samy Vellu's son Vell Paari is chief executive officer.
Vigneswaran said he had posed this question because MIED accounts showed that the education arm owed Rashid RM7 million.
“It has been alleged over the years that in 2001, Rashid acquired 40% of shares in Aimst Sdn Bhd by contra with RM2 million from the RM7 million allegedly owed by MIED to him.
“How and why MIED is owing RM7million to him from the early 1990s to 2008 remains a mystery. How Rashid gave the RM7 million and why did MIED borrow the money from him is also a mystery,” he said.
“The members of MIED and some of the trustees have no knowledge of all these,” he added.
Samy Vellu had decline to speak to reporters after the meeting.
A recent heated exchange between two top Sabah leaders is being viewed as a proxy fight between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin.
In the table-thumping incident, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman and Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal had reportedly locked horns right under Muhyiddin's nose.
Shafie, the MP from Sabah's east coast district of Semporna, is Sabah's first Umno vice-president and is seen as a blue-eyed boy of the prime minister.
Lately, local Umno circles have been spreading the word that Musa, who has been able to keep his influence as the state Umno liason chief, could be moved to the national capital in the next general election.
When Muhyiddin made an official three-day visit two weeks ago on the heels of Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam's trip to Sabah, he had officiated a meeting of Umno leaders.
Verbal tiff linked to allocations
According to Umno leaders present at the closed-door meeting, a discussion on federal government allocations for rural development sparked off the heated argument between Musa and Shafie.
Those present claimed that Musa had insisted that all federal allocations channelled through Shafie's ministry this year, should go through the state government.
They said Shafie however stood firm that federal allocations should be managed by his ministry as the state government had its own allocations for rural development.
The standoff, they said, led to Musa and Shafie banging the table to emphasise their points with Muhyiddin paying more attention to Musa's argument.
This set Umno tongues wagging that the deputy prime minister was supporting Musa against Shafie, who is said to be in line for the chief minister's post.
The feud between Musa and Shafie over Sabah Umno divisions is a well known story in local political circles.
During the last Umno division elections two years ago, Musa's supporters openly backed candidates who contested against leaders linked to Shafie.
The latest incident between the chief minister and the Umno vice-president has taken a different turn and is now being interpreted as a proxy fight between the premier and his deputy in preparation for next year's Umno elections.
The Musa-Shafie feud is seen by some observers as a tussle for the control of money flowing from Kuala Lumpur to strengthen their hold in Umno divisions in Sabah through the allocation of projects.
Musa is seen as the richest Umno leader in Sabah with his hold on the state coffers, timber concessions and state projects, while Shafie has been trying to gain ground with the latest allocations for rural development in Sabah.
Sabah, with the second largest number of delegates in the country to the Umno assembly, could well provide a turning point for the national leadership.
Axis being formed?
For quite some time now Musa, who has been chief minister for over five years, has been strengthening his grip on the party.
Some Umno members have been complaining that they are not receiving a fair share of state allocations through Musa as they are identified as supporters of his rival.
They described Musa as a shrewd businessman-politician and Shafie cannot not match him when it comes to using projects and money to keep power.
So when news of the table-thumping incident leaked, rumours begin to circulate that Musa was on his way out.
The talk in Sabah political circles is that Muhyiddin, Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Higher Education Minister Khalid Nordin are forming an axis to test the political waters against the camp of Najib and his cousin Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
Since Umno's entry into Sabah in 1990, the party's delegates have played a role as to how proxy fights at the national level could turn.
When former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad backed the late Ghafar Baba for the Umno deputy presidency, 14 Umno divisions led by Shafie's uncle Sakaran Dandai turned the tables on him.
They sent a memorandum supporting Anwar Ibrahim forcing Mahathir to drop his support for Ghafar.
The Penang Umno Liaison Committee today received the resignation letters of 36 committee members of the Bukit Bendera division from their posts to make way for new election of office-bearers.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the matter would be discussed by the state liaison committee before being brought to the Umno management committee and supreme council for a decision soon.
On Monday, all the Bukit Bendera Umno division committee members relinquished their posts to allow for a special divisional meeting be convened to re-elect Datuk Ahmad Ismail as division head.
Ahmad was given a three-year suspension from the party from September 2008 following public outcry over his controversial statement while campaigning in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat by-election.
However, last December the Umno supreme council decided to withdraw the suspension.
Asked whether the divisional committee’s resignation was due to pressure from outside, Zahid said there was no pressure including from the higher-ups.
Article 15.8 of the Umno constitution states that if a divisional committee resigns en bloc, the party’s supreme council will order for a special divisional meeting be held to elect a new committee and determine the term of office.
Zahid also denied a news report over the 98.8FM radio channel yesterday which said that Ahmad had asked Penang Gerakan to apologise to the Bukit Bendera Umno division and its leaders, and that Zahid had agreed on this.
“No statement had ever been issued on Ahmad Ismail asking Penang Gerakan or the national Gerakan to apologise to him or Bukit Bendera Umno. It’s just an assumption,” he said at the parliament lobby.
Zahid also asked the media, especially the Chinese media, not to manipulate the matter to avoid creating uneasiness, as it (resignation) was what the delegates wanted, aimed at strengthening the party. — Bernama
Datuk Seri Dr Zambry (right) expressed anger at the behaviour of the PR assemblymen at today's sate assembly sittin. - Picture by Choo Choy May
Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir scoffed at the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) walkout from the state assembly today, accusing them of planning it in advance.
The Perak Mentri Besar expressed anger at the behaviour of the PR assemblyman during today’s chaotic sitting and even accused his predecessor Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and PKR’s Tai Sing Ng (Kuala Sepetang) of attempting to hit him.
“Did you see? They wanted to hit me just now, right? Isn’t it interesting? It would have been big news if I got hit just now from Nizar and Tai.
“Tai already came so close to me... he raised his file to hit me,” claimed Zambry.
During the chaotic sitting, Tai had walked up to Zambry prior to the walkout and was seen raising his file after exchanging a few words with the latter.
He was later accosted by the group of sergeant-at-arms standing in front of the Speaker’s dais who pushed him away from Zambry.
Tai later explained that Zambry had accused him of being a gangster and added that he had no intention to hit the state leader but was just making a show of raising his hand.
“Well you know what they are capable of. You saw their historical behaviours just now, turning the assembly hall into a battlefield for demonstration... carrying placards and all.
“This is the behaviour of those who claim to be moral, claim to carry the titles of YB (yang berhormat)... Supposedly, they claimed they want to be with us in the hall, to be a good and strong opposition,” said Zambry.
During the sitting, the PR lawmakers flashed printed signages with words like “The World is Watching”, “Penyamun” and “Perompak” to their BN foes and several even attempted to walk over to the Speaker to hand him the signs.
Zambry added that the PR lawmakers had already planned to walk out from the sitting and were merely finding ways and means to get themselves thrown out.
“They are finding excuses, they claimed that we did not include debates on the royal address into the agenda of the sitting but can you hear what is happening now in the hall? Is this not the debates on the address?” he said, referring to the ongoing debates that could be heard from the speakers in the library where the press conference was being held.
Zambry pointed out that there was nothing wrong with the tabling of bills to be done before the tabling of pre-approved motions, which included the motion of thanks on the royal address as well as the debates.
“It was in the order paper. We normally bring up any enactment first... this usually takes precedence, they will be discussed and tabled first and then followed by the motions.
“This so called impostor of the speaker (Tronoh assmblyman) V. Sivakumar said ‘tribute’, ‘tribute’, it has nothing to do with it. The debate itself is the motion,” he explained.
Earlier the PR assemblymen had attempted to move a motion to include debates on the royal address, which they claimed was not in the order paper that was presented to them in the chamber.
According to the PR lawmakers, the presentation of government bills should only come after the debate of thanks on the address, which was not the case in today’s proceedings.
“They thought that the debates come immediately but they must go through the enactments first and then followed by the debates.
“They were just finding excuses not to stay in the hall. I also told them in the chamber itself — wait, just wait for the enactments to be done and then the debates would ensue.
“It is just a part of the game that they want to play, they assume that (Speaker Datuk) R. Ganesan would send them out from the hall,” he said.
The PR assemblymen staged a walkout this morning after they failed in raising a point of order to question Ganesan’s legitimacy as the Speaker and when their interjections to invoke the Standing Orders in the House were ignored by the Speaker.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim denied today that he had approached Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir to become Perak’s Mentri Besar.
The Perak Mentri Besar claimed today that after Election 2008 he was approached by PKR’s “number one leader” to defect and was even offered the post of mentri besar.
The offer came before PAS’ Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was chosen.
Anwar looked confused when asked about Zambry’s allegation and stressed that he had never spoken to the Pangkor assemblyman.
“Ask him where did I see him? Did I speak to him?” he asked The Malaysian Insider.
Anwar become irritated when pressed and reiterated that he did not meet Zambry.
“Ask him where did I meet him? I did not see or meet him. I have never talked on the phone with him. Send my regards to him,” he said.
The stunning revelation was made during Zambry’s winding up speech on the debate of thanks on the royal address at the Perak State Assembly here this afternoon.
He did not reveal who the “number one leader” was and when asked whether he was referring to the party president (Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) or the adviser (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), Zambry merely said, “At the time, the leader was supposedly a very big leader”.
Anwar also slammed Zambry as a “bankrupt politician.”
When the BN government fell in Perak during in the March 2008 general election, the then newly formed Pakatan Rakyat coalition which is made up of DAP, PAS and PKR had submitted the names of three possible candidates to take on the post of mentri besar to the royal palace.
Nizar was later chosen to be the mentri besar of Perak.
Tun Dr Mahathir said the country's the prime minister had yet to live up to promises, and urged him to forge ahead with pledged reforms. - Reuters pic
Malaysia’s influential former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today the country’s current prime minister had yet to live up to promises, and urged him to forge ahead with pledged reforms.
A vocal government critic who led the push to oust his immediate successor and usher in Datuk Seri Najib Razak as premier in 2009, Mahathir also defended an affirmative action policy that favours the country’s Malay majority. Najib has pledged to roll back Malay privileges in a new economic model he released yesterday.
“One year is not enough (for an assessment), you are just learning to be a prime minister really,” Mahathir, 84, said in an interview on the sidelines of an investor conference.
“Najib has just released his economic policy, we need to see whether the performance is as good as promised.”
Najib took office in April last year pledging reforms to rejuvenate investment and reverse 2008 election losses suffered by the coalition that has ruled Malaysia for 52 years.
But his government has delayed the introduction of petrol and electricity price rises, road toll increases and a goods and services tax in a series of decisions that has undermined market confidence in his ability to deliver economic reforms.
That, Mahathir said, was no way to oversee change.
“I think that is a very bad way of doing things,” he said. “You make a decision, then you have to implement it, but before making a decision, you should think very carefully about it.”
Mahathir served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and still plays a major behind-the-scenes role in national politics.
The country’s next general election is due by 2013, but may be called as early as next year.
Analysts say that although Najib faces an opposition riven by divisions, he is wary of upsetting the Malay majority, the core of support for his United Malays National Organisation (Umno) party, mainstay of the ruling coalition. Many Malays could be hit by the proposed tax and subsidy reforms.
Najib announced a new economic model (NEM) yesterday to hoist the country’s trade-dependent economy to the ranks of developed nations by 2020 through liberalisation and a greater focus on services.
But doubts remain on how far he can succeed in overcoming a potential political backlash in rolling-back the four-decades old affirmative action policy favouring Malays.
Since taking office, Najib has rolled back parts of the old policy, ending requirements for a 30 per cent Malay equity ownership in some economic subsectors.
Signs of resistance have begun to emerge with the formation of a Malay rights group Perkasa (Strength) at the weekend.
It is not clear whether Perkasa enjoys widespread support, but Mahathir presided over its launch and he told Reuters the prime minister should take account of its demands.
“Try to do something to reassure them (Perkasa) and explain why the government is doing certain things,” he said.
“If they can accept your explanation, well and good, but if not it is important to take seriously their feelings of unhappiness.”
Ethnic and religions tensions have increased in the mainly Muslim but multiracial country following a court ruling allowing the use of the word “Allah” by Christians.
A rising tide of Islam also saw three Muslim women caned for the first time under strict Islamic laws, while another was sentenced to caning for drinking beer.
Mahathir presided over some liberalisation measures to the New Economic Policy (NEP), the reform plan of the time often criticised as an impediment to investment.
His changes allowed, for instance, 100 percent foreign ownership of some factories and he called for “adjustments” to be made, provided they did not increase income disparities between Malays and the wealthier ethnic Chinese community.
“The mechanism for implementing the policy is going to be very important if it is done correctly, I think even Perkasa would accept it,” Mahathir told Reuters. — Rueters
Mohd Kamal Abdullah frequently writes in Malaysiakini, MalaysiaToday and in the FORUM column of MALAYSIA CHAT www.malaysia-chat.com. Kamal holds a law degree and was active in Malaysian Politics (a component party of Barisan Nasional) until of late, to concentrate on pursuing a post-graduate law degree in United Kingdom.
Norizan (right in photo) plans to sue the police force for the serious injuries inflicted by the gunshots when she was travelling in a car with friends on Oct 30, 2009.
Hishammuddin did not comment on the matter but a statement was read to reporters by his parliamentary secretary, Markiman Kobiran, said that he will look into the matter and get feedback from the police.
The 60-year-old lawyer, dressed in a grey suit, was whisked to the Kajang Prison after he was served the committal order by the High Court.
Ambiga
The Penang Umno Liaison Committee today received the resignation letters of 36 committee members of the Bukit Bendera division from their posts to make way for new election of office-bearers.
