Suspicious Move on Anwar: An Utterly Disgusting Gutter Politics with UMNO's Fingerprints All Over

Quote:

True or untrue, I am almost speechless at the sheer audacity of either possibility.
-"Aisehman"

UPDATE: From Malaysikini

The police forensic team today visited a luxury condominium in Damansara to gather evidence in regards to a sodomy report lodged against PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The forensic team spend more than five hours sweeping the unit - the scene where the alleged act had taken place, according to the complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

A team of police investigators were also at the condominium where they inspected the log books at the posh residence's guard house.

The police have also spoken to the security guards and have seen hours of CCTV footages.

Security guards refused to speak to the horde of journalists who have been camping outside the condominium, saying that they have been instructed by the employers to stay silent.

--- End of Update ---

A police report was made on 28 June 2008 accusing Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy on 26th June 2008 at Unit 1151, Kondominium Desa Damansara, Jln Setia Kasih, Kuala Lumpur.

The accuser: Mohd Saiful Bukhari bin Azlan, 23 years old.

The police report:

"Saya Mohd Saiful Bukhari b Azlan ingin melaporkan bahawa saya telah diliwat oleh majikan saya. Perkara ini berlaku tanpa kerelaan saya. Kejadian terakhir berlaku 26/6/08 di Unit 1151, Kondominium Desa Damansara, Jln Setia Kasih, KL.

Oleh itu, tujuan laporan ini dibuat untuk mendapat pembelaan dan keadilan keatas diri saya.

Saya juga berasa bimbang dengan keselamatan diri dan keluarga saya jika perkara ini tersebar luas di khalayak ramai. Majikan saya Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim - Ketua Umum PKR."

Who is Mohd Saiful Bukhari bin Azlan?

Is he UMNO's patsy to ruin Anwar's political ambitions?

Or is he made to be a fall-guy for a price to be a 'mole' in PKR to weaken Anwar so as to prevent Anwar from exposing the national police chief, Musa Hassan, and the attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, for their alleged roles in having him accused of sodomizing his driver in 1998 and abusing his power to cover up the deed?

Saiful came to PKR to be a volunteer for the March election. He became Special Assistant to Anwar Ibrahim.

He is a former student at the Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) for the 2006/2007 term. He opted out of the university due to poor results for his electrical course on a scholarship.

A PKR source said Anwar Ibrahim was forewarned about Saiful Bukhari Azlan as a staff, but Anwar ignored the warning. He (Anwar) was told to be careful due to Saiful's suspicious background when he joined the office administration.

The same ‘warnings' had been given to other party leaders after Saiful had became close to Anwar and the staff at his office following the March 8 general elections.

The source also said Saiful showed his support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Barisan Nasional coalition, through his webpage in Friendster.com, a social networking website.

Saiful is believed to have joined Anwar's office through his old schoolmate Rahimi Osman, who at the time was Anwar's assistant. Saiful assumed Rahimi's duties after the latter left his job. The source added the Saiful's actual role in the office however was "unclear".

According to Haris Ibrahim of People's Parliament (read here):

'...Sometime in February this year, we (Haris and Din Merican) had agreed to meet for lunch and I was to pick him up at Anwar’s office in Section 16, PJ.

When I got to the office, Din (Merican).... Din proceeded to disclose to me something that I made note of but made no inquiry of at the time. Let me try to narrate to you what he said as best as I can recall :

“...UMNO has sent a spy. They think we don’t know. Now we are spying on the spy.

And we are going to give him enough rope to hang himself.

And when the time comes, we will tighten the noose.”

Saiful's Connection with UMNO Leaders

With Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's special officer Khairil Anas Yusof.


With former Higher Education Minister (and currently Minister of Agriculture) Mustapa Mohamed


With Former Sports and Youth Minister (currently of Minister of Tourism), Azalina Othman Said


With Datuk Shahrir Ahmad,
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister

From Tumpang Sekoleh Blog: Read here

• DPM Najib told the press Saiful met with his officer (Khairil Anas Yusof) at his office to get a scholarship from the government. The picture (above) was taken three months ago.
  
  

  Question: Why is Saiful applying for scholarship 3 months ago,when he dropped out from UNITEN in 2007? Saiful should apply for scholarship in the JPA office not in Najib's office.
  
  Saiful admitted that he opted out of the university due to poor results. Why is he applying for scholarship,when he had already quit varsity?
  
  DPM Najib is lying.

• Saiful Bukhari posed for photos (above) with Ministers and Khairil Annas, Najib's special officer, probably that's his right to do so.

  Question: Knowing Saiful Bukhari is from the opposition camp why would these Ministers and the special officer even entertained him, unless they(ministers/special officer) got something to gain from that?
  
  Yes,they did and eventually Saiful became UMNO/BN's 'pacak' boy in PKR's place.

SAIFUL is ENGAGED to a Woman

His engagement photo:

With fiancee Janna Syariza

Previous Sodomy Accusation Against Anwar

A similar charge in 1998 saw Anwar - then deputy prime minister - land in jail for six years before the country's highest court acquitted him of the charges.

(Courtesy of Malaysiakini)

COMMENTARY

From Panthera Leo Persica Blog Read here for more

Saiful Bukhari

by

Ainis Azreen

(Ainos Azreen graduated from UNITEN in 2008)

Memang seekor MUSANG!

Telahan awal yang dibuat oleh saya dan rakan-rakan lain tidak salah dan sama sekali BENAR. Kehadirannya di tengah-tengah bahang kempen pilihanraya umum ke-12 Mac lalu, memang memusykilkan saya dan teman-teman, yang mengenali siapa dia Saiful Bukhari.

Posting seorang teman blogger dan juga sekampus, Najwan mengenai musang ini memang menepati ramalan. Musang ini akan membawa kemusnahan. Tetapi dalam kes ini, musang ini tidak hanya menggali kubur mangsanya tetapi kuburnya sekali.

Dia mendakwa diliwat oleh seorang pemimpin kanan parti pembangkang. Yang saya pasti, profil pemimpin ini pasti diketahui umum. tetapi bagaimana dengan profil si pendakwa tersebut? Saya pernah berjanji kepada diri untuk tidak mengaitkan diri dengan sebarang perbalahan anak muda yang menjadi lumrah dunia politik. tetapi hari ini, saya akan dedahkan “era kegemilangan” yang pernah dicipta Saiful Bukhari suatu masa dahulu.

Saiful Bukhari mungkin tidak perlu diperkenalkan lagi kepada pelajar-pelajar Uniten. Memulakan rentak seorang pemimpin sewaktu dipilih sebagai Ketua Pengarah Program Bakti Siswa Kemerdekaan 2006 ternyata memang menjulang nama beliau. Walaubagaimanapun tidak ramai yang tahu hakikat sebenar. Tentang ketelusan, kejujuran, dan sikap tanggungjawabnya sebelum, semasa dan selepas tamat program. Hampir dua tahun berlalu, tetapi saya masih jelas dengan semua cerita.

Tidak cukup dengan portfolio Ketua Pengarah Program yang hanya dianjurkan setahun sekali, Saiful kemudiannya merancang untuk tampak lebih berkaliber, lebih berkuasa. Dia kemudiannya bertanding di dalam pemilihan Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar sesi 2006/2007.

Dengan bilangan undi yang tidak boleh dibanggakan, beliau berjaya. Beliau dikatakan mempengaruhi beberapa ahli perwakilan lain untuk mengundi beliau sebagai Presiden (baca:PRESIDEN). Namun demikian, rezekinya sudah ditentukan untuk hanya menjadi Timbalan Presiden. Dia akhirnya terbang ke Filipina untuk menghadiri sebuah seminar anjuran Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi.

Pelik tetapi benar. Seharusnya yang terbang adalah Presiden bukan Timbalan Presiden. Mungkinkah Saiful menggunakan aksesnya sebagai Pemuda UMNO atau agen orang kenamaan untuk melayakkan diri untuk mewakili seluruh institusi pengajian swasta? Dan episod kegemilangannya bermula setelah dia kembali ke tanah air.

Seperti seekor musang yang tidak pernah bersyukur dengan rezekinya, begitulah juga Saiful Bukhari. Portfolio sebagai Timbalan Presiden nyata tidak memberi kepuasan kepadanya untuk menjadi orang yang paling berkuasa.

Entah di mana silapnya, Saiful tidak mempedulikan sama sekali tugas dan tanggungjawabnya sebagai wakil suara mahasiswa UNITEN. Jangankan tugas sebagai pemimpin, malah tugas sebagai mahasiswa juga diabaikan. Tetapi dalam pada masa yang sama, saya dimaklumkan oleh teman dari IPTA lain bahawa mereka kerap bertemu dengan Saiful, menghadiri beberapa perjumpaan pemimpin Institusi Pengajian Tinggi. Saya terkejut pada mulanya.

Bagaimana anda boleh menghadiri perjumpaan yang membincangkan tentang nasib dan masa depan mahasiswa seluruh Malaysia sedangkan anda mengabaikan tugas utama anda, iaitu menjaga kebajikan mahasiswa Universiti Tenaga Nasional?

Bertambah kekok apabila mendengar Saiful Bukhari ini memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai Presiden @ Yang diPertua (YDP) Universiti Tenaga Nasional. Bukankah ini tanda-tanda awal dia sememangnya gila kuasa?

Saiful Bukhari ini juga dilihat sebagai seorang yang gila publisiti. Dia hanya akan “bertanggungjawab” sekiranya program tersebut mendapat liputan media, akhbar dan orang kenamaan. Oleh sebab itu, beliau hanya memilih untuk menjadi Penasihat program. Untung kerana tidak perlu bekerja keras memikirkan flow program, penyediaan kertas kerja dan pelaksanaan program. Yang dia tahu cumalah - pasti dia akan ditemuramah dan namanya pasti terpampang di dada akhbar.

Dan hari ini saya kira, cita-citanya untuk menjadi seorang “star” sudah tercapai. Kemusykilan saya semakin berganda apabila ditengah-tengah kempen PRU 12 yang lalu, dia berjaya menempelkan diri di setiap roadshow ceramah DSAI.

Bagaimana tidak musykil, sedangkan beberapa hari sebelum itu, dia menghulurkan pelawaan kepada saya di laman Friendster, untuk bersama-samanya mengundi Barisan Nasional! Mungkin dia tidak tahu bahawa prinsip dan pendirian saya tidak serapuh dia.

Alasannya hanyalah sekadar membantu seorang teman menguruskan hal-hal berkaitan di Pejabat DSAI langsung tidak masuk akal. Peralihan parti politik Saiful Bukhari ketika itu hanya mengundang bahana. Siapa tidak kenal Saiful Bukhari? Pendusta yang bermuka-muka.

Dia tampil menjawab dengan menyatakan bahawa dia bakal melanjutkan pelajaran di sebuah akademi penerbangan. Satu persoalan, atas pembiayaan siapa? Mungkinkah kerana ingin menyelamatkan sang ketua, maruah sendiri sanggup dilapah. Itulah harga kesetiaan yang perlu dibayar Saiful Bukhari. Menyelitkan diri di kawasan musuh dan akhirnya leher sendiri yang ditetak.

Saya amat bersimpati jika inilah yang dicari-cari oleh manusia bernama Saiful Bukhari selama ini.

Kebimbangan kami nyata berasas. Saiful Bukhari telah mengeluarkan taringnya di saat-saat DSAI mula meletakkan kepercayaan ke atas dirinya. Saya mengakui kepintaran bermain yang dimiliki Saiful Bukhari, tetapi saya juga ingin ingatkan, sepandai-pandai tupai melompat akhirnya pasti akan tersungkur ke tanah.

Buat Saiful Bukhari (jika anda membaca kenyataan saya ini), well done.

Takziah juga buat keluarganya, adik perempuannya, dan alfatihah buat allahyarhamah bondanya.

Nota: Saya bertanggungjawab di atas setiap kenyataan dan ulasan saya mengenai Saiful Bukhari. Daripada dituduh pengecut dan tidak mampu membenarkan kebenaran dizahirkan, saya mengambil risiko ini. Saya tidak mungkin dapat membuktikan bahawa DSAI tidak melakukan perbuatan tersebut, tetapi sekurang-kurangnya kenyataan saya dan ulasan-ulasan pelajar Uniten lain dapat memberi gambaran awal mengenai siapa Saiful Bukhari ini. Saya tidak terkejut dia mampu bertindak sampai ke tahap ini. Saya tidak terkejut dengan kisah dia menikam kawan sendiri dari belakang demi mencapai kemahuannya. Malah saya tidak terkejut jika Saiful tampil dengan kenyataan bahawa dia dipergunakan untuk menutup keaiban ketuanya satu hari nanti.

Judge Ian Chin to Dr. Mahathir: You Devil Incarnate, You ARE a Liar !

From Malaysiakini Read here and Here in Borneo Post Online

Update: Judge Ian Chin slammed a fellow judge, who "planted himself behind the chair where Dr Mahathir was to sit and when Dr Mahathir was about to be seated, this judge declared: ‘Sir, I am always behind you.’ ". Read here for more

Related article: Former PM Mahathir Pressured and Threatened Judges with Dismissals

Judge Ian Chin said the folowing about Dr. Mahathir in an open court hearing of an election petition in Sibu, Sarawak:

“...Dr Mahathir for what he had done and for what he is trying to do is a devil incarnate.

To those who had suffered under his hands, even that description may be rather complimentary.

Dr Mahathir, by waving the supposed police report the way he did, lent support to the general held view that this prime minister kept a docket on everyone useful but with a skeleton in their cupboard so that he can manipulate then on pain of disclosing the skeleton.

I thought only the Stasi of the then communist East Germany do such a thing but then it was done for the benefit of the state not for an individual.

In my view, he is trying to exploit this general belief to wave that supposed police report to get the public to believe that I have committed something unlawful which he is privy to and which the public is not unaware so that my integrity could be put under suspicion to make what I have revealed unbelievable.

Let me declare to the public that I am as clean as a whistle and my life is an open book.

Since I do not want promotion before, now or in the future nor any appointment after my retirement, what do I get out of all this knowing very well that I will be the target for vilification?

It is this. I must be able to sleep well after I retired knowing that I have done all I can, like all the crucified judges before me, to tell Malaysians the danger they are in regarding the state of the judiciary.

..You surrendered your wallet, your air ticket and handphone when you checked into the camp and you cannot go anywhere as it is in an isolated place and you cannot leave for anywhere as there is no transport.

You are totally cut off from the outside world, with no newspapers or television and with selected news conveyed to you at the assembly for the purpose of sampling reaction such as the news that a certain party had won a by-election which elicited some applause from some young officers but they earned the rebuke of a High Court judge as that was an improper display of partisanship.

A junior officer was made our leader from whom we have to take orders from. And one Sessions Court judge who disagreed with that was made to publicly apologise on a podium to his junior officer leader.

Another method employed was to chisel away the view we held of how independent we should be in our job as High Court judges and this they did by punishing or humiliating a High Court judge by making him carry a brick all the time after he broke the egg which each of us must carry wherever we went, including marching.
All these were, in my view, for the purpose of softening us to take order for the benefit of the government, meaning Dr Mahathir.

He lied about me absconding. Everyone who was not otherwise sick had to remain, and we all did save for the duo, with each given a certificate after the end of the stay.

But two did leave, one because of illness and the other the wife’s illness. Everyone who was not otherwise sick had to remain and we all did save for the duo; with each given a certificate after the end of stay.

That Dr Mahathir should even resort to lying about me absconding from the camp speaks volume for the character of such person; he is lying by resorting to repeating it as if it is the truth.

This is the same prime minister who lied to the world that (former deputy premier) Anwar Ibrahim could have deliberately hurt himself when the latter appeared with the black eye.

He is also waving a police report perhaps for the purpose of intimidating me or to blacken me in the eyes of the public.”
-Judge Ian Chin

Abusing Article 13 of the Federal Constitution in the Name of 'Malay Special Rights', the NEP, and 'Ketuanan Melayu'

Read Here and Here

Quote:

"....Written records of the inter-party discussions of the Alliance leaders (prior to Merdeka) indicate that the Constitutional provisions on the "Special Position" were understood more as a PROTECTIVE measure for the Malay community which was then socio-economically disadvantaged.

The Alliance leaders in their oral submission to the Reid Commission requested the insertion of a Constitutional provision for the REVIEW of the "SPECIAL POSITION" of the MALAYS, FIFTEEN (15) years after independence.

Though subsequently removed, this implies that the Alliance leaders themselves did NOT intend the provision to be a permanent feature of independent Malaya.

While Article 153 does provide the Constitutional basis for affirmative action in favour of the Malays and natives in Sabah and Sarawak, there is NO ground to suggest that doing away with the NEP necessarily requires the amendment or repeal of Article 153.

From a study of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, such a linkage (with NEP and concept of "Ketuanan Melayu") has NO real basis whatsoever."
- Raja Aziz Addruse and Helen Ting


"..... I would like to see my children succeed in their country, Malaysia, for reasons that true success should be based upon, which are, merit and hard work, and NOT because they are Malays or bumiputeras.

For as long as the Malays don’t see this, there is very little point in fighting for Malay rights.

It just makes us (Malays) look more ridiculous.

We (the Malays) have taken this notion of being privileged a bit too literally in that it now simply means we want this country and its fruits all for ourselves without accepting the responsibilities that come with it.

If we want the Malays to fail, then by all means continue the fight for Malay rights.

Go and polish your keris...."
-Shaik Rizal Sulaiman

Understanding 'Special Position' of Malays

Read here

by

Raja Aziz Addruse and Helen Ting
(Raja Aziz Addruse is a former Bar Council president and former president of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam). Helen Ting is a research fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (Ikmas), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia )

Excerpts: Read here for more

Public discussions on the abolition of the NEP link it up from time to time with Article 153 of the Federal Constitution regarding the SPECIAL POSITION of the Malays and natives in Sabah and Sarawak.

At times, it was even suggested that the abolition of affirmative action policies for the Malays was impossible due to the need to amend Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

Malay ultra-nationalists (have charged) that questioning the "special position" of the Malays amounts to challenging the ideology of ketuanan Melayu.

There appear to be a lot of myths surrounding "taboo notions" such as the Constitutional provisions for the "special position".

What was historically the understanding regarding the "special position" in any case?

1. Written records of the inter-party discussions of the Alliance leaders indicate that the Constitutional provisions on the "special position" were understood more as a protective measure for the Malay community which was then socio-economically disadvantaged.
   
   
2. Significantly, in their oral submission to the Reid Commission, the Alliance leaders requested the insertion of a Constitutional provision for the REVIEW of the "special position" of the Malays 15 years AFTER independence.
   
   
3. Though subsequently removed, this implies that the Alliance leaders themselves did NOT intend the provision to be a PERMANENT feature of independent Malaya.

This perspective is also clearly articulated in the recent biography of the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, who even expressed his belief that:

"...as more and more Malays became educated and gained self-confidence, they themselves would do away with this 'special position' because in itself this 'special position' is a SLUR on the ABILITY of the Malays and only to be tolerated because it is necessary as a TEMPORARY measure to ensure their survival in the modern competitive world".

Yet, WHY has it ("the special position") come to be interpreted as a symbol of Malay HEGEMONY and a PERMANENT, even defining, feature of the Malaysian nation?

• The racial riots of May 13 1969 led to the imposition of a prohibition on the questioning of a number of Constitutional provisions including Article 153.
  
  
• Meantime, the NEP was formally launched, setting clear objectives to be achieved within two decades, such as attaining a more balanced ethnic distribution of occupational engagement and for Malay share in the ownership of business to reach 30 per cent by 1990.
  
  
• (Although) the NEP officially ended in 1990, many of its wide-ranging economic and educational policies, including the popularly euphemised "quota system", remain in place till today in all but name.
  
  
• Over the decades, the comprehensive affirmative action programmes have transformed the socio-economic status of the Malay community as a social group, even though many poor Malays may not have benefited from it.
  
  
• More insidiously, the initial socio-economic justifications for these measures have over time shifted to the argument of "indigenous entitlement" or right. When affirmative action came to be viewed as a form of "indigenous entitlement", the call for reforms or abolition of the NEP has been interpreted as a challenge to ketuanan Melayu.

Nonetheless, the affirmative action (NEP) was NOT successful in uplifting the overall socio-economic conditions of natives in Sabah and Sarawak and the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia (who are INTRIGUINGLY NOT mentioned explicitly as being included within the provisions of the "special position"), as well as the poor in other communities.

Article 153 and Implementation of NEP

Does a revamp of the NEP necessarily entail the amendment of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution?

Article 153 addresses the issues of reservation of quotas in respect of:

• scholarships and other educational facilities or training privileges,
  
  
• positions in the federal public service and
  
  
• the granting of permits or licences for the operation of any trade or business for Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

Clause 1 of the Article entrusts to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the responsibility to also safeguard the "legitimate interests of OTHER communities" in the same breath as safeguarding the special position of the Malays and natives in Sabah and Sarawak.

Five (5) out of the 12 clauses of Article 153 set out to LIMIT the scope of its application.

(These clauses) provide that the Constitutional provisions with respect to the special position should NOT deprive or restrict OTHER communities of their legitimate interests and continued enjoyment of the same public office, rights, grants, facilities or privileges which might reasonably be expected in the ordinary course of events.

It could be argued that in order to respect the Constitutional spirit, the translation of this so-called "special position" into practical measures by the policy-makers should judiciously ensure that they are perceived as "reasonable", equitable and just by SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.

The original spirit of the NEP, as defined by its twin objectives of the restructuring of society and the eradication of poverty REGARDLESS of race, abides by this same sense of fair play and social justice.

While Article 153 does provide the Constitutional basis for affirmative action in favour of the Malays and natives in Sabah and Sarawak, there is NO ground to suggest that doing away with the NEP necessarily requires the amendment or repeal of Article 153.

While we cannot stop politicians with vested interests from linking up the NEP and Article 153 with the concept of ketuanan Melayu, we should at least be able to evaluate their discourse for what it is worth.

And it is apparent from a study of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution that such a linkage has NO real basis whatsoever.

COMMENTARY

MALAY RIGHTS - A MYSTICAL MYTH?

Read here in Malaysiakini

by

Shaik Rizal Sulaiman

The Malays are ‘technically’ in power governing the country but it also this same controlling group that demands the right to correct economic imbalances and disparities for its own race.

What does this say about the ‘majority governing’ Malay race for the last 50 years?

I dare say that most Malaysians (regardless of race) below the age of 40 would like to see all opportunities be spread amongst those who deserve it on meritocracy.

We do not need the keris anymore to tell others to be careful of what they say and do because in the survival of the fittest, the keris is of very little relevance!

If we continue to hide under the ‘bumiputera’ tempurung as most Malays have been in the last 50 years or more, the catch-up game will just get harder and the gap wider.

If we continue to expect without earning it, we will never learn how to be a race that succeeds on merit.

There is NO substitute for merit.

The Malay politicians continue to shout about Malay rights and bumiputera rights because the very nature of our local politics is sadly racially biased.

In this day and age, a great nation is built upon joint success stories, meritocracy and the combined hard work of its people WITHOUT any fear or favour of racial biased politics governing our daily policies.

I am below 40 and as much as I love the ‘idea’ that Malaysia is tanah tumpahnya darah orang Melayu, I can’t help but also feel that this country is for ALL Malaysians alike including the Chongs, the Kumars, the Xaviers, the Kaurs etc who were born on the same day in the same hospital as me here in Malaysia.

If we feel that WE (the Malays) deserve this country more than THEM , then WE (the Malays) should have shown them a long time ago that we deserve the ‘control all’ status.

We have to earn it.

The policies FAILED because the very concept of Malay rights or the NEP/DEB is like a double-edged sword.

On one hand, it aims to eradicate wealth disparity but on the other, it has made the Malays oblivious of what reality is. Our (Malays) success is only reflected in the ‘perceived’ political power which today can collapse in a matter of minutes.

I would also like to see my children succeed in their country, Malaysia, for reasons that true success should be based upon, which are merit and hard work and NOT because they are Malays or bumiputeras.

For as long as the Malays don’t see this, there is very little point in fighting for Malay rights.

It just makes us look more ridiculous.

We have taken this notion of being privileged a bit too literally in that it now simply means we want this country and its fruits all for ourselves without accepting the responsibilities that come with it.

I blame the MALAY politicians for this because we want to only fight the cause without strategising for the true substance and need of the cause. We have been given fish all the while without being taught how to fish.

It’s funny how two different generations can be so diverse in their thinking and the recent elections proved just that. We are no longer concerned with racial problems but more so the never-ending Malay agenda issues.

The rakyat has spoken and the landscape has drastically changed.

Is this change welcomed? Is it good?

The answer is ‘NO' . Because we,the Malays, have been caught with our pants down - we are not ready to compete on any level playing field (we can’t even compete on advantageous grounds!).

Even with three or five more continuing policies for Malay rights or bumiputera privileges over the next 50 years, we will still be in exactly the same position as we are in today.

The truth hurts and the truth will always prevail. And the truth of what’s to come will NOT go away.

I am cynical perhaps because I feel that Malay rights is NOT relevant anymore.

The right to be safe, to be treated fairly, to have a world-class healthcare and education, to enjoy equal prosperity, to have good governance, to live in a clean environment and to be war-free is what I want for my Malaysia. NOT for MY race to be artificially powerful.

If we want the Malays to fail, then by all means continue the fight for Malay rights. Go and polish your keris.
-Shaik Rizal Sulaiman

Mongolian Woman Murder Case: Statutory Declaration in KL High Court Alleging DPM Najib's Wife at Murder Scene

Read HERE on BigDog.com and Here on Malaysiakini

Raja Petra Kamaruddin of Malaysia Today filed a Statutory Declaration at a Commissioner of Oath, registered under the jurisdiction of Kuala Lumpur High Court on 18 June 2008 against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister alleging that she was at the scene when Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered.


Raja Petra accused Datin Rosmah as among three individuals who were present when Altantuya was murdered on October 19, 2006.

Altantunya Shaaribuu (left). The murder scene where the victim, Altantunya, was blown to pieces

In the Statutory Declaration, Raja Petra said his "informer" told him,

"(Acting Colonel) Aziz (Buyong) was the person who placed the C4 on various parts of Altantuya’s body witnessed by (Datin) Rosmah and Norhayati (Aziz young's wife)."

(Note: Altantuya’s body was blown up with C4 explosives at a secondary forest in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam. The murder trial is still with the Shah Alam High Court. )

Related article:

• Mongolian Woman's ( Altantuya Shariibuu) Murder: Justice MUST Be Done and Be SEEN to be Done
  
  
• Mongolian Woman's Murder: Attempted Cover-up, Miscarriage of Justice, Submarine Scandal and Linkage to DPM Najib

He said the purpose of this statutory declaration is to urge all these parties who have been duly informed and have knowledge of this matter to come forward to reveal the truth so that the police are able to conduct a proper and thorough investigation into the murder of Altantuya.

He said he made this "solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act, 1960."

(Image courtesy of Bigdog.com)

In a statement to Malaysiakini, Raja Petra confirmed the content of the Statutory Declaration. (Read here)

In the phone interview with Malaysiakini, Raja Petra explained he did NOT lodge a police report on the latest allegation which could lead to a fresh police probe on the Altantuya murder because in a separate case in 2001 when he was allegedly beaten up by a high-ranking policeman, the police did NOT take any action over his police report he had lodged.

Raja Petra also claimed:

1. He has also been ‘reliably informed’ that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi KNOWS,of Najib's wife alleged involvement.
   
   "[...] Abdullah (Badawi) has received a written report from military intelligence confirming what I have revealed. This report was subsequently handed over to his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin for safekeeping," he said.
   
   
2. Apart from Abdullah and Khairy, "one of the (Malay) Rulers" has also been briefed about the matter and is fully aware of the allegation.
   
   
3. He has agreed not to reveal their names other than mention that the prime minister and his son-in-law have been given a copy of the military intelligence’s report.

Statutory Declaration Act (1960)

Read here Laws of Malaysia, Act 13, STATUTORY DECLARATIONS ACT 1960 (Incorporating all amendments up to 1 January 2006 )

False declaration punishable under Penal Code.

3. Declarations made by virtue of the provisions of this Act shall be deemed to be such declarations as are referred to in sections 199 and 200 of the Penal Code [Act 574].

Dr. Mahathir was Reminded of His Indian/"Mamak" Roots

From Malaysiakini Read here for more

Related Articles:

• The Indian-Muslims in Malaysia: Malays or Bumiputeras?
  
  
• Penang UMNO-MAMAKS on the Streets as Pretenders to the Malay Race
  
  
• Stuff It, GEPIMA and KIMMA: "I am PROUD to be an INDIAN and a Muslim"

MIC deputy president G Palanivel told off Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad "to remember his own (Indian/Mamak) roots". Read here for more

Palanivel is referring to the fact that Mahathir's forefathers are from South India in Kerala state.

Mahathir was born and named as Mahathir s/o Iskandar Kutty @Mahathir Mohamed (read here). Mahathir's father, (Iskandar Kutty) was a school teacher of Indian origin, specifically Malayalee (people who speak Malayalam, not to be confused with Malay), having migrated from the southern state of Kerala, while his mother was a Malay.


Kerala, India
Homeland of Dr. Mahathir's fore-fathers
In his blog, Dr Mahathir Mohamad had accused MIC chief S Samy Vellu of being a racist.

Mahathir wrote:

"In sympathising with Hindraf, Samy (Vellu) exposes his deep racist sentiments.

... Hindraf represents Tamil racists who still look to their old masters, the British, to protect them. They don’t believe in Malaysian institutions.

And they speak not just of Indians but of Tamils as a separate race. They and their apologists are racist to the core."

Palanivel said that the former prime minister's comments on Hindraf were inaccurate and insensitive to the sentiment of Indians in the country. He said that Hindraf is not only made of Tamil people but includes many non-Tamil and even non-Hindus.

He then told Mahathir "to remember his own (Mamak) roots" before making such statements.

Despite his Indian origins, Mahathir generally considers himself to be more Malay. He had used fiery rhetoric to propagate Ketuanan Melayu, or "Malay Supremacy/Lordship" to argue that the Malays were losing out to the minority Chinese and Indian races after the Barisan Nasional coalition's relatively poor showing in Malaysia's 12th general election.

Following the race riots of 13 May 1969, he wrote a letter, which was widely distributed, to the then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, criticising the manner in which Tunku Abdul Rahman had handled the country's administration favouring the ethnic Chinese.

In 1983 and 1991, Mahathir took on the Malay Rulers by ramming through an amendment to the Constitution to remove their royal veto and royal immunity om prosecution.

Prior to this amendment of the law, royal assent was required in order for any bill to pass into law. With effect of this amendment, approval by parliament could be legally considered as royal assent after a period of 30 days, notwithstanding the views of the Malay Rulers. The amendment only applied to secular laws.

The Malay Rulers continued to enjoy their constitutional right to make Islamic law in their own jurisdictions.

In 1988 Mahathir engineered the dismissal of the Lord President of the Supreme Court, Salleh Abas, and three other supreme court justices, whicy led to the widely held view as the beginning of end of the Malaysian judiciary's independence from the executive.

In 1998, the government brought charges of sexual misconduct and abuse of power charges against the former finance minister and deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim

While the trial was still underway, Mahathir went on television to declare Anwar guilty of sodomy and homosexual acts.

Commentary

Open Letter to Mahathir dated 20th May 2008 from "Sathia"
Read here on Malaysia-Today

Quote:

"You did not acknowledge your birth being born to a man of Indian descent who was a Muslim as a result of colonial Muslim power. You must have felt ashamed of your Indian bloodline. "
- Sathia

Excerpts:

" Dear Dr. Mahathir,

The Malaysian public in general and in specific the Indians must be glad to hear that you have left UMNO.

You would deny your Indian ancestry. You would cast yourself as a Malay in desperation to win their acceptance.

You did not acknowledge your birth being born to a man of Indian descent who was a Muslim as a result of colonial Muslim power. You must have felt ashamed of your Indian bloodline.

You painted yourself as a perfect Malay, a super Malay and became one of the most vociferous proponents of Ketuanan Melayu along with the likes of Tun Abdul Razak.

In the process, you turned the peaceful and friendly Malays into religious bigots, lazy and greedy.

In your haste to transform them from a rural mindset, by your actions, you taught them that the taking the money from the Non-Muslims and amassing the wealth in ill-gotten ways and spending it lavishly is the fastest and easiest way towards bliss.

Hurting the non-Malay progress is the way towards enhancing the progress of Malay. Unsupported by research data, you just prided yourself in seeing Malays are positioned everywhere.

You failed to inculcate in Malays about the fundamental time honored principles that call for sound knowledge, tolerance, and skills and putting them to good use. It might take the form of and courageous to be able to stand on own feet despite what may come, and seek out peaceful and harmonious living with others in the country and around the world.

You destroyed the education system in turning out morons as graduates who are ill fit to do anything meaningful. You have let brilliant minds among them not to flourish on account of race and religion.

That resulted in an adverse cycle causing almost irreparable damage to Malaysian public especially the Malays.

You tampered with the judiciary, you tampered with the rights of Sultans, you tampered with the goings on in other country on account of religion and you made many countries hate Malaysia and Malaysians.

For a change, you can be an Indian for a while so that you can appreciate how it feels like to be an Indian living under the legacy of your government.

Be a Chinese for a while, and try to understand how the Chinese are treated by the legacy of your government.

Regards.

Sathia "

PAS's Dilemma with the Malay Rulers: Championing Islam

by

Ismail Hakim

PAS's Political Goal

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party or the Islamic Party of Malaysia commonly known as PAS positions itself as a political party that aims to establish Malaysia as a country based on Islamic legal theory derived from the primary sources of Islam, the Quran and Sunnah.

PAS has publicly stated its intent to instate what it claims to be sharia law, including the full range of criminal laws.

As an Islamic political party, PAS takes a lead at local level in opposing forms of entertainment that will damage society's morals. PAS strongly support the sharia law to oppose apostasy.Read here

PAS Youth's Protest Threat in Selangor

PAS through its youth wing, PAS Pemuda, pushed its Islamic envelope a few steps too far on the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor Government, which it is a partner in government.

When PAS leadership remained silent on its Youth wing's public threat to demonstrate against a concert by two Malaysian artistes at the football match between Selangor-Singapore, the royal household of Selangor had it enough.

The Selangor Sultan showed his anger and displeasure. (Read here).

(Note: In May, 2008, the Sultan of Perak intervened when the Perak Menteri Besar made a hasty transfer of Perak Religious Department (JAIP) director Datuk Jamry Sury without FIRST consulting the Perak Ruler, who is the head of Islam in the state. The Menteri Besar apologised to the Sultan and rescinded the transfer order. Read here)

The Role of the Malay Rulers on Islam.

PAS in its tunnel-visioned view of the world in pushing its fundamemtalist Islamic credentials keeps forgetting the traditional role of the Malay Rulers which is enshrined in the Federal (and State) Constitution.

Federal Constitution (Read here)

Article 3.2: In every State other than States not having a Ruler, the position of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam in his State in the manner and to the extent acknowledged and declared by the Constitution, all rights, privileges, prerogatives and powers enjoyed by him as Head of that religion, are unaffected and unimpaired; but in any acts, observance or ceremonies with respect to which the Conference of Rulers has agreed that they should extend to the Federation as a whole each of the other Rulers shall in his capacity of Head of the religion of Islam authorize the Yang di-pertuan Agong to represent him.

Article 3.3: The Constitution of the States of Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak shall each make provision for conferring on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be Head of the religion of Islam in that State.

Article 3.5: Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Head of the religion of Islam in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan; and for this purpose Parliament may by law make provisions for regulating Islamic religious affairs and for constituting a Council to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in matters relating to the religion of Islam.

Article 4.1: This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

PAS's Dilemma

Firstly, PAS's politial aims as a political party are restricted by the provisions of the Federal Constitution. It can only change the Constitution to make Malaysia an Islamic state or impose Islamic sharia laws on ALL citizens of Malaysia, if it commands TWO-THIRD majority in the Federal Parliament. As per Article 4.1, all other laws contravening the Federal Constitution are deemed void.

Secondly, PAS's credentials as a champion of Islam in Malaysia must come face-to-face with the constitutional powers of the Malay Rulers on matters related to Islam in each state, for the simple reason that the Sultans are the Heads of Islam in their states. In the case of the federal territories, it is the Yang DiPertuan Agung.

Thirdly, the Sultans are also recognised as Heads of their respective states, meaning they are not only rulers for the Malays, but rulers to protect the interests of ALL their subjects, irrespective of race and religion residing in their states. Thus on matters of Islam, the sultans as Malay Rulers, have to take into full account the interests of their NON-Muslim and the non-Malay subjects besides their Malay subjects.

Whereas for PAS, its primary target of interest are Muslims. Non-muslims are of secondary concern to PAS for its existence as a political party.

Therein lies the dilemma for PAS.

It has not only the Federal Constitution as a stumbling block to fulfill its political mandate, it has also the Malay Rulers to contend with. The recent PAS Youth's fiasco with their public threat to demonstrate at a football stadium is a case in point.

Any attempt by PAS to demonise or marginalise the Malay Rulers will face a severe backlash, as the Malay Rulers are well regard and respected among the Malays, and in recent months prior to the March 2008 election, by a cross section of the Malaysian society. (Read here and here and here)

PAS, even if it wins government in states or in the Federal Government (unless it has a two-third majority), does NOT have a free ride on what it wants to impose and enforce on Islamic rules and regulations on the country.

It is (therefore) a huge sigh of relief for the majority of Malaysians who, while recognising Malaysia as an Islamic country, would prefer it remains a Secular State and NOT an Islamic State of any form or structure.

Protecting the Sanctity of the Federal Constitution

The wisdom of the founding fathers of Malaysia in establishing checks and balances cannot be over-emphasised. They foresaw the pitfalls facing a young nation trying to unite and mold a peaceful and workable multi-racial and multi-religious society.

The Federal Constitution was drafted to provide equality, fairness and justice to ALL Malaysians. It is the only recourse Malaysians have to prevent and to destroy all forms of religious extremism and abuse of political powers of governments.

Having said that, there are constitutional amendments in the current Constitution forced through by the Government-in-power over the years which failed to meet the equality, fairness and justice criteria and these amendments must be revisited by voters.

For Malaysians of all creed today, it is all the more sacred to ensure the sanctity of the Federal Constitution and the role of the Malay Rulers enshrined in the Federal Constitution be forever safe-guarded.
-Ismail Hakim

Related Article

From Zulkifli Sulong "Dilema Pemuda PAS dan istana Selangor" in Malaysia Insider : Read here
(Zulkifli Sulong is a veteran journalist covering Malaysian politics for 20 years. He is the editor of the Bahasa Malaysia weekly Siasah )

Excerpts:

"Jika kamu bertemu dengan kemungkaran, cegah dengan tangan (kuasa), jika tidak ada kuasa, cegah dengan perkataan dan selemah-lemah iman adalah benci (kemungkaran itu) di dalam hati."

Ini adalah hadis yang menjadi pegangan PAS. Dan inilah yang mesti dilakukan oleh pemimpin PAS dalam apa-apa situasi pun. Inilah yang diajar oleh tok-tok guru dalam PAS kepada ahlinya.

Tugas mencegah kemungkaran dari perspektif mereka sangat. Cuma apakah tindakan yang hendak diambil apabila berdepan dengan sesuatu isu.

Yang terbaru bila bertemu dengan isu Ratu Rock. Ella dan Ratu Gelek, Mas Idayu yang akan membuat persembahan dalam konsert sempena perlawanan bola di Stadium Shah Alam Jumaat ini.

Konsert ini pula akan ditonton oleh kira-kira 10,000 pelajar sekolah kerana menurut penganjurnya, Datuk Abdul Karim Munisar, 10,000 tiket percuma telah diberikan kepada sekolah-sekolah seluruh Selangor.

Siapa Ella dan siapa Mas Idayu? Rasanya, kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia khasnya pelayar internet kenal dengan mereka. Tambahan lagi dengan satu laporan yang pernah dibuat terhadap Ella.

Bertolak dari situlah, saya yakin, inilah yang dilakukan oleh Pemuda PAS di Selangor dalam menyatakan bantahan mereka. Mereka menghantar memorandum kepada pejabat Menteri Besar. Bagi mereka, membiarkan Ella dan Mas Idayu memberikan persembahan terbuka kepada kanak-kanak sekolah bakal memberikan impak negatif kepada mereka dan ini adalah satu kemungkaran yang perlu dicegah dengan sebaik mungkin.

Bukan soal anti hiburan. Jika anti hiburan, mereka akan menentang konsert ini secara keseluruhannya. Tetapi mereka memohon agar kedua-dua artis ini dikeluarkan dari senarai artis yang membuat persembahan di majlis itu nanti.

Yang menjadi persoalan kini, sejauh manakah bantahan ini akan pergi jika persembahan kedua-dua artis itu diteruskan. Sedangkan, dengan jelas, pihak yang paling sensitif dengan isu ini adalah Sultan Selangor sendiri.

Sultan Selangor, sebagaimana laporan media, sangat murka dengan Pemuda PAS. Baginda, melalui Menteri Besar dikatakan memanggil Pemuda PAS untuk mengadap baginda bagi membincangkan isu ini.

Saya difahamkan, Lajnah Politik PAS yang bersidang beberapa hari lepas telah turut membincangkan isu ini. Hasilnya, hadis yang saya sebut di ataslah yang menjadi sandaran mereka.

Bagi mereka, Pemuda PAS sudah menyatakan bantahan mereka dengan jelas apabila menghantar memorandum kepada MB Selangor memohon agar kedua-dua artis itu tidak dibenarkan membuat persembahan di majlis itu.

Persoalannya adalah, penganjur majlis ini adalah Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad – KDEB yang dimiliki oleh kerajaan negeri Selangor

Inilah dilema PAS. Menentang kemungkaran dengan segala yang mampu atau memahami dan menginsafi real politik yang berlaku dalam negara ini. Istana adalah pihak yang mempunyai status tersendiri dalam politik Malaysia.

Selepas Pemuda PAS menghantar memo kepada MB Selangor, Sultan Selangor, sebagaimana laporan sebuah media, telah menunjukkan kemarahannya terhadap PAS. Antaranya baginda telah mengugut akan membawa perlawanan bola antara Selangor dan Singapura, yang dianjurkan serentak dengan konsert itu ke Singapura.

Baginda juga melalui MB Selangor, telah menitahkan Pemuda PAS menghadap baginda untuk membincangkan bantahan Pemuda itu.

Saya difahamkan, Pemuda PAS menyandarkan tindakan mereka berdasarkan garis panduan program hiburan yang dikeluarkan oleh Jakim sendiri. Jika kerajaan negeri tidak mematuhi garis panduan itu, siapa lagi pihak yang mematuhinya. Kalau pergi lebih dalam lagi, jika Sultan Selangor yang menjadi ketua agama Islam di Selangor tidak mematuhi garis panduan itu, siapa lagi yang bakal mematuhinya.

Namun semuanya bakal menjadi dilema. Jika salah diuruskan, ia bakal mengulangi sejarah penubuhan kerajaan negeri di Perlis dan Terengganu.

Mungkin atas dasar itulah, panduan yang diberikan oleh Lajnah PAS adalah sebaik-baik pendekatan.

Semua tahu PAS sudah melahirkan sikapnya membantah konsert itu dan yang mempertahankan konsert itu adalah istana. Maka terlepaslah sudah tanggungjawab Pemuda PAS.

Selangor Sultan Scolds PAS Youth for Taliban-like Attitude on Concerts

From Malaysiakini

Update:

PAS Youth backed off after the Sultan of Selangor was visibly angered by PAS Youth's threat to demonstrate at the football stadium hosting a match between Selangor and Singapore. Read here for more.

------End of update----


The Sultan of Selangor has threatened to cancel a football tournament after the Islamic opposition party PAS objected to the entertainers performing at the event, a report said today.

PAS Youth threatened to demonstrate at the stadium if the women were allowed to perform.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (said) the protest (by PAS Youth) over the two women - rock singer Ella and Mas Idayu, who performs the hip-swivelling dangdut dance - was "hypocritical" and "trivial".

The Sultan said Selangor was not made up of "just PAS and Muslims" and that in any case the two performers were suitable for families.

Note: Sultans are traditional guardians of Islam in the states they rule.
Read here for more in Malaysiakini

Earlier Posting on PAS Youth:

• PAS YOUTH's Islamic Life-style: WRONG Priorities!
  
  
• PAS Youth: A Real Pain in the Ass to Malaysians, with an Attitude No Better than UMNO Youth

Related Articles

Konsert: Pemuda PAS Pusat sokong Pemuda PAS Selangor

Pemuda PAS Pusat menyokong saranan Pemuda PAS Selangor dalam menyatakan bantahan pada Konsert Sambutan 100 Hari Pakatan Rakyat.

Menurut Timbalan Ketua Pemuda PAS Pusat, Ustaz Nasrudin Hassan, Pemuda PAS Pusat berdiri bersama pendirian Pemuda Selangor bagi memastikan konsert yang mengundang aktiviti hiburan yang tidak sesuai dengan Islam itu tidak diadakan. Read here for more in Harakah Daily

Afghanistan proposes entertainment ban seen as throwback to Taliban: Read here for more

Excerpts:

May 3, 2008: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan:

Legislation has been drafted in Kabul that could, among other things, ban video games and even billiards.

The bill, which has yet to be introduced in the Afghan parliament, cracks down on private television networks airing Indian soap operas, which some deem offensive to Islam because of their seemingly risque plot lines.

It could also stop women from wearing makeup in public and performing as dancers at concerts or on television.

The country's ministry of culture has been leading the charge to impose more strict Islamic morals on the country.

Analysts in Afghanistan are divided on whether the new legislation, which is being described by moderates as a Taliban-era law, will pass.

Many have suggested the legislation casts legitimacy on Taliban ideology.

COMMENTARY:

Read here for more and here from Readers of Malaysia-Today and Malaysiakini

Good check and balance by the Sultan. Ain't we glad we have a wise man in our Sultan. Daulat Tuanku 3x!

(The Sultan) said that Selangor's residents were not 'just PAS and Muslims'. I can't agree more to that. Wise word indeed from a respectable man.

HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's stand on the Ella and Mas Idayu concert is indeed very commendable and should be supported by all. Being the head of Islam, HRH definitely knows what is good and bad for his subjects. He again demonstrates his sincere concern for all irrespective of race. HRH's stand should serve as a lesson to all, particularly religious fanatics, who would want to impose their ways and practices on others. Long live the sultan of Selangor.

Pemuda PAS SUDAH Menderhaka terhadap SULTAN SELANGOR. MESTI MINTA AMPUN sekarang jugak...TO PAS we don't need such monkey in your youth.

The Selangor sultan has said that Selangor did not comprise of ‘just PAS and Muslims’ adding that the state had many political parties and people of other races and faith. He could not have described the state of Malaysia better than anyone else.
PAS is just hellbent on instigating the other races. If they continue this, they may spilt the country and Sabah and Sarawak would secede and opt to go along by themselves.

PAS and PKR, please explain the call by PAS Youth to implement the Islamic administrative system in Pakatan Rakyat-led states. We are disappointed with you by not fulfiling your word and promises.Pakatan Rakyat is a multi-racial political coalition where all races have equal rights. Please respect all the people. No single party in Pakatan is allowed to act alone or on their own interest.If PAS wants to implement this agenda or if they have any motives behind, please leave Pakatan Rakyat. You are not welcome if you are not in line with PKR objectives which is to fight for all races as one nationality - Malaysians.Please put your efforts in defending the people’s welfare, such as the issue of Petronas transparency and Tenaga Nasional’s pay increases for its top staff that have caused a public outcry.

The Malay Problem

Read here FULL text of the speech by Dr. Syed Husin Ali in Malaysiakini

by

Syed Husin Ali

Excerpts of the speech on June 14, on the launching of his book, "The Malays: Their Problems and Future."

"....It is true:

• incidence of absolute poverty among Malays has decreased, but relative poverty has increased as the gap between the rich (Malay) minority and the poor (Malay) majority has WIDENED.
  

• there are more Malay new rich produced through the government development programmes, but concentration of wealth and corruption are becoming more chronic especially at the HIGHEST level in Malay society.
  
  
• many new towns have been built with beautiful roads and unnecessary decorative bridges, but the condition of some Malay villages appear to have remained the same since Merdeka.
  
  
• there are more Malays who are highly educated and have become successful professionals, but there is alarming deterioration in moral and ethical values among a growing number of Malays, including those holding important public offices (and) increase in all kinds of criminal as well as anti-social activities.
  
  
• there are many Malays who have built ostentatious palaces for themselves from the country's wealth they have robbed, but many in the rural areas still live in run-down huts and study in ill-equipped schools, sans electricity and tap water, while a large number in urban slum areas are living in constant fear of forcible eviction.

These are (not) exclusively Malay problems. They are also shared by other communities – the Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazandusun and many others. But comparatively a larger proportion of Malays are still lagging behind the Chinese especially and even the Indians too, in income, education, housing and so forth.

This, ironically, prevails despite the:

• so-called ‘ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy),
  
  
• constitutional guarantees on the Malay special position and
  
  
• New Economic Policy (NEP).

There is more allocation on wasteful mega projects to provide big contracts and commissions to cronies rather than providing social facilities for greater benefit and welfare of the ordinary people, especially the disadvantaged groups.

Who do I mean by the disadvantaged groups? Of course, basically they are :

• the poor in the lower class.
  
  
• the middle income groups who can hardly afford decent living because of their big family to support and the ever rising prices of daily needs.
  
  
• the professionals, executives, businessmen and others in the upper middle class who often face discrimination because of their ethnic background or political association

These disadvantaged groups are from different ethnic groups and NOT confined only to the Malays. But those who form the majority are the poor and low income groups, the bulk of whom are Malays.

In the process of development, the perception and the reality to large extent is that the Malays from the privileged groups are the greatest beneficiaries. Even the poor and disadvantaged Malays are NOT given their due share.

Several observations need to be emphasised here.

1. Poverty and low income are NOT exclusively Malay problems. There are Orang Asli in the Peninsula and Orang Asal in Sabah and Sarawak who are in more oppressive conditions than a large number of the Malay poor. There are Indians and Chinese in the estates and slum areas who are poor too.
   
   But just because their number is small it does not mean we can afford to neglect and exclude them from the development process.
   
   The Malays constitute the big majority of the poor and deprived in the country. So, primary attention must justifiably be focused on them; but there is no justification for neglecting the non-Malays with similar or sometimes worse plights.
   
   
2. In the name of the Malays as a whole, a SMALL coterie of those in advantageous positions have managed to use or abuse the NEP and the constitutional provisions on Malay special position to enrich themselves. In most cases they succeed, though many of them only temporarily, on the basis of ‘know who’ and not ‘know how’. The privileges THEY enjoy are often MISinterpreted as those of the WHOLE Malay community.
   
   At the same time, many non-Malay capitalists have become wealthier than the leading Malay corporate figures enjoying special support and sponsorship. They are able enjoy the benefits from the big allocations for development under NEP projects primarily through their ‘know who’ links with powerful politicians whom they can often easily buy off. They certainly have more privileges than the ordinary Malays.
   
   
3. The persistence of absolute poverty and deterioration of relative poverty affect the access to good education, health services, housing and so forth among the poor. Since the majority of Malays are poor, consequently they are most adversely affected (but) these plights are not the monopoly of just the Malays for they are shared also by the poor from other ethnic groups.

After nearly forty years, there is need to reappraise the NEP and replace it with a new Malaysian Economic Agenda (MEA) as mooted by Anwar and accepted as PKR party policy. This agenda contains the following important ingredients:

• it focuses on the poor and disadvantaged, with social facilities provided more for their welfare and emancipation,
  
  
• it introduces poverty alleviation and development programmes for the Malay rural poor, but providing similar opportunities and treatment to the other ethnic groups, cutting across ethnic boundaries,
  
  
• it restricts powerful political leaders and their cronies accumulating wealth from filthy sources and by dirty means,
  
  
• it wages effective war against corruption, waste and mismanagement, and
  
  
• it empowers the people, particularly the poor and disadvantaged Malays, so that they they can be liberated from slavish mentality and have the courage to promote and defend their basic economic and social rights.

The idea of replacing the NEP with the MEA is to generate balanced development to achieve social justice through fair and equitable distribution of the country's economic and social resources.

Since the policy and orientation of MEA is based on the dictum of kepedulian rakyat i.e. concern for the plight of the people, the poor in particular, it will certainly be most advantageous to the Malays who form the majority poor. At the same time it can guarantee greater ethnic stability because the non-Malays are included in the equation.

What is needed is KETUANAN RAKYAT (People's Supremacy).

This is the way forward.
- Dr. Syed Husin Ali

COMMENTARY

From "kupas",a reader of Malaysia-Today: Read here

"....People with close connections within the corridors of power ensure that their gravy train move smoothly by appointing their relatives as their proxies whilst still being employed by the govt.

Apart from this they ensure all their children are educated overseas and by the time they graduated they would be appointed at high levels in the GLCs and newly set up companies such as those highlighted in this article.

(This is the reason why they are adamant to ensure that the medium of education is Bahasa Malaysia. If you may recall KJ wants science and maths to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia. This would forever put all our children at a disadvantage.)

These are the Malays who had benefited from the BN govt. The rest of the Malays do not enjoy these priviledges. They had to slog just like the rest of the other communities.

Some Malays are just more equal than other Malays and other communities. This privileege few are very protective of one another.

Since the other Malays and other communities form the majority they would have to stand up and be counted.

Do not allow these bunch of monkeys to bully the majority into submission even in our daily lives. We need not wait until the next election to put things in the right perspective. The power is within all of us. Do not give it away to this group of bullies. Demand for equal rights and fair play. It is our right."

UMNO-led Government Gave APs for Hybrid Cars to UMNO Putera Exco Member

Read here for more in Rocky's Bru and Here and Here

Datuk Shahrin Zahari, 28 year-old, is an Exco member of UMNO Putera.

His datukship was conferred by Melaka Governor Tun Khalil Yaakob in 2006.

According to Rocky's Bru:

"(Datuk)Shahrin has just secured a government approval for some 1,200 open approved permits (AP) for hybrid cars which will make him one very hot player in the auto industry.

( This Umno-led ) Government is going to provide a lot of tax breaks for Shahrin's hybrid car venture come budget time as part of the Prime Minister's new drive to inculcate frugal living as a solution to the fuel price woes."

The 28-year old Datuk Shahrin is the chairman of PREMIER Hybrid Cars Sdn Bhd (PHC), which the Government (Ministry of Trade and Industry) gave the rights to import and distribute hybrid cars, and it has submitted proposals for tax breaks.

Where is the catch?

To start with, Datuk Shahrin has powerful connections in the government, and political and corporate world.

It is highly unlikely you will get these kind of connections if you are not part of the UMNO-crony/family.

• His father is the late Datuk Zahari Wahab, a deputy chief executive of the Ranhill Group.
  
  
• His cousin is Datuk Haniff Aziz, is a former official with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and is one of Malaysia's three ‘Heavenly Kings’ of APs. Haniff of Westar and Autostar fame is worth about RM300 million due to the AP business.
  
  
• Datuk Shahrin is a good buddy of Khairy Jamaludin, the Prime Minister's son-in-law and a newly elected Member of Parliament.
  
  
• Datuk Shahrin is an Exco Member of UMNO Putera

Datuk Shahrin's partner for the hybrid car venture is a 22-year Nik Iruwan Nik Izani. Iruwan's father is Nik Izani Nik Ibrahim, who is a a senior Vice-President in the Mofaz group.

Related article

Datuk Shahrin and VertiGlobal Berhad: Read here article in Malaysian Business

Datuk Shahrin is an oil trader. He is the CEO of Verti Global Bhd.

In 2007, he was negotiating to strike a deal worth as much as RM500 million to supply diesel to Thailand's biggest energy company, PTT plc. The Thai company is also a member of a consortium which includes state-owned oil firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd, or Petronas, that is building the US$2.42 billion 255km pipeline to transport gas from Malaysia to Thailand.

Shahrin owns a substantial stake in oil and gas, power, water and infrastructure company Ranhill, involved in the construction of a US$7 billion coast-to-coast oil pipeline in northern Peninsular Malaysia for Trans-Peninsula Petroleum Sdn Bhd. (Ranhill is headed its president and CEO Tan Sri Hamdan Mohamad.)

In 2007, Verti Global signed a pact with the Malaysian unit of Samsung Engineering Co, South Korea's biggest engineering firm, to undertake heavy infrastructure jobs in Malaysia.

In June 2007, Datuk Shahrin acquired one million shares in Viztel Solutions Bhd, thereby increasing his stake in the Mesdaq-listed firm tero 4.1 million shares, or 6. 79%, of which 5.14% is directly held and 1.65% indirectly.

Reminder:
It pays to be an Exco-member or at least be a paid-up member of the UMNO-outfit if you want contracts and wealth-creation openings which others will only dream of.

It is a guaranteed ticket to set yourself and your family up for life and to enlarge your riches and that of your cronies, all with compliments of this Umno-led Government.

It is indeed glorious to be a member of UMNO, UMNO Youth, UMNO Putera, or any of the UMNO Wanita and UMNO Puteri wing.

Just ask Rafidah Aziz and her family or Khairy and his family.