Nizar strikes right chord in Simpang

The Malaysian Insider

By Debra Chong

TAIPING, April 1 – “Woi, Nizar’s here!,” a Chinese youth called loudly to his friends in Mandarin at the night market at Kota Jaya in Simpang yesterday evening.

Quickly, those around him, vendors and visitors alike whipped their heads around and stretched out their necks, looking to catch sight of the popular Pasir Panjang state assemblyman who is gunning for a spot in Parliament.

 

Many rushed forward to shake his hands as he moved swiftly through each and every stall, smiling and greeting every hawker like an old friend, intimating a few words directly into their ears, clapping their shoulders, clasping an outstretched hand a tad tighter or holding it a millisecond longer. The traders returned the gesture, inviting him to try flipping a murtabak and taste their wares.

 

“This is not his first visit here,” a Malay food seller said. “It’s his third,” he added, explaining the apparent familiarity they had with Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, whom he still regards as his lawful menteri besar, ignoring the fact that another now sits in the Ipoh office.

The man looked on in amusement as other traders, Chinese mostly, went slack-jawed with surprise at their first encounter with Nizar.

If not for the large group of photographers clicking madly away at his every pose and the posse of Pakatan Rakyat allies from the DAP and PKR walking with him, Nizar would have simply blended into the night market. He had traded his regular suits and shiny leather shoes for a casual cotton short-sleeved shirt in light green.

 

A Chinese family selling clothes were tickled when he stopped at their stall and chatted in Mandarin with them. They took the chance to snap pictures with him on their camera phones.

 

As he moved on, the matriarch was overheard exclaiming, in Hokkien: “He looks much better in person, doesn’t he?”

“Ya lah… not so old,” was the daughter’s rejoinder.

But by far the biggest welcome he received was at a coffee shop, Mei Shi, down the road. Before he even reached the eatery, he was mobbed by the Chinese men outside, clapping their hands furiously before pulling him inside to join the rest of their mates engaged in a game of mah-jong. They asked Nizar to do the honours and shuffle the tiles, which he gamely did.

He wrapped up his follow-up visit to the night market with a short speech from the back of a lorry asking the public to support him with their votes on April 7, so that “this change can lead to a bigger change at the federal level”. It was the closest reference he made of his legal wrangle over the menteri besar crisis.

He ended with the Pakatan Rakyat war cry: “Hidup, hidup! Makkal Sakthi! Reformasi!” The crowd joined in and cheered.

Nizar appears to have won the hearts of the semi-urban voters.

The pro-Pas Malay food seller told The Malaysian Insider he would definitely do his duty by Nizar come polling day.

Repeating some of the slogans spouted by the opposition alliance, that justice must be served, the man seemed to have bought into Pakatan Rakyat’s campaign of anger, at being unceremoniously kicked out of the state despite receiving the mandate from the rakyat.

 

He was most angry at his elected state representative, Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering, one of the three state seats within the Bukit Gantang parliamentary constituency) who had switched political camps and contributed to the fall of the PR state government.

“We voted him in because of the party, not because it was him. Must teach him a lesson,” the man explained.

Judging from the response from the mixed race crowd in the market, many are with him. But with six days left before polling day, anything can happen.

Views: ‘Indian M’sians, let us stay united’

Malaysiakini

‘Makkal Sakthi should continue the struggle and support the PKR candidate. Some people have failed to understand that PR is just one year old and it is now undergoing a testing period.’

On Hindraf will not help PKR’s Manikumar

Ko-han Wai: Its really funny when you see these Hindraf leaders and former Jerai division chief B Kalaivanar throwing tantrums and demanding this and that.

Just because DSAI fielded someone other than these people, they now shout ‘Boycott’ and some are even praying for PKR to lose in Bukit Selambau.

Hindraf, you want equality and rights for the Indian Malaysian community. The only way for this is to support Pakatan and throw the BN government out.

Then only can there be change. But now, great. Go ahead and boycott PKR in Bukit Selambau. Pray for their loss.

MIC and Samy Vellu have been able to control and abuse you all for the past 50 years. Let them abuse you for another 50 years or more.

Makkal Sakthi? I really doubt it. You all sound more like children to me.

B Kalaivanar, you quit just because DSAI did not field you as a candidate and you gripe about all the things you did for the party before. So what?

You became a PKR member to serve the people. But this goes to show you want to become the people’s master instead of servant. You quit? I say good riddance.

What is your real purpose in running for a state assembly person’s post anyway?

For the good of the people in Bukit Selambau or because you want to be state exco member? Only you know that yourself.

Anyways, with all the independents running around, I am not surprised if PKR loses the seat. Well, good. Return to BN and tyranny. Let them abuse the country for another 50 years.

Paramasivam: I refer to recent statements by some failed leaders that they will not support the Bukit Selambau candidate from PKR.

This is disappointing. These leaders are greedy and only have personal interests. Makkal Sakthi should continue the struggle and support the PKR candidate.

Some people have failed to understand that Pakatan Rakyat is just one year old and it is now undergoing a testing period different fro before.

As such, the Indians have to be united in the struggle if we want changes for our future. Let us stay united.

On PKR’s Kalai quits over by-election snub

Vj: My question for Mr Kalaivanar and his supporters:

1. Why keep quiet about Anwar being a ‘pharaoh’ only until you are not chosen as candidate? Why didn’t your voice out your dissatisfaction about PKR long before a by-election?

2. All your hard work for PKR is only meant for you personally only? Not for the Indians and Malaysians in general?

3. Can I assume that Anwar made the right decision in choosing Manikumar and not you because you are only interested in rewards?

Gina Phan: If he (Kalaivanar) was so disappointed with PKR, why was he even interested to be their candidate?

Duh…

Bringing up the dead

The Malaysian Insider

By Adib Zalkapli

SUNGAI PETANI, April 1 – The Home Ministry’s directive banning Pakatan Rakyat leaders from mentioning Altantuya Shaariibuu at their rallies did not stop Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from bringing up the dead at the Bukit Selambau by-election campaign.

Speaking at his campaign stop here last night, the Opposition Leader told thousands of people present at a public rally that only Pakatan Rakyat leaders stood up against the authorities when Kugan Ananthan died in police custody last January.

“I want the Indians to be solidly behind us. When Kugan was beaten up, I spoke up. From Pas, Husam also spoke up. Did you hear any Umno leaders saying anything?” Anwar asked the multiracial crowd.

 

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being mobbed by the waiting media as he arrives at Bukit Selambau, his first stop in the triple by-election campaign. – Pix by Shannon Teoh

“When the Umno assembly was held for three days, did you hear them talking about the Indian?”

 

He also ridiculed MIC’s plan to make a comeback through the by-election after suffering its worst electoral performance in March last year.

“If MIC wants to help the Indians, they should tell Umno now and speak up against them,” he said.

With the by-election campaign marred by internal bickering over the selection of S. Manikumar to contest under PKR’s ticket, Anwar last night defended the party’s choice, which he claimed was made after a lengthy process.

“Yes, he is only 35, he does not have much experience but he is clean,” said Anwar.

“I told him that he will be the representative for the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians. This is not about one or two candidates, but it is matter of principle,” he added.

Anwar also reiterated his promise that the federal opposition would continue to fight for the release of the five Hindraf leaders who are currently held under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The selection of Manikumar has drawn strong opposition from the party ranks which resulted in a resignation of its Jerai division chief B. Kalaivanar and Hindraf had also said that it is boycotting the by-election and expected a large number of Indians which formed 30 per cent of the voters not to turn up on polling day.

The race for the state seat is between Manikumar, MIC’s Datuk S. Ganesan and 13 independents with polling set for April 7.

Ezam, Hentikanlah Temberang Anda!

http://anwaribrahimblog.com

Oleh Jegela Melayu

Saya ketawa besar ketika membaca laporan media berhubung dakwaan Ezam Mohd Noor bahawa Anwar Ibrahim (sewaktu menjadi Ketua Pemuda Umno Malaysia) pernah memberitahunya akan kecerdikan Najib Razak.

Apakah benar dakwaan Ezam ini? Atau sekadar pembohongan yang digunakannya untuk dijadikan modal hiburan pertunjukkan sarkis? Mari kita nilai sejauh mana dakwaan badut Umno yang bernama Ezam ini.

Berikut saya petik laporan dari mStar Online:

Ezam: Barisan baru Umno pasukan idaman Anwar dulu

Oleh G. MANIMARAN dan ZANARIAH ABD MUTALIB

TAIPING: Bekas Ketua Angkatan Muda Keadilan Rakyat, Ezam Mohd. Noor dalam kempen pilihan raya kecil di Bukit Gantang dan Bukit Selambau mendedahkan barisan pemimpin Umno baru sebenarnya merupakan pasukan idaman Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ketika berada dalam Umno.

Malah, Ezam dalam kempennya di Bukit Gantang kelmarin dan di Bukit Selambau malam tadi berkata, Anwar yang merupakan bekas Timbalan Presiden Umno pernah menganggap Presiden semasa, Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak sebagai “antara orang paling cerdik.”

“Saya pernah tanya Anwar masa beliau jadi Ketua Pemuda Umno, siapa yang paling beliau risau… beliau mengatakan nama Najib… dia kata Najib yang paling cerdik di kalangan barisan Pemuda.

“Anwar mengatakan kepada saya (semasa menjadi pembantu Anwar), Anwar berkata antara yang paling cerdik, yang beliau iktiraf ialah Najib (ketika itu Naib Ketua Pemuda Umno),” kata beliau ketika berceramah pada sesi Pidato Perdana di Taman Kaya dekat di sini malam kelmarin.

Ezam juga merupakan bekas Setiausaha Politik dan Setiausaha Sulit kepada Anwar, yang juga bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri, dipecat pada September 1998.

Ezam kembali ke pangkuan Umno Jun lalu.

Beliau merupakan antara penceramah tetamu tetap bagi Umno dalam pilihan raya kecil sejak persaingan di Parlimen Permatang Pauh Ogos lalu dan Parlimen Kuala Terengganu Januari lalu.

Anwar menambah, Timbalan Presiden, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan dua Naib Presiden, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dan Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein adalah antara pemimpin Umno yang diakui oleh Anwar sebagai pemimpin-pemimpin bijak dan terbaik yang menjadi sebahagian dalam pasukan idamannya.

Oleh itu, katanya, Anwar dan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat tidak harus mempertikaikan keupayaan kempimpinan baru ini.

“Kenapa dia (Anwar) protes Datuk Seri Najib? Sebab dia takut. Sebab apa dia paling takut Datuk Seri Najib? Sebab beliau adalah yang paling cerdik.

“Saya pernah tanya Anwar Ibrahim ketika dia menjadi Ketua Pemuda Umno dulu, Exco Pemuda Umno mana yang paling cerdik.

“Anwar jawab Datuk Najib. Lepas Datuk Najib siapa? Dia jawab (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin dan sekarang ini tengok, Najib jadi Presiden dan Muhyiddin sebagai Timbalan Presiden,” katanya ketika berceramah di Sungai Lalang, Bukit Selambau di sini.

Apa yang pasti, Ezam telah menipu!

Setelah melakukan penyelidikan, fakta yang sebenarnya adalah Ezam mula bekerja dengan Anwar Ibrahim pada 1 November 1996.

Anwar Ibrahim melepaskan jawatan Ketua Pemuda Umno Malaysia dan menang jawatan Naib Presiden pada 24 April 1987.

Pada waktu itu Ezam baru berumur 20 tahun (1987) dan hanya menyertai Umno pada usia 26 tahun (1993).

Persoalannya, celah mana Ezam tanya Anwar Ibrahim sedangkan waktu Anwar menjadi Ketua Pemuda Umno Malaysia, Ezam masih lagi seorang budak hingusan?!

Sudahlah Ezam, hentikanlah temberang anda!

Cloud over incoming premier

Malaysiakini

Abdar Rahman Koya

The Malaysian opposition’s worst nightmare since the end of the Mahathir era has come – in the form of ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself.

In the political drama that has played out over the last decade, more so since the opposition’s impressive gains in last year’s general election, the government has imposed a three-month ban on Harakah and Suara Keadilan.

The suspension comes at a critical time for an opposition working in an environment where the mainstream media, especially radio and television, are either inaccessible or hostile, and where newspapers and magazines are the only way to reach the majority rural masses.

Three by-elections are set to take place on April 7; their outcome will confirm whether the resignation of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was blamed for the ruling coalition’s dismal performance last year and was pressured to make way for his deputy Najib Abdul Razak, has improved the government’s standing. As such, the by-elections will also be an endorsement – or rejection – of the controversial Najib.

While Abdullah’s departure may mean little for the country or the opposition, Najib’s entry has long been feared as a resurrection of sorts of the Mahathir era, as the former prime minister has been the noisiest among a small group of past Umno leaders calling for Abdullah’s removal from office.

The gains made by the opposition piled up even more pressure on Abdullah, whose era saw the release of Anwar Ibrahim from prison, culminating in a stronger opposition coalition made up of PAS, PKR and the Chinese-based DAP.

Not surprising that the person who was most worked up by all these developments was Mahathir, his legacies set to be overturned by the political tsunami. His anger reached its peak when he quit as member of Umno, and for a time decided to lie low.

Though not used to the absence of media around him, which once made him a demigod, this phase did not last long. Nowadays Mahathir’s diary seems to be filled up again, speaking to the media, Umno supporters and attending public events organised by party veterans.

Thus the view is gaining ground that opposition’s gains last year, far from heralding a new dawn in the country’s politics, may have invited even darker days ahead for Malaysia.

To read more please go to :

http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinions/101338

“Umno berubah dari kurang baik kepada teruk”

Harakah Daily

Irwan Muhammad Zain

KAMUNTING, 31 Mac (Hrkh) – Umno hanya berubah daripada pemimpin yang kurang baik kepada yang lebih teruk, tegas Timbalan Mursyidul Am PAS, Dato’ Dr Haron Din.

Perubahan yang diuar-uarkan oleh pemimpin Umno selepas pemilihan parti itu baru-baru ini tegas beliau tidak berlaku sebaliknya pelbagai masalah sedang dihadapi kesan dari keputusan pemilihan tersebut.

“Apa yang berubah kalau pemimpin yang disahkan oleh Lembaga Displin Umno sendiri pun masih boleh menang dalam merebut jawatan Ketua Pemuda Umno.

“Perubahan yang mereka gembar gemburkan itu hanyalah semata-mata untuk menutup pergolakan yang sedang berlaku dalam Umno,” tegas beliau.

Pergolakan yang masih berlaku dalam Umno itu tegas Haron Din membuktikan Umno kini semakin lemah dan terpaksa memainkan isu-isu yang remeh dalam usaha mereka untuk menawan kembali kerusi parlimen Bukit Gantang.

Umno tegas beliau, masih lagi terpaksa memainkan isu-isu perkauman dan menakutkan rakyat kerana jika tidak menggunakan cara tersebut mereka akan mengalami kekalahan besar.

Beliau menegaskan demikian dalam satu Forum Perdana sempena kempen pilihanraya kecil Bukit Gantang yang diadakan di sini baru-baru ini.

Selain beliau, Dato’ Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man dan Ustaz Badrul Amin turut menjadi ahli panel forum tersebut yang dipengerusikan oleh Ustaz Idris Ahmad.

Haron Din juga menegaskan pengundi di Bukit Gantang harus bijak membuat pilihan sama ada mahu memilih pemimpin dari parti yang semakin tidak diyakini atau pemimpin dari parti yang memperjuangkan keadilan dan ketelusan untuk semua rakyat.

Justeru itu beliau berharap agar pengudi-pengudi di Bukit Gantang tidak terpengaruh dengan segala dakyah yang dibuat oleh Umno dan membuat pilihan dengan bijak. – mks._

Suara Keamanan now from Suara KeADILan and Hujah replaces Harakah

Din Merican

From Suara Keadilan to Suara Keamanan

A new party publication is set to hit the streets today to replace the banned Suara Keadilan, announced PKR today.

The popular Suara Keadilan and PAS’ Harakah were handed a three-month suspension by the Home Ministry last week for apparently inciting hatred against the government.

The party today said that it has decided to adhere to the ban and not publish Suara Keadilan until the suspension expires. However as a replacement, the party said that it would be coming out with a new weekly publication called Suara Keamanan (picture). “It will be available for our readers from today (March 31)“, said Suara Keamanan’s editorial team in a statement.

Suara Keamanan will be published without a printing permission from the Home Ministry as “it does not require such a permission as it is not a periodical”. The newspaper’s editorial team also said that readers will be able to purchase the new publication from the same dealers and distributors as Suara Keadilan. The first edition of Suara Keamanan played up the three upcoming by-elections on April 7.

PKR is contesting in two of the by-elections. The main headline of the edition says ‘Kubur BN’ (BN’s grave) and carries photographs of PKR’s candidate in Bukit Selambau S Manikumar and its Batang Ai candidate Jawah Gerang.

The front page also contained a photo of PAS’ Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin who is contesting in Bukit Selambau.

Harakah is now Hujah

On March 23, the Home Ministry suspended both Suara Keadilan and PAS’ Harakah for three months with immediate effect. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar was reported as saying that the two newspapers were suspended because they had violated the conditions of their permits and for inciting “hatred” against the government.

According to him, the two party organs often published articles which questioned royalty and sensationalised news that were defamatory and aimed at causing confusion and disharmony in society.

In a similar fashion, Harakah is also expected to launch an alternate publication named Hujah. The first issue will be out on Friday (April 3).

Labour D-G to meet with CIMB management

Business Times

DIRECTOR-GENERAL of Labour Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim will meet with the CIMB Group (1023) management on Thursday to get details of its no-pay leave offer to employees beginning April 1.

“We have to make sure that the workers agree to it and are not being forced to take the no-pay leave,” Ismail said.

He said the announcement came as a surprise as the ministry was under the impression that local financial institutions were not badly affected by the economic downturn.

Ismail, who is currently out of town, is expected to return to Putrajaya on Thursday to meet with the officials.
CIMB Group, the country’s second largest banking group, has reportedly offered employees the option of taking no-pay leave in an effort to reduce cost amid the economic downturn.

The company issued a memorandum last Wednesday to all its employees to inform them that they could take no-pay leave from April 1 of between one and six months.

The memo revealed that the group will not hire new recruits to replace employees who opt to take the no-pay leave and that those who return from their leave may be transferred to another department with no change in their salary or grade.

Dubbed as the “Staff Rejuvenation Programme”, remuneration benefits such as medical, increments and bonuses will be pro-rated based on the programme duration.

Malaysia has potential to become major agrobio player

Businesss Times

By Presenna Nambiar

MALAYSIA should focus on growing agriculture-based technologies to achieve the biotech industry’s dream of contributing 5 per cent of the country’s economy, said a biotech industry player.

“I don’t think we can become big pharmaceutical players overnight …, but we can easily become a major agrobio player due to the natural resources we have in Malaysia.”

“This crisis may be an excellent opportunity to rethink the whole approach on biotech,” Holista Biotech Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Dr M Rajendran said.

He said despite being a strong agro-based country, Malaysia has more biotech companies involved in the healthcare sector than in agriculture.

CT scan reveals hidden face under Nefertiti bust

By PATRICK McGROARTY, Associated Press

BERLIN – Researchers in Germany have used a modern medical procedure to uncover a secret within one of ancient Egypt‘s most treasured artworks — the bust of Nefertiti has two faces. A team led by Dr. Alexander Huppertz, director of the Imaging Science Institute at Berlin’s Charite hospital and medical school, discovered a detailed stone carving that differs from the external stucco face when they performed a computed tomography, or CT, scan on the bust.

The findings, published Tuesday in the monthly journal Radiology, are the first to show that the stone core of the statue is a highly detailed sculpture of the queen, Huppertz said.

“Until we did this scan, how deep the stucco was and whether a second face was underneath it was unknown,” he said. “The hypothesis was that the stone underneath was just a support.”

The differences between the faces, though slight — creases at the corners of the mouth, a bump on the nose of the stone version — suggest to Huppertz that someone expressly ordered the adjustments between stone and stucco when royal sculptors immortalized the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten 3,300 years ago.

“Changes were made, but some of them are positive, others are negative,” Huppertz said.

John H. Taylor, a curator for Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum in London, said the scan raises interesting questions about why the features were adjusted — but that answers will probably remain elusive.

“One could deduce that the final version was considered in some way more acceptable than the ‘hidden’ one, though caution is needed in attempting to explain the significance of these changes,” Taylor wrote in an e-mail.

The bust underwent a similar CT scan in 1992. But the more primitive scanner used then only generated cross sections of the statue every 5 millimeters — not enough detail, Huppertz said, to reveal the subtlety of the carving hidden just 1-2 millimeters under the stucco.

Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered the bust in 1912 and added it to Berlin‘s Egyptian collection on Museum Island, a cluster of five neoclassical art halls that make up one of the city’s most familiar landmarks.

Currently on display at the Altes Museum, the bust will move next door when the Neues Museum reopens in October after a lengthy restoration by British architect David Chipperfield.

In 2007, Wildung denied a request from Egypt’s antiquities chief to borrow the bust for an exhibition, saying it was too fragile to transport. Huppertz said the results of his scan added credence to that claim.

Taylor, the British Museum curator, said the better understanding of the bust’s structure will also help preserve it.

“The findings are particularly significant for the information they shed on the constructional process and the subsurface condition of the bust, which will be of value in ensuring its long-term survival in good condition” Taylor said.