Quote on Believe

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death.”

Anne Frank

Disgraceful 45-hr police “cat-and-mouse game” on Ganabatirau and Kengadharan’s ISA release

Lim Kit Siang

As of now, Sunday, 5th April 2009 at 5.10 pm, the two Hindraf leaders V. Ganabatirau and R. Kenghadharan,have still not regained their freedom 45 hours after the new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced in his maiden speech to the nation over television on Friday night at 8 pm that both of them, together with 11 other Internal Security Act detainees, would be “immediately released”.

Also despite the belated assurance by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan yesterday that the ISA detainees will be allowed to leave Kamunting Detention Centre today, saying

“They cannot be released immediately. The documentation process has to be completed first. We will release all of them tomorrow after the documentation process has been completed.”

The families of Ganabatirau and Kengadharan were made to wait for hours under the hot sun yesterday and today and have not been allowed contact to see them. MORE…

Hold the praise, still early days — The Malaysian Insider

The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 25 — After reading today’s newspapers, Malaysians may come away thinking that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has:

a) Solved all the ills in society, brought race relations to a high point and found a way to help the economy burst out of the middle-income trap.

b) Put together a Cabinet packed with men and women of integrity and competence.

c) Gone beyond words and put in place a timetable to end draconian laws.

d) Suddenly morphed into the saviour of the country, complete with the halo.

e) All of the above and then some.

Yes, he is the new Prime Minister.

Yes, he must be given some time to chart his path. But what we don’t need is sycophantic coverage.

What Malaysians want and need is intelligent and measured reporting which holds the new man in Putrajaya and his administration accountable for everything they say and do.

This is the sum total of what Najib has done since becoming the PM on Friday — he has released 13 men from ISA, spoken about reviewing the ISA, lifted the ban on two Opposition newspapers, accepted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad back into Umno and gone on a walkabout to Chinatown, Brickfields and a Malay enclave in Kuala Lumpur.

A decent start to his term as PM but surely not good enough to earn overflowing praise of walking the talk to get close to the people on the ground, as suggested by the headline writers in a couple of newspapers.

The walkabout was a symbolic gesture by a PM who probably knows that race relations in Malaysia is at the abyss, and something drastic and meaningful needs to be done to make Malays, Chinese, Indians and others comfortable with each other again.

The warm glow of a symbolic gesture probably lasts as long as a glass of frothy teh tarik.

Malaysians have been down this road raising expectations of a new PM before.

It happened when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became the PM in 1981 and when Tun Abdullah Badawi became the PM in October 2003.

Dr Mahathir released 21 ISA detainees, promised to rely less on the ISA, introduced the catchy slogan of “Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah” and directed civil servants to wear name tags.

Arguably, corruption in the public sector blossomed during his 22 years in office. In 1987, 106 politicians, social activists and community leaders were arrested in Operation Lalang, a security dragnet which the authorities said were necessary to avert race riots.

During the Mahathir era, economic growth was spectacular as was the complete disregard for the country’s institutions.

When Abdullah came into office, his team of advisers drew up a 100 day programme. This called for him to make important announcements at regular intervals.

Realising that there was an undercurrent of unhappiness over the fact that “big fish” never get caught for corruption in Malaysia, his administration announced that charges would be brought against Tan Sri Eric Chia, Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam and several others.

The impact of the announcement was immediate, with many believing that it was the start of a major clean up in Malaysia.

It wasn’t. The government lost all the big cases and the disquiet in Umno over dredging up old cases forced Abdullah to take his foot off the pedal.

Abdullah also made an unannounced visit to the Immigration Department and announced a report card system for all elected representatives.

Till today, no one knows whether any of the MPs filled up the report books or if they were graded by the PM or his staff.

The lesson from the Mahathir years and the Abdullah era is the danger of rushing to judgement and garlanding the leader even before we see real change.

Najib has made a couple of good gestures but the Malaysia he inherited remains broken, and the party he leads remains rooted to the idea that Malays must always be superior to others who call this country home.

Hold the praise until we all believe that form has given way to substance.

Esok, hari akhir Najib bersihkan diri!

HarakahDaily

Izwan Abdul Halim |

SUNGAI LALANG, 5 April (Hrkh) – Esok merupakan hari terakhir bagi Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak untuk membersihkan namanya dari kaitan kes Altantuya Shariibu sebelum berdepan ‘hukuman’ oleh para pengundi bagi Pilihan Raya Kecil di tiga tempat iaitu Parlimen Bukit Gantang, Dun Bukit Selambau dan Batang Ai pada 7 April ini.

“Di mana esok adalah hari terakhir dia (Najib) boleh bertindak sekurang-kurangnya menyatakan saman kepada akhbar Liberation di Perancis untuk memohon maaf di atas laporan oleh akhbar tersebut,” demikian ditegaskan Ahli Majlis Pimpinan Tertinggi KeADILan, Badrul Hisham Shahrin pada sidang media parti itu di Yayasan Aman, di sini hari ini.

Sikap berdiam diri Najib katanya, menunjukkan seolah-olah beliau akur dengan laporan akhbar tersebut.

Jelas Badrul lagi, Presiden PAS, Dato’ Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang pernah mengemukakan saman terhadap akhbar di London kerana mengaitkan PAS dengan rangkaian Al-Qaeda di Asia Tenggara dan PAS menang dalam pendakwaan itu manakala akhbar berkenaan turut mohon maaf.

Ujar beliau, begitu juga saman fitnah yang dikemukakan Ahli Parlimen Pokok Sena, Dato’ Mahfuz Omar terhadap sebuah akhbar tempatan di mana Mahfuz turut memenangi kes itu.

“Jadi ini perlu diikuti oleh PM, jika tidak pengundi-pengundi di tiga tempat ini boleh meletakkan penghakiman terhadap PM yang gagal menjawab isu tersebut,” tegasnya. – mks.

ISA vigil at Kamunting detention centre yesterday

Haris Ibrahim

Got the following sms at 2.21 am yesterday :

4/4, Candle Vigil, 6pm dihdpan Kem Kamunting,Taiping tuntut regim UMNO bebaskan Wira2 HINDRAF P. Uthayakumar masalah kesihatan & YB Manoharan. Dtg ramai2. Pakai baju oren & bawa kain oren. Sebarkan.

I was upset that the Makkal Sakti folk still did not see the need to take a more inclusive stance in calling for the release of all ISA detainees, and not just the HINDRAF detainees.

Why just their wira-wira HINDRAF?

What about Mat Satray?

What about the fact that he’s still in Kamunting because his wife, Norlaila,

refuses to ease up on her efforts, through Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA, to secure the release of ALL ISA detainees?

I decided to attend the vigil, not to participate in the same, but for the purpose only of voicing my unhappiness at the continued exclusivist approach taken by the Makkal Sakti folk, and to report on the event.

A team of us got to the detention centre a little after 6pm.

No-one there yet.

Did Najib say that the ISA will be reviewed?

Did this consciousness for the need for such a review only just descend upon him?

Or has he always harboured this view, but given that he was second in command of a repressive regime under the command of Pak Lah that he felt the need to conceal this enlightened side of him until such time as he rose to office high enough to carry through his move to give life to his vision?

To read more please go to : http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/

Ganabatirao free to walk, not to talk

The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, April 5 — Hindraf legal adviser V. Ganabatirao is a free man today but he cannot speak to the media for a year as one condition of his release.

His brother Papparaidu said this was among the conditions imposed by the government upon Ganabatirao’s release from the Internal Security Act (ISA)

“This is what my elder brother said but he did not mention other conditions,” he told reporters after welcoming Ganabatirao back to their house in Jalan Kemuning near here.

Ganabatirao had been detained at the Kamunting detention centre under the ISA since Dec 31, 2007 for leading the largest Indian uprising in the country that led to the Barisan Nasional’s worst performance in election last year.

He and 12 other detainees were freed by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his maiden speech as the sixth prime minister over television on Friday.

Ganabatirao arrived at the house in a Proton Waja car about 5.50pm and was welcomed by about 60 supporters who had waited for him since 3pm, state news agency Bernama reported.

Drums were played and firecrackers were set off to receive him. He was also paraded for about 30 metres in rain.

Ganabatirao’s wife B. Buvaneswary said she was happy that her husband returned home safely.

She said Ganabatirao was not in the best of health as he had suffered neck pains and high blood pressure.

“I’m waiting for my husband’s health report from Ipoh Hospital which I expect to receive on Wednesday to know his exact health level.

“After receiving the report only then further medical treatment will be given to my husband so that he recovers fully from the ailments,” she said.

The other Hindraf leader who was freed is R. Kengadharan.

Others released were seven members of Darul Islam Sabah, one from Jemaah Islamiyah and three foreigners who detained for alleged documents forgery.

They were taken out of the detention centre in stages with the foreigners being the first to be taken out by the Immigration Department.

Obama Asks Security Council to Punish N. Korea

The New York Times

PRAGUE — President Obama said that North Korea violated international rules when it tested a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles, and he called on the United Nations Security Council to take action.

“This provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon at the Security Council but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons,” Mr. Obama said. “Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something.”

The United States Northern Command issued a statement that North Korea’s taepodong 2 missile flew over Japan, with its payload landing in the Pacific Ocean.

“No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan,” the assessment said.

White House officials said that the failure of the launch would not stop the United States from taking the matter to the Security Council. “I think there have been a number of instances now where the North Koreans have failed in these attempts,” White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “The launch itself was a violation,” he said, adding that the fact that the launch failed did not make a difference in pursuing punitive sanctions.

Mr. Obama’s comments on North Korea were delivered here at the end of a historic speech before more than 20,000 people that, in a twist of irony, was planned in advance to lay out Mr. Obama’s plans to stop the spread of nuclear arms. That North Korea had fired a rocket over Japan and into the Pacific just hours before Mr. Obama’s speech lent his message an added urgency, Mr. Obama said, although White House officials disputed any suggestion that the secretive government in the North timed its rocket launch to coincide with Mr. Obama’s speech.

“I hate to speculate” about North Korean motivations,” said Gary Samore, the White House coordinator for nonproliferation, adding that the North Koreans had announced their launch window two weeks ago and that weather conditions had turned favorable today. “I’m not sure this is a deliberate calculated action on the part of the North Koreans.”

Deliberate or not, the North Korean action served the dual purpose of lending urgency to Mr. Obama’s speech while emphasizing the often tied hands of the international community with regard to stopping North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. The Security Council may slap Pyongyang on the wrist, as it has before, but China, a permanent member, has often stood in the way of strong international action.

Nonetheless, Mr. Obama said he would push for strong Security Council action. “Now is the time for a strong international response, and North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons.”

But it remained unclear exactly what the West would be able to do. President Bush pressed for similar sanctions after the North’s nuclear test in October 2006, but they had little long-term effect.

Mr. Obama also said that he still planned to continue plans to pursue missile defense, but he tied the need for such a system to any Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons. Russia opposes locating a defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, as current plans call for, and Mr. Obama said in a letter to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev two months ago that if Russia were able to help the United States stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, there would be no need for a missile defense shield in in Eastern Europe.

The issue has particular resonance here in Prague, since the now collapsed government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek went to bat against popular opinion here to support the missile shield, only to have the Obama administration begin to walk back from the plan.

“Let me be clear: Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat,” not just to the united States, but to Iran’s neighbors and our allies,” Mr. Obama said. “The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven.”

Catatan Kempen di Dua Bukit

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Bukit Selambau – 4 April 2009

Dalam tazkirah kepada para jemaah di Masjid Kampung Raja, Batu 2, saya memetik ungkapan keramat Pak Natsir yakni “Jangan kita ghairah untuk membangun sambil merobohkan”. Saya tekankan kepentingan akhlak dalam falsafah pembangunan Pakatan Rakyat. Kupasan ini turut menjadi tajuk utama wacana yang dilontarkan oleh Paul Krugman dan Amartya Sen.

Masalah ketamakan dan menggunakan dana tanpa menghiraukan risiko kepada pelabur menyebabkan berlakunya kegawatan ekonomi sekarang. Apa yang dirisaukan ialah bila mana pendekatan pengurusan ekonomi negara sama sekali tidak mempedulikan persoalan akhlak yang sedang membarah.

Maka yang demikian kita menggagaskan prinsip ekonomi manusiawi (humane economy), tadbir urus yang baik (good governance), ketelusan (transparency) dan pertanggungjawaban (accountability). Amanah mesti dipegang erat dan tanggungjawab wajib dilaksanakan.

Saya kemudiannya ka Tanah Licin untuk menemui komuniti Siam. Keluhan mereka cukup mengesankan terutamanya berkenaan dasar pembangunan yang tempang di kawasan tersebut. Hanya kerana perbedaan ras, mereka dipinggirkan. Seharusnya kita merenung kembali gesaan di dalam Al-Quran yang menyeru umat menegakkan keadilan dan ihsan (al ‘adl wal ihsan).

—–

Bukit Selambau – 3 April 2009

Saya berkempen di Kuala Sin tengah hari tadi. Manakala dimaklumkan bahawa asal perkataan ’sin’ berakarkan kalimat ’saing’, maka saya menyeru warga Kuala Sin supaya menidakkan kemenangan Umno-BN dalam pilihan raya kecil Bukit Selambau ini.

Usai bersolat Jumaat di Masjid Kuala Sin, saya hadhir ka majlis jamuan rakyat. Pada sabelah malamnya, saya menyertai majlis makan malam bersama komuniti Cina, seterusnya berceramah di Laguna Merbok dan kemudiannya bersama YB Karpal dan Tuan Guru Nik Aziz berceramah di Pekan Bukit Selambau.

Mesej saya jelas yakni agenda perubahan mestilah bersifat menyeluruh melalui penegakkan negara hukum. Sendi-sendi umpama kebebasan akhbar dan wibawa kehakiman seharusnya kembali dipulihkan. Kita tidak mahu hari ini mendabik dada dengan retorik perubahan, walhal kemudiannya menghumban mereka yang tak sehaluan ke kamar penjara!

—–

Bukit Gantang – 2 April 2009

Saya tiba sedikit lewat ka markas PAS di Trong. Hujan mencurah namun penduduk Bukit Gantang tetap bersemangat hadhir mendengar ceramah.

Seterusnya acara kempen di Sungai Tinggi. Saya mengajak rakyat menolak politik tidak siuman pimpinan Umno-BN.

Sekonyong-konyong, perubahan menjadi mantera popular pimpinan Umno. Pastinya esok muka depan media milik Umno-BN dipenuhi dengan slogan perubahan yang muluk-muluk.

Lagak mereka seperti baru mendengar perkataan tersebut. Perubahan pastinya bukan sekadar retorik. Ianya adalah kata sakti yang dizahirkan dari iltizam berterusan!

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Do Mahathir A Favour: Ignore Him

LIM KIT SIANG

By Tunku Abdul Aziz
in MySinChew

UMNO succeeded brilliantly in putting on a well-orchestrated monologue carnival on the universally fashionable twin-theme of change and reform at their just concluded annual political jamboree. They succeeded in the event of mesmerising themselves into a frenzy. Talking change is easy, but “walking the change” is when the uncommitted falls by the wayside.

By all accounts, UMNO, of all political parties in Malaysia, is a most unlikely candidate for change. It is stuck in a time warp. Its leadership, never known for its ability to focus on critical national issues and respond quickly to the needs of the moment, more often than not, has absolutely no clue where to begin the process.

Blaming the opposition for things that do not go according to plan is well and good, but it would be more helpful and constructive for UMNO to accept and digest a simple fact of life which stipulates that the external pressures acting on you are only as influential as your internal weaknesses. UMNO’s internal weaknesses are there for all to see, but it says a great deal about its organisational culture that the leaders remain both deaf and blind to the rot that stares them in the face. This being the case, UMNO continues to stumble from crisis to crisis, quite unaware why even the Malays who should be rallying round to support it are instead turning their backs on it.

UMNO is not ready to move forward. More baffling is why its leaders are making overtures to Mahathir to return and even act as “adviser.” It somehow suggests complete arrogance, totally muddled thinking and a disdain for Malaysian public opinion on their part. It is, I am convinced, a pathological streak that is part of the UMNO political tradition. We have had enough of Mahathir’s brand of “good governance” for twenty-two agonising, heart-rending, years that saw “Grand Corruption”, ( first coined by George Moody-Stuart and used as the title of his famous book on international corruption) being institutionalised in every important facet of our national life. By any yardstick, Mahathir’s tenure was twenty-two years too long. We need Mahathir as we need a tail between our legs.

For UMNO in particular, any attempt at open reconciliation with Mahathir, the ‘megalomeddler’, (a new word I have just invented to add further to the richness of English) will be the kiss of death. If, in the intoxicating afterglow of their 59th general assembly UMNO leaders were disposed to be generous towards Mahathir, and forgive him all his transgressions and sins against society, they need to have their heads examined.

Based on what we know about the man, Mahathir is happiest when he is also at his mischievous best. If there is no crisis, Mahathir will see to it that one is invented. He survived 22 years in office by playing on, and manipulating shamelessly, our fears of a recurrence of the May 13 incident which nearly tore this nation apart in 1969. It is a card that some UMNO types at good at pulling out of their pack when they feel threatened by challenges to “ketuanan Melayu.”

It is not in the man’s mental make up to give, as we have seen in his unremitting hostility to Abdullah Badawi, his anointed successor, a sporting chance to make a mark as prime minister. But, then, Mahathir was not a sportsman in the mould of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein or even Tun Hussein Onn. One of the central dogmas of Mahathirism and one espoused by the great man with unbounded passion is “winner takes all.”

He did not believe in taking prisoners. The battle field of his choice was the judicial arena where he held sway, and where crouching judges were falling over each other in an embarrassingly sycophantic display of eternal gratitude to their benefactor and where witnesses were “turned” at will to coerce them to cooperate. In one fell swoop, one of the most respected judicial institutions in the Commonwealth became an object of fun, ridicule and derision.

His maniacal urge to dominate everything and everyone in sight is a serious character flaw. To think that he will ever be a moderating influence and, therefore, an asset in the much-needed reinvention of UMNO to be in readiness for the 13th general elections is to believe in Grimm’s Fairy Tales of my childhood.

The nation is well-rid of the man. In God’s name, let him go his own meddling way and we, our own, free to determine our lives in accordance with the Constitution and the dictates of our conscience.

Admitting Mahathir back into UMNO’s inner sanctum will add to its problems, and internal unity will forever remain a gleam in the eye, and it will hasten the demise of UMNO, now already on its last legs. Perhaps I should just say nothing and let UMNO leaders find out for themselves the joy of having Mahathir under the same roof.

Views : A Setback for BN in Bukit Selambau

Khoo Kay Peng

Straight Talk

Barring any serious mistake by PR, its candidate Manikumar is expected to register a slim victory in Bukit Selambau.

There are several reasons for my prediction:

1) The choice of Manikumar is a calculated move by Anwar to enhance his party’s candidate selection process. Many, including some Hindraf factional leaders, have criticized his choice. But Manikumar’s lack of political experience is actually a plus factor. Until now, his opponents have not being able to attack his personal credibility. Manikumar is both highly educated and successful in his career. On the other hand, BN’s Ganeson is not a new comer. He is an old hand and too closely linked to his unpopular party leader, Samy Vellu. UMNO did not appear to go all out for MIC there.

2) PR is displaying better team work than BN. This is acknowledged even by Khairy Jamaluddin, the newly minted UMNO Youth chief. BN’s desperation showed: MIC members who disrupted a PKR ceramah last night.

3) The past neglect of Bukit Selambau e.g. residents without electricity and clean water cannot be blamed on the young PR state government. Like Batang Ai, the BN will have to be fed a bitter lesson for ignoring regional development disparity by losing the by-elections. Hence, I would like to urge Malaysians in the two areas to send a clear message to the BN federal government for neglecting their basic socio-economic needs. Billions of ringgit spend on the corridor projects should have been used to close the development gap between rural-urban, east-west Malaysia, rich and poor provinces.

4) The mass defections from Kedah PPP to the opposition party is going to motivate PR and demoralised BN. Leading the defection was People’s Progressive Party (PPP) vice-president V Nagarajan, along with 11 of the party’s divisions in the state. The defections, which involved 62 branches in the state, meant that PPP lost almost its entire membership in Kedah. The defections will have at least 500 votes effect against BN.

UPDATES:

I am encouraged by the growing stream of contributors to my legal defence fund. I assure you that this gesture of support will spur me to speak up without fear or favour. Concerned friends, e.g. Keong Leh, who have called to enquire about my well-being. You are most appreciated!

SAY NO TO RACISM!

SAY NO TO POLITICAL BULLIES!