Quote on Love

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength;

       loving someone deeply gives you courage.

                                 — Lao Tzu

Upset at not being made minister, Samy Vellu threatens BN

The Malaysian Insider

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 — Embattled MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, whose wish to return to the Cabinet was rejected by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is playing his final gambit by threatening to withdraw the sole MIC minister.

The Malaysian Insider understands Samy Vellu has little support except from party vice-president S. Sothinathan in this gambit which was sparked after Najib rejected all hints last week to make Samy Vellu a senator and put him back into the Cabinet as works minister.

Samy Vellu complained to his supporters that if Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon could be made a senator and minister, he should have been accorded the same privilege.

Samy Vellu is also unhappy that Selangor Gerakan chief A. Kohilan Pillay has been made a deputy foreign minister, a high-profile post for an Indian.

He feels it should have been given to one of his nominees.

After failing to get himself re-appointed, Samy Vellu tried to propose two additional deputy ministers posts for Sothinathan and Senator Loga Chitrakalla, according to MIC sources.

The sources said a close aide of Samy Vellu had leaked the story that Samy Vellu was considering pulling out Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam and deputy ministers Datuk S.K. Devamany and Datuk M. Saravanan, to put pressure on Najib to give additional positions in the Cabinet.

The leaked story is said to be timed for the MIC central working committee meeting on Thursday where Samy Vellu has two choices — to work up his loyalists into making a “do or die” stand over the issue or deny the leaked stories and walk away from the issue.

MIC leaders are divided on whether he will carry out the threat.

“Except for Sothinathan, Samy Vellu is alone in this gambit,” said a senior MIC leader. “He has been asked to wrap up and hand over power in the party by mid-year and that has upset him. He wants to put his man as deputy and serve his three-year term as president before handing over.”

“Najib has told him not a day longer than necessary,” the sources said. “This is the real spark for the rebellion against Najib.”

Samy Vellu, who seriously believes he can make a comeback, was elected president for an 11th term last month and wants to complete the three-year term before handing over to a yet unnamed successor.

The Malaysian Insider understands from aides that the party’s government representatives were shocked and perplexed by the threat.

Samy Vellu’s plan to pull the ministers out of the Cabinet but keep the MIC in the Barisan Nasional coalition, party insiders said, is a scheme hatched out of emotional disappointment with the Cabinet outcome.

“What is the rationale for pulling out of the Cabinet but remaining in the Barisan? If he pulls out of the Cabinet, then MIC must also pull out of the various state executive councils in the country,” the MIC leader said.

Former MIC vice-president Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan, when contacted by The Malaysian Insider, said he takes the threat seriously.

“It is not advisable to pull out of the Cabinet because we will be rendered blind on how the government is thinking and the decisions that are being made,” he said.

“It will be a great disadvantage to the Indian community,” he said.

Another former MIC leader said on condition of anonymity that there would be stiff resistance to the idea at Thursday’s CWC meeting.

“This is one matter Samy Vellu cannot carry through,” he said. “There is too much fear and self interest involved. They will not allow Samy Vellu to carry out this threat.”

But other MIC leaders said a desperate Samy Vellu is capable of even pulling out of the BN and joining the Pakatan Rakyat.

Summit postponed indefinitely

Bangkok Post

The 14th Asean Summit has been postponed indefinitely, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn announced on Saturday afternoon, after United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protesters broke into the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, the venue for the regional meetings in Pattaya.

The postponement was agreed to for the safety of regional government leaders attending the summit meetings at the hotel, Mr Panitan said.
 
He was speaking after red-shirt leader Arisman Rongreunrong led the protesters in storming the  area used for news conferences at the hotel.

He announced that the red-shirt supporters of the UDD could not put up with the behaviour of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, claiming the premier had ordered that force to be used against demonstrators.
 
Mr Arisman said he warned the prime minister he must arrest the person who shot a red-clad protester and two taxi drivers during clashes between red and blue shirts in the morning.

He said the anti-government mob would remain within the hotel building peacefully. It was not their intention to be violent, he said.

Mr Panitan said that before making the decision the prime minister consulted those regional leaders who had already arrived for the summit, which has not officially begun. The leaders of Indonesia, New Zealand and have still not arrived.  
 
Prime Minister Abhisit later announced that the government will enforce the Emergency Decree in Pattaya to ensure the safety of Asian leaders attending the meetings.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban would be responsible for its enforcement, Mr Abhisit said.

Earlier, Mr Arisman claimed the blue-shirts fired bullets, molotov cocktails, glass pellets  and threw  pingpong grenades at the UDD proptesters.

The UDD demanded the postponement of the summit, and Mr Abhisit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban needed to show responsibility, he said.

He claimed the government sponsored the blue-shirt demonstrators.

The South Korean delegation have already announced that they would not take part in the meeting and other countries were also preparing quietly to return home.

The goovrnment spokesman tried to explain to the media that the security officers had tried to prevent the confrontation between demonstrators.

An investigation was continuing and the authorities were in the process of getting arrest warrants, so far could not tell who was responsible for the clashes.

A Singaporean reporter asked if Thailand should hand the Asean chairmanship to another country, Mr Panita said Thailand remained the host of the summit, adding ”we apologise for causing troubles for the delegates”.

Some leaders and delegates were asked to stay at the hotel for security reasons. Mr Panita said the delegations were briefed on the the government’s plan.

“A situation is happening in surrounding areas of the meeting venue, but we do care for the safety of the leaders and safety of the people within the city, so all the morning meetings have to be temporarily postponed,” he said.
On Friday night, banned politician Newin Chidchob showed up near the blue-shirt protesters after Mr Suthep left the scene about 9.30pm. Mr Suthep did not talk to the blue-shirt group, only Mr Newin did.

Obama: World must unite on problems

UPI News

Obama: World must

 unite on problems

WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) — No single nation acting alone can solve the world’s many problems and global cooperation is urgently needed, U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday.

 

Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama, returning to Washington after an eight-day trip to Europe and the Middle East, delivered a Passover and Easter message saying while the United States can and must lead, all nations must set aside differences and work together to solve such problems as extremism, the economic crisis and nuclear proliferation.

“These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone,” Obama said. “The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations.”

He said the Group of 20 summit London took steps to “stimulate growth, restore the flow of credit, open markets, and dramatically reform our financial regulatory system,” while “NATO allies united in Strasbourg (France) behind our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

Obama added, “We can’t afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find — and build on — our mutual interests.”

The Passion pictures from around the world

Examiner.com

The Passion Play commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross around the world. The Passion of Christ is about His long walk up the hill of Calvary, wearing a crown of thorns and carrying the cross that He would be nailed to and die upon.

Churches around Lake County are remembering the Passion with their local commemorations. Most of the churches of Lake County may not illustrate the Passion so dramatically, but the message is the same. Christ died on the cross so he could conquer death and return to life on Easter Sunday. After a brief time on earth, Christ ascended into heaven.

His death on the cross and return to life created a pathway for believers to follow Him into heaven, in His name.

 

Talk to Koh Tsu Koon About Unity?

Lee & Koh during the last campaign (The Star)

Koh trying to appease Chia after he was not nominated for much anticipated state seat.

By Khoo Kay Peng

Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon has finally made it to the cabinet. His inclusion has been speculated for months. Leaders and members of Gerakan were actively involved in the lobbying, believing that a ministerial position for Koh will help the party to regain back power in Penang.

Koh has been appointed as a Minister in the PM’s department looking after national unity. But who wants to talk to Koh about unity? Koh does not have an impressive track record on unity.

He was instrumental in creating disunity among his top leaders in Penang during the last general election. He was the main man who played the CM musical chair with Chia Kwang Chye, Teng Hock Nan, Teng Chang Yeow and Lee Kah Choon. This had created dissatisfaction and suspicion between the four leaders.

The outcome was catastrophic for the party. Lee joined the new state administration led by DAP. Chia and his brothers had remained on the sideline since his defeat at the party’s state chairmanship contest by Teng. All of the four were defeated in the last general election. The defeats were not thought to be possible before the CM nomination ruckus.

Perhaps Koh should try his hand at uniting his party’s leadership first before trying to do the same for the country. Koh is the only winner in the whole shameful period of Gerakan’s campaign in Penang. He is now a cabinet minister.

What did Koh tell Sin Chew?

” Gerakan Acting President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said it is not currently under his consideration whether to accept offers to enter the Cabinet. He said he and other leaders of the party refused to accept any offer for the positions of Senator and minister for two reasons.

Koh said that even MIC President has mentioned it that it was indeed going through the back door if he accepted the offer as a Senator after being defeated in the general elections. Besides, the Opposition also said on the last day of the campaign period that: there is no need to vote for Koh Tsu Koon as he can be a minister through the Senator appointment.” If he becomes a minister by such a way, it would be contrary to the true meaning of the democratic elections.

“Besides, as the party was defeated this time, I’ll focus on the revitalisation of the party and be a full-time acting president,” he said. (Has he revitalised Gerakan? If not the party needs a full time president)

He added that a Cabinet minister would have to be responsible for the ministry, the party and the constituency. One could not do carry out all duties simultaneously if he wants to do well.” (This is Koh’s own assessment of his performance – a prophecy)

Kay Peng is an economics graduate from the University of Malaya. He pursued his postgraduate master’s in International Relations at the University of Warwick, UK. He is a British Chevening scholar. Kay Peng is a corporate consultant and an independent political analyst.

Stock market up in tandem with US, not Najib or his cabinet

By Wong Choon Mei

Malaysian stocks have been rallying since the start of April thanks to the huge technical recovery on Wall Street, not because of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ascension to the top job in the country, nor because of the newly announced cabinet.

“I have been asked this question many times but it is important to get the facts correct because retailers are involved and we have to be responsible and not mislead them,” PHS Lim, president of the Malaysian Investors Association told Suara Keadilan.

“The very strong gains of the past few days have been due to the US market which rallied because of a huge US$8 trillion stimulus package being pumped out across the world and because global interest rates are now nearly touching zero. It is this sheer amount of liquidity and access to cheap funding that are fueling the worldwide rally.

“Malaysia is only just playing catch-up. In fact, the political uncertainty is still weighing on our local market, which has not gone up by as much as say, Hong Kong or China, only about a third of the recovery recorded in these big markets.”

Back to bad old days of flattery and manipulation?

On Friday, a week after Najib formally took over from Abdullag Badawi as the country’s sixth prime minister, the Kuala Lumpur Composite index jumped 2.56 percent to 941.38 points.

Government-linked fund managers and institutions were spotted leading the push, snapping up blue chips and other heavyweights.

“We are happy to see the market come to life again but it looks like this is another attempt by the powers-that-be to curry a bit of favour with the new PM, or maybe they were instructed to do so,” said a dealer at a large brokerage.

“But this is not good practise, not transparent, not real. If the international markets sink again, then our Khazanah, EPF, PNB will again be left holding bad bets. Ultimately, Malaysian workers and taxpayers lose – after all, it is their money that is being invested.”

The US market was closed for the Good Friday holiday, but the Dow Jones index shot up 3.1 percent on Thursday, buoyed by news that financial group Wells Fargo expected about US$3 billion in first-quarter profits – an early sign of recovery in the battered global banking sector.

According to Lim, the worst was not over for equity markets, and in Malaysia, he estimates the trading range for the KLCI this year remains between 750 to 1,000 points.

“We are still headed for volatility. Stocks always react ahead of the real economy. What Najib and his cabinet must do is to focus on retrenchments. The figure will easily come up to 800,000 over the next two years despite the much lower official data,” Lim said.

“A lot Malaysians don’t report, there is no welfare system here, so why bother? But high number of unemployed will create a huge negative down-spiral in the real economy – that’s the danger.”

Market rise cannot sustain without long term structural changes to economy

The scandal-plagued Najib – regarded as “Mr Status Quo” by many political and market analysts for his lack of political and economic vision – assumed the most powerful position in the country amidst huge unpopularity and controversy.

Despite announcing a giant RM60 billion stimulus package – which when stripped down, amounted to only less than RM20 billion of direct injections spread over two years – he did not introduce any long term structural reforms. Analysts believe these are essential to get foreign money back into the country again.

“If you’re based in London or in the US, I don’t think you’d be looking at any of the smaller countries like Malaysia for the time being,” said Jalil Rasheed, head of equities at Aberdeen Asset Management Malaysia.

Najib’s newly unveiled cabinet was also widely regarded as a disappointment, containing a host of ‘old faces’ – politicos who had lost their seats due to voter rejection. Six were made senators in order to get them on board his 28-member cabinet.

His minders have launched a massive public relations campaign to try to mask his unpopularity and the fact that he brings nothing new to the table. Rumours have been spread that a proposed high-powered Council of Economic Advisers will contain big names in a bid to take the flatness off his limp cabinet detailing.

But so far, there has been little enthusiasm that any of the speculated appointees could do much to change Malaysia’s economic direction.

According to the analysts that Suara Keadilan spoke to, reforming the system will require huge political will and if the politicians themselves could not do this, how could an advisory panel do better?

“I don’t think any type of council will be able to help. Our economy is too trade dependent on the external markets. What can we do in the short term? It is long term structural changes that are need,” said Lim.

“We need to lift our competitiveness and re-look our whole economic structure.  This is not just about giving advice, you need to pass laws in Parliament to make real changes. Are our politicians ready to do that?”

Looking for answers in Batang Ai

The Malaysian Insider

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 — The defeat of the PKR in the April 7 Batang Ai by-election is a shock to many Sarawakians especially for the new generation of better educated, technologically savvy and upwardly mobile indigenous Dayaks who saw the contest as a battle between Dayak nationalism and “occupation” by a local Melanau elite allied with Umno in the Federal capital.

There is considerable recriminations and soul searching among educated Dayaks over why Batang Ai was lost, who should be held responsible and what the future holds for a change of regime in the resources-rich state which is also one of the poorest in the federation.

The blame game is rampant in Dayak-based blogs and websites and numerous reasons are being given for the defeat, from a shortage of funds and other resources to wrong choice of candidate in Jawah Gerang and money politics by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud.

Some are also blaming the Iban voters for the defeat, pointing to their greed, materialism and folly for failing to see Dayakism as a new force and always staying with the Barisan Nasional to take the goodies dished out in return for their votes.

The Dayak predicament has parallels with the sorry situation of Indians in the Peninsular before the Nov 25, 2007 mass protest.

Like the Dayaks, they too were neglected, marginalised and politically alienated, leading to a build-up of a critical mass that sparked the revolt against the MIC/BN.

Like the Dayaks, Indians too supported the BN for decades and were rewarded for their political loyalty with the occasional trinkets.

But most of the rewards were pilfered by the MIC, leaving a new generation of Indian youths entering the job market without skills and competing with millions of foreign workers for low-paid jobs.

Their rising anger and frustration at their predicament created ideal conditions for a political revolt.

In Sarawak the conditions are far from ripe for a political revolt although Dayak intellectuals at a major conference recently in Miri believed conditions were ripe and a Dayak revolt was gathering ground and that the Batang Ai by-election was the spark.

The huge numbers that gathered for PKR dinners in major towns were read as clear signs that a revolt had started and that it would soon consume the rural Dayaks and provide a critical mass for political change.

Today the same intellectuals are deeply disappointed that the spark failed to light and are giving numerous reasons for the failure.

The fact is Batang Ai is remote, not easily accessible and the PKR methods of mobilisation using IT technology was worthless in a constituency that has few telephone lines and the vast majority are reachable only by boats.

It is remarkable that nearly all of the 200 Chinese voters in Lubuk Antu, the frontier cowboy town that services the interior, voted for PKR.

The only reason for this is that they had superior information and were motivated by the major changes in the political landscape happening in the country.

It was the same superior information that saw thousands of Chinese and urban Dayaks attending PKR dinners in the major towns of Sarawak in the months preceding the Batang Ai by-election, giving the impression a March 8-type groundswell was blowing.

In comparison the Dayaks in the interior were hapless and at the mercy of the only source of information available to them — radio and television — which was controlled by the BN.

A much touted plan by Sarawak PKR to get “educated and politically motivated” Dayak volunteers to combat the information deficiency by going to the interior and staying in the longhouses and campaigning daily did not materialise.

For some reason the laptop-carrying Dayak intellectuals stayed where they were and preferred to battle in cyberspace and not risk the river journeys, live in the longhouses and suffer great discomfort.

The BN also very cleverly manipulated the Ibans, saying PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should be rejected because he is an “outsider” and not a Sarawakian.

They explain the presence of BN leaders from Peninsular in the by-election campaign as “honoured guests” permitted to visit and bring presents for the Ibans, who form 90 per cent of the voters.

Besides, the PKR candidate Jawah, a five-term MP for Lubuk Antu, also had a difficult time explaining why the constituency he had represented for so long was so underdeveloped.

In the last four days of campaigning, a whole army of federal and Sarawak ministers descended on Batang Ai and dispensed “instant noodle” development aid like providing birth certificates, fuel, ICs and also “duit jalan” (pocket money).

“The rural Ibans are very honest and simple folks. They tend to respect all authoritative figures like government ministers,” said Sim Kwang Yang, former DAP MP for Kuching.

“To take the gifts and then vote for the opposition seems like an act of bad etiquette. Being trustful people, they are also gullible to all kinds of promises, election after election,” he said.

They are also mostly peasants working the land, the jungle and the rivers for sustenance and therefore are disconnected — both in their needs and world view — from the urban Dayak elite.

To them their immediate needs are paramount, not the promise of a paradise in the future.

The PKR’s defeat in Batang Ai is not a total loss unless the lessons are learnt — one of it is misreading dinner crowds as a Dayak revolt.

Thailand declares emergency, cancels Asian summit

Associated Press

PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand has declared a state of emergency in the town where a summit of Asian leaders was supposed to be held after protesters stormed the venue. The meeting has been canceled.

The decree also covers the area surrounding Pattaya. It gives the military the right to restore order, allows authorities to suspend civil liberties, bans public gatherings of more than five people and bars the media from reporting news that “causes panic.”

Thai Prime Abhisit Vejjajiva declared the emergency Saturday after protesters demanding his ouster smashed the glass doors of the summit venue and swarmed the building.

Government spokesman Supachai Jaisamuth said the situation was “too violent” for the meeting to take place.

Protesters force cancellation of Asian summit

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) — Political protesters in Thailand Saturday have forced the cancellation of the Association of South East Asian Nations summit.

Thousands of anti-government protesters block a busy intersection during rush hour in Bangkok.

Participating Asian leaders were on their way out of the country, according to Thailand’s prime minister, who declared a state of emergency in the southern coastal city of Pattaya, where the summit was being held.

The emergency order gives police the authority to arrest people without seeking arrest warrants.

Thousands of “red shirt” protesters — named for their clothing — have rallied for days to demand that Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva step down. They say Abhisit was not democratically elected, and want him to schedule elections.

Their protests are not directly related to the Asian summit, but the demonstrations created so much chaos that summit members could not reach at least two of their meetings.

The disruptions included traffic around hotel meeting sites and conflicts among protesters. “Blue shirt” protesters and red shirts clashed, both sides armed with long sticks.

In a strategy change among red shirts, demonstrators have been urged to go to the southern coastal city of Pattaya to support fellow red shirts in their protests, according to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, which attributed the comment to Nattavut Saikuea, a protest leader.

Earlier, Nattavut had said that red shirt demonstrations might be suspended to allow Thais to celebrate the New Year from Monday through Wednesday next week.

The demonstrators are loyal to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. He fled Bangkok last year while facing trial on corruption charges