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Selamat Tahun Baru – Tamizh Puthaandu dan Vaisakhi!

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

Hari ini, masyarakat berketurunan Tamil pastinya gembira dengan ketibaan hari pertama tahun baru Tamil atau lazimnya disebut Puthaandu.

Jika di Sri Lanka, masyarakat Tamil di sana meraikannya sebagaimana sambutan Hari Raya di mana yang tua dan dewasa akan menghadiahkan ‘duit raya’ kepada mereka yang masih bujang utamanya untuk kanak-kanak sebagai tanda kemurahan rezeki.

Bagi penduduk desa, hari ini juga diraikan dengan acara ‘arpudu’ iaitu upacara menuai hasil ladang sebagai simbolik bermulanya kitaran baru aktiviti pertanian untuk tahun akan datang.

Saya dan Azizah pastinya berkongsi kegembiraan dan mendoakan agar ikatan kekeluargaan yang terjalin senantiasa kekal dalam kebahagiaan.

Buat rakyat Malaysia berketurunan Tamil yang meraikannya, saya ucapkan Iniya Tamizh Puthaandu Nalvazhthukkal!

Tidak dilupakan juga buat masyarakat Sikh yang meraikan hari Vaisakhi. Gagasan hari Vaisakhi yang menyeru kepada persahabatan dan pemahaman bersama sewajarnya diterapkan terutamanya dalam konteks Malaysia yang majmuk.

Ini juga sejajar dengan saranan Guru Gobind Singh Ji yang mengungkapkan: “Kemanusiaan itu sepadu, kita semua merupakan umat dari Tuhan yang satu”.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

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‘Cina, India bukan peminta sedekah’

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

Anwaribrahimblog.com

 

Malaysiakini | 13 April 2009

Pengundi bukan Melayu “tidak mahu dilayan seumpama pengemis” – apabila menjelang pilihanraya, mereka ditaburkan pelbagai projek pembangunan dengan harapan mereka memilih calon BN, kata jurucakap rasmi MCA.

“Bukan Melayu tidak suka dilayan seperti peminta sedekah, hanya ketika pilihanraya kecil, lebih banyak penaikan taraf jalan dilakukan, peruntukan kepada sekolah, NGO dan badan amal meningkat,” kata ahli jawatankuasa pusat parti itu Lee Wei Kiat.

“Walaupun bantuan dalam apa jua bentuk kepada sesuatu masyarakat sentiasa dialu-alukan, pengundi ingin melihat ketekalan dalam peruntukan dan pengagihan kerajaan dan bukannya memuncak sewaktu pilihanraya kecil.”

Beliau mengulas wawancara Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin semalam yang melihat ketewasan besar BN di parlimen Bukit Gantang dan DUN Bukit Selambau sebagai sikap tidak kenang budi pengundi bukan Melayu terhadap kerajaan.

Ditanya Mingguan Malaysia “bukankah setiap kali pilihanraya kecil, permintaan kaum bukan Melayu dipenuhi, malah di Bukit Gantang walaupun peruntukan RM1 juta diberikan tetapi kaum Cina tidak juga menyokong BN”, timbalan presiden Umno berkata:

“Ya, kadang-kadang kita berasa terpedaya juga kerana zahirnya nampak macam ‘OK’, sambutan dengan tepukan gemuruh tetapi mungkin sudah ada tertanam dalam hati iaitu sesuatu tidak mudah hendak berubah, pokoknya masalah isu Perak terutamanya di kalangan masyarakat Cina yang mungkin telah dipengaruhi dengan sentimen simpati kepada Datuk Seri Ir Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin, kononnya dia ‘dijatuhkan’, lepas itu kononnya dasar memberi pegangan tanah selama 99 tahun dilihat dasar yang menguntungkan.
“Ini yang mungkin menyebabkan sukar BN mendapat sokongan walaupun kita fikir bila mereka hendak sekolah Cina dibantu, kita bantu, sepatutnya mereka membalas budi.

“Pada waktu itu, kita pun tidak berharap sokongan kaum Cina akan meningkat 40 peratus dan sebagainya cuma kita berharap ada peningkatan sedikit tetapi apa yang berlaku ia mencatatkan penurunan, macam tidak ada penghargaan terhadap apa yang kita lakukan.”

Wawancara pertama dengan Muhyiddin – selepas dilantik pemimpin nombor dua negara – mendapat liputan meluas akhbar-akhbar utama berbahasa Cina hari ini yang semuanya menonjolkan wawancara tersebut yang dianggap negatif kepada pengundi bukan Melayu.

Sin Chew Daily melaporkan “Muhyiddin – Cina tidak bersyukur kepada BN”, Nanyang Siang Pau “Cina kenakan BN. Muhyiddin – Dapat manfaat tetapi tidak beri undi” dan China Press pula “BN rasa tertipu. Muhyiddin – Penuhi tuntutan Cina tapi masih tiada sokongan”.

Selain MCA, Gerakan dan DAP juga membidas analisis Muhyiddin itu yang mendakwa pengundi Cina dan India kini menganggap diri mereka “kuasa penentu” kekuasaan selepas lima negeri, termasuk Kelantan, jatuh ke tangan Pakatan Rakyat.

“Persoalannya apakah mereka melihat dalam konteks senario politik baru ini, selepas kerajaan BN tumbang di lima buah negeri, mereka sudah menjadi kuasa penentu? Orang Cina rasa sekarang, walaupun mereka kumpulan minoriti, merekalah menentukan kerana kelompok masyarakat Melayu sudah berpecah tiga kumpulan.

“Masyarakat Cina tidak berpecah, mereka bersatu, setidak-tidaknya dari segi semangat apabila bersama-sama membuat sesuatu keputusan.

“Dalam keadaan ini, mereka boleh menentukan keputusan sesuatu pilihanraya dan apabila kesan itu dapat dilihat dalam pilihanraya umum lalu dan beberapa pilihanraya kecil, mereka fikir sekarang mereka lebih ada kuasa penentu, bukan sahaja Cina, malah masyarakat India pun begitu, apatah lagi apabila mendapat kedudukan dalam kerajaan yang ditubuhkan pakatan pembangkang dengan menjadi timbalan ketua menteri, speaker dan exco kerajaan negeri, jadi ini bagi mereka seolah-olah tawaran yang diberikan oleh pihak sana lebih baik daripada kita pernah tawarkan dalam konteks BN, jadi ini kita harus teliti,” Muhyiddin dipetik berkata dalam wawancara tersebut.

“Kebimbangan saya orang yang tidak menjadi penentu sudah menjadi penentu, orang Melayu yang majoriti sepatutnya menjadi penentu sudah tidak menjadi penentu.

“Justeru bagi kita kalau boleh sebaik mungkin mereka bernaung di bawah sayap Umno, tetapi Umno yang relevan dan memahami cita rasa rakyat, Umno yang adil, Umno yang lebih bersedia untuk melihat dengan lebih saksama, ini kita kena fikirkanlah.”

Timbalan Presiden Gerakan, Datuk Chang Ko Yuan berkata pengundi Cina di dua kawasan tersebut sukar mengaitkan diri mereka dengan BN kerana ia tidak lagi menegakkan yang terbaik di Malaysia.”

“Amalan biasa (BN) menaburkan peruntukan tidak lagi membawa kesan kerana ramai yang melihatnya sebagai cubaan tidak bijak untuk meraih undi. Masalah mereka mesti ditangani berterusan dan menyalurkan peruntukan sewaktu pilihanraya kecil, tidak lagi berkesan dan meyakinkan,” katanya.

“Isu-isu yang lebih pokok seperti rasuah, penyalahguanaan kuasa dan kesaksamaan dalam kepemimpinan nasional dan sistem penyampaian kerajaan harus ditangani dahulu, barulah pengundi yang lari daripada BN pada 3 Mac 2008 akan bersedia kembali (bersama BN).”

Chang sebaliknya mencadangkan idea “Satu Malaysia. Rakyat didahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan” yang dipromosikan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak haruslah diberikan lebih penekananan kerana ia boleh memberi makna sebenar perjuangan BN.

Selain mencadangkan kempen bersama antara pemimpin Melayu dan bukan Melayu untuk semua kaum, Chang menambah, ramai pengundi kini terpengaruh dengan slogan keadilan dan kesaksamaan yang dibawa oleh Pakatan Rakyat

Sementara tokoh DAP Lim Kit Siang menyifatkan kenyataan Muhyiddin itu sebagai “pengesahan” bahawa BN mengaku bersalah mengamalkan politik wang ketika pilihanraya, menggunakan dana awam khususnya dalam bentuk projek pembangunan sebagai umpan untuk meraih sokongan pengundi.

Mengulas wawancara dengan ahli parlimen Pagoh bertajuk ‘Kuasa penentu Melayu hilang jika terus berpecah’, Lim menafikan pengundi Cina dan India ingin menjadi “kuasa penentu” politik dengan menyisihkan Melayu dalam lanskap baru politik.

Beliau menyifatkan kenyataan Muhyiddin itu “jelas sekali tidak sesuai, paling mengejutkan dan menyinggung perasaan” sebagai timbalan perdana menteri yang baru dan bertanya “apakah ini yang dimaksudkan oleh ‘Satu Malaysia’ Najib?”

“Tugas pertama jemaah menteri Najib pada mesyuarat pertama Rabu ini ialah menakrifkan maksud slogan ‘Satu Malaysia’ bagi memastikan ia menjadi motto perpaduan dan bukan perpecahan,” kata Lim.

Dalam kenyataan sama, Lee menambah pengundi Bukit Gantang menolak BN berdasarkan beberapa faktor, termasuk isu tanah milik sementara (TOL) dan rungutan nelayan di Kuala Sepetang yang belum berjaya diselesaikan.

Isu-isu nasional yang dipertikaikan pengundi bukan Melayu termasuklah pengagihan tidak sama rata biasiswa Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), diskriminasi untuk masuk ke pusat pengajian tinggi, kegagalan pelaksanaan Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) dan hak kebebasan berpolitik yang terhad.

Lee turut mengungkit sumbangan kaum Cina sejak sebelum 1957, menghantar perwakilan negara untuk berunding kemerdekaan di London sehinggalah menentang Indonesia pada era Konfrontasi 1960-an.

“Oleh itu, untuk memenangi semula hati masyarakat Cina, BN mesti melakukan lebih daripada sekadar menyumbang RM1 juta pada pilihanraya kecil,” katanya.

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Mahkamah terima Zambry, 6 Exco cabar Speaker

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

Suara Keadilan

Anna Yusof

PUTRAJAYA, 14 April (SK) : Mahkamah Persekutuan memutuskan hari ini bahawa Menteri Besar Perak Barisan Nasional, Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir dan enam Exco telah menggunakan prosedur yang betul untuk mencabar penggantungan mereka oleh Speaker Dun, V Sivakumar Februari lalu.

Terdahulu, Mahkamah Persekutuan menetapkan hari ini untuk memberikan keputusan sama ada Menteri Besar Perak, BN itu dan enam anggota Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri telah menggunakan cara yang betul untuk mencabar penggantungan mereka oleh  Sivakumar.

Zambry dan enam orang exco kerajaan memohon kepada Mahkamah Persekutuan untuk membatalkan keputusan Sivakumar yang menggantung mereka selepas BN menubuhkan kerajaan negeri di Perak Februari lalu tanpa pembubaran Dun.

Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan, Alauddin Md Sheriff, yang mengetuai panel lima orang hakim, berkata ia boleh mendengar perkara itu secara membuat permohonan dan bukannya melalui semakan kehakiman.

Peguam yang mewakili Sivakumar, Sulaiman Abdullah, mengemukakan bantahan awal bahawa mahkamah tidak patut melayani permohonan mereka kerana saman terhadap Sivakumar tidak mematuhi prosedur.

Sulaiman berhujah semalam bahawa Zambry dan enam pemohon tersebut sepatutnya membuat permohonan secara semakan kehakiman dan bukannya melalui saman asal untuk mendapatkan beberapa pengisytiharan.

Beliau berhujah bahawa mahkamah tidak sepatutnya melayani permohonan Zambry untuk merujuk kes berhubung isu perlembagaan kepada Mahkamah Persekutuan kerana saman itu masih menungggu perbicaraan di Mahkamah Tinggi bagi keputusan permohonan Sivakumar untuk menggugurkan saman itu.

Zambry digantung selama 18 bulan manakala enam exconya digantung selama setahun.

Pada 2 Mac lalu, Zambry dan enam anggota majlis berkenaan Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin,  Ramly Zahari, Hamidah Osman, Saarani Mohamad, Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid dan Dr Mah Hang Soon memohon kepada Mahkamah Tinggi bagi diisytiharkan yang keputusan Sivakumar menggantung mereka daripada menghadiri sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri adalah tidak sah dan batal.

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Najib orders end to Terengganu revolt

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

The Malaysian Insider

By Neville Spykerman

APRIL 14 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered all Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen in Terengganu to attend tomorrow’s state legislative sitting, in a move to quell a reported move to oust the mentri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

He also denied that death threats sent via text messages to a number of BN lawmakers came from the mentri besar.

Earlier today, the end appeared near for Ahmad after ten BN state lawmakers boycotted the state assembly today in a bid to force his resignation.

Ahmad’s position as BN’s mentri besar has become increasingly untenable amid talk that his own party men were planning to table a no-confidence vote against him.

The seeds of this revolt were planted when Ahmad was put in place as BN’s mentri besar soon after last year’s general elections in place of the incumbent Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Idris was not reappointed due to friction with the Terengganu palace.

But The Malaysian Insider understands that the palace will have no objections to Ahmad’s removal as MB if he is unable to hold the government together.

Deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today he would meet the state assemblymen as well as Ahmad in an attempt to bring an end to the political crisis.

More to come

From Bangkok Thailand- “THE ONE SIDED VIOLENCE”

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

Below is a comment to our article ” Two dead as violent clashes rock Thai capital” by a reader which is pertinent so we have put it up as an article.

 

Please read it carefully to understand first hand what is happening in Thailand.

 

Thank You for your views “Bangkok Thailand”

 
Submitted on 2009/04/14 at 1:46pm

I’m writing from Bangkok – the capital of Thailand.

I’m not a press or working for any news/media organization.

I’m just a normal office worker in mid 30’s and share the same point of view with many ‘working class’ people in this country.

I want to make it clear that the recent incident dubbed by many international presses as ‘violence’ is actually the “one-sided violence”. It is the violence created by the Red-Shirt Protestors who at first, claimed that they rallied for the ‘true’ democracy; however, in less than a week, it was so clear to all Thai people that they are just merely a group of street gangsters threatening the security of the people.

Blocking the road, hi-jacking the gas-tank trolleys and parking them in front of the residential areas, hi-jacking the buses and using them to block many roads leading to hospitals, burning the tires, the ATM kiosks, the mosque, the cars, invading the residential lanes, etc. – all of these are nothing but the act of threatening other people’s right for basic peace & security in life.

Can the world believe that their goal for this act is for the ‘true’ democracy?

No matter how violent or chaotic threats they’ve given to the innocent people; the government still believes in ‘peaceful & merciful’ way to deal with them. With the support from the Police and the Army, every police and army soldier was commanded not to shoot the protestors. They only use the ‘paper bullets’ (as they used in practice) – if they aimed to the protestors, and if they shot upwards to the sky to scare the protestors– only when they use the real bullets. So I want to make it clear here that if you see the photo of the soldiers aiming the rifle to the protestors – that’s the paper bullets.

So far, there’re 2 deaths – and that’s innocent people shot dead by the Red-Shirt protestors right in front of their homes.

The Protestors claimed the death toll on their side, and that’s not true, there’s no death, just some minor injuries – this is because the government’s first priority is to protect the security of all Thais no matter what the colour of their shirts is.

And please bear in mind every time you report or hear the interview from the tyrant Thaksin Shinawatra – the coward man running away from this guilt. He has a dirty background and his money is dirty, that’s why he was denied the visa from the UK. He’s behind all the violence, he’s the prime root cause of all the problems, he’s the one who provokes the protestors to create the riot because he thinks that this will ‘reset’ everything and he can return to Thailand as innocent and reclaim the money – the money that he corrupted the whole nation while he’s in the Prime Minister office.

Thailand is still the same country you know, peaceful and happy; we just have one bad citizen – and our government and the Thai people are dealing with him. The end of this guy is soon.

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Terengganu BN revolt

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

The Malaysian Insider

 

 “You cannot make threats on people’s lives … I don’t

 

know why I was targeted.”

 

APRIL 14 – The end is near for Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said after 10 Barisan Nasional (BN) state lawmakers boycotted the state assembly today in a bid to force his resignation.

Bernama named the absentees as Tepoh assemblyman Muhammad Ramli Noh, Mohd Zawawi Ismail (Kuala Berang), Abdul Halim Jusoh (Permaisuri), Datuk Din Adam (Bukit Besi), Datuk Rosol Wahid (Ajil), Alias Abdullah (Alor Limbat), Zakaria Abdullah (Paka), Ramlan Ali (Jabi), Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (Jertih) and Mohd Pehimi Yusof (Kota Putera).

Ahmad’s position as BN’s mentri besar has become increasingly untenable amid talk that his own party men were planning to table a no-confidence vote against him.

The seeds of this revolt were planted when Ahmad was put in place as BN’s mentri besar soon after last year’s general elections in place of the incumbent Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Idris was not reappointed due to friction with the Terengganu palace.

But The Malaysian Insider understands that the palace will have no objections to Ahmad’s removal as MB if he is unable to hold the government together.

Ahmad had warned that any BN men involved in moves to table a no-confidence vote against his government faced expulsion.

The BN rebels are now believed to be holed up in a hotel and are expected to speak to reporters shortly.

A number of BN assemblyman are said to have met with deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to obtain “official sanction” for the revolt.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Ahmad had been picked to be MB last year because he was untainted and was relatively popular among the grassroots.

But he has been seen in recent months to become “vicious”, especially in the removal of various heads of state agencies.

Yesterday, three BN lawmakers also lodged police reports for allegedly receiving death threats in text messages related to the planned no-confidence vote.

The Malaysian Insider understands that some of the text messages have been traced to individuals associated with the MB.

The three assemblymen alleging the death threats are Datuk Rosol Wahid (Ajil), Zakaria Ariffin (Paka) and Halim Jusoh (Pemaisuri).

“As a senior state government official, he should not threaten anyone, what more a state assemblyman like me,” Halim told reporters at the Kuala Terengganu police headquarters. “You cannot make threats on people’s lives … I don’t know why I was targeted.”

Asked whether he would inform the mentri besar of the threat, he said he would not do so because he had lodged a police report, Bernama reported.

Besides the palace, it is understood that the senior leadership of Umno also has no objection to a change of leadership in the state government.

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THE PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA APOLOGIZED TO THE CALL OF THE MIGHTY PEN!

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

An Interesting article at The Might of the Pen Website

THE PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA APOLOGIZED TO THE CALL OF THE MIGHTY PEN!

We wish to inform all readers that both Bernama and Prime Minister Najib have made amendment to their respective websites, to our earlier call for an apology from the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Mighty Pen has brought down the Prime Minister of Malaysia to its terms. Our earlier call for an apology from the Prime Minister of Malaysia can be read here:

To read further please go to :

http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/the-prime-minister-of-malaysia-apologized-to-the-call-of-the-mighty-pen/

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Khairy ibarat kera sumbang

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

 

Kerana menatang kuasa dalam usia muda, Khairy terlupa bahawa sokongan yang diterima selama ini hanya tipu helah dan terpaksa semata-mata.

 

Harakah Daily

SEPERTI yang dijangka, Ahli Parlimen Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar yang baru ditabalkan sebagai Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno 25 April lepas, tiada tempat dalam Kabinet baru pasca Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Khairy memberikan alasan bahawa beliau diberikan task yang amat besar untuk memulihkan Pemuda Umno, sebagai justifikasi tidak tersenarai dalam ‘barisan baru’ Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

Pada saat ini, nasib penentangnya Mukhriz Mahathir jauh lebih baik daripada beliau. Walaupun kalah, Mukhriz dapat juga jawatan Timbalan Menteri.

Masalahnya Khairy terlupa bahawa bukan Pemuda sahaja yang tenat dan harus diperbaiki. Wanita dan Puteri Umno juga gagal berfungsi. Tetapi Ketua Wanita dan Ketua Puteri dilantik sebagai Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri.

Hakikat sebenarnya, seluruh parti Umno berada dalam keadaan tenat. Jika hendak digunakan hujah Khairy, tidak perlu dilantik Menteri-Menteri dari kalangan Umno, biar semua mereka tumpu pulihkan parti.

Tetapi tradisi Umno tidak begitu. Kebanyakan mereka bertanding merebut jawatan dalam Umno, menghabiskan wang sebegitu banyak adalah kerana mereka mahukan jawatan dalam kerajaan.

Dengan kedudukan sebagai Menteri atau Timbalan Menteri, dengan menguasai senarai peruntukan melalui kementerian tertentu, atau dalam erti kata lain, orang-orang Umno-BN mempergunakan jawatan dalam kerajaan untuk survival mereka dalam parti.

Nasib yang menimpa Khairy ini, hanya menunjukkan jawatan Ketua Pemuda Umno yang direbutnya sejak sekian lama, tidak mempunyai nilai apa-apa.

Khairy, Mukhriz dan Khir Toyo berebut ‘sakan’ untuk mendapatkan pencalonan jawatan ketua pemuda. Berbulan-bulan ketika mesyuarat bahagian, mereka berhempas pulas dan menghabiskan tenaga dan wang untuk berkempen.

Ketiga-tiga mereka terpaksa mengharungi empat bulan yang kritikal daripada November 2008 (selepas pencalonan ditutup) sehingga Mac 2009 untuk ‘maintain supporters’ dari kalangan perwakilan Pemuda Umno seluruh negara.

Beratnya serangan balas yang diterima Khairy dan Khir, sehingga mereka dihadapkan ke Lembaga Disiplin Umno atas dakwaan mengamalkan politik wang, namun nasib baik mereka dibebaskan.

Khairy harus sedar bahawa walaupun beliau menang jawatan Ketua Pemuda, ianya bukan petanda beliau diterima oleh Umno. Dua pertiga Pemuda Umno menolaknya, tetapi hanya berpecah undi kepada Khir dan Mukhriz.

Khairy harus sedar bahawa sorakan dan ‘boo’ dari perwakilan Pemuda dan perwakilan Perhimpunan Agung Umno, tatkala namanya disebut sebagai Ketua Pemuda yang baru, di hadapan bapa mertuanya, yang ketika itu masih Presiden Umno, sebagai penolakan secara terang-terangan.

Kedudukan Khairy dalam Umno hanya ibarat bernafas dalam lumpur. Bukan Abdullah Badawi seorang sahaja tidak dikehendaki Umno, malah Khairy dan juak-juaknya dalam Umno dan Kabinet, tidak dikehendaki dan harus dibersihkan.

Bagi orang-orang Umno yang membenci Khairy, inilah saat yang terbaik bagi mereka untuk membalas hukuman, kerana suatu ketika mereka terpaksa tunduk kepada Khairy yang berkuasa penuh menentukan perjalanan parti dan negara.

Besarnya kuasa Abdullah sebagai Presiden Umno dan PM menyebabkan, orang-orang Umno yang berkepentingan takut dan gerun kepadanya. Selama tempoh lebih lima tahun itu juga Khairy terperangkap dalam sebuah ilusi kuasa.

Kerana menatang kuasa dalam usia muda, Khairy terlupa bahawa sokongan yang diterima selama ini hanya tipu helah dan terpaksa semata-mata. Rakan , penyokong setia, kini semuanya sudah tiada dan semakin menjauhi Khairy.

Kedudukan Khairy dalam Umno yang dilihat amat berkuasa suatu ketika, kini hanya ‘melukut ditepi gantang’ sahaja. Lebih hodoh lagi apabila beliau kini ibarat ‘kera sumbang’ dalam Umno.

Orang Umno yang membenci dan menyalahkan Khairy begitu ramai. Bilangan mereka semakin bertambah ketika Najib mula berkuasa. Lalang-lalang ini memang mudah berpaling tadah mengikut angin bertiup.

Hakikatnya, Abdullah sudah tiada. Khairy tiada ‘back-up’. Penentang-penentangnya dari kalangan penyokong Mukhriz begitu ramai, menanti saat yang sesuai untuk menjatuhkannya.

Ketika Khairy menang Ketua Pemuda, mereka bergaduh dan menjerit-jerit dan memaki hamunya sebagai perasuah. Meminjam kata blogger Husin Lempoyang, gelagat mereka di PWTC tempohari, tidak ubah seperti ‘siamang gagap’.

Khairy sebenarnya harus sedar bahawa masa depannya dalam Umno begitu kabur dan gelap. Khairy tidak harus menjadi seperti penglipur lara Pak Pandir dengan mengiyakan sahaja, walaupun nasibnya sentiasa dirundung malang._

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Divided over Najib’s call to unity

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009

“I don’t think it deviates from the Constitution. The Malay special rights are enshrined in the Constitution”

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 – Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malaysia slogan is rapidly becoming yet another controversy to divide Malaysians, veering away from its intention as a call to unity.

One Malaysia is the name of Datuk Seri Najib’s blog as well as the theme of several of his speeches since he became prime minister 10 days ago.

But in recent days, a heated debate has sprung up after two Democratic Action Party (DAP) MPs compared it to Malaysian Malaysia – the slogan of the Chinese-based opposition party.

This caused a fluster as DAP’s slogan is seen as promoting equality regardless of race.

The Utusan Malaysia newspaper yesterday published warnings from Umno politicians and Malay non-governmental organisations to the DAP to avoid mixing up the two concepts to confuse Malaysians.

“This is not Singapore. It is Malaysia where its people have pledged loyalty to king and country. We have the rule of law, don’t try to be treasonous,” independent MP Ibrahim Ali, who also heads various Malay non-governmental organisations, was quoted as saying by Utusan.

The Malaysian Constitution provides for the special position of the Malays, the Malay language and Islam.

The heated debate was inevitable as racial issues have become increasingly divisive over the years. Unlike in the past, calls to unity now stir up demands to resolve prickly issues rather than to sweep them under the carpet.

DAP MP from Penang Jeff Ooi wrote in his blog that people on the street will take One Malaysia to mean the termination of pro-Malay economic policies. He said they will also expect it to mean treating all post-Merdeka Malaysian-born as equals.

Najib has not expounded on the concept, nor spelt out his position on the affirmative action policies.

If he does not do so soon, One Malaysia is in danger of going the way of Islam Hadhari, the brand of progressive Islam promoted by former premier Abdullah Badawi.

Islam Hadhari quickly became different things to different people, and pleased none. It was taken by some groups as a licence to introduce conservative Islamic practices, and used by others to push the boundaries of conversions out of Islam.

Eventually, it failed to heal rifts.

Former newspaper editor A. Kadir Jasin said he believed One Malaysia was intended to lower the racial temperature, but it was an extreme reaction to suggest that it is a copy of Malaysian Malaysia.

“I don’t think it deviates from the Constitution. The Malay special rights are enshrined in the Constitution,” he told The Straits Times.

Kadir said that in line with Najib’s pledge for an open government, the Premier should now listen to Malaysians and consult them on the concept.

But do not expect a smooth debate. This fluster over a simple slogan shows the deep rifts that divide Malaysians. – The Straits Times

 

Gaza onslaught reawakens Palestinian issue among Arabs

Posted in Uncategorized by malaysiasms on April 14, 2009
Arab News
 

The recent Israeli onslaught on the people of Gaza shocked the world with images of dead civilians, including the elderly and children.

Recently Arab News hosted a roundtable discussion on the topic consisting of five young Jeddawis: Photographer Saleem Al-Homsi; Sarah Al-Abdali, a graphics design student at Dar Al-Hekma College; Hidayah M. Abbas, a Dar Al-Hekma student of interior design; and Maram Al-Attas, information communication technologies major.

“I think this was an eye-opener for many people,” said Al-Abdali. “Many people seemed to have lost a sense of responsibility toward the Palestinian cause, and many have felt like ignoring what is happening in Gaza altogether, so an eye-opening situation was needed to get people’s attention.”

Al-Homsi elaborated more on Al-Abdali’s point: “I think for a long time now we are seeing this situation in Gaza … and with every new generation it seems people are forgetting about the situation and it’s very unfortunate. Many people feel that raising awareness about the suffering of Palestinians has to be sustained so that least everyone in the Muslim world knows about it.”

And why have people lost interest?

“I think it’s because of the generational gap between each generation here,” said Al-Homsi. “Every generation now, it seems, knows less and less about the conflict to the point that it has become irrelevant to people.”

Al-Attas said that more should be done to educate people on the situation of the Palestinians.

“With every generation there are new ideas coming in and old ones going out,” she said. “We haven’t been informed about all of the aspects of the situation, all we get is what we see on television and the Internet. Because of this the news always comes as a shock to me personally, I feel that there should be more awareness of Gaza at mosques, schools and homes. It always takes something major like this to occur to make people think about Palestine and the Palestinians. This crisis like the ones before it should assert our commitment and should increase our responsibility toward them.”

Any idea of peace plans or initiative was viewed with skepticism and questioning.

“Before mentioning the Arab peace initiative it is important to ask what does peace represent and if it is possible to exist?” said Al-Abdali. “Under which law would peace be concentrated in a state that makes less than a quarter of its original native people? The idea of creating two states is racist and unjust — and unrealistic taking in mind the Israelis’ refusal to leave their settlements within the Palestinian state; and with the government’s continuous support and contribution toward building settlements; and with children being raised on the Israeli dream of creating a homeland for the Jews from the Nile to the Euphrates. The word ‘peace’ vanishes from the lexicon. A whole generation of Israelis has been raised on capturing lands that doesn’t belong to them by any right. And the conscience of the world is nothing but silent.”

The conversation shifted to how they perceived the Arab leadership during the crisis.

“Peace initiatives of the past have been nothing but failures,” said Al-Abdali. “Negotiating lands that we don’t own will give us nothing. It is important to not neglect the historic lands of Palestine and not accept the normalization of relations with Israel under any condition. Israel will not accept abandoning the lands of 1967 nor let Jerusalem be the capital of Palestine.”

Al-Attas added: “Since the Intifada, and over the past two years, if you add the numbers of martyred people it is triple (the death toll) what just happened in Gaza. Some people might say: ‘There has got to be more numbers of people bombed so others can pay attention to this.’”

“The Holocaust, that is what is happening right now in Gaza,” said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on television. “The president of Israel at this moment should be taken to the International Criminal Court together with the president of the United States.”

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a heated debate with Israeli President Shimon Peres, making his dissatisfaction with the situation in Gaza apparent.

“The Palestinian’s case is not Palestinians’ alone. It concerns Muslims and Arabs,” said Al-Abdali. “Perhaps the Turkish prime minister made it clear as one of the few leaders who demanded an end to the genocide, describing it as a black spot in the history of humanity. The minister’s attitude toward Shimon Peres in Davos was a brave gesture against Israel. Unlike that of Arab leaders, the Turkish opinion echoed around the world.”

As they saw it, non-Muslim governments were more humane than the Islamic nations. Venezuela and Bolivia ended their relations with Israel protesting Israel’s inhumanity. While in the US, during President Bush’s farewell to the White House, the same supportive behavior to its spoiled child Israel was adopted, while criticizing Hamas. This was the response, from a country that fought for years to spread democracy, to a democratic act: The election of Hamas.

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