Source : via Makkal Sakti
HINDRAF
135-3 JALAN TOMAN 7
KEMAYAN SQUARE
70200 SEREMBAN
Y.A.B. Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim
Selangor Menteri Besar
Selangor State Secretariat Office,
Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Tel: 03 5544 7013
40503 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Fax: 03 5519 0032
08/06/08
Y.A.B.Tan Sri,
Re: Father’s Day ISA wish.
Weekly courtesy Public Transport for ISA detainees families from
KL to Kemta, Taiping, Perak.
We refer to the above matter and your statement in Utusan Malaysia last week offering transport and travelling expenses to Kemta prison Kamunting and school children’s allowances.
May we propose that the Selangor state government provides a free courtesy bus service belonging to the Selangor State Government from K.L. to Kemta prison once every week until all ISA detainees are released. This bus service could take off from outside Malaysiakini office in Bangsar, KL at 7am on every Sunday and ISA detainee families to be dropped back at the same point on the return journey. The Y.A.B. Menteri Besar could officially flag of this bus service on a date to be fixed preferably on or in conjunction with Father’s Day shortly. The Gabungan Mansuhkan ISA could be the co-coordinator to inform and publicise this bus service to the ISA detainee families.
This would help further create public awareness to the atrocities of ISA detention without trial besides enhancing family support groups and fellowship among ISA detainee’s families. We would then be able to create a multi-racial ISA family. There would literally be an 8 hour weekly meeting of the ISA families in the bus itself “without the risk of being arrested for unlawful assembly”. Wives and children who have been cruelly separated from their fathers and husbands would be able to show their love, care and affection with courtesy of the Selangor State Government.
This bus service would go a long way in easing the burden of the already financially drained out ISA detainee’s families especially so in the light of the 41% increase in petrol prices announced by the ISA Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on 04/06/08.
Further this would also reduce the risk of a road traffic accident as what happened to the Kota Alam Shah State Assemblyman and ISA Detainee M.Manoharan’s wife and son who were injured in a road traffic accident last Sunday.
This proposal when approved would be the strongest ever Makkal Sakti “people power” support by the Selangor PKR, DAP and PAS State Government in putting to an end to the draconian ISA.
We seek your kind indulgence in this matter.
Thank you,
Yours faithfully,
P.Waytha Moorthy
(Chairman)
Showing posts with label Bangsa Malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangsa Malaysia. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Petition to Get Malaysian Prime Minister to Step Down. "Vote of No Confidence in Parliament"...??
Received this Petition Link from one of my Regular Reader / Visitor...thanks Radha. it's going to be a bumpy ride ahead for our PM, with or without Petrol in his car...!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Expect fresh street protests...
Source : M'Kini
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is wishing that there will not be another round of public protests following the largest increase of fuel prices in history today.
"God willing, I hope Malaysians will not demonstrate over this," said the premier today, who had faced numerous demonstrations previously against similar hikes in fuel prices.
Fuel prices were raised on Feb 27, 2006 by 30 sen - the largest-ever increase at the time - which sparked waves after waves of demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur as well as one in Kuching.
Many of the demonstrations, which lasted for four months, were brutally broken up with tear gas and water cannons.
Another spate of increase on June 1, this time in electricity tariffs, sparked more demonstrations, including one dubbed ‘Bloody Sunday’, which ended with several demonstrators savagely beaten by riot police.
In the midst of all the demonstrations, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak committed a infamous faux pas by urging the public to “change their lifestyle” which was frequently lampooned during the demonstrations.
Likewise, Abdullah had blundered when he told the public not to question how government funds saved from the slashing of subsidies - reportedly RM4.4 billion - would be spent.
Anti-price hikes coalition to meet
Public anger was also fueled by the price hikes of consumer goods and services.
Immediately following the rise in fuel prices, traders began increasing prices of food and other essential goods prompting the Domestic Trade and Industry Ministry to keep tabs on prices.
The ministry also introduce a ‘Fleet Card’ system that would allow commercial vehicles to enjoy a 15-sen per liter fuel subsidy.
Activists behind the 2006 series of demonstrations are expected to reprise their roles following today’s increase in fuel prices.
The Coalition Protesting Against Fuel Hike, or Protes, - which is an alliance of NGOs and opposition parties - was responsible for most of the demonstrations.
It is learnt that the coalition will be meeting soon to discuss the organisation's next course of action.
Two demonstrations are expected tomorrow - one in Ipoh and another in Kuala Lumpur - according to a 10pm blog posting by DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.
In addition to organising demonstrations, Protes produced a booklet titled ‘Fuel Hike: Truth & Questions’ highlighting the coalition’s arguments against the fuel hike.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is wishing that there will not be another round of public protests following the largest increase of fuel prices in history today.
"God willing, I hope Malaysians will not demonstrate over this," said the premier today, who had faced numerous demonstrations previously against similar hikes in fuel prices.
Fuel prices were raised on Feb 27, 2006 by 30 sen - the largest-ever increase at the time - which sparked waves after waves of demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur as well as one in Kuching.
Many of the demonstrations, which lasted for four months, were brutally broken up with tear gas and water cannons.
Another spate of increase on June 1, this time in electricity tariffs, sparked more demonstrations, including one dubbed ‘Bloody Sunday’, which ended with several demonstrators savagely beaten by riot police.
In the midst of all the demonstrations, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak committed a infamous faux pas by urging the public to “change their lifestyle” which was frequently lampooned during the demonstrations.
Likewise, Abdullah had blundered when he told the public not to question how government funds saved from the slashing of subsidies - reportedly RM4.4 billion - would be spent.
Anti-price hikes coalition to meet
Public anger was also fueled by the price hikes of consumer goods and services.
Immediately following the rise in fuel prices, traders began increasing prices of food and other essential goods prompting the Domestic Trade and Industry Ministry to keep tabs on prices.
The ministry also introduce a ‘Fleet Card’ system that would allow commercial vehicles to enjoy a 15-sen per liter fuel subsidy.
Activists behind the 2006 series of demonstrations are expected to reprise their roles following today’s increase in fuel prices.
The Coalition Protesting Against Fuel Hike, or Protes, - which is an alliance of NGOs and opposition parties - was responsible for most of the demonstrations.
It is learnt that the coalition will be meeting soon to discuss the organisation's next course of action.
Two demonstrations are expected tomorrow - one in Ipoh and another in Kuala Lumpur - according to a 10pm blog posting by DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.
In addition to organising demonstrations, Protes produced a booklet titled ‘Fuel Hike: Truth & Questions’ highlighting the coalition’s arguments against the fuel hike.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Uproar over ruling against prayer, statue
Source : NST
IPOH: At the beginning of every Bharatanatyam performance, artistes of this famous South Indian classical dance pay obeisance on stage to a statue of Lord Nadaraja.
This common practice is also carried out to invoke the deity's blessings so that the dancers perform well without any obstacle.
However, on Monday night, a group of Bharatanatyam dancers performed before a full gallery at the Taman Budaya public auditorium without the customary on-stage pooja (prayer) to Lord Nadaraja.
This was because the owner of the venue, the state Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Department, permitted the dance on condition they did not install a statue or portrait of the deity and offer their prayers on stage.
For the record, this is not the first time that dancers from the three Bharatanatyam schools of Nrityakalanjali, Natyakalamandir and Anandanarthana Choodamani in the state had performed at the venue.
In the past, the dancers were allowed to offer their prayers on stage, said P. Sasikumar, who acted as the spokesman for the three dance schools.
"This time we were not allowed because the department imposed this condition.
"This is ridiculous. The pooja is an integral part of the performance and has been practised for hundreds of years," he said before the start of the Bharatanatyam performance at Taman Budaya.
He said the practice of paying obeisance to Lord Nadaraja was important because the deity was worshipped as the king of dance.
In defence, the department said the organisers were informed beforehand of the conditions and chose to go ahead with the performance.
The department's public relations officer, Shaliza Azlin, said the organisers had agreed that the prayers would be performed backstage to respect the sensitivities of the audience, who also comprised Chinese and Malays.
"We did not stop them from doing the pooja. We did not want them to do it in public."
Shaliza said the same conditions had been imposed on other cultural groups.
Perak state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar, who was at the performance, said: "The prayer is very much part of the cultural performance and should have been allowed on the stage."
He said he would bring the matter up with the state government as well as his party so that such "intolerant behaviour" could be nipped in the bud before it became widespread.
IPOH: At the beginning of every Bharatanatyam performance, artistes of this famous South Indian classical dance pay obeisance on stage to a statue of Lord Nadaraja.
This common practice is also carried out to invoke the deity's blessings so that the dancers perform well without any obstacle.
However, on Monday night, a group of Bharatanatyam dancers performed before a full gallery at the Taman Budaya public auditorium without the customary on-stage pooja (prayer) to Lord Nadaraja.
This was because the owner of the venue, the state Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Department, permitted the dance on condition they did not install a statue or portrait of the deity and offer their prayers on stage.
For the record, this is not the first time that dancers from the three Bharatanatyam schools of Nrityakalanjali, Natyakalamandir and Anandanarthana Choodamani in the state had performed at the venue.
In the past, the dancers were allowed to offer their prayers on stage, said P. Sasikumar, who acted as the spokesman for the three dance schools.
"This time we were not allowed because the department imposed this condition.
"This is ridiculous. The pooja is an integral part of the performance and has been practised for hundreds of years," he said before the start of the Bharatanatyam performance at Taman Budaya.
He said the practice of paying obeisance to Lord Nadaraja was important because the deity was worshipped as the king of dance.
In defence, the department said the organisers were informed beforehand of the conditions and chose to go ahead with the performance.
The department's public relations officer, Shaliza Azlin, said the organisers had agreed that the prayers would be performed backstage to respect the sensitivities of the audience, who also comprised Chinese and Malays.
"We did not stop them from doing the pooja. We did not want them to do it in public."
Shaliza said the same conditions had been imposed on other cultural groups.
Perak state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar, who was at the performance, said: "The prayer is very much part of the cultural performance and should have been allowed on the stage."
He said he would bring the matter up with the state government as well as his party so that such "intolerant behaviour" could be nipped in the bud before it became widespread.
PSD scholarships: Publish names, results
Via : M'Kini Voxpopuli
YennaMike Says:"I think Pakatan Raykat should debate this matter and get it out in the open. We all know the ones that deserves those scholarship the most are not getting it besipte having great result...publish the name and results and prove the RAKYAT they deserve the PSD Scholarship...!!!
PSD scholarships: Publish names, results
‘If they have nothing to hide and are telling the truth, why not publish these and also the list of unsuccessful candidates and their grades and the criteria for having rejected them?’
On Wee: PSD scholarships should be given on merit
Voice of Hindraf: The PSD’s claim of 55% of the scholarships for the bumi’s and 45% for non- bumis is an outright lie by Umno. Indians get only about 2% of these scholarships. Get to the point Umno. If the above 45% figure is true, then publish the said names of recipients, their grades etc. Umno could have made this statement before the Nov 25 and the Indians may have believed the same. Umno has to move away from these obsolete cheap media propaganda and gimmicks. You cannot be hoodwinking all the people all the time.
Young Indians are struggling to get PSD scholarships and public university places. Yet, a young Umno graduate is talking about her profits already. Nur Azrin who holds a Bachelor of Science Biotechnology from UM has been issued a license by the government to produce biodiesel. Her company, Agro Biotechnology Technovation (M) Sdn Bhd (ABT), is building the country’s largest biodiesel plant in Kuala Lukut, Port Dickson for RM900 Million. With this kind of calibre, the last thing Umno should do is to deny 40,000 Indian children even their birth certificates (in Selangor alone) and giving only 2% of their scholarships to Indians locally and less than 1% for foreign universities. Tamil school pupils have to study in cabins, JKR stores and even under the trees as their schools are falling apart. How cruel can Umno be?
Umno and PSD are beating around the bush. If you have nothing to hide and are telling the truth, why not publish the names of the successful recipients, their grades and also the list of unsuccessful candidates and their grades and the criteria for having rejected them?
Murugesan Sinnandavar: Umno Youth’s statement against increasing PSD’s scholarship quota for non-bumiputera applicants from 10 percent to 45 percent is a step in a wrong direction. Whilst it is understandable that they have the interest of the Malay students at heart, leaders of BN should not forget that we represent all Malaysians and must place the interest of the nation first. The Malay students need not fear or worry as the government did not decrease the number of Malay students offered PSD Scholarship (1,100) compared to previous years. Nor did they increase the requirement to qualify for such scholarships. The government merely increased the number students that have been offered scholarships in keeping with the large number of non- Malay students that had obtained excellent results. This bodes well for the country and our brain bank.
The cry of non-Malay students that performed well above the minimum cut-off point but were turned down for PSD scholarships year after year is a clear indication that the 10% quota for non- Malays is grossly unfair and deprives many excellent students from pursuing their dreams. An increase to 45% is a step in the right direction and must be welcomed by all. We must not forget that all students, irrespective of race, are children of this nation and must be equitably nurtured. The government must work towards establishing our education system based on meritocracy to benefit from its best students. (The writer is an MIC CWC member)
PT Tan: Looks like those in charge of uplifting academic achievements cannot understand the difference between a bursary and a scholarship. Scholarships are strictly based on merit, nothing more. Meaning the best gets it, period. Bursaries are for those who need financial help to carry on their normal studies and may not necessarily be for top students only.
YennaMike Says:"I think Pakatan Raykat should debate this matter and get it out in the open. We all know the ones that deserves those scholarship the most are not getting it besipte having great result...publish the name and results and prove the RAKYAT they deserve the PSD Scholarship...!!!
PSD scholarships: Publish names, results
‘If they have nothing to hide and are telling the truth, why not publish these and also the list of unsuccessful candidates and their grades and the criteria for having rejected them?’
On Wee: PSD scholarships should be given on merit
Voice of Hindraf: The PSD’s claim of 55% of the scholarships for the bumi’s and 45% for non- bumis is an outright lie by Umno. Indians get only about 2% of these scholarships. Get to the point Umno. If the above 45% figure is true, then publish the said names of recipients, their grades etc. Umno could have made this statement before the Nov 25 and the Indians may have believed the same. Umno has to move away from these obsolete cheap media propaganda and gimmicks. You cannot be hoodwinking all the people all the time.
Young Indians are struggling to get PSD scholarships and public university places. Yet, a young Umno graduate is talking about her profits already. Nur Azrin who holds a Bachelor of Science Biotechnology from UM has been issued a license by the government to produce biodiesel. Her company, Agro Biotechnology Technovation (M) Sdn Bhd (ABT), is building the country’s largest biodiesel plant in Kuala Lukut, Port Dickson for RM900 Million. With this kind of calibre, the last thing Umno should do is to deny 40,000 Indian children even their birth certificates (in Selangor alone) and giving only 2% of their scholarships to Indians locally and less than 1% for foreign universities. Tamil school pupils have to study in cabins, JKR stores and even under the trees as their schools are falling apart. How cruel can Umno be?
Umno and PSD are beating around the bush. If you have nothing to hide and are telling the truth, why not publish the names of the successful recipients, their grades and also the list of unsuccessful candidates and their grades and the criteria for having rejected them?
Murugesan Sinnandavar: Umno Youth’s statement against increasing PSD’s scholarship quota for non-bumiputera applicants from 10 percent to 45 percent is a step in a wrong direction. Whilst it is understandable that they have the interest of the Malay students at heart, leaders of BN should not forget that we represent all Malaysians and must place the interest of the nation first. The Malay students need not fear or worry as the government did not decrease the number of Malay students offered PSD Scholarship (1,100) compared to previous years. Nor did they increase the requirement to qualify for such scholarships. The government merely increased the number students that have been offered scholarships in keeping with the large number of non- Malay students that had obtained excellent results. This bodes well for the country and our brain bank.
The cry of non-Malay students that performed well above the minimum cut-off point but were turned down for PSD scholarships year after year is a clear indication that the 10% quota for non- Malays is grossly unfair and deprives many excellent students from pursuing their dreams. An increase to 45% is a step in the right direction and must be welcomed by all. We must not forget that all students, irrespective of race, are children of this nation and must be equitably nurtured. The government must work towards establishing our education system based on meritocracy to benefit from its best students. (The writer is an MIC CWC member)
PT Tan: Looks like those in charge of uplifting academic achievements cannot understand the difference between a bursary and a scholarship. Scholarships are strictly based on merit, nothing more. Meaning the best gets it, period. Bursaries are for those who need financial help to carry on their normal studies and may not necessarily be for top students only.
MALAYSIA: IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ROYAL POLICE COMMISSION.
Source : MakkalSakti.blogspot.com
Human Rights & Policing Action
Background
The Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police was established by the King on 4 February 2004 under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1950. In its 576-page report, submitted to the Prime Minister on 29 April, and which was publicly released on 12 June 2005, the Commission made 125 recommendations focusing on three main areas of reform - crime reduction, eradicating corruption and observing human rights in policing the country.
Among the key recommendations were:
· Establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) aimed at dealing with complaints regarding the police and seeking to improve the professionalism of the force and to ensure that doctrines, laws, rules and procedures are observed and implemented by the police.
· Establish reasonable grounds before arrest by carrying out test on informants’ allegation and surveillance before acting on a report of an alleged crime.
· Substitute section 113 of CPC which allows any statement taken from a suspect in custody to be used as evidence in court with new provision that specify clear exceptions.
· Record statements or confessions before magistrate pursuant to section 115 of CPC which allows for a right to a lawyer.
· Make compliance with human rights and prescribed laws one of the three top priorities for PDRM.
· Launch a human rights education and information initiative in PDRM.
· Amend section 27 of the Police Act 1967 which emphasise the need to have a police permit to organise gatherings.
· Amend section 73 of the Internal Security Act 1960 to allow a detained person to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours and be allowed access to family and lawyers and limit the detention period to a maximum of 30days.
· Amend section 3 of the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 to allow a detained person to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours and be allowed access to family and lawyers. The Commission also recommends limiting the detention period to a maximum of 30days.
· Repeal Restricted Residence Act 1933 that allows the preventive detention of suspected criminals in a specific residential area that may extend up to the lifetime of a person.
· Repeal Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969.
· Partially repeal the Prevention of Crime Act 1959.
· Amend section 117 CPC to allow for a maximum of 7 days for an arrest without warrant and not more than 24 hours for arrest with warrant and be allowed access to a lawyer and in cases where there is no lawyer present, the magistrate must enquire from a detainee if he wishes to make any complaint regarding his arrest and detention.
· Adopt code of practice relating to the arrest and detention of persons.
· Conduct inquiries into all cases of custodial deaths and make the process more expeditious, transparent and accountable.
· Enhance Special Branch accountability with its powers and responsibilities spelt out in law so that it can function impartially and independently and to clearly define the term ‘security’ to avoid misconception and abuse of power.
The implementation process
The report renewed the hope of an independent, accountable and professional police in Malaysia. The public and concerned groups celebrated these recommendations and looked forward to their immediate implementation.
In June 2005, a Task Force headed by the Prime Minister was set up to study the Commission's report and to determine the order of priority in the implementation of the recommendations.
Unfortunately, until today, civil society and the public at large have been kept in a dark on the specific status of the various recommendations despite the clear and specific timelines set by the Commission.
There is also a major concern on lack of transparency in the process of implementing these recommendations. The lack of progress in implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations especially the matters dealing with human rights is due to the lack of political will on the part of the Malaysian government.
In spite of these recommendations instances of police violence, abuse of power and human rights abuses continued as usual since the report of the Royal Commission were made public. Cases of death in custody, violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrators and other form of human rights violation continued to be reported.
What you can do
Write to the Prime Minister of Malaysia
· Call for a total implementation of the Royal Commissions Report without further delay.
· Emphasize that there are major concern on lack of transparency in the process of implementing these recommendations especially the matters dealing with human rights and
· Ask him demonstrate the political will on the part of the Malaysian government to make the long awaited reform process to this crucial public service to become a reality.
YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Security
Prime Minister's Office Malaysia
Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 PUTRAJAYA Malaysia.
Tel: + 60 3 8888 6000
Fax: + 60 3 8888 3444
Write to the Attorney General to:
·Immediately finalise and table the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill without any delay and major amendments to the Parliament.
Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail
Attorney General
Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia
Level 1-8 Block C3, Parcel C,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62512 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Phone No: 03 - 8885 5000
Fax No: 03 - 8888 9362
Write to the Inspector General of Police and call on him to:
· To make compliance with human rights one of the three top priorities for PDRM.
· To launch a human rights education and information initiative in PDRM.
· Support the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) aimed at dealing with complaints regarding the police and seeking to improve the professionalism of the force and to ensure that doctrines, laws, rules and procedures are observed and implemented by the police.
Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ketua Polis Negara
Ibu Pejabat Polis,
Bukit Aman,
50560 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 03 2262 6015
Fax: 03 2272 5613
Human Rights & Policing Action
Background
The Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police was established by the King on 4 February 2004 under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1950. In its 576-page report, submitted to the Prime Minister on 29 April, and which was publicly released on 12 June 2005, the Commission made 125 recommendations focusing on three main areas of reform - crime reduction, eradicating corruption and observing human rights in policing the country.
Among the key recommendations were:
· Establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) aimed at dealing with complaints regarding the police and seeking to improve the professionalism of the force and to ensure that doctrines, laws, rules and procedures are observed and implemented by the police.
· Establish reasonable grounds before arrest by carrying out test on informants’ allegation and surveillance before acting on a report of an alleged crime.
· Substitute section 113 of CPC which allows any statement taken from a suspect in custody to be used as evidence in court with new provision that specify clear exceptions.
· Record statements or confessions before magistrate pursuant to section 115 of CPC which allows for a right to a lawyer.
· Make compliance with human rights and prescribed laws one of the three top priorities for PDRM.
· Launch a human rights education and information initiative in PDRM.
· Amend section 27 of the Police Act 1967 which emphasise the need to have a police permit to organise gatherings.
· Amend section 73 of the Internal Security Act 1960 to allow a detained person to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours and be allowed access to family and lawyers and limit the detention period to a maximum of 30days.
· Amend section 3 of the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 to allow a detained person to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours and be allowed access to family and lawyers. The Commission also recommends limiting the detention period to a maximum of 30days.
· Repeal Restricted Residence Act 1933 that allows the preventive detention of suspected criminals in a specific residential area that may extend up to the lifetime of a person.
· Repeal Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969.
· Partially repeal the Prevention of Crime Act 1959.
· Amend section 117 CPC to allow for a maximum of 7 days for an arrest without warrant and not more than 24 hours for arrest with warrant and be allowed access to a lawyer and in cases where there is no lawyer present, the magistrate must enquire from a detainee if he wishes to make any complaint regarding his arrest and detention.
· Adopt code of practice relating to the arrest and detention of persons.
· Conduct inquiries into all cases of custodial deaths and make the process more expeditious, transparent and accountable.
· Enhance Special Branch accountability with its powers and responsibilities spelt out in law so that it can function impartially and independently and to clearly define the term ‘security’ to avoid misconception and abuse of power.
The implementation process
The report renewed the hope of an independent, accountable and professional police in Malaysia. The public and concerned groups celebrated these recommendations and looked forward to their immediate implementation.
In June 2005, a Task Force headed by the Prime Minister was set up to study the Commission's report and to determine the order of priority in the implementation of the recommendations.
Unfortunately, until today, civil society and the public at large have been kept in a dark on the specific status of the various recommendations despite the clear and specific timelines set by the Commission.
There is also a major concern on lack of transparency in the process of implementing these recommendations. The lack of progress in implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations especially the matters dealing with human rights is due to the lack of political will on the part of the Malaysian government.
In spite of these recommendations instances of police violence, abuse of power and human rights abuses continued as usual since the report of the Royal Commission were made public. Cases of death in custody, violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrators and other form of human rights violation continued to be reported.
What you can do
Write to the Prime Minister of Malaysia
· Call for a total implementation of the Royal Commissions Report without further delay.
· Emphasize that there are major concern on lack of transparency in the process of implementing these recommendations especially the matters dealing with human rights and
· Ask him demonstrate the political will on the part of the Malaysian government to make the long awaited reform process to this crucial public service to become a reality.
YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Security
Prime Minister's Office Malaysia
Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 PUTRAJAYA Malaysia.
Tel: + 60 3 8888 6000
Fax: + 60 3 8888 3444
Write to the Attorney General to:
·Immediately finalise and table the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill without any delay and major amendments to the Parliament.
Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail
Attorney General
Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia
Level 1-8 Block C3, Parcel C,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62512 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Phone No: 03 - 8885 5000
Fax No: 03 - 8888 9362
Write to the Inspector General of Police and call on him to:
· To make compliance with human rights one of the three top priorities for PDRM.
· To launch a human rights education and information initiative in PDRM.
· Support the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) aimed at dealing with complaints regarding the police and seeking to improve the professionalism of the force and to ensure that doctrines, laws, rules and procedures are observed and implemented by the police.
Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ketua Polis Negara
Ibu Pejabat Polis,
Bukit Aman,
50560 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 03 2262 6015
Fax: 03 2272 5613
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Temple demolition: Report lodged against police 'inaction'
Source : M'Kini
A police report was filed today against Klang district police chief ACP Mohamad Mat Yusop for allegedly not acting on "tens of police reports" that have been lodged over a land transfer and clearance works involving the Sri Maha Nagamuthu Karumariamman temple near Jalan Kapar.
PKR's Kapar member of Parliament S Manikavasagam filed the report this morning, a day after residents living near the 80-year-old temple and activists demonstrated against its planned demolition by the ‘owner' of the temple.
"Tens of police reports have been lodged over several years, but nothing has been done," Manikavasagam told Malaysiakini.
According to Manikavasagam, workers for the current owner - who allegedly acquired the one-hectare land on which the temple stands through dubious means - had already broken parts of the roof of the temple and broken or taken down the statues contained inside.
"We're still doing research regarding the owner, but we believe the owner is connected to a local state assemblyperson and has development plans for the land. We believe the land costs up to RM3 million, maybe more," said Manikavasagam.
He said numerous police reports had been lodged since the temple caretaker E Muthu Kumar discovered the land was transferred to somebody else.
Muthu claimed that he had lived on the land for over 50 years and that his father had been given the land by its original landowner.
A protracted struggle
The original landowner, Harbhajan Singh, is said to have migrated to India in 1973 and died there in the 1980s.
In 1996, however, Muthu found that the land had earlier been transferred to one ‘Lin Chee Yong', who obtained in 2000 a Shah Alam High Court order for the land to be vacated.
A protracted struggle then ensued between Lin and Muthu, which saw contempt charges as well as a spate of police reports being filed between the parties against the other.
In 2007, Muthu applied for the Shah Alam High Court to set aside its earlier decision on the basis that the land transfer was allegedly "fraudulently obtained".
Muthu's lawyer Dr SN Pathmanabhan said this claim was based on the finding that Harbhajan's identity card (IC) number as contained in the memorandum of transfer to Lin actually belonged to a Chinese woman residing in Kuala Lipis, Pahang.
He also said that contrary to the practice of Punjabis of his generation, Harbhajan - who would have been in his 80s in 1996 - had written in "very precise English".
"The signature, furthermore, did not look like that of an 80-plus year old but that of a much stronger, younger person," he told Malaysiakini.
Pathmanabhan also said the payment of RM850,000 that Harbhajan allegedly received for the sale of his land actually never materialised.
Over and above all of these reasons, he added, was the fact that Harbhajan had died in India in the 1980s but supposedly entered in 1996 into a transaction to sell the land concerned.
A police report was filed today against Klang district police chief ACP Mohamad Mat Yusop for allegedly not acting on "tens of police reports" that have been lodged over a land transfer and clearance works involving the Sri Maha Nagamuthu Karumariamman temple near Jalan Kapar.
MCPX
PKR's Kapar member of Parliament S Manikavasagam filed the report this morning, a day after residents living near the 80-year-old temple and activists demonstrated against its planned demolition by the ‘owner' of the temple.
"Tens of police reports have been lodged over several years, but nothing has been done," Manikavasagam told Malaysiakini.
According to Manikavasagam, workers for the current owner - who allegedly acquired the one-hectare land on which the temple stands through dubious means - had already broken parts of the roof of the temple and broken or taken down the statues contained inside.
"We're still doing research regarding the owner, but we believe the owner is connected to a local state assemblyperson and has development plans for the land. We believe the land costs up to RM3 million, maybe more," said Manikavasagam.
He said numerous police reports had been lodged since the temple caretaker E Muthu Kumar discovered the land was transferred to somebody else.
Muthu claimed that he had lived on the land for over 50 years and that his father had been given the land by its original landowner.
A protracted struggle
The original landowner, Harbhajan Singh, is said to have migrated to India in 1973 and died there in the 1980s.
In 1996, however, Muthu found that the land had earlier been transferred to one ‘Lin Chee Yong', who obtained in 2000 a Shah Alam High Court order for the land to be vacated.
A protracted struggle then ensued between Lin and Muthu, which saw contempt charges as well as a spate of police reports being filed between the parties against the other.
In 2007, Muthu applied for the Shah Alam High Court to set aside its earlier decision on the basis that the land transfer was allegedly "fraudulently obtained".
Muthu's lawyer Dr SN Pathmanabhan said this claim was based on the finding that Harbhajan's identity card (IC) number as contained in the memorandum of transfer to Lin actually belonged to a Chinese woman residing in Kuala Lipis, Pahang.
He also said that contrary to the practice of Punjabis of his generation, Harbhajan - who would have been in his 80s in 1996 - had written in "very precise English".
"The signature, furthermore, did not look like that of an 80-plus year old but that of a much stronger, younger person," he told Malaysiakini.
Pathmanabhan also said the payment of RM850,000 that Harbhajan allegedly received for the sale of his land actually never materialised.
Over and above all of these reasons, he added, was the fact that Harbhajan had died in India in the 1980s but supposedly entered in 1996 into a transaction to sell the land concerned.
Police inaction
Pathmanabhan said the Shah Alam High Court had set Aug 27 this year to hear the application to set aside the 2000 court order.
Parallel to the case, said Manikavasagam, his concern today was for the police to address the questions of Muthu and the patrons of the temple as to why they had not acted on the numerous reports lodged on Lin's efforts to clear the land.
These efforts were taken despite the ongoing court proceedings and included efforts to dislodge Muthu, the disconnection of the temple's water supply, and damage done to the gates and other parts of the temple building, he said.
On Oct 1, 2007, a police report was lodged claiming threats had been made to the lives of the Muthu and his family, Manikavasagam added.
"We lodged the police report against ACP Mohamad Mat because the police had not acted on that and the many other reports that had been lodged," said Manikavasagam.
ACP Mohamad Mat could not be reached for comments.
A police report was filed today against Klang district police chief ACP Mohamad Mat Yusop for allegedly not acting on "tens of police reports" that have been lodged over a land transfer and clearance works involving the Sri Maha Nagamuthu Karumariamman temple near Jalan Kapar.
PKR's Kapar member of Parliament S Manikavasagam filed the report this morning, a day after residents living near the 80-year-old temple and activists demonstrated against its planned demolition by the ‘owner' of the temple.
"Tens of police reports have been lodged over several years, but nothing has been done," Manikavasagam told Malaysiakini.
According to Manikavasagam, workers for the current owner - who allegedly acquired the one-hectare land on which the temple stands through dubious means - had already broken parts of the roof of the temple and broken or taken down the statues contained inside.
"We're still doing research regarding the owner, but we believe the owner is connected to a local state assemblyperson and has development plans for the land. We believe the land costs up to RM3 million, maybe more," said Manikavasagam.
He said numerous police reports had been lodged since the temple caretaker E Muthu Kumar discovered the land was transferred to somebody else.
Muthu claimed that he had lived on the land for over 50 years and that his father had been given the land by its original landowner.
A protracted struggle
The original landowner, Harbhajan Singh, is said to have migrated to India in 1973 and died there in the 1980s.
In 1996, however, Muthu found that the land had earlier been transferred to one ‘Lin Chee Yong', who obtained in 2000 a Shah Alam High Court order for the land to be vacated.
A protracted struggle then ensued between Lin and Muthu, which saw contempt charges as well as a spate of police reports being filed between the parties against the other.
In 2007, Muthu applied for the Shah Alam High Court to set aside its earlier decision on the basis that the land transfer was allegedly "fraudulently obtained".
Muthu's lawyer Dr SN Pathmanabhan said this claim was based on the finding that Harbhajan's identity card (IC) number as contained in the memorandum of transfer to Lin actually belonged to a Chinese woman residing in Kuala Lipis, Pahang.
He also said that contrary to the practice of Punjabis of his generation, Harbhajan - who would have been in his 80s in 1996 - had written in "very precise English".
"The signature, furthermore, did not look like that of an 80-plus year old but that of a much stronger, younger person," he told Malaysiakini.
Pathmanabhan also said the payment of RM850,000 that Harbhajan allegedly received for the sale of his land actually never materialised.
Over and above all of these reasons, he added, was the fact that Harbhajan had died in India in the 1980s but supposedly entered in 1996 into a transaction to sell the land concerned.
A police report was filed today against Klang district police chief ACP Mohamad Mat Yusop for allegedly not acting on "tens of police reports" that have been lodged over a land transfer and clearance works involving the Sri Maha Nagamuthu Karumariamman temple near Jalan Kapar.
MCPX
PKR's Kapar member of Parliament S Manikavasagam filed the report this morning, a day after residents living near the 80-year-old temple and activists demonstrated against its planned demolition by the ‘owner' of the temple.
"Tens of police reports have been lodged over several years, but nothing has been done," Manikavasagam told Malaysiakini.
According to Manikavasagam, workers for the current owner - who allegedly acquired the one-hectare land on which the temple stands through dubious means - had already broken parts of the roof of the temple and broken or taken down the statues contained inside.
"We're still doing research regarding the owner, but we believe the owner is connected to a local state assemblyperson and has development plans for the land. We believe the land costs up to RM3 million, maybe more," said Manikavasagam.
He said numerous police reports had been lodged since the temple caretaker E Muthu Kumar discovered the land was transferred to somebody else.
Muthu claimed that he had lived on the land for over 50 years and that his father had been given the land by its original landowner.
A protracted struggle
The original landowner, Harbhajan Singh, is said to have migrated to India in 1973 and died there in the 1980s.
In 1996, however, Muthu found that the land had earlier been transferred to one ‘Lin Chee Yong', who obtained in 2000 a Shah Alam High Court order for the land to be vacated.
A protracted struggle then ensued between Lin and Muthu, which saw contempt charges as well as a spate of police reports being filed between the parties against the other.
In 2007, Muthu applied for the Shah Alam High Court to set aside its earlier decision on the basis that the land transfer was allegedly "fraudulently obtained".
Muthu's lawyer Dr SN Pathmanabhan said this claim was based on the finding that Harbhajan's identity card (IC) number as contained in the memorandum of transfer to Lin actually belonged to a Chinese woman residing in Kuala Lipis, Pahang.
He also said that contrary to the practice of Punjabis of his generation, Harbhajan - who would have been in his 80s in 1996 - had written in "very precise English".
"The signature, furthermore, did not look like that of an 80-plus year old but that of a much stronger, younger person," he told Malaysiakini.
Pathmanabhan also said the payment of RM850,000 that Harbhajan allegedly received for the sale of his land actually never materialised.
Over and above all of these reasons, he added, was the fact that Harbhajan had died in India in the 1980s but supposedly entered in 1996 into a transaction to sell the land concerned.
Police inaction
Pathmanabhan said the Shah Alam High Court had set Aug 27 this year to hear the application to set aside the 2000 court order.
Parallel to the case, said Manikavasagam, his concern today was for the police to address the questions of Muthu and the patrons of the temple as to why they had not acted on the numerous reports lodged on Lin's efforts to clear the land.
These efforts were taken despite the ongoing court proceedings and included efforts to dislodge Muthu, the disconnection of the temple's water supply, and damage done to the gates and other parts of the temple building, he said.
On Oct 1, 2007, a police report was lodged claiming threats had been made to the lives of the Muthu and his family, Manikavasagam added.
"We lodged the police report against ACP Mohamad Mat because the police had not acted on that and the many other reports that had been lodged," said Manikavasagam.
ACP Mohamad Mat could not be reached for comments.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Dreams for scholarship shattered by PSD
By : Disappointed Student via M'Kini
YennaMike Says : "Why Malaysia why...??, why are you treating our potential youths this way...please provide fair higher education for all, be very fair in giving out Scholarships...and i urge the government be transparent on this since we all know we have a very corrupted government...!!!"
I refer to the letter The dilemma of 'Malaysian' scholars
I was also like many others who wrote in hoping and praying hard that I will get a PSD scholarship. However the reality of injustice materialised when I found out I didn’t get this offer upon which I had placed all my hope. Other similarities I have, include obtaining a string of As (10 A1s and 2 A2s), being rejected for matriculation as well as having parents working in the government sector.
I also have outstanding co-curricular results. I didn’t even bother applying for the Asasi programme (local university foundation) as I was too devastated when I found out that non-bumiputeras who wanted to pursue medicine were not allowed to enrol themselves in these programmes.
I even went as far as to call every university in the list to ascertain this very painful reality. All I can do now is hope my appeal for a PSD scholarship will come through. My heart goes out to all the other high-achievers in our country who have been discriminated in a similar way.
My concern is why doesn’t the government have a system solely based on meritocracy to give the opportunity to those truly deserving of a scholarship. These students might feel as if all their hard work and talent has not been appreciated and they will be terribly hurt.
Also, it will serve as a terrible blow to their perception towards the country. This unjust system will backfire on the country itself as it is preventing deserving students from becoming future leaders of our country. Consequently, our country is denied the fast pace of development it is capable of.
What of the quality of students who are entering the local public universities having not obtained one of the 2,000 PSD foreign study scholarships every year? I have ‘friends’ who are not up to par with me and are able to obtain scholarships and enter our local universities easily.
I myself feel very hurt as I ponder upon our dilemma, the non-bumis, who really did come from this bumi here in Malaysia. We have the love for Malaysia and are prepared to strive our best for the country. Our love for the country is equal if not more than the bumi.
I think I speak for all the non-bumis by saying we would never let the country down given the chance. However, I am confounded on why we are condemned to such a situation. Why treat us unfairly? Is this the government’s way of creating unity among races they continually speak of?
For the good of Malaysia; it’s people, it’s sovereignty, and national integration I hope now will be the time where we can all be equal Malaysian bumiputeras. Everyday we hear the cries of many students who seem to undergo the same fate and everyday the love and hope for my country dwindles as well. Please don’t fail me, Malaysia.
YennaMike Says : "Why Malaysia why...??, why are you treating our potential youths this way...please provide fair higher education for all, be very fair in giving out Scholarships...and i urge the government be transparent on this since we all know we have a very corrupted government...!!!"
I refer to the letter The dilemma of 'Malaysian' scholars
I was also like many others who wrote in hoping and praying hard that I will get a PSD scholarship. However the reality of injustice materialised when I found out I didn’t get this offer upon which I had placed all my hope. Other similarities I have, include obtaining a string of As (10 A1s and 2 A2s), being rejected for matriculation as well as having parents working in the government sector.
I also have outstanding co-curricular results. I didn’t even bother applying for the Asasi programme (local university foundation) as I was too devastated when I found out that non-bumiputeras who wanted to pursue medicine were not allowed to enrol themselves in these programmes.
I even went as far as to call every university in the list to ascertain this very painful reality. All I can do now is hope my appeal for a PSD scholarship will come through. My heart goes out to all the other high-achievers in our country who have been discriminated in a similar way.
My concern is why doesn’t the government have a system solely based on meritocracy to give the opportunity to those truly deserving of a scholarship. These students might feel as if all their hard work and talent has not been appreciated and they will be terribly hurt.
Also, it will serve as a terrible blow to their perception towards the country. This unjust system will backfire on the country itself as it is preventing deserving students from becoming future leaders of our country. Consequently, our country is denied the fast pace of development it is capable of.
What of the quality of students who are entering the local public universities having not obtained one of the 2,000 PSD foreign study scholarships every year? I have ‘friends’ who are not up to par with me and are able to obtain scholarships and enter our local universities easily.
I myself feel very hurt as I ponder upon our dilemma, the non-bumis, who really did come from this bumi here in Malaysia. We have the love for Malaysia and are prepared to strive our best for the country. Our love for the country is equal if not more than the bumi.
I think I speak for all the non-bumis by saying we would never let the country down given the chance. However, I am confounded on why we are condemned to such a situation. Why treat us unfairly? Is this the government’s way of creating unity among races they continually speak of?
For the good of Malaysia; it’s people, it’s sovereignty, and national integration I hope now will be the time where we can all be equal Malaysian bumiputeras. Everyday we hear the cries of many students who seem to undergo the same fate and everyday the love and hope for my country dwindles as well. Please don’t fail me, Malaysia.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Professionals, youths to be roped in to run MIC
Source : The Star
YennaMike Says : "Errr...who have been running MIC all these while then if it is not Professionals and Youths...eeerrrmmmm"
KANGAR: More professionals and youths will be roped in to run the MIC branches in a bid to regain the Indian community's trust and confidence in the party and Barisan Nasional, president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.
He said the MIC would have to think of new strategies to woo them into the party as previous approaches may have not been acceptable.
Speaking Friday at the opening of the Perlis MIC state convention here, he said the party has set its sights on young graduates.
He also said the MIC would discard the “old methods” that had prevented them from voicing their ideas and dissatisfaction through the party.
“We want to allow for more voices, especially from the professionals and youths, to be heard,” he said, adding that the move was part of the party’s re-branding exercise that was launched recently.
Samy Vellu said the time has come for the party to re-look at the way the branches and divisions have been operating and inject new dynamism and work culture among the leaders.
He said what the party needed to do now was to stop the “soul searching" process and the “denial syndrome” and get on with the job of rejuvenating the MIC.
He said that the MIC would give its “full backing” for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to fulfil the pledges made by the Barisan Nasional in the last general election.
“This is our priority now. We want the Government to fulfil all its pledges made in the Ninth Malaysia Plan for the Indians,” he said, adding that by doing so, it would regain the Indians’ trust in the Government and the Barisan Nasional.
YennaMike Says : "Errr...who have been running MIC all these while then if it is not Professionals and Youths...eeerrrmmmm"
KANGAR: More professionals and youths will be roped in to run the MIC branches in a bid to regain the Indian community's trust and confidence in the party and Barisan Nasional, president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.
He said the MIC would have to think of new strategies to woo them into the party as previous approaches may have not been acceptable.
Speaking Friday at the opening of the Perlis MIC state convention here, he said the party has set its sights on young graduates.
He also said the MIC would discard the “old methods” that had prevented them from voicing their ideas and dissatisfaction through the party.
“We want to allow for more voices, especially from the professionals and youths, to be heard,” he said, adding that the move was part of the party’s re-branding exercise that was launched recently.
Samy Vellu said the time has come for the party to re-look at the way the branches and divisions have been operating and inject new dynamism and work culture among the leaders.
He said what the party needed to do now was to stop the “soul searching" process and the “denial syndrome” and get on with the job of rejuvenating the MIC.
He said that the MIC would give its “full backing” for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to fulfil the pledges made by the Barisan Nasional in the last general election.
“This is our priority now. We want the Government to fulfil all its pledges made in the Ninth Malaysia Plan for the Indians,” he said, adding that by doing so, it would regain the Indians’ trust in the Government and the Barisan Nasional.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Uthaya's new bid for freedom, this time for medical negligence
Source : M'Kini
A fresh habeas corpus has been filed by a detained Hindu Action Rights Force (Hindraf) leader against the Internal Security Ministry and Kamunting detention centre authorities for medical negligence and endangerment to life.
Lawyer N Surendran filed the habeas corpus application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today on behalf of P Uthayakumar who claimed he has been denied medication for his diabetes.
Uthayakumar is also claiming that the camp authorities refused to admit him into the National Heart Institute (IJN) despite being told by doctors to do so.
The hearing is set for June 25.
Uthayakumar is among the five Hindraf leaders currently detained in Kamunting under the Internal Security Act for alleged terrorist links.
Habeas corpus is a writ ordering prisoners to be brought before a court or judge to ascertain if there are any procedural defects which could render their detention unlawful.
A fresh habeas corpus has been filed by a detained Hindu Action Rights Force (Hindraf) leader against the Internal Security Ministry and Kamunting detention centre authorities for medical negligence and endangerment to life.
Lawyer N Surendran filed the habeas corpus application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today on behalf of P Uthayakumar who claimed he has been denied medication for his diabetes.
Uthayakumar is also claiming that the camp authorities refused to admit him into the National Heart Institute (IJN) despite being told by doctors to do so.
The hearing is set for June 25.
Uthayakumar is among the five Hindraf leaders currently detained in Kamunting under the Internal Security Act for alleged terrorist links.
Habeas corpus is a writ ordering prisoners to be brought before a court or judge to ascertain if there are any procedural defects which could render their detention unlawful.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
SHAHRIR:PREPARE FOR ANOTHER GENERAL ELECTION.
Source : M'Kini
In the wake of the shocking news that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had quit Umno, a senior party leader said that the country could face another general elections.
Shahrir Samad, the minister for domestic trade and consumer affairs, said Mahathir's surprise move could trigger a flurry of resignations from the embattled party that could force Abdullah to hold fresh general elections.
"By Tun doing this it could cause a situation where many other Umno lawmakers might resign," he said, using Mahathir's honorific title.
"If this happens then the government has no choice but to form a new government or call a fresh general election," Shahrir told AFP.
"Certainly it is not helpful or constructive to the struggle of Umno right now," he said, as the party fends off a challenge from opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim who says he could soon seize power with the help of defectors.
Shahrir, who is Johor Baru parliamentarian and Umno supreme council member, said that while Anwar was threatening to snatch lawmakers from the smaller parties with which Umno rules in coalition, Mahathir could chip away at the ranks of the ruling party itself.
"This will be a reduction of the number of Umno lawmakers which is the ruling party of the present government," he said.
"I suppose it is Mahathir's way of trying to force a call for a referendum from the grassroots."
The Star's website quoted Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib as saying he was surprised at Mahathir's abrupt departure.
"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.
Asked whether Umno would convene an emergency meeting in response to the move, he said that "we will wait and see".
Son: Mahathir to send letter to Umno sec-gen
Mahathir, 82, joined Umno at its inception in 1946 and he has weathered a number of storms including his expulsion from the party in 1969 and a 1988 crisis when Umno was declared illegal.
"Mahathir has resigned from Umno in protest over Pak Lah's continued leadership as both the prime minister and president of Umno," Mokhzani Mahathir told AFP, referring to Abdullah by his nickname.
"He will also write a letter to the Umno secretary-general to inform him of his resignation," he said, adding that Mahathir announced his departure during a speech today in Alor Star, the capital of his home state Kedah.
"He made it clear at the gathering at Alor Star that he is resigning in protest over the current leadership," he said.
Mahathir ruled Malaysia and the dominant Umno for 22 years until 2003 when he handed over to Abdullah, his hand-picked successor.
However in recent times he has been a vocal critic of Abdullah's administration and since disastrous March general elections, which produced Umno's worst ever results, has actively campaigned for him to step down.
In the wake of the shocking news that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had quit Umno, a senior party leader said that the country could face another general elections.
Shahrir Samad, the minister for domestic trade and consumer affairs, said Mahathir's surprise move could trigger a flurry of resignations from the embattled party that could force Abdullah to hold fresh general elections.
"By Tun doing this it could cause a situation where many other Umno lawmakers might resign," he said, using Mahathir's honorific title.
"If this happens then the government has no choice but to form a new government or call a fresh general election," Shahrir told AFP.
"Certainly it is not helpful or constructive to the struggle of Umno right now," he said, as the party fends off a challenge from opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim who says he could soon seize power with the help of defectors.
Shahrir, who is Johor Baru parliamentarian and Umno supreme council member, said that while Anwar was threatening to snatch lawmakers from the smaller parties with which Umno rules in coalition, Mahathir could chip away at the ranks of the ruling party itself.
"This will be a reduction of the number of Umno lawmakers which is the ruling party of the present government," he said.
"I suppose it is Mahathir's way of trying to force a call for a referendum from the grassroots."
The Star's website quoted Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib as saying he was surprised at Mahathir's abrupt departure.
"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.
Asked whether Umno would convene an emergency meeting in response to the move, he said that "we will wait and see".
Son: Mahathir to send letter to Umno sec-gen
Mahathir, 82, joined Umno at its inception in 1946 and he has weathered a number of storms including his expulsion from the party in 1969 and a 1988 crisis when Umno was declared illegal.
"Mahathir has resigned from Umno in protest over Pak Lah's continued leadership as both the prime minister and president of Umno," Mokhzani Mahathir told AFP, referring to Abdullah by his nickname.
"He will also write a letter to the Umno secretary-general to inform him of his resignation," he said, adding that Mahathir announced his departure during a speech today in Alor Star, the capital of his home state Kedah.
"He made it clear at the gathering at Alor Star that he is resigning in protest over the current leadership," he said.
Mahathir ruled Malaysia and the dominant Umno for 22 years until 2003 when he handed over to Abdullah, his hand-picked successor.
However in recent times he has been a vocal critic of Abdullah's administration and since disastrous March general elections, which produced Umno's worst ever results, has actively campaigned for him to step down.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Waythamoorthy: I'll be back
Source : M'Kini
The following is the full statement from Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy on the revocation of his passport at London’s Gatwick Airport two weeks ago.
I was travelling back to London from Geneva after the Hindraf briefing with the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights on April 21, 2008 and was totally shocked to be informed by the UK immigration officer at Gatwick Airport that the Malaysian government had revoked my passport thus making me de facto stateless.
I see only one purpose. The Malaysian government had intended that I be deported back to Malaysia by the British authorities so that I too could be arrested under the draconian Internal Security Act and be detained for unspecified period of time without trial and be subject to torture and inhumane treatment for my political beliefs.
I have not committed any offence or crime other than to champion the cause of the systematically marginalised, discriminated and alienated ethnic Indian community in Malaysia who remained a permanently colonised community despite achieving independence 51 years ago.
It is most distressing to learn that, the land that my forefathers toiled as indentured labourers and one that I had been made citizen by the will of the unavoidable circumstances has decided to banish and exile me for speaking and advocating the truth that was never spoken off before.
The government has once again acted according to its whims and fancy without a second thought of the public or for the good of the public.
The Malaysian government repetitively had oppressed, suppressed and persecuted all causes of Hindraf by their act of totalitarianism from the very beginning but nevertheless the will and spirit of the Hindraf supporters have been the beacon of hope for the new strength founded upon our new found ‘Makkal Sakthi’ (people’s power).
The callous and cowardly acts of the government against me not only undermine their credibility domestically but also internationally. The government needs to realise that the Malaysian public can no longer be cowed as the public are no longer the sheep that begets the government wolves.
The government may use its best weapon in attempting to stall and break me but they fail to realise that I derive my strength from my ‘Makkal Sakthi’, and that is all that I need to carry on the torch and fight for the unjust cause of the ethnic Indians in Malaysia even if it means championing my cause from exile.
As much as I have been coerced, castigated by the Malaysian government, so have the Hindraf supporters. Hindraf supporters have shown unprecedented courage and character for the truth. It only motivates me further to pursue our goals.
They will never break my spirit
The revocation of my passport is probably the last ditch desperate effort by the Malaysian government in crippling my international lobby for the cause of the Indian Malaysians.
This unwarranted act has given me a greater "inner" strength to continue to fight for the struggle of Indian Malaysians and for the unconditional release of my fellow brothers held unjustly in Kamunting.
The government can unleash all the man made mechanism to stifle and silence me, but I have the backing of ‘Makkal Sakthi’ and that alone is sufficient for me to continue my fight for the people.
In ‘Makkal Sakthi’, I have found the truthness of my cause for the people. In today's world, utterance of truth is seen as a revolutionary action, and my quest for the truth is considered as a hindrance for the government. My judge is the people not the government.
I will continue this struggle until my last breath. They may break me but they will never be able to break my will and spirit that is derived from the people for the truth is in it.
I shall continue the struggle for the "freedom" of the ethnic Indian Malaysians from London and urge all Hindraf supporters to remain calm as they have always been. I shall forever remain a loyal Malaysian and will return to Malaysia soon to continue and accomplish what I had started.
The following is the full statement from Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy on the revocation of his passport at London’s Gatwick Airport two weeks ago.
I was travelling back to London from Geneva after the Hindraf briefing with the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights on April 21, 2008 and was totally shocked to be informed by the UK immigration officer at Gatwick Airport that the Malaysian government had revoked my passport thus making me de facto stateless.
I see only one purpose. The Malaysian government had intended that I be deported back to Malaysia by the British authorities so that I too could be arrested under the draconian Internal Security Act and be detained for unspecified period of time without trial and be subject to torture and inhumane treatment for my political beliefs.
I have not committed any offence or crime other than to champion the cause of the systematically marginalised, discriminated and alienated ethnic Indian community in Malaysia who remained a permanently colonised community despite achieving independence 51 years ago.
It is most distressing to learn that, the land that my forefathers toiled as indentured labourers and one that I had been made citizen by the will of the unavoidable circumstances has decided to banish and exile me for speaking and advocating the truth that was never spoken off before.
The government has once again acted according to its whims and fancy without a second thought of the public or for the good of the public.
The Malaysian government repetitively had oppressed, suppressed and persecuted all causes of Hindraf by their act of totalitarianism from the very beginning but nevertheless the will and spirit of the Hindraf supporters have been the beacon of hope for the new strength founded upon our new found ‘Makkal Sakthi’ (people’s power).
The callous and cowardly acts of the government against me not only undermine their credibility domestically but also internationally. The government needs to realise that the Malaysian public can no longer be cowed as the public are no longer the sheep that begets the government wolves.
The government may use its best weapon in attempting to stall and break me but they fail to realise that I derive my strength from my ‘Makkal Sakthi’, and that is all that I need to carry on the torch and fight for the unjust cause of the ethnic Indians in Malaysia even if it means championing my cause from exile.
As much as I have been coerced, castigated by the Malaysian government, so have the Hindraf supporters. Hindraf supporters have shown unprecedented courage and character for the truth. It only motivates me further to pursue our goals.
They will never break my spirit
The revocation of my passport is probably the last ditch desperate effort by the Malaysian government in crippling my international lobby for the cause of the Indian Malaysians.
This unwarranted act has given me a greater "inner" strength to continue to fight for the struggle of Indian Malaysians and for the unconditional release of my fellow brothers held unjustly in Kamunting.
The government can unleash all the man made mechanism to stifle and silence me, but I have the backing of ‘Makkal Sakthi’ and that alone is sufficient for me to continue my fight for the people.
In ‘Makkal Sakthi’, I have found the truthness of my cause for the people. In today's world, utterance of truth is seen as a revolutionary action, and my quest for the truth is considered as a hindrance for the government. My judge is the people not the government.
I will continue this struggle until my last breath. They may break me but they will never be able to break my will and spirit that is derived from the people for the truth is in it.
I shall continue the struggle for the "freedom" of the ethnic Indian Malaysians from London and urge all Hindraf supporters to remain calm as they have always been. I shall forever remain a loyal Malaysian and will return to Malaysia soon to continue and accomplish what I had started.
He may be blind but he can see a smile and hear many whispers...Hats off for you SIR...!!!
Source : NST
THE prank may have been mean but M. Thavasothy Pillai, who is blind, took his Teachers Day joke in good faith.
On that day some years back, the SMK Taman Petaling class that Thavasothy was about to teach had switched with a class next door to fool the 56-year-old.
But the wise man could sense something fishy when he did not hear the familiar sounds of his students when they replied to his greeting.
Far from being angry, he laughed with them and told them their game was up.
"I was not hurt as I knew they were playing a trick on me but I guess I was too clever for them," he said with a laugh.
The 2007 Tokoh Guru Selangor recipient said he could tell if his sighted students were paying attention to him.
"I'll know if they are not paying attention if I hear them whispering. I would usually quiz them frequently during my teaching or ask them to read back what I had dictated."
He retired last month, having served as a teacher since 1980.
"Teaching was not my first choice of a job. I could not get a job as a researcher after getting my degree," said the father of two medical undergraduates.
He said society was not confident about giving the physically-challenged a chance to prove themselves.
"It is nice to hear society saying it should do more for the poor and underprivileged but saying something and doing something are two different things," said the holder of a Master in Special Education from the University of Tasmania, Australia.
Nevertheless, he enjoyed teaching his students, especially his favourite subject history, which many youngsters found boring.
"I always tell my new students 'I'll try my best to make the subject as interesting as possible. I'll make you fall in love with the subject'," he said.
He even gave nicknames to students based on local historical figures such as Parameswara and Hang Tuah, which students would write down next to their names on their exam papers.
"I wanted them to be involved to show them that history is not a dead subject. History is important as what happened in the past is happening in the present," he said.
The widower said he never once took medical leave during his teaching days, more so when exam time was approaching, feeling he would let down students who may have had questions.
"I feel just as nervous as them during exam time because I would remember how I used to panic during my time."
He said he felt proud when his students produced good results as it made teaching a worthwhile job.
He added that teachers must come down to the students' level, learning their likes and dislikes as student life cannot just be focused on academics.
He said if teachers these days did not like their jobs, they should not show their hatred or frustration as it would be reflected in their teaching.
"Teaching is not an enjoyable profession as it once was; it is hard to keep students interested. Some are rebellious and talk back and show no respect for authority."
He said teachers must show authority the right way and be patient with students.
THE prank may have been mean but M. Thavasothy Pillai, who is blind, took his Teachers Day joke in good faith.
On that day some years back, the SMK Taman Petaling class that Thavasothy was about to teach had switched with a class next door to fool the 56-year-old.
But the wise man could sense something fishy when he did not hear the familiar sounds of his students when they replied to his greeting.
Far from being angry, he laughed with them and told them their game was up.
"I was not hurt as I knew they were playing a trick on me but I guess I was too clever for them," he said with a laugh.
The 2007 Tokoh Guru Selangor recipient said he could tell if his sighted students were paying attention to him.
"I'll know if they are not paying attention if I hear them whispering. I would usually quiz them frequently during my teaching or ask them to read back what I had dictated."
He retired last month, having served as a teacher since 1980.
"Teaching was not my first choice of a job. I could not get a job as a researcher after getting my degree," said the father of two medical undergraduates.
He said society was not confident about giving the physically-challenged a chance to prove themselves.
"It is nice to hear society saying it should do more for the poor and underprivileged but saying something and doing something are two different things," said the holder of a Master in Special Education from the University of Tasmania, Australia.
Nevertheless, he enjoyed teaching his students, especially his favourite subject history, which many youngsters found boring.
"I always tell my new students 'I'll try my best to make the subject as interesting as possible. I'll make you fall in love with the subject'," he said.
He even gave nicknames to students based on local historical figures such as Parameswara and Hang Tuah, which students would write down next to their names on their exam papers.
"I wanted them to be involved to show them that history is not a dead subject. History is important as what happened in the past is happening in the present," he said.
The widower said he never once took medical leave during his teaching days, more so when exam time was approaching, feeling he would let down students who may have had questions.
"I feel just as nervous as them during exam time because I would remember how I used to panic during my time."
He said he felt proud when his students produced good results as it made teaching a worthwhile job.
He added that teachers must come down to the students' level, learning their likes and dislikes as student life cannot just be focused on academics.
He said if teachers these days did not like their jobs, they should not show their hatred or frustration as it would be reflected in their teaching.
"Teaching is not an enjoyable profession as it once was; it is hard to keep students interested. Some are rebellious and talk back and show no respect for authority."
He said teachers must show authority the right way and be patient with students.
Suhakam pushes for review of 'unreasonable' restrictions
Source : NST
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has called on the government to review the Police Act and other preventive legislation to reflect international standards.
In its 2007 report released earlier this week, it said currently, such laws "unreasonably" restrict freedom of assembly and freedom of speech as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.
The call by Suhakam came following numerous street protests held last year by various non-governmental organisations.
Among them were the Bar Council's Walk of Justice in Putrajaya on Sept 26, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) to demand for election reforms on Sept 8 and Nov 10, as well as the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally on Nov 25.
"Suhakam observed that applications for permits to hold the assemblies were rejected by police on the basis that these could lead to public disorder and posed security risks.
"While it is recognised that the police have a duty to ensure peace and security, they should adopt a holistic approach in handling requests for permits. Their actions must be consistent with the principles of human rights."
The 312-page report said citizens are increasingly demanding recognition of their democratic rights and measures to ensure peace and security should not be at the expense of human rights.
It noted that Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 clearly entrusted the police with unfettered powers to determine who can organise a peaceful assembly.
"The provision, however, does not set out the criteria and guidelines on meeting requirements for a permit. Discretionary powers are fully vested in the police," said Suhakam.
These are among the seven key issues identified by Suhakam that the government needed to improve on.
The other issues are:
Freedom of Religion
Suhakam said the right to freedom of religion is protected by the Federal Constitution and it is unacceptable to interpret any law relating to religion in any way that leads to injustice.
In lauding a Federal Court decision last December that the (civil) High Court has jurisdiction to hear matrimonial disputes, even if one party has converted to Islam, the commission called on judges to be bold, impartial and unequivocal in dealing with complex interfaith cases, while urging the police and the local authorities to be more sensitive in law enforcement.
Administration of Justice
The commission noted that delays in court proceedings and the delays in handing down written judgments were among the main concerns that required immediate attention.
It pointed out that more than 1,000 prisoners are languishing in jail and unable to appeal because judges and magistrates had been slow in providing written judgments.
It also expressed concern that judicial review had been ousted in a number of instances, including habeas corpus challenges, which it said will undermine the right to justice and the right to a fair trial.
Additionally, it reiterated its call to repeal arbitrary clauses in the Internal Security Act and that detention without trial must be subject to judicial review and agencies authorising detention must be held accountable.
Detention Without Trial
Suhakam reiterated its call to the government to release detainees or prosecute them, and to abolish the practice of detention without trial which is contradictory to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to data from the Kamunting detention centre, there are 70 ISA detainees with more than half serving out their second detention order.
Free and Fair Elections
Suhakam urged the government to amend the relevant laws to ensure free and fair elections.
In expressing its concern, it noted that certain fundamental rights pertaining to free and fair elections, such as freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of assembly, were either curtailed or ignored during election campaigns.
"Suhakam observed, too, that there is no level playing field, particularly in terms of access to the media, permission to hold political rallies, delineation of constituencies and redress in the courts," it said.
It noted the authorities must immediately address allegations such as the existence of phantom voters, as well as the inefficacy of the electoral system.
"Candidates should not be allowed to resort to undemocratic means to win elections, including vote-buying, providing non-cash incentives and using public funds and facilities," it further stated.
Suhakam said free and fair elections were crucial to lend legitimacy to a democratic society.
"Public confidence in the fairness of the electoral process is far more important than a massive mandate. While elections in Malaysia have been free, it cannot be claimed that the process had been completely fair," it noted.
Law Enforcement
The report addressed complaints by the public against Rela. Suhakam said it had extended training programmes for law enforcement personnel to include Rela officers nationwide.
The Commission suggested that the government should deploy professionally-trained law enforcement personnel, such as from the police and Immigration Department, to accompany Rela personnel on future operations.
Rights of Vulnerable Groups
It had identified four sub-groups under this group and outlined what it hoped could be achieved for these four.
For Orang Asli and Orang Asal, Suhakam recommended the government amend the Sarawak Land Code 1958 to include the Penan community's unique way of establishing land ownership and stewardship, in light of the fact that such customs have not been factored into the Code.
For migrant workers, Suhakam proposed that the government and foreign embassies in Malaysia thoroughly study the current recruitment process and provide adequate monitoring, regulation and punishment of recruiting agencies that violate human rights.
This is because the commission observed most of the complaints by migrant workers were due to exploitation by agencies.
In view of increasing number of refugees and asylum-seekers, Suhakam recommended that relevant government agencies work together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to resolve related issues.
For persons with disabilities, Suhakam hoped the drafting of the Persons with Disabilities Bill signalled a step towards Malaysia's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For Women and Children, Suhakam said the passage of the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act 2007 and its gazetting is another positive development in the protection of the rights of women and children.
However, Suhakam suggested that more must be done to protect children in view of the increasing number of cases of abuse and violence against children.
The commission also expressed its frustrations at the government's cold response to its various proposals.
"Since its inception (in 2000), Suhakam had made numerous suggestions to improve the protection of human rights.
"The commission hoped that the government would give attention to the recommendations made through various reports to date. As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Malaysia should play a leading role in upholding human rights."
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has called on the government to review the Police Act and other preventive legislation to reflect international standards.
In its 2007 report released earlier this week, it said currently, such laws "unreasonably" restrict freedom of assembly and freedom of speech as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.
The call by Suhakam came following numerous street protests held last year by various non-governmental organisations.
Among them were the Bar Council's Walk of Justice in Putrajaya on Sept 26, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) to demand for election reforms on Sept 8 and Nov 10, as well as the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally on Nov 25.
"Suhakam observed that applications for permits to hold the assemblies were rejected by police on the basis that these could lead to public disorder and posed security risks.
"While it is recognised that the police have a duty to ensure peace and security, they should adopt a holistic approach in handling requests for permits. Their actions must be consistent with the principles of human rights."
The 312-page report said citizens are increasingly demanding recognition of their democratic rights and measures to ensure peace and security should not be at the expense of human rights.
It noted that Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 clearly entrusted the police with unfettered powers to determine who can organise a peaceful assembly.
"The provision, however, does not set out the criteria and guidelines on meeting requirements for a permit. Discretionary powers are fully vested in the police," said Suhakam.
These are among the seven key issues identified by Suhakam that the government needed to improve on.
The other issues are:
Freedom of Religion
Suhakam said the right to freedom of religion is protected by the Federal Constitution and it is unacceptable to interpret any law relating to religion in any way that leads to injustice.
In lauding a Federal Court decision last December that the (civil) High Court has jurisdiction to hear matrimonial disputes, even if one party has converted to Islam, the commission called on judges to be bold, impartial and unequivocal in dealing with complex interfaith cases, while urging the police and the local authorities to be more sensitive in law enforcement.
Administration of Justice
The commission noted that delays in court proceedings and the delays in handing down written judgments were among the main concerns that required immediate attention.
It pointed out that more than 1,000 prisoners are languishing in jail and unable to appeal because judges and magistrates had been slow in providing written judgments.
It also expressed concern that judicial review had been ousted in a number of instances, including habeas corpus challenges, which it said will undermine the right to justice and the right to a fair trial.
Additionally, it reiterated its call to repeal arbitrary clauses in the Internal Security Act and that detention without trial must be subject to judicial review and agencies authorising detention must be held accountable.
Detention Without Trial
Suhakam reiterated its call to the government to release detainees or prosecute them, and to abolish the practice of detention without trial which is contradictory to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to data from the Kamunting detention centre, there are 70 ISA detainees with more than half serving out their second detention order.
Free and Fair Elections
Suhakam urged the government to amend the relevant laws to ensure free and fair elections.
In expressing its concern, it noted that certain fundamental rights pertaining to free and fair elections, such as freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of assembly, were either curtailed or ignored during election campaigns.
"Suhakam observed, too, that there is no level playing field, particularly in terms of access to the media, permission to hold political rallies, delineation of constituencies and redress in the courts," it said.
It noted the authorities must immediately address allegations such as the existence of phantom voters, as well as the inefficacy of the electoral system.
"Candidates should not be allowed to resort to undemocratic means to win elections, including vote-buying, providing non-cash incentives and using public funds and facilities," it further stated.
Suhakam said free and fair elections were crucial to lend legitimacy to a democratic society.
"Public confidence in the fairness of the electoral process is far more important than a massive mandate. While elections in Malaysia have been free, it cannot be claimed that the process had been completely fair," it noted.
Law Enforcement
The report addressed complaints by the public against Rela. Suhakam said it had extended training programmes for law enforcement personnel to include Rela officers nationwide.
The Commission suggested that the government should deploy professionally-trained law enforcement personnel, such as from the police and Immigration Department, to accompany Rela personnel on future operations.
Rights of Vulnerable Groups
It had identified four sub-groups under this group and outlined what it hoped could be achieved for these four.
For Orang Asli and Orang Asal, Suhakam recommended the government amend the Sarawak Land Code 1958 to include the Penan community's unique way of establishing land ownership and stewardship, in light of the fact that such customs have not been factored into the Code.
For migrant workers, Suhakam proposed that the government and foreign embassies in Malaysia thoroughly study the current recruitment process and provide adequate monitoring, regulation and punishment of recruiting agencies that violate human rights.
This is because the commission observed most of the complaints by migrant workers were due to exploitation by agencies.
In view of increasing number of refugees and asylum-seekers, Suhakam recommended that relevant government agencies work together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to resolve related issues.
For persons with disabilities, Suhakam hoped the drafting of the Persons with Disabilities Bill signalled a step towards Malaysia's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For Women and Children, Suhakam said the passage of the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act 2007 and its gazetting is another positive development in the protection of the rights of women and children.
However, Suhakam suggested that more must be done to protect children in view of the increasing number of cases of abuse and violence against children.
The commission also expressed its frustrations at the government's cold response to its various proposals.
"Since its inception (in 2000), Suhakam had made numerous suggestions to improve the protection of human rights.
"The commission hoped that the government would give attention to the recommendations made through various reports to date. As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Malaysia should play a leading role in upholding human rights."
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Academics debate the 'social contract'
Source : M'Kini
Academicians may differ on the meaning of the country's 'social contract' but their opinions were unison when saying
Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) does not exist.
Malaysiakini contacted several academicians to comment on royal professor Dr Ungku Abdul Aziz’s claim that there was no physical social contract between Malaysia's diverse ethnic communities.
"There is no such thing as social contract. It was a fantasy created by politicians of all sorts of colours depending on their interest," said Ungku Aziz at a forum in Shah Alam over the weekend.
He also said the social contract should rightly be called an "economic contract" to justify affirmative action in areas of education and health for groups that needed it most.
While some academicians diverged on the matter, many of them systematically noted that the constitution and the ‘social contract’ does not imply any form of Malay mastery or dominance in relation to power.
Here are their views:
Professor Shamsul Amri Baharudin, UKM's Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) director
First of all I would like to say he is giving an economist response whereby he goes by the letter of the law and he’ll look at statistics and the cost-benefit analysis of things. I don’t know what he reads aside from economic books but political scientists and historians have said that we do have a social contract.
Our constitution has a general and miscellaneous section. No other constitution in the world has this section and it shows that the Reid Commission acknowledged the right of Malay rulers, customs and language. The social contract is a convergence of different opinions. It is an agreement to be different by the people.
The translation of ketuanan Melayu is wrong. It is not Malay supremacy, it is Malay sovereignty. Ketuanan is a very colonial term. Abdullah Ahmad had very little knowledge as to what it means when he first raised it in 1986. Sovereignty is not a foreign concept as it is prevalent in other countries such as Belgium and England with monarchs. The idea that Malays are the boss and the rest is not, is a misconception.
Nobody is dominant. The social contract was raised when the constitution was created and the Reid commission included the condition to satisfy all groups possible. The people then began to see it as a form of agreement and convergence. However, later on, people started seeing it as a contract. Not in a legalistic sort of way but how it was made and how the terms are constantly being renegotiated.
(PKR de facto leader) Anwar (Ibrahim)’s ketuanan rakyat (people supremacy) is no different from ketuanan Melayu. If rakyat means demographics and clearly Malays and bumiputeras being the majority at 60 percent. It is just another idiom to hide the point that Malays are sovereign. Don’t just focus on Malay sovereignty because otherwise it would just be ethnic talk and not a constitutional or Malaysian talk. We have to get rid of such racist perceptions.
Has anyone asked why Sabah has 20 extra conditions like requirement of work permits from those in Peninsula Malaysia? Why don’t we talk about that? We have to look at the social contract from the larger context and not just at the Malays. Peninsula Malaysians should demand for work permits to be abolished if Sabah wants more royalties. The problem is that the issues are skewed and people are blinded by it.
In 1969, the consultative councils made up of 100 representatives around the country thought of formulating this policy in addressing the problems of backwardness faced by the ethnic groups. They were thinking of solving the ownership problems as almost 60 percent of property belonging to foreigners and 21 percent to the Chinese. The NEP was about increasing property ownership so that it reflected the demographics equitably. The majority at that time did not have majority ownership so to change this, they started with the economy.
Article 153 of the constitution provides the basis which creates the paradigm for NEP. NEP provided the package that stated the target and objectives but there are other ways of doing this. The discussion and debates that we have now is how the package is not working. It is creating unhappiness all around. This is why ‘Umnoputera’ is now a word, not bumiputera. If you want to go back and change things, the Parliament will have to change it and make it clearer. The social contract will remain relevant so long as the constitution is relevant. The social contract is realised in the constitution which gives us the symbol of the contract.
The NEP was created from the understanding of Article 153 and it ended in 1990. But it persisted until now so it is known as ‘Never Ending Policy’. However, I think it warrants another name - ‘Never Ending Polemic’ as it continues to divide society. Society is already divided ethnically and to proceed to the next stage, the politicians should use rational thinking instead of exploiting the emotional thinking of the people. The nature of political parties that are ethnicise is that they have to go on being emotional to garner votes.
To me, (Umno Youth chief) Hishammuddin (Hussein) and (DAP chairperson) Karpal (Singh) are no different. They are voicing different voices but it’s all the same and it’s divisive. Our politicians organise themselves on differences. Hussein Onn from Umno is the greatest example. After two years he was expelled from his party which shows that if you took a non-ethnic stand, it’s goodbye for you.
Professor James Chin, Head of Arts, Monash University
Historically, Ungku Aziz is correct. If you look at the historical documents deposited in London regarding the formation of Malaya, you won’t find it. As far as I know, the word ‘social contract’ was first used in the 1980s.
The understanding of the social contract depends on which elites you look at. The documents deposited in ISEAS (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) library by MCA elites states clearly that the Malays will get special help in things like the civil service and scholarships but there will be a time when these will stop.
This cannot be confused with the constitutional rights that was agreed to in Article 150 to 153 because it has no details. The constitution does not spell out the operations of the special rights like the New Economic Policy (NEP) on quotas and equity ownership. All it says is that Malay will have special privileges.
Look at any historical official documents like the minutes of the Alliance meeting and the Reid Commission from the 1940s to 1960s - you will not find the word social contract ever being used.
The context of the 'social contract' that it is being used now implies that non-Malays, in return for their citizenship, have to acknowledge that the Malays are politically supreme and cannot be challenged, ever.
Keeping the ‘social contract’ alive implies that non-Malays can never ask for equality. The implication is quite clear as it means that the current argument in having a more equal Malaysia will not succeed.
Dr Mavis Puthuceary, Associate Research Fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)'s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS)
Ungku Aziz is right. It is not a social contract which implies the relationship between the state and the people. If you look at the Western concept of social contract like John Locke, the idea of a social contract is that people give up some powers to their political representatives in return, the state will protect them.
There is no social contract because it involves the leaders of the Alliance and the bargain was then placed in the constitution but that does not represent a social contract. The social contract did not come into debate until Abdullah Ahmad raised it in 1986 that there was something that was agreed to by a few people in the past that binds future generations. I’ve challenged it.
The whole question on power sharing is very relevant. One needs to spell it out and it must be agreed upon but some leaders still disagree on what it means. Some say the non-Malays agreed to ketuanan Melayu in this so-called social contract but some say non-Malays only agreed to some kind of bargain without conceding their right to liberal democracy, equal rights and justice.
Political parties are using the social contract out of this context and it has no meaning in Malaysia. So that’s why we need a discourse and debate on this. We need to work out a national consensus in figuring out what and where do we go from here and now. We can all agree that something more than a bargain was made when the state was formed but I won’t call it a social contract.
Dr Azmi Sharom, Associate Professor, Law Faculty, University Malaya
In the context of the constitution, there is a certain give and take because the constitution provides for special privileges to Malays. In any normal or ordinary constitution, there would not be any racial bias in it. But this was agreed to by the non-Malays so these special privileges is the beginning of the so-called social contract.
However, to a certain extent it is true - the special privileges involves safeguarding the Malay language, the Sultanate and Islam on the surface appears to be going against the grain of equality. The non-Malay Malaysians were happy to accept this then. But the idea of give and take does not extend to the concept of Malay supremacy created by political parties, namely Umno.
The original constitution has elements of compromise but that compromise is from the layman’s perspective, the document does not suggest Malay supremacy or mastery. Ketuanan Melayu is a fallacy. I just don’t see the justification for this. The so-called social contract is relevant only to racists and people who want Malaysians to continue to be divided along racial lines.
But I am also uncomfortable with Ungku Aziz’s view that the social contract should be called an economic contract. The society made a compromise and it is not a contract which implies the people are bound to it for life. Citizenship is not about the economy but the society.
Dr Johan Saravanamuttu, visiting researcher at ISEAS, Singapore
It is obviously a term used by political analysts and there is no formal or legal contract. But the 1957 constitution was written based on a considerable amount of negotiations including various ethnic and political groups. Not all of their demands could have been included therefore when the constitution was agreed upon by all parties after the entire process, for all intents and purposes is the social contract of Malaysians. The constitution incorporated many of these provisions which people have generally learned to accept.
The relevance of this is that the constitution is a document that is historical and represents the agreement by particular political parties at that particular era. The impact in reading beyond the document is that it lays out provisions of a pact that is not meant to be absolutely permanent. After all, the constitution has been amended hundreds of times, it means the conditions are not cast in stone.
On ketuanan Melayu, there si no such thing as ketuanan Melayu. It is a concoction by political entrepreneurs by Umno on promoting Malay supremacy. The constitution does not say anything about Malay supremacy but only on the special privileges such as land and language afforded to them. It is the jaundiced Malay politicians who use it too embed themselves in position or create and perpetuate power for themselves.
Dr Chandra Muzaffar, academician and political scientist
Well I think that it is true that the social contract doesn’t exist as a physical document which is drafted and sealed or has a label that tells us it is a social contract. What we have is the Merdeka constitution which is an attempt to balance interests between different communities and ethnic interests within a framework for a certain vision of what a nation state is.
It is very clear that the nation state would be called Malaysia and the basis of the state was from a Malay polity that features the Malay monarch, Islam as the religion of the federation and the Malay language. On the special position of the Malays and indigenous communities is part of the Merdeka constitution, there was a feeling by the Reid commission that the massive accommodation of recent domiciled non-Malays required some sort of protection of the Malay community which was economically weaker than say the Chinese. The special position was a socio-economical condition.
I don’t see ketuanan Melayu as part of the social contract or Merdeka constitution. By accepting the Malay polity, it does not make Malays and non-Malays unequal and it doesn’t make non-Malays second-class citizens. Ketuanan Melayu is an idea that is an impediment to ethnic relations for the country. It does not mean one race is dominant and another race is subordinate or a master-servant connotation.
Academicians may differ on the meaning of the country's 'social contract' but their opinions were unison when saying
Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) does not exist.
Malaysiakini contacted several academicians to comment on royal professor Dr Ungku Abdul Aziz’s claim that there was no physical social contract between Malaysia's diverse ethnic communities.
"There is no such thing as social contract. It was a fantasy created by politicians of all sorts of colours depending on their interest," said Ungku Aziz at a forum in Shah Alam over the weekend.
He also said the social contract should rightly be called an "economic contract" to justify affirmative action in areas of education and health for groups that needed it most.
While some academicians diverged on the matter, many of them systematically noted that the constitution and the ‘social contract’ does not imply any form of Malay mastery or dominance in relation to power.
Here are their views:
Professor Shamsul Amri Baharudin, UKM's Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) director
First of all I would like to say he is giving an economist response whereby he goes by the letter of the law and he’ll look at statistics and the cost-benefit analysis of things. I don’t know what he reads aside from economic books but political scientists and historians have said that we do have a social contract.
Our constitution has a general and miscellaneous section. No other constitution in the world has this section and it shows that the Reid Commission acknowledged the right of Malay rulers, customs and language. The social contract is a convergence of different opinions. It is an agreement to be different by the people.
The translation of ketuanan Melayu is wrong. It is not Malay supremacy, it is Malay sovereignty. Ketuanan is a very colonial term. Abdullah Ahmad had very little knowledge as to what it means when he first raised it in 1986. Sovereignty is not a foreign concept as it is prevalent in other countries such as Belgium and England with monarchs. The idea that Malays are the boss and the rest is not, is a misconception.
Nobody is dominant. The social contract was raised when the constitution was created and the Reid commission included the condition to satisfy all groups possible. The people then began to see it as a form of agreement and convergence. However, later on, people started seeing it as a contract. Not in a legalistic sort of way but how it was made and how the terms are constantly being renegotiated.
(PKR de facto leader) Anwar (Ibrahim)’s ketuanan rakyat (people supremacy) is no different from ketuanan Melayu. If rakyat means demographics and clearly Malays and bumiputeras being the majority at 60 percent. It is just another idiom to hide the point that Malays are sovereign. Don’t just focus on Malay sovereignty because otherwise it would just be ethnic talk and not a constitutional or Malaysian talk. We have to get rid of such racist perceptions.
Has anyone asked why Sabah has 20 extra conditions like requirement of work permits from those in Peninsula Malaysia? Why don’t we talk about that? We have to look at the social contract from the larger context and not just at the Malays. Peninsula Malaysians should demand for work permits to be abolished if Sabah wants more royalties. The problem is that the issues are skewed and people are blinded by it.
In 1969, the consultative councils made up of 100 representatives around the country thought of formulating this policy in addressing the problems of backwardness faced by the ethnic groups. They were thinking of solving the ownership problems as almost 60 percent of property belonging to foreigners and 21 percent to the Chinese. The NEP was about increasing property ownership so that it reflected the demographics equitably. The majority at that time did not have majority ownership so to change this, they started with the economy.
Article 153 of the constitution provides the basis which creates the paradigm for NEP. NEP provided the package that stated the target and objectives but there are other ways of doing this. The discussion and debates that we have now is how the package is not working. It is creating unhappiness all around. This is why ‘Umnoputera’ is now a word, not bumiputera. If you want to go back and change things, the Parliament will have to change it and make it clearer. The social contract will remain relevant so long as the constitution is relevant. The social contract is realised in the constitution which gives us the symbol of the contract.
The NEP was created from the understanding of Article 153 and it ended in 1990. But it persisted until now so it is known as ‘Never Ending Policy’. However, I think it warrants another name - ‘Never Ending Polemic’ as it continues to divide society. Society is already divided ethnically and to proceed to the next stage, the politicians should use rational thinking instead of exploiting the emotional thinking of the people. The nature of political parties that are ethnicise is that they have to go on being emotional to garner votes.
To me, (Umno Youth chief) Hishammuddin (Hussein) and (DAP chairperson) Karpal (Singh) are no different. They are voicing different voices but it’s all the same and it’s divisive. Our politicians organise themselves on differences. Hussein Onn from Umno is the greatest example. After two years he was expelled from his party which shows that if you took a non-ethnic stand, it’s goodbye for you.
Professor James Chin, Head of Arts, Monash University
Historically, Ungku Aziz is correct. If you look at the historical documents deposited in London regarding the formation of Malaya, you won’t find it. As far as I know, the word ‘social contract’ was first used in the 1980s.
The understanding of the social contract depends on which elites you look at. The documents deposited in ISEAS (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) library by MCA elites states clearly that the Malays will get special help in things like the civil service and scholarships but there will be a time when these will stop.
This cannot be confused with the constitutional rights that was agreed to in Article 150 to 153 because it has no details. The constitution does not spell out the operations of the special rights like the New Economic Policy (NEP) on quotas and equity ownership. All it says is that Malay will have special privileges.
Look at any historical official documents like the minutes of the Alliance meeting and the Reid Commission from the 1940s to 1960s - you will not find the word social contract ever being used.
The context of the 'social contract' that it is being used now implies that non-Malays, in return for their citizenship, have to acknowledge that the Malays are politically supreme and cannot be challenged, ever.
Keeping the ‘social contract’ alive implies that non-Malays can never ask for equality. The implication is quite clear as it means that the current argument in having a more equal Malaysia will not succeed.
Dr Mavis Puthuceary, Associate Research Fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)'s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS)
Ungku Aziz is right. It is not a social contract which implies the relationship between the state and the people. If you look at the Western concept of social contract like John Locke, the idea of a social contract is that people give up some powers to their political representatives in return, the state will protect them.
There is no social contract because it involves the leaders of the Alliance and the bargain was then placed in the constitution but that does not represent a social contract. The social contract did not come into debate until Abdullah Ahmad raised it in 1986 that there was something that was agreed to by a few people in the past that binds future generations. I’ve challenged it.
The whole question on power sharing is very relevant. One needs to spell it out and it must be agreed upon but some leaders still disagree on what it means. Some say the non-Malays agreed to ketuanan Melayu in this so-called social contract but some say non-Malays only agreed to some kind of bargain without conceding their right to liberal democracy, equal rights and justice.
Political parties are using the social contract out of this context and it has no meaning in Malaysia. So that’s why we need a discourse and debate on this. We need to work out a national consensus in figuring out what and where do we go from here and now. We can all agree that something more than a bargain was made when the state was formed but I won’t call it a social contract.
Dr Azmi Sharom, Associate Professor, Law Faculty, University Malaya
In the context of the constitution, there is a certain give and take because the constitution provides for special privileges to Malays. In any normal or ordinary constitution, there would not be any racial bias in it. But this was agreed to by the non-Malays so these special privileges is the beginning of the so-called social contract.
However, to a certain extent it is true - the special privileges involves safeguarding the Malay language, the Sultanate and Islam on the surface appears to be going against the grain of equality. The non-Malay Malaysians were happy to accept this then. But the idea of give and take does not extend to the concept of Malay supremacy created by political parties, namely Umno.
The original constitution has elements of compromise but that compromise is from the layman’s perspective, the document does not suggest Malay supremacy or mastery. Ketuanan Melayu is a fallacy. I just don’t see the justification for this. The so-called social contract is relevant only to racists and people who want Malaysians to continue to be divided along racial lines.
But I am also uncomfortable with Ungku Aziz’s view that the social contract should be called an economic contract. The society made a compromise and it is not a contract which implies the people are bound to it for life. Citizenship is not about the economy but the society.
Dr Johan Saravanamuttu, visiting researcher at ISEAS, Singapore
It is obviously a term used by political analysts and there is no formal or legal contract. But the 1957 constitution was written based on a considerable amount of negotiations including various ethnic and political groups. Not all of their demands could have been included therefore when the constitution was agreed upon by all parties after the entire process, for all intents and purposes is the social contract of Malaysians. The constitution incorporated many of these provisions which people have generally learned to accept.
The relevance of this is that the constitution is a document that is historical and represents the agreement by particular political parties at that particular era. The impact in reading beyond the document is that it lays out provisions of a pact that is not meant to be absolutely permanent. After all, the constitution has been amended hundreds of times, it means the conditions are not cast in stone.
On ketuanan Melayu, there si no such thing as ketuanan Melayu. It is a concoction by political entrepreneurs by Umno on promoting Malay supremacy. The constitution does not say anything about Malay supremacy but only on the special privileges such as land and language afforded to them. It is the jaundiced Malay politicians who use it too embed themselves in position or create and perpetuate power for themselves.
Dr Chandra Muzaffar, academician and political scientist
Well I think that it is true that the social contract doesn’t exist as a physical document which is drafted and sealed or has a label that tells us it is a social contract. What we have is the Merdeka constitution which is an attempt to balance interests between different communities and ethnic interests within a framework for a certain vision of what a nation state is.
It is very clear that the nation state would be called Malaysia and the basis of the state was from a Malay polity that features the Malay monarch, Islam as the religion of the federation and the Malay language. On the special position of the Malays and indigenous communities is part of the Merdeka constitution, there was a feeling by the Reid commission that the massive accommodation of recent domiciled non-Malays required some sort of protection of the Malay community which was economically weaker than say the Chinese. The special position was a socio-economical condition.
I don’t see ketuanan Melayu as part of the social contract or Merdeka constitution. By accepting the Malay polity, it does not make Malays and non-Malays unequal and it doesn’t make non-Malays second-class citizens. Ketuanan Melayu is an idea that is an impediment to ethnic relations for the country. It does not mean one race is dominant and another race is subordinate or a master-servant connotation.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Uthayakumar refuses 'secret date' with heart institute
Source : M'Kini
Detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P Uthayakumar is “being pressured to secretly undergo treatment” at the National Heart Institute, claimed his brother Waytha Moorthy.
In a statement issued from London, where he is living in self-imposed exile, Waytha Moorthy (photo) said his brother is being compelled to do so without his family members being informed.
“Uthayakumar fears for his life and does not wish to be treated without the presence and knowledge of his family members at the National Heart Institute,” he wrote.
Uthayakumar is one of five Hindraf leaders being detained for two years at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak. They were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on Dec 13 last year, which allows for detention without trial.
A diabetic for 12 years, Uthayakumar is said to have developed a heart ailment. He has been admitted twice to the Taiping hospital, in January after a hunger strike and again from April 7-10.
Waytha Moorthy, who is Hindraf chairperson, alleged that the “prison director and other government officers” have been applying pressure on Uthayakumar.
“He has written to the prison director, requesting (that) his family be informed and for access to his lawyers while in hospital. His lawyer (N Surendran) had also written to the prison director on Uthayakumar’s requests.
“We are puzzled why the prison director is compelling him to undergo secret treatment and is threatening to lodge a police report against Uthayakumar for wilfully refusing treatment. (This is) still a democratic country and there should be transparency and openness (about) his treatment.”
Urging Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to look into the situation, Waytha Moorthy also posed the query if a “silent agenda” is involved.
‘He’s no terrorist’
Contacted today, Surendran said some irregularities were detected during Uthayakumar’s last visit to Taiping Hospital and “there may be some damage to his heart”.
“He wants to go as soon as possible because he is anxious about his health but he wants his family there because he is worried as to whether major procedures will be involved,” said Surendran.
“They refuse to tell us when they (intend to) take him, saying that this must be kept secret for security purposes.
“What is there a need for security? He is no terrorist. This is an excuse to traumatise the family and make things as difficult as possible for him.”
Hindraf supporters have held rallies demanding the release of their leaders, as well as access to medical attention for Uthayakumar.
Detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P Uthayakumar is “being pressured to secretly undergo treatment” at the National Heart Institute, claimed his brother Waytha Moorthy.
In a statement issued from London, where he is living in self-imposed exile, Waytha Moorthy (photo) said his brother is being compelled to do so without his family members being informed.
“Uthayakumar fears for his life and does not wish to be treated without the presence and knowledge of his family members at the National Heart Institute,” he wrote.
Uthayakumar is one of five Hindraf leaders being detained for two years at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak. They were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on Dec 13 last year, which allows for detention without trial.
A diabetic for 12 years, Uthayakumar is said to have developed a heart ailment. He has been admitted twice to the Taiping hospital, in January after a hunger strike and again from April 7-10.
Waytha Moorthy, who is Hindraf chairperson, alleged that the “prison director and other government officers” have been applying pressure on Uthayakumar.
“He has written to the prison director, requesting (that) his family be informed and for access to his lawyers while in hospital. His lawyer (N Surendran) had also written to the prison director on Uthayakumar’s requests.
“We are puzzled why the prison director is compelling him to undergo secret treatment and is threatening to lodge a police report against Uthayakumar for wilfully refusing treatment. (This is) still a democratic country and there should be transparency and openness (about) his treatment.”
Urging Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to look into the situation, Waytha Moorthy also posed the query if a “silent agenda” is involved.
‘He’s no terrorist’
Contacted today, Surendran said some irregularities were detected during Uthayakumar’s last visit to Taiping Hospital and “there may be some damage to his heart”.
“He wants to go as soon as possible because he is anxious about his health but he wants his family there because he is worried as to whether major procedures will be involved,” said Surendran.
“They refuse to tell us when they (intend to) take him, saying that this must be kept secret for security purposes.
“What is there a need for security? He is no terrorist. This is an excuse to traumatise the family and make things as difficult as possible for him.”
Hindraf supporters have held rallies demanding the release of their leaders, as well as access to medical attention for Uthayakumar.
Hindraf rally turned Malaysian Indians against government
Source : Thethaindian.com
Kuala Lumpur, May 14 (IANS) Malaysia’s ethnic Indians staged “a silent revolution” against the government, “triggered” by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), during the March general elections, a minister has said. Malaysian Human Resource Development Minister S. Subramanian Tuesday described a rally organised by the Hindraf in November last year as the “trigger factor” that turned the Indian community against the government.
Hindraf had organised the protest rally on behalf of Malaysia’s two million Tamil Hindus. The rally of an estimated 10,000 people was declared illegal and forcibly dispersed by police using water cannons. Five Hindraf leaders were jailed for two years for organising it.
“They were listening all this while and we were just oiling the spring. But the bursting point arrived. We have to rectify this fundamental problem to regain their support,” Subramanian told members of his Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) at a party meet in Malacca.
The MIC, part of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, lost badly in the March polls. The BN itself lost the two-thirds majority advantage, emerging victorious but weaker with simple majority.
The simmering of discontent had been going on for a long time. The MIC was aware of the discontent but could not do much, except to manage it, the minister said.
Subramanian urged BN leaders to accept “the new reality” and change their mindset to ensure that ethnic minorities did not feel “not equal” to majority Malays, he was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper.
“There must be a massive change in the mindsets of BN leaders, particularly those from the United Malay Nasional Organisation (Umno), for the coalition to regain the people’s support,” Subramanian said.
“There must be a conscious effort to provide this sense of equality. This is the secret recipe to solve the problem. The thinking of all leaders should be this: I must be multi-racial in nature,” he added.
He urged MIC leaders at the grassroots level to hold dialogues with the leaders of Umno and other component parties “on the need to change their political thinking in line with new realities”.
Kuala Lumpur, May 14 (IANS) Malaysia’s ethnic Indians staged “a silent revolution” against the government, “triggered” by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), during the March general elections, a minister has said. Malaysian Human Resource Development Minister S. Subramanian Tuesday described a rally organised by the Hindraf in November last year as the “trigger factor” that turned the Indian community against the government.
Hindraf had organised the protest rally on behalf of Malaysia’s two million Tamil Hindus. The rally of an estimated 10,000 people was declared illegal and forcibly dispersed by police using water cannons. Five Hindraf leaders were jailed for two years for organising it.
“They were listening all this while and we were just oiling the spring. But the bursting point arrived. We have to rectify this fundamental problem to regain their support,” Subramanian told members of his Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) at a party meet in Malacca.
The MIC, part of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, lost badly in the March polls. The BN itself lost the two-thirds majority advantage, emerging victorious but weaker with simple majority.
The simmering of discontent had been going on for a long time. The MIC was aware of the discontent but could not do much, except to manage it, the minister said.
Subramanian urged BN leaders to accept “the new reality” and change their mindset to ensure that ethnic minorities did not feel “not equal” to majority Malays, he was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper.
“There must be a massive change in the mindsets of BN leaders, particularly those from the United Malay Nasional Organisation (Umno), for the coalition to regain the people’s support,” Subramanian said.
“There must be a conscious effort to provide this sense of equality. This is the secret recipe to solve the problem. The thinking of all leaders should be this: I must be multi-racial in nature,” he added.
He urged MIC leaders at the grassroots level to hold dialogues with the leaders of Umno and other component parties “on the need to change their political thinking in line with new realities”.
Girl with 10A1s shocked by PSD’s rejection
Source : The Star
YennaMike Says : "Well done K.Kamine Devi, it's good to see youngster like you are now standing up and question your right for what you are entitled too. To the Government and the Education Department...please wake up and do what you suppose to do and explain the reason for this rejection in Public if you dare...!!!
IPOH: K. Kamine Devi was shocked that the Public Services Department (PSD) had turned down her application to study medicine overseas despite her having scored 10A1s in last year's SPM.
This after the PSD had issued a statement recently guaranteeing scholarships for students who scored 9As in their SPM.
Let down: Kamine showing Sivanesan her SPM results. With them are her parents B. Karunakaran, 52, and R. Ragini, 49.
What was worse was that her application for a matriculation programme was also rejected.
Kamine, 17, said she had her heart set on becoming a doctor and even participated in an attachment programme in April that exposed her to a doctor’s job.
“I couldn't believe my eyes when I found out on Sunday through the PSD website that my application was unsuccessful,” she said yesterday, adding that she checked the result of her application several times.
“I felt that my world collapsed that day,” said the former student of SMK Ahmad Boestamam in Sitiawan, about 90km from here.
Speaking at a press conference called by the Perak Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman A. Sivanesan, Kamine said her quality control father who earns RM3,600 a month could not afford to send her overseas to pursue Medicine.
“I just want to become a doctor so I can serve the country,” said Kamine, who was also active in her school co-curricular activities.
Sivanesan said the rejection of Kamine’s application made a mockery of the PSD’s earlier statement.
“The PSD should have taken the top-scorers result from the Malaysian Examination Syndicate and offer scholarships to the students. It is up to the students whether to accept or reject the scholarships,” he said.
He invited parents of bright children who faced a similar predicament to see him.
“I will assist them in writing to the PSD,” he said.
YennaMike Says : "Well done K.Kamine Devi, it's good to see youngster like you are now standing up and question your right for what you are entitled too. To the Government and the Education Department...please wake up and do what you suppose to do and explain the reason for this rejection in Public if you dare...!!!
IPOH: K. Kamine Devi was shocked that the Public Services Department (PSD) had turned down her application to study medicine overseas despite her having scored 10A1s in last year's SPM.
This after the PSD had issued a statement recently guaranteeing scholarships for students who scored 9As in their SPM.
Let down: Kamine showing Sivanesan her SPM results. With them are her parents B. Karunakaran, 52, and R. Ragini, 49.
What was worse was that her application for a matriculation programme was also rejected.
Kamine, 17, said she had her heart set on becoming a doctor and even participated in an attachment programme in April that exposed her to a doctor’s job.
“I couldn't believe my eyes when I found out on Sunday through the PSD website that my application was unsuccessful,” she said yesterday, adding that she checked the result of her application several times.
“I felt that my world collapsed that day,” said the former student of SMK Ahmad Boestamam in Sitiawan, about 90km from here.
Speaking at a press conference called by the Perak Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman A. Sivanesan, Kamine said her quality control father who earns RM3,600 a month could not afford to send her overseas to pursue Medicine.
“I just want to become a doctor so I can serve the country,” said Kamine, who was also active in her school co-curricular activities.
Sivanesan said the rejection of Kamine’s application made a mockery of the PSD’s earlier statement.
“The PSD should have taken the top-scorers result from the Malaysian Examination Syndicate and offer scholarships to the students. It is up to the students whether to accept or reject the scholarships,” he said.
He invited parents of bright children who faced a similar predicament to see him.
“I will assist them in writing to the PSD,” he said.
FAMILIES OF HINDRAF,ISA DETAINEES SAY DETENTION CENTRE IS UNSAFE.
Source : New Kerala.com
Image : Net
Kuala Lumpur, May 13 : Families of Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees have said that the Kamunting Detention Centre in Putrajaya is unsafe, and have demanded that Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visit the place to assess the conditions for himself.
Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) national co-ordinator R.S. Thanenthiran led a group of supporters and family members of several ISA detainees to the Prime Minister's Department yesterday to hand over a memorandum, urging Abdullah to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA).
The memorandum was received by Abdullah's special officer, Ravin Ponniah.
Thanenthiran claimed the conditions at the camp were not healthy, not only for the detainees, but also for the camp personnel.
"The water is filthy while shrubs and bushes are overgrown and not maintained. The overall condition is inconducive and no longer safe for both the detainees and security officers there," the New Strait Times quoted him, as saying.
Asked if he had evidence or photographs to show the condition of the camp, Thanenthiran said he did not bring the photographs.
"The PM should spare some time to check on the condition at the camp and visit the detainees. The families of ISA detainees are appealing to him to visit the camp. We believe that he has been misinformed on the conditions at the camp," he added.
The memorandum also seeks the abolition of the ISA and the release of the five Hindraf leaders -- M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kengadharan, and K. Vasantha Kumar. The five were detained under the ISA by the Home Ministry for their involvement in a street demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 last year.
Image : Net
Kuala Lumpur, May 13 : Families of Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees have said that the Kamunting Detention Centre in Putrajaya is unsafe, and have demanded that Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visit the place to assess the conditions for himself.
Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) national co-ordinator R.S. Thanenthiran led a group of supporters and family members of several ISA detainees to the Prime Minister's Department yesterday to hand over a memorandum, urging Abdullah to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA).
The memorandum was received by Abdullah's special officer, Ravin Ponniah.
Thanenthiran claimed the conditions at the camp were not healthy, not only for the detainees, but also for the camp personnel.
"The water is filthy while shrubs and bushes are overgrown and not maintained. The overall condition is inconducive and no longer safe for both the detainees and security officers there," the New Strait Times quoted him, as saying.
Asked if he had evidence or photographs to show the condition of the camp, Thanenthiran said he did not bring the photographs.
"The PM should spare some time to check on the condition at the camp and visit the detainees. The families of ISA detainees are appealing to him to visit the camp. We believe that he has been misinformed on the conditions at the camp," he added.
The memorandum also seeks the abolition of the ISA and the release of the five Hindraf leaders -- M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kengadharan, and K. Vasantha Kumar. The five were detained under the ISA by the Home Ministry for their involvement in a street demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 last year.
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