Sodomy 11 trial is damaging to Malaysia

Anwar Sodomy Trial is Fundamentally Wrong

| author: Hawkeye

Channel News Asia

Malaysia is wooing British tycoon Sir Richard Branson to be part of the country's multi-billion-dollar economic transformation programme.


The founder of the Virgin Group is positive about Malaysia's investment outlook. But he said the ongoing sodomy trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is damaging the country's reputation.

Sir Richard Branson has a huge following in Malaysia. To many young entrepreneurs, the 60-year-old tycoon is an inspiration, which was why they paid top dollar to attend his session at a conference on alternative investments in Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysian government, which recently launched its 10-year economic transformation programme, hopes the Virgin empire Sir Richard Branson founded will also look to invest in the country.
Dr Jalilah Baba, director general of Malaysian Investment Development Authority, said: "We would like to work with him on a few programmes to attract investments here, either his direct investments or in terms of funding or in terms of technology."

Already, Sir Richard Branson is talking about opening up hotels in major cities in Asia under the Virgin brand.
He said: "We are going to try to create Virgin city hotels, very much in the spirit of Virgin. I am sure we will be doing some in this region."

The tycoon also called on the Malaysian government to take bold steps to liberalise its economy, with the government cutting back its role in order to stay competitive in the global market.

Sir Richard Branson is also positive about Malaysia's investment outlook. But he added that the sodomy trial of Anwar is doing the country a disservice.
He said: "I hope the case gets dropped. The case is fundamentally wrong and it does not make Malaysia look good in the world map.''

The authorities have downplayed his remark, saying it is his personal opinion. They added that Malaysia is committed to political and economic liberalisation.

Dr Jalilah Baba said: ''In order to comment (on) whether you should drop it (the Anwar case) or not, you should know all the facts of the matter, you should study all the facts of the matter.''

Judge rapped overzealous prosecutors

Judge critical of prosecutors in Anna Nicole trial

September 28, 2010

Defendants Howard K. Stern (left), Dr. Khristine Eroshevich (centre) and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor are shown in a combination photo during their arraignment at the Los Angeles County Criminal Courts building in Los Angeles, California, in this May 13, 2009 file photo. - Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Sept 28 — The judge in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial slammed prosecutors yesterday for their aggressive pursuit of convictions against three people accused of plying the actress with prescription drugs before her 2007 death. Earlier yesterday, both sides rested their cases after a nearly two-month trial that saw prosecutors bring numerous witnesses whose testimony defence attorneys largely sought to discredit. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry characterised the case as a “kitchen-sink prosecution” in which numerous claims and evidence are put forth “against these defendants in the hope that something survives.”
The judge’s comments came as he considered dismissing or reducing some of the charges against the realty TV star’s one-time boyfriend and lawyer, Howard K. Stern, and two of her doctors, Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor.
Closing arguments are set to begin Thursday and jury deliberations may start early next week.
Prosecutors allege Stern, Eroshevich and Kapoor conspired to funnel prescription drugs to a known addict, Smith, who died in February 2007 in Florida from an accidental drug overdose at age 39. They are not charged with directly causing her death.
Still, Perry’s comments seem to underpin weeks of reports that prosecutors were having a difficult time proving their case. The judge said yesterday that many of the charges should have been misdemeanors, as opposed to the felonies that carry higher penalties.
“The prosecution had a dead celebrity and a lot of low-level misdemeanors” from which they tried to build a case for more serious crimes, Perry said.
But Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney defended prosecutors by saying their two-year investigation convinced them that felonies had been committed.
For much of the afternoon, lawyers discussed the meaning of words like “addict,” “addiction” and “pain” that the judge will use when instructing the jury on deliberations.
Prosecutors have argued that the defendants unlawfully prescribed or obtained controlled substances that fuelled Smith’s addiction over a three-year period when she was known to be a drug addict.
Defence attorneys have countered that Smith was not an addict, but was a sufferer of chronic pain since 2000. She also battled anxiety, depression and lack of sleep. — Reuters

Deccan Chronicle covers Sosilawati murder

Sept. 22: Malaysia’s deadliest crime story in recent times has a Chennai link. Allal Kathan Muthuraja was a film financier living with his pretty wife Usha Rani and three-year-old daughter Lakshmi Shri at Ramapuram close to where a good many of Kollywood personalities live. It’s a rented house and that’s just one little aspect amid the many strange things popping off the cupboard of the 37-year-old handsome man hailing from Shengottai in Tirunelveli district.

While the wife claims that Muthuraja has been a film financier, not many in the film industry seem to know the man. A more serious question arising out of the Muthuraja case is why did Usha Rani keep mum all this time though the husband disappeared after leaving for Malaysia in January on being called by his long-time friends and business associates Surendar and Padmanabhan, lawyer-brothers living in Selangor in that country?

Why did she have to wait till the two Malaysians were arrested by the police there, suspected of murdering over 15 persons? Until their arrest, the brothers were enjoying great respect among the locals but things changed quickly for them when they allegedly killed businesswoman Sosilawati Lawiya and her three associates. These victims had gone missing on August 30 after visiting the brothers’ farmhouse to discuss a property deal.

Sources say that Usha Rani had been in touch with the brothers from January. However, she has claimed in her many media interviews — local Tamil news channels fed gregariously on the story of ‘millionaire’ Muthuraja missing in Malaysia — that she was knocking on all doors in Malaysia to get information about her missing husband.

She had contacted the Indian high commission in Malaysia, complained to the Interpol and the Malaysian police, but none helped. In the same breath, she also claimed that Surendar and Padmabhan avoided her calls. It's big mystery why the wife did not press her case strongly with the Malaysian police by telling them that Muthuraja went missing only after his trip to meet the brothers?

Usha Rani claimed that she paid `5 lakh to a man called Suresh, who claimed he was from the Malaysian police and demanded a bribe of `10 lakh to let her speak to her husband, who was in his custody for carrying two kilos of Ketamine. He was then in a car with a few blacks outside the Beach Club Hotel, Suresh told her. She had arranged the part-payment of `5 lakh through a ‘friend’ in Malaysia. She would not name that friend. In any case, there was no phone talk and she was not sure whether Suresh was really a cop and her husband was anywhere around there.

Now, Muthuraja has a brother Kasi Viswanathan working in Russia and he decided to go to Malaysia looking for him in May. The lawyer-brothers went along with him to the police to lodge a complaint about Muthuraja missing but they withdrew that complaint after Kasi left the place.

Strangely, the brothers handed over Muthuraja’s suitcase to Kasi, saying that the man had left it in the hotel while telling them he was going out and would soon be back. He never returned, Kasi was told.

He brought the suitcase to Chennai and handed it over Usha before returning to Russia. When Usha Rani obliged the TV cameras for visuals of the contents of the suitcase delivered to her at the Chennai home, there were several sets of brand new dresses. But then, didn’t she tell the media earlier that Muthuraja had gone to meet the lawyer-brothers on a one-day trip?

On Tuesday, she took the flight to Malaysia to continue her search for the husband, leaving the little daughter in the care of a maidservant she picked up just the previous day through ‘Just Dial’.

Malaysian media reported that she visited the lawyers' farmhouse along with a friend S. Manikavasagam, a local MP and later they also met some senior police officials.

The media also quoted the MP saying that he would not want to disclose where his Chennai guest lived because he feared for her safety. But that was before the Malaysian police announced, on Wednesday, that Muthuraja’s case was no more that of a man missing but one of murder.

The suspense of the missing Muthuraja might have ended but the mystery behind the murder remains buried deep, may not be necessarily in that farm stream.

Fraud invested society

Why is everyone so shocked about the match fixing scandal involving Pakistani cricketers? How often in the recent past have we all wondered whether cricket is being played genuinely? Many of the losses are dubious. No evidence, so we let it pass.
Sadly scams and frauds have become a part of everyday life. There’s the Common Wealth Games mess, judges in Andhra Pradesh were recently caught cheating during an exam, doctors are being accused of conducting unnecessary surgeries to earn some extra moolah, seven out of 10 businessmen in general are alleged to be involved in some fraud, there are scams in the abode of Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupati and let’s not even go into the political scams. From Madhu Koda to Telecom Minister A Raja, the Galli brothers in Karnataka and many more political biggies, nobody seems to be aboveboard or on the right side of the law.
Even Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, who is appalled at his players’ behaviour, is no saint. Jemima Khan aptly tweeted “Pakistan’s President (formerly Mr 10%, now Mr 110%) is hardly the role model the country needs. Life ban for him too would help.”
While everyone is after the three tainted Pakistan cricketers, who are very small fries when compared to the bigger scamsters, what action is being taken against those involved in the CWG mess (said to be around Rs 3,500 crores) and other frauds?
Even at a social level, earlier, nobody knew anyone who went to jail and people kept away from dodgy men and women. Today, the social scene is full of shady characters. Nobody knows what their business is, source of income is and yet, if they are cool, we all love hanging out with them.
Sarah, Duchess of York lives well because her daughters support her from their trust funds and ex-husband Prince Andrew continues to let her live at his home. Yet, she didn’t blink before agreeing to introduce him to any shady individual as long as she was paid a hefty price. Luckily for her, even after being exposed in a sting operation, she is not considered a social pariah.
Ditto drugs. They are no longer the vices of a troubled soul. Paris Hilton was caught with cocaine, and this is not the first time she’s had a brush with the law, yet she innocently says “she thought it was gum.”
Society has become rather accepting of wrongdoers. As long as the means justify the ends, nobody is bothered about bending, twisting or even breaking the rules.
Mohammad Azharudin was punished with a life ban in cricket for his involvement in match fixing, but now is a MP. Bill Clinton was forgiven for the Monica Lewinsky scandal and he didn’t want to sit on judgement either about his son-in-law’s father being a convicted fraudster with 33 counts of fraud to his name.
And Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi continues to be in power though he has been involved in various sex scandals.
If you are wondering how society has become so forgiving, social scientist Beena Thomas explains, “Society has always been like this. Earlier there were no sting operations, technology or extensive media coverage, so people got away. Today we live in an exposed society where indiscretions come to light more frequently.”
Even when crimes come to light, the real culprits aren’t always taken to task. In Pakistan, instead of the accused players, poor donkeys were being pelted with shoes and rotten tomatoes. Ok, the players haven’t been forgiven, but it looks like they are just being made the scapegoats. Nobody is interested in dwelling deeper into the issue and busting the bookie nexus.
Does this mean it’s okay to live on the wrong side of the law? No, says Prof Daniel, “You are king till you get caught.” After that nobody wants to know you.
For a few tainted politicians who get away, there are people like Satyam Computer’s former Chairman B. Ramalinga Raju who end up losing everything. Pakistani fast bowler Moha-mmad Amir, at 18, faces having to see his promising career end in disgrace. Madhu Koda is rotting in jail. And for every Azhar who has rebuilt his life is a Hansie Cronje, who became a social outcast in South Africa.
Once everything is taken away from you, don’t expect people to be nice as author Wilbur Smith famously warned his readers against associating with losers as losing is contagious.

 

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Submitted by n.krishna on Wed, 22/09/2010 - 7:18am.

If India had any sense of history of what UK has done to our forefathers, we would not have been in the Commonwealth, leave alone the hosting of the Commonwealth Games. The racist Christian British rule from 1757 to 1947 had killed 1.8 billion Indians. This British Indian Holocaust of 1.8 billion excess deaths commenced with the Great Bengal Famine in 1769 to 1779 that resulted in 10 million deaths. Ten million Indians were killed in post 1857 First War of Independence or known as Indian Mutiny reprisals. One million Indians were starved and murdered by the Christian British between 1895 to 1897 in the Indian Famine. Six to 9 million starved in the Indian famine between 1899 to 1900. This Christian killing of Indians concluded with the WW2 1943 to 1945 Bengal holocaust or artificial famine in which 7 million Indians were starved under Churchill. Churchill acknowledged the crucial importance of maintaining Hindu Muslim antipathy to preserve British rule. Churchill inspired Indian Partition which resulted in 1 million dead Indians and 18 million Muslim and Hindu refugees. The man-made global warming in which the West and the US are major climate criminals and this is going to cause a climate genocide. As per top UK climate scientist Professor James Lovelock FRS, the Climate Genocide will leave only 500 million mostly European survivors by the end of the century. There is an ongoing Muslim Holocaust that is simply ignored by the West. This post-1950 avoidable deaths or excess deaths, deaths that did not have to happen, total 1.3 billion for the whole World. Of this 1.2 billion is in the non-European World. The avoidable death or excess death in the muslim world is 0.6 billion. These estimates being consonant with estimates of post-1950 under-5 year old infant deaths of all over the world that totals 0.88 billion. Of this infant death, 0.85 billion is in the non-European World. In the Muslim world this infant death is 0.4 billion. 16 million people die avoidably each year in non European world and of this half are Muslims due to the Western policies.

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Submitted by livefreediehard on Wed, 22/09/2010 - 1:52am.

I guess lot of educated Indians think and talk about corruption, malpractice, sheer greediness prevalent in our selfish hypocritic society. Well I anticipated action since the time I was born, atleast from the so called elite of our society. Seems like a bunch of educated Indians can only do as much as take competetive exams and improve their own lives outside of India or with well paid jobs within India. "To be is to do" is a thought I believe in and one that would take us further as a respectable humane society. Media will decry all the wrong actions, yet bigger issues will pass us by and no action will ever be taken. I believe, even if the 5% of the modern society decided to change the spate of country, these issues will be things of past. It took one man getting slapped on a train in foreign land to eventually free his own nation from British rule.

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Submitted by Ipcentric on Mon, 13/09/2010 - 7:41am.

As long as there is no political will nothing changes. It is mob politics that is ruling this very functionally illiterate country. We, those who want to see the change, are a minority. It is the fear and the respect for the rule of the law that will bring about any change in our country. Unhindered enforcement is very important. What is the motivation for these corrupt politicians to bring about any change?

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Submitted by Jadeboy on Sun, 12/09/2010 - 2:42pm.

There is a feeling of schadenfreude in India about the fraud allegations against Pakistani cricketers. The entire media is trying to paint Pakistan as a purely fraudulent society. Which it might be. But trying to think that India is a completely straight forward society is indulging in delusion. India has more than its fair share of scamsters, utterly corrupt politicians, match-fixing bookies, crooks of every shade. Some day these scamsters are going to bring India the same ignominy and we will have nowhere to hide our faces. The CWG scams are just one cog in this entire wheel of cheating and deceit in India.

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Submitted by srirama raju ch on Sun, 12/09/2010 - 2:29pm.

Corruption has become the norm of everyday life. People have started accepting this and they are not finding a problem with it. If ever it has to change it should start with each one of us. I always dream of living in a corrupt free society but I cannot envision our society moving in that direction. If I would even try to stay away from it I might be considered an outcast. Looking ahead I would be very happy if at least the common man wouldn't get affected. It is our very nature of not being satisfied with what we have and to earn a quick buck without much effort the reasons for this widespread social disease. Being a practical citizen and having lived in this part of the world for a significant part of my life I cannot imagine this epidemic spiraling south in my life time. But I always hope and wish that I live in a more corrupt free society.

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Submitted by malcolm wolfe on Sat, 11/09/2010 - 5:03pm.

Talk about corruption in Indian politics and administration too. Today if you have gone to prison because of corruption it is a qualification to be in politics and not a bar. During the independence struggle, people went to prison fighting for freedom and they became great politicians. Today most of the ignorant still think that going to prison is needed to compete for politics. Anyway, it is time for people in office to turn from their selfish needs and work for the benefit of others. Don't offer bribes, don't pay bribes and don't accept bribes. That should be the message for all Indians if you want to uplift the country.
www.deccanchronicle.com

PKR is tarnished

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Azmin vs Zaid, the tussles that tarnished PKR

The recent ongoing tussles in PKR have all but tarnished PKR's reputation

Firstly, the 12 local leaders who are aligned to Jeffrey Kittingan were all hauled up by the disciplinary board and and some punished for their attempt a year ago to form a new party, although there was a peace deal between them and the other PKR leaders

Then right after what was dubbed “the just decision” decided by the disciplinary committee, an alleged smear campaign against Zaid Ibrahim surfaced, with allegations such as “traitor” and “greenhorn” thrown at him to tarnish his reputation and credibility in the eyes of PKR members.

Around the same time a sudden press conference was called, and attended by various strong PKR leaders in the PKR headquarters. This was done to

demonstrate their endorsement and support on Azmin Ali, even though some leaders who attended this meeting claimed that they were not aware of the purpose of this press conference.

Azmin Ali

These occurred without Azmin himself indicating or declaring first that he is contesting for the vice deputy presidency. Were all these events intentional? Or is it done voluntarily by other quarters of the party without Azmin nor Zaid directing it?

If one were to doubt and noticed the “coincidental” events that came up one after another as above, he will find it hard to believe that either of the above’s camp, especially Azmin has no hands in it. Although we cannot say for sure that Azmin is involved, we also cannot deny the fact that these events tip the sentiments of the voters in his favour. In fact one can even suspect that his silence on his candidacy was intentional, so that the average members cannot pin point or blame the emergence of allegations and accusations on him as he did not (yet) declare his intention to contest.

Zaid Ibrahim

Nonetheless with the recent misinterpretation by FreeMalaysiaToday Azmin, instead of personally contacting "party member" Zaid to clarify what he said, took the opportunity to make a bold (but foolish) statement to the world, lambasting Zaid as arrogant for calling Syed Hussin “nyanyuk”. This action has surely confirmed Zaid’s entire allegation that there is an ongoing smear campaign against him. And now, without a doubt we can state with a high probability that it was Azmin who wants to discredit Zaid as much as he can, and it was his camp as well who were behind the smear campaigns.

I personally admire both Azmin Ali and Zaid Ibrahim as politicians. Azmin for his unwavering loyalty and persistence even when the tide did not favour PKR, and Zaid for his strong principles and good values that he showed when he was the Law Minister.

However that line of respect must be drawn when either one decides to go on a smear campaign to tarnish the reputation of another, or used underhand tactics to eliminate his competitor, or even attempt to encourage other leaders to declare support for him so as to woo the voters to his side. Simply put, a line must be drawn when the game of perception is not played fairly or with dignity and honesty.

Politics, as much as we want it to be based simply on ideology and strong beliefs, is a game of perception. How you influence the perception of the voters about you before any election will ultimately decide your fate. The candidates (including Zaid Ibrahim himself who tried to gain some support by comparing himself to the late Tun Ghafar Baba) are both trying to influence the perception of the members. And it is fine to do so.

It is fine to convince the voters to vote for you by telling them of your good points. In fact it is fine to highlight the weakness of the opponent as a politician. However, it is definitely not justified to throw allegations or embark on a campaign to simply tarnish the personal reputation of others without any basis or proved facts.

PKR preaches democracy and fairness. It was the leaders first who decided to have a direct election system for members to choose their leaders, for which many Malaysians commended. However, what is the use of having an election if it is not fair in the first place?

Top PKR leaders carry the responsibility of preserving and uplifting the image of the party. Leaders such as Azmin have unfortunately failed to do that. The entire episode so far has all but shattered the perception that PKR preaches justice and fairness. To many average Malaysians, the tussles clearly showed that PKR endorses old style politics where personal attacks and underhand tactics are legitimate tools to win an election. And that party unity and respect between member leaders are mere "slogans" to be sung upon whenever they need it.

Perhaps Zaid and Azmin should emulate the PKR Youth, who decided to engage on a healthy presidential style debate among the candidates. If PKR Youth can show such political maturity and understanding I cannot see why leaders vying for the No.2 spot cannot do so. The contest should not be about personality but about issues and ideas. Therefore a public debate such as these will certainly empower their members to decide on the best candidate to lead them as deputy president for the next General Election.

Hence, instead of publishing statements to the media undermining one or another, which in turn will give the BN controlled media the much needed ammunition to tarnish PKR’s reputation, Zaid and Azmin should face each other off in a healthy public and publicised debate.

This in turn will also be seen as a massive step up and a step ahead of other political parties in terms of political maturity. Credible leaders must be seen to walk the talk. There is no use in preaching about democracy and fairness if the fair and simple rule of not tarnishing the personal reputation of others during election is not adhered to.

Posted by Teck Kuan

Zaid will bite the dust

Change and reform? This will remain a joke until and unless PR component parties really reformed themselves!
By Tohkong Mosjid
Change is something which Pakatan Rakyat has constantly talked about. We constantly talk about reforms. We trying very hard to send the message that we are different, and better, than Barisan Nasional.
We aspire to change the Federal government, and we aspire to reform the way the present government handles things.
So many aspirations with so many hopes, yet somehow we forget that the most important thing before these things can take place is to first reform ourselves.
Do we realise what is seriously wrong in Barisan Nasional?
I know. The answer will be the usual things: corruption, abuse of power, stupidity, racist leaders and so forth.
But heck, those are just the repercussions or the aftermath of what I call the "failure of a system that could not check and balance itself'.
In Barisan Nasional, there is an absence of self regulation and no check and balances.
No one would dare to say anything to the prime minister and the UMNO president even if he were wrong. No one dares to ask the Attorney General to come clean on numerous allegations against him. And nobody dares to hit out at the Inspector General of Police or call for his suspension pending investigations into his wrongdoings.
Get the picture? Can you sense that somehow these things are being re-enacted in Pakatan Rakyat?

The practise of self-criticism and speaking out against one's own parties and leaders has been missing in both these coalitions.
Zaid Ibrahim's recent blog entry which generated a series of fireworks, confirmed once again that Pakatan Rakyat, or specifically Parti Keadilan Rakyat, could not appreciate some dissent against their leaders for their own good, just like their nemesis in Barisan Nasional.
If we care to remind ourselves, why was Zaid kicked out from UMNO?
Zaid was kicked out because UMNO could not stand his criticism, his honesty and his truthfulness on how certain things should be done and managed when he was the de facto Law Minister.
Remember how Zaid flayed the government over its arrest of a reporter, blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and MP Teresa Kok under the Internal Security Act by the order of then Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar?
That sense of justice in telling the government to its face that it was wrong to invoke ISA on opposition or anyone was too much for UMNO to stomach. What happened after that is history.
This time around, Zaid is being viewed a 'traitor’ to bring PKR down once and for all just because he dared to tell PKR leaders how things should be, right at its face.
Is it wrong of him to opine that de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim wielded more power than PKR president, Dr Wan Azizah Ismail?
Or for him to say that he was contesting the Deputy President's post and to pledge his loyalty to the president despite knowing the real leader of party was Anwar?
It is wrong of him to rebuke Syed Husin Ali, the PKR deputy president, for belittling his efforts (in which he took six months' sabbatical to lay off from active politics), to focus on getting PR’s Common Policy Framework done?
If Zaid was considered a ‘reformist’ when he was in UMNO for daring to speak out against the cabinet, shouldn’t now he be seen in the same light as someone valuable in PKR and PR?
Why do PKR leaders not see it? Anwar invited Zaid into PKR as he was seen as well accepted by the public for his views and principles on reform. True or not, this question should be left to all PKR members to find out its answer.
As for PAS and DAP, they should not be too happy to receive a person like Zaid into the party. That same reaction in PKR and Barisan Nasional will be seen Zaid opens his mouth.
Perhaps, we should look at these scenarios:
Zaid in DAP: "The party should reform as the leaders are too chauvinistic over certain issues. They must react faster when it comes to issues involving other races."
Zaid in PAS: "Some PAS leaders just do not understand the boundary of constitution by keep harping on the issue of Hudud. They should go and learn up the constitution before they decide to discuss on this subject again. If they don’t, the party should disallow them from contesting in the next general election."
Hurt? That’s Zaid for you and he represents something seriously lacking in PR.
Change and reform? This will remain a joke until and unless PR component parties really reformed themselves!
Li Fook Gao, although he wants Zaid to win, thinks that the way Zaid is campaigning will likely bite him in the end, just like how Husam Musa of PAS was bitten.

Sabotage and more sabotage of PKR Polls

Suspicion of 'saboteurs' in PKR polls

Joseph Sipalan
Sep 27, 10

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution has claimed a link to 'external infiltration' into the polls nomination process, following disrupted proceedings in some divisions over the weekend.

However, he noted that the majority of divisional annual general meetings and elections have gone on smoothly.

He said the results from 159 of the 166 divisions that have held their AGMs since Sept 17 are considered kosher despite facing practical issues, such as insufficient ballot papers.

Saifuddin however confirmed that the AGM and elections in at least seven divisions have been postponed due to various issues, including the destruction of ballot boxes allegedly by outsiders.

He said the party has identified several individuals through video footage and still photographs, who are said to be involved in the vandalism.

This has led the leadership to believe there might be "saboteurs" out to make PKR look incapable of handling its affairs.

The party is currently probing allegations raised by three divisions - Klang, Kapar and Kuala Langat - of infiltration, Saifuddin told a packed press conference at the party headquarters this morning.

"They broke open the ballot boxes, threw the ballot papers in the air and walked out. If you look at the footage, it looks like they're having a celebration," he dead-panned.

Saifuddin said the central election committee (JPP) has only come up with preliminary findings, and still needs to get localised confirmation on the incidents.

"What is sure is that they (the saboteurs) are not part of Keadlian's famiily," he said.

'Teething problems'

As for the four other divisions that had their meetings and elections postponed, Saifuddin said the issues are mostly procedural, including logistics and insufficient ballot papers due to overwhelming turnout by members.

In Merbok, he said the postponement was due to complaints that supporters of one candidate for deputy division chief had taken out ballot papers from the polling station to make copies. This is unlawful unless done and certified by the election coordinators themselves.

In Kuala Nerus, the division unanimously agreed to postpone its meeting until the JPP decides on the eligibility of one of the two candidates contesting the chairperson's seat.

Saifuddin said the Petaling Jaya Selatan division asked to postpone its meeting and elections as it was unable to manage the huge turnout of 2,000 members, while the Jerai division meeting was pushed back after some "friction' between members.

The party is scrutinising the Kota Raja and Subang division elections, held last weekend, but is awaiting reports from the coordinators on duty.

It is rumoured that fights broke out in both divisions, with a local leader hospitalised for injuries allegedly sustained from an attack by supporters of a rival candidate in Kota Raja.

Saifuddin however pointed out that the ballots for both divisions are still being counted at the party headquarters.

He stressed that the surge in attendance has proven a major challenge as PKR did not expect such a large turnout across the country.

He said the average turnout for divisional AGMs and elections, calculated based on the 2004 and 2007 party congress attendance, stood at 40,000 nationwide, or five percent of the total 400,000 members.

"We (thought it would not ) go past a 35 percent turnout (nationwide), but in fact it has hit past 40 percent.

"We deployed four coordinators (for each division) based on our calculations and they ended up handling 2,000 people... That's a surge from as low as three percent to 40 percent turnout in some places.”

Saifuddin stressed that PKR would overcome the shortcomings that have surfaced over the past few weeks.

He hopes the problems can be minimised by the coming weekend, when the remaining 39 divisions hold their meetings and polls.

MK

Malay must rule Malay Land - BTN

Malays must rule the country, says BTN rep

UPDATED @ 01:43:24 PM 27-09-2010

By Boo Su-Lyn

September 27, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin today proclaimed Malay rights as a mandate to rule the country amid a spike in Malay rhetoric.
Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently warned Malays that they would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took control of Putrajaya.
“The rights of Malays, is to rule the country. Simple,” Hamim told Puteri Umno delegates in a closed-door function today.
“Malays must unite in the face of threats,” he added.
The BTN Federal Territory deputy director cited an example where the Malay ruling party failed to act during a purportedly seditious demonstration by non-Muslims in Kuala Lumpur a few years ago.
“The Hindus marched to Parliament to send a memorandum. They, like Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force), are groups that spread sedition,” said Hamim.
“Where was the political party then?” he asked.
About 30,000 protestors from the Hindu non-governmental organisation Hindraf had rallied in the city in November 2007 to submit a memorandum to the British embassy, where they demanded for the Queen’s Counsel to represent sidelined Malaysian Indians.
Today, Hamim underscored the importance of Malay unity in view of a possibility that snap polls may be called as early as next year.

The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote.

“The general election is coming soon. If there is still disunity, we cannot have events like this... where we can say what we want,” he said.
Last Tuesday, Dr Mahathir said the Malays were not aware of the political threat facing them as they were divided into three groups (PAS, PKR, Umno), where no one group could obtain a percentage of Malay votes that can secure power for the community.
He also claimed that the political marginalisation of the Malays had already become a reality in PR-controlled states even though those administrations were led by Malays.
The former Umno president, who still commands widespread influence among party members and the larger Malay community, pointed to the former PR mentri besar in Perak Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as an example of how Malay politicians had been sidelined by PR.
Dr Mahathir also implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.
Today, Hamim also urged Puteri Umno to make sacrifices in a bid to defend Malay rights.
“In the context of Malay rights, don’t just demand for your rights. You must ask, ‘what must I sacrifice to defend my rights?’” he said.
Hamim stressed that the Malays could not rule the country without co-operating with the non-Malay communities as each citizen only carried a single vote.
“Malays cannot rule the country by themselves. That’s why we make friends with the MCA and MIC,” he said.
“The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote,” said Hamim, using apparently derogatory terms to describe the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaysia.
“So Puteri Umno must make friends with youths who are not Malays,” he added.
He also exhorted Puteri Umno to recruit youths born from marriages with foreigners into their party.
“There are many foreigners who have children here. Their daughters and sons who have turned 18 should be in Puteri and Putera Umno,” said Hamim.
“You are losing them... thousands of them. You should be collecting them and network with them,” he added.
MI

Sodomy 11 trial is damaging to Malaysia

Branson urges Najib to halt Sodomy II trial

By Yow Hong Chieh

September 27, 2010

Richard Branson stands beside Virgin Mother Ship Eve, White Knight Two, at Wittman Field, site of the Experimental Aircraft Association Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 27, 2009. - Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has called on the Malaysian prime minister to intervene in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, calling the issue “a thorn” in Malaysia’s otherwise good reputation. “If you’re a bold leader, you should get rid of things like this which are damaging your reputation,” he said today at the “Dawn of the New Decade: Alternative Investments in Asia” conference here.
“This has gone on for a long, long time. It looks bad overseas.”
While Branson did not think Anwar’s Sodomy II trial was causing foreign investors to shy away from Malaysia in any major way, the mercurial entrepreneur nonetheless said more people would want to invest in Malaysia if it were more open and liberal.
He added that it was incumbent on the prime minister to address the “damaging” trial as good leaders looked after their citizens well, much like how good employers take care of their employees.
Branson was speaking at the “Dawn of the New Decade - Alternative Investments in Asia” forum in the capital hosted by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). He went on after MIDA Director-general Datuk Jalilah Baba gave her address.
Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto leader, is charged with sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.
Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.
He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
Anwar’s Sodomy II trial will resume on October 14.
MI

RPK Attacked PAS Youth Chief

So no, the answer does not lie in God’s laws. In fact, God’s laws were actually the problem because it was so easy to manipulate the so-called Word of God and no one dared question the injustice lest they be accused of being anti-God.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
The PAS Youth chief, Nasrudin Hassan, wants the Islamic criminal laws known as Hudud to be implemented in the country. “The existing legal system has not been successful, so there is a need for an alternative system,” he said -- and he cited the gruesome murder of businesswoman Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others as an example of the failure of the current system.
The issue here is not whether I support or oppose the enactment of Hudud. The issue is the quality of the PAS Youth leader’s argument. And if this is the best that PAS can offer in terms of leadership then I do not have much hope for this party.
First of all, PAS told us that all Islamic laws, Hudud included, would not apply to non-Muslims but only to Muslims. If this is true then why quote the example of the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya? This woman was allegedly killed by Indian Hindus, not by Malay Muslims. And since Hudud applies only to Muslims then it does not matter whether Malaysia does or does not implement these Islamic laws. It would not have deterred these Indian Hindus from killing Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya because they would have been exempted from these laws anyway.
Now, if Hudud, an Islamic law, will also apply to non-Muslims, then why only Hudud? There are many Islamic laws, Hudud being just one of them. If Hudud will apply to non-Muslims as well, then all the other Islamic laws must also apply to non-Muslims.
Will non-Muslims get arrested for drinking beer? Will non-Muslims get arrested for not attending the Friday prayers in the mosque? Will non-Muslims get arrested for bonking a woman who is not his wife? And so on.
If the answer is ‘no’, if non-Muslims are exempted from all these Islamic laws, then they should also be exempted from Hudud, which is one of many Islamic laws.
Is this fair? Non-Muslims can commit serious crimes and get exemption from Islamic laws. Muslims who commit serious crimes get punished under Islamic laws. So Muslims who commit murder get dragged into the public square after Friday prayers and get beheaded. Non-Muslims relax in jail.
So, if I get arrested and charged for murder, all I need to do is to tell the court that I had in fact renounced Islam a long time ago and then I escape punishment under Hudud. Or will I instead get charged for apostasy and get put to death for leaving Islam? So, I escape the punishment for murder under Hudud but I still die for apostasy.
So you see, PAS leaders like Nasrudin Hassan need to think things through carefully before they open their mouths or else people might start forming an opinion that all PAS leaders are outdated and narrow-minded country bumpkins.
“The existing legal system has not been successful, so there is a need for an alternative system,” said Nasrudin Hassan.
Ah, so now he whacks the system and blames that for the problems facing the country. The system is not working so we abolish the system and we replace it with another more workable system.
Is it really a system failure or an implementation (human) failure? Any system, when badly or wrongly implemented, or implemented with mala fide intent, will fail. So is it a system failure or a human failure?
A Constitutional Monarchy is good. There is nothing wrong with this system. But when it is used to topple a legitimately elected state government, like what happened in Perak, then what do we do? Do we remove the Monarchy and change Malaysia into a Republic? Do we blame the system or the manipulation of the system?
Why is the present legal system bad? And how can Hudud improve things? This is where Nasrudin Hassan needs to present his case and convince Malaysians that things would improve by removing the British system in favour of an Islamic system. By just quoting the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya as an example of a failed system without further explanation on how Hudud could have prevented her murder is a stupid argument not befitting someone of the status of a PAS Youth leader.
The failure of the present system is not because it happens to be a British system and that by abolishing it in favour of an Islamic system all our problems would be solved. The failure of the present system is because the so-called Muslims managing the system are corrupt to the core.
The Muslim political leaders are corrupt. The Muslim civil servants are corrupt. The Muslim judges are corrupt. The Muslim police officers are corrupt. The Muslim MACC officers are corrupt. The Muslim public prosecutors are corrupt. The Muslim lawyers representing criminals are corrupt and they bribe judges to fix their clients’ cases.
And so on.
It is not that there are no corrupt non-Muslims as well. There are. In fact, there are as many corrupt non-Muslims as there are corrupt Muslims. But it is the Muslims and not the non-Muslims who are asking for Hudud to be implemented so I am focusing my argument on the so-called righteous Muslims who are actually very corrupt and not righteous at all.
You mean to say that every single PAS leader and member is above corruption? Come on! Some PAS people are also corrupt. As what Ibrahim Ali said: the only difference between PAS and Umno is that the PAS people utter ‘Bismillah’ before they take a bribe whilst Umno people do not.
Malaysia can abolish the present legal system. Malaysia can adopt Islamic laws such as Hudud. But if Muslim judges, police officers, MACC investigators, lawyers and public prosecutors can be bribed to rig cases then no system in the world will work.
You mean to tell me that corrupt Muslim judges, police officers, public prosecutors, lawyers, and so on, who are involved in Hudud-related cases will not take bribes? If they normally take bribes then they will take bribes notwithstanding what the occasion is. It does not matter whether the case is under Hudud laws or common laws.
Hudud is merely the punishment. But before the criminals can be punished they must first be put on trial. For a fee the AG’s Chambers can declare that the case is NFA (no further action) because of ‘lack of evidence’. For a fee the police can declare that they investigated the case and found no evidence of guilt. For a fee the judge can declare that no prima facie case had been made against the accused and discharge the accused without the defence being called.
Can Hudud solve the crime problem when cases can be rigged and criminals can bribe Muslim officials to get off?
What about if they fabricate evidence against a political enemy of those who walk in the corridors of power and an innocent man is punished? An innocent person can face punishment if the police, AG and judge say that the person is guilty even if that person is not.
Can Hudud prevent this from happening? How can Hudud ensure that the system remains free of corruption and abuse?
Nasrudin Hassan, please study history. Once upon a time the western world also implemented God’s law. But the church was so corrupt that injustice prevailed. The church eliminated the enemies of the many kings of Europe by using God’s laws as the weapon. Innocent people suffered because they opposed the church and/or the kings. In the name of God religious people killed those who did not kowtow to the powers-that-be.
We have gone down this road before. And life began to improve only when the people revolted and overthrew their corrupted leaders and got rid of God’s laws in favour of democratic republics.
So no, the answer does not lie in God’s laws. In fact, God’s laws were actually the problem because it was so easy to manipulate the so-called Word of God and no one dared question the injustice lest they be accused of being anti-God.
If the system is not working then don’t change the system. Get rid of the people who are manipulating and corrupting the system.
For that matter, the Westminster system of government also does not seem to be working. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat garners 50% of the popular vote but can’t win 50% of the seats. Barisan Nasional can still form the federal government even if they garner only 45% of the popular vote. Pakatan Rakyat would have to garner 60% of the popular vote to be able to form the federal government.
This means, under the present system, Pakatan Rakyat can never form the federal government because it is impossible for it to garner 60% of the popular vote with the election fraud, phantom voters, postal voting, gerrymandering, and so on, going on.
So what do we do? Do we abolish general elections? If we do then how do we choose our government? Or do we just let the military run the country?
What we must do is to get rid of the corrupt Muslims heading the Elections Commission (SPR). It is the Muslims in the SPR who are the problem. And no Islamic system can improve things if the Muslims who are supposed to be the implementers are corrupt.
“We have opened up our doors to everyone including our partners in Pakatan for a discussion. I don’t think that goes against the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat that aims to form a just government,” said Nasrudin Hassan.
My dear Nasrudin Hassan, justice cannot be achieved this way. Justice, which is supposed to be the foundation of Islam, can only be achieved when Muslims can understand what the word justice means. Currently they do not.
Muslims talk about justice. But there is no justice in their hearts. Their hearts are black with injustice.
This is where the problem lies.

***********************************************

PAS Youth insists on hudud for serious crimes
(The Malaysian Insider) - The PAS Youth insisted today that the enactment of Islamic criminal laws would prevent serious crimes from taking place, reopening a controversy that broke an earlier opposition pact in 2001.
The Islamic criminal laws also known as Hudud allows for amputation and death by stoning for serious crimes, and has been a sore point among Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties which had formed Barisan Alternatif (BA) in the 1999 elections only to see it fall apart later.
The coalition however managed to reach at its inaugural convention last year when the introduction of Hudud law was dropped from the PR’s common policy framework.
“The existing legal system has not been successful, so there is a need for an alternative system,” PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan told a press conference.
He cited the gruesome murder of businesswoman Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others as an example of failure of the current system. Police said the four were bludgeoned and later burnt but are awaiting forensic results before charging several suspects.
“We have opened up our doors to everyone including our partners in Pakatan for a discussion.”
“I don’t think that goes against the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat that aims to form a just government,” said Nasrudin when pointed out that the proposal for Islamic law was not part of PR policy.
“Now we are asking the government to do it. If it is proven to be successful, I don’t think anyone will oppose it including Pakatan,” he added.
Kelantan was the first state to enact Islamic criminal law when PAS took over the government in 1990. The Terengganu government under PAS also did the same in 2000, but both states have not been able to enforce the law because of doubts over the legality of the enactment.
“What was enacted in Kelantan and Terengganu maybe can be introduced at the federal level,” said Nasrudin.
“It is a comprehensive law but could not be enforced because of legal obstacles,” he said.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) has proclaimed Malaysia as an Islamic nation but has not made moves to enact hudud laws, citing the country’s multi-racial mix.

Why Anti Zaid Blog?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Blog Anti Zaid dibina - Kenapa Hingga Jadi Begini??

Selain dari akan memperolehi nama dan juga sedikit pengaruh jawatan bagi Timbalan Presiden PKR itu tidak menjanjikan apa-apa sebenarnya andaikata Pakatan Rakyat dan PKR sendiri terkangkang dipintu Putrajaya..

Namun begitu kempen yang berjalan bagi merebut Jawatan Timbalan Presiden PKR kelihatan semakin hebat dan panas, dengan berbagai-bagai dakwaan berlakunya penyelewengan dan salah guna harta kerajaan negeri mula kedengaran.

Malaysiakini hari ini melaporkan lima nama telah dicalonkan dan Naib presiden PKR, Azmin Ali telah memperolehi 43 pencalonan manakala pencabar terdekatnya, pengerusi PKR Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim mendapat 21 pencalonan, manakala naib presiden, Mustaffa Kamil Ayub mendapat 10 pencalonan.

Tiga lagi yang turut dicalonkan untuk jawatan timbalan presiden ialah pengarah strategik PKR Tian Chua yang mendapat dua pencalonan manakala Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dan ahli parlimen Kuantan, Fuziah Salleh masing-masing mendapat satu pencalonan.


Itu adalah pencalonan dari Cabang yang sebenarnya bukanlah mewakili suara akar umbipun bagi sesetengah tempat.. jadi tiada apa yang boleh dibanggakan disini.. yang akan menentukan siapa sebenarnya bakal memegang kerusi Timbalan Presiden itu ialah 400,000 ahli PKR seluruh negara.. lainlah jika disaat-saat akhir etika pemilihan ditukar pula dari 400,000 ahli menjadi hanya pencalonan dari Cabang-cabag sahaja yang akan diambil kira.

Contohnya seperti yang terjadi di Permatang Pauh.. asalnya dikatakan undi dari 6117 ahli PKR Permatang Pauh akan menentukan siapa yang akan memegang jawatan Timbalan Ketua Cabang akhirnya ianya bertukar menjadi hanya satu suara ghaib yang datangnya dari langit (menerusi satelit) yang menentukan siapa Timbalan Ketua Cabang.. kisahnya di SINI

Yang jelas kelihatan sengit adalah pertandingan diantara Azmin Ali dan Zaid Ibrahim dan diantara mereka berdua yang sering diserang ialah Zaid Ibrahim yang pernah dianggap sebagai wira semasa PRK Hulu Selangor beberapa bulan yang lepas.

Semalam beliau diserang oleh Pengarah Komunikasi PKR Nik Nazmi dengan kaedah yang biasa digunakan oleh UMNO iaitu menyerang peribadi lawan.. kisahnya di SINI

Hari ini pula muncul sebuah blog yang dibangunkan oleh entah siapa khusus bagi menyerang peribadi Dato Zaid .

Blog yang diberikan nama sebagai ‘Selamatkan KeAdilan’ dan mottonya ialah Jangan biarkan orang luar musnahkan parti.

Kononnya menurut admin blog tersebut, ianya dilahirkan diatas kesedaran untuk menyelamatkan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KeAdilan) daripada dimusnahkan oleh seseorang yang ditaja oleh ahli perniagaan yang tamak dan rakus.

Blog ini juga akan memaparkan pendedahan demi pendedahan tentang siapakah orang yang dimaksudkan di atas.Kepada pembaca dan sesiapa yang ingin berkongsi maklumat tentang kejahatan orang yang dimaksudkan, sila email ke antizaid@gmail.com.

Soalnya mengapa hingga jadi begini? Mengapa kita perlu memberikan peluru-peluru kepada musuh kita iaitu UMNO dan BN untuk menyerang dan membunuh ahli kita sendiri? Mengapa perlu kita menghulurkan pedang kepada musuh kita untuk memancung sahabat kita sendiri?

Tidakkah itu khianat namanya? Khianat kepada seorang teman seperjuangan..

Tidak terfikirkah manusia yang membangunkan blog tersebut akan implikasi yang akan menimpa Dato Zaid dalam PRU yang akan datang andaikata beliau dicalonkan sebagai Calon PKR untuk PRU yang akan datang?

Apa yang boleh digunakan oleh Blogger-blogger Pro Pakatan Rakyat untuk menangkis serangan dari blogger-blogger Pro UMNO yang menggunakan segala maklumat yang disiarkan oleh blog tersebut?

Mengapa perlu bertindak sehingga begini BODOH dalam menzahirkan kesetiaan yang tidak berbelah bagi kepada seseorang?

Yang akan diserang itu ialah Ahli kita sendiri, ahli yang pernah kita dari PKR mencalonkan dan menobatkannya sebagai Hero kita semasa PRK Hulu Selangor dulu.

Ahli yang telah kita terima dengan bangganya ketika beliau mengumumkan untuk menyertai PKR..

Adakah kerana beliau menentang Azmin Ali dalam Pemilihan ini maka beliau perlu dianggap sebagai musuh? Kalau takut menerima tentangan kenapa perlu bertanding? hanya minta bantuan dari Tangan atau Suara Ghaib itu bagi mencaturkan segalanya.. menyusun siapa saja yang disukainya..

Itulah yang terjadi andai dibiarkan nafu tamak untuk berkuasa menguasai diri..

Bagaimanapun dari tema blog ini iaitu ‘Selamatkan KeAdilan’ jelas kelihatan bahawa manusia yang membangunkannya bukanlah seorang yang peka terhadap Parti, kerana menurut perlembagaan PKR yang terbaru ejaan bagi keadilan sepatutnya ialah ‘KEADILAN’ bukannya ditulis sebagai ‘KeAdilan’.

Selain dari tidak peka terhadap perkembangan Parti, manusia yang membangunkan blog tersebut juga jelas tidak tahu akan wujudnya Etika Pemilihan Parti yang mengatakan dengan jelas bahawa ‘Setiap anggota tidak boleh memfitnah, mengeji, menghina, menjalankan kempen atau serangan berupa cacian terhadap calon lain atau kehidupan peribadi calon atau keluarganya.’

Kenapa perlu bertindak begitu BODOH hanya kerana mahu melihat Azmin Ali dinobatkan sebagai Timbalan Presiden PKR?

Tak perlulah kita mendedahkan semua keburukan teman seperjuangan kita hanya kerana mahu melihat manusia yang disokong kita menang.. simpanlah sikit untuk dihari muka..

Sedarlah... PKR itu bukan untuk Azmin Ali ataupun Zaid Ibrahim dan juga PKR itu bukannya untuk Anwar sendiri.. tapi ianya dibina untuk menuntut keadilan buat rakyat yang dijajah UMNO/BN!!!

Posted by Anak Sungai Derhaka at Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Zaid letter to PM

Tuesday September 30, 2008 MYT 7:43:00 PM

Zaid Ibrahim's open letter to PM

29 September 2008
YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi
Prime Minister of Malaysia
5th Floor, East Wing
Perdana Putra Building
Putrajaya
Malaysia
Dear Mr Prime Minister
In our proclamation of independence, our first Prime Minister gave voice to the lofty aspirations and dreams of the people of Malaya: that Malaya was founded on the principles of liberty and justice, and the promise that collectively we would always strive to improve the welfare and happiness of its people.
Many years have passed since that momentous occasion and those aspirations and dreams remain true and are as relevant to us today as they were then. This was made possible by a strong grasp of fundamentals in the early period of this nation. The Federal Constitution and the laws made pursuant to it were well founded; they embodied the key elements of a democracy built on the Rule of Law. The Malaysian Judiciary once commanded great respect from Malaysians and was hailed as a beacon for other nations. Our earlier Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn were truly leaders of integrity, patriots in their own right and most importantly, men of humility. They believed in and built this nation on the principles and values enunciated in our Constitution.
Even when they had to enact the Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960, they were very cautious and apologetic about it. Tunku stated clearly that the Act was passed to deal with the communist threat. “My cabinet colleagues and I gave a solemn promise to Parliament and the nation that the immense powers given to the Government under the ISA would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silent lawful dissent”, was what the Tunku said. Our third Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn reinforced this position by saying that the ISA was not intended to repress lawful political opposition and democratic activity on the part of the citizenry.
The events of the last three weeks have compelled me to review the way in which the ISA has been used. This exercise has sadly led me to the conclusion that the Government has time and time again failed the people of this country in repeatedly reneging on that solemn promise made by Tunku Abdul Rahman. This has been made possible because the Government and the law have mistakenly allowed the Minister of Home Affairs to detain anyone for whatever reason he thinks fit. This subjective discretion has been abused to further certain political interests.
History is the great teacher and speaks volumes in this regard. Even a cursory examination of the manner in which the ISA has been used almost from its inception would reveal the extent to which its intended purpose has been subjugated to the politics of the day.
Regrettably, Tunku Abdul Rahman himself reneged on his promise. In 1965, his administration detained Burhanuddin Helmi, the truly towering Malay intellectual, a nationalist who happened to be a PAS leader. He was kept in detention until his death in 1969. Helmi was a political opponent and could by no stretch of the imagination be considered to have been involved in the armed rebellion or communism that the ISA was designed to deal with. This detention was an aberration, a regrettable moment where politics had been permitted to trump the rule of law. It unfortunately appears to have set a precedent and many detentions of persons viewed as having been threatening to the incumbent administration followed through the years. Even our literary giant, ‘sasterawan negara’ the late Tan Sri A Samad Ismail was subjected to the ISA in 1976. How could he have been a threat to national security?
I need not remind you of the terrible impact of the 1987 Operasi Lalang. Its spectre haunts the Government as much as it does the peace loving people of this nation, casting a gloom over all of us. There were and still are many unanswered questions about those dark hours when more than a hundred persons were detained for purportedly being threats to national security. Why they were detained has never been made clear to Malaysians. Similarly, no explanation has been forthcoming as to why they were never charged in court. Those detainees included amongst their numbers senior opposition Members of Parliament who are still active in Parliament today. The only thing that is certain about that period was that UMNO was facing a leadership crisis. Isn’t it coincidental that the recent spate of ISA arrests has occurred when UMNO is again having a leadership crisis?
In 2001, Keadilan ‘reformasi’ activists were detained in an exercise that the Federal Court declared was in bad faith and unlawful. The continued detention of those that were not released earlier in the Kamunting detention facility was made possible only by the fact that the ISA had been questionably amended in 1988 to preclude judicial review of the Minister’s order to detain. Malaysians were told that these detainees had been attempting to overthrow the Government via militant means and violent demonstrations. Seven years have gone and yet no evidence in support of this assertion has been presented. Compounding the confusion even further, one of these so-called militants, Ezam Mohamad Noor, recently rejoined UMNO to great fanfare, as a prized catch it would seem.
At around the same time, members of PAS were also detained for purportedly being militant and allegedly having links to international terrorist networks. Those detained included Nik Adli, the son of Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat the Menteri Besar of Kelantan. Malaysians were made a promise by the Government that evidence of the alleged terrorist activities and links of these detainees would be disclosed. To date no such evidence has been produced.
The same formula was used in late 2007 when the HINDRAF 5 were detained. Malaysians were told once again that these individuals were involved in efforts to overthrow the Government and had links with the militant Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka. To date no concrete evidence have been presented to support this assertion. It would seem therefore that the five were detained for their involvement in efforts that led to a mobilisation of Malaysian Indians to express, through peaceful means, their frustration against the way in which their community had been allowed to be marginalised. This cause has since been recognised as a legitimate one. The HINDRAF demonstration is nothing extraordinary as such assemblies are universally recognised as being a legitimate means of expression.
In the same vein, the grounds advanced in support of the most recent detentions of Tan Hoon Cheng, Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamarudin leave much to be desired. The explanation that Tan Hoon Cheng was detained for her own safety was farcical. The suggestion that Teresa Kok had been inciting religious sentiments was unfounded as was evinced by her subsequent release.
As for Raja Petra Kamarudin, the prominent critic of the Government, a perusal of his writings would show that he might have been insulting of the Government and certain individuals within it. However, being critical and insulting could not in any way amount to a threat to national security. If his writings are viewed as being insulting of Islam, Muslims or the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he should instead be charged under the Penal Code and not under the ISA. In any event, he had already been charged for sedition and criminal defamation in respect of some of his statements. He had claimed trial, indicating as such his readiness and ability to defend himself. Justice would best be served by allowing him his day in court more so where, in the minds of the public, the Government is in a position of conflict for having been the target of his strident criticism.
The instances cited above strongly suggest that the Government is undemocratic. It is this perspective that has over the last 25 plus years led to the Government seemingly arbitrarily detaining political opponents, civil society and consumer advocates, writers, businessmen, students, journalists whose crime, if it could be called that, was to have been critical of the Government. How it is these individuals can be perceived as being threats to national security is beyond my comprehension. The self-evident reality is that legitimate dissent was and is quashed through the heavy-handed use of the ISA.
There are those who support and advocate this carte-blanche reading of the ISA. They will seek to persuade you that the interests of the country demand that such power be retained, that Malaysians owe their peace and stability to laws such as the ISA. This overlooks the simple truth that Malaysians of all races cherish peace. We lived together harmoniously for the last 400 years, not because of these laws but in spite of them.
I believe the people of this country are mature and intelligent enough to distinguish actions that constitute a ‘real’ threat to the country from those that threaten political interests. Malaysians have come know that the ISA is used against political opponents and, it would seem, when the leadership is under challenge either from within the ruling party or from external elements.
Malaysians today want to see a Government that is committed to the court process to determine guilt or innocence even for alleged acts of incitement of racial or religious sentiment. They are less willing to believe, as they once did, that a single individual, namely the Minister of Home Affairs, knows best about matters of national security. They value freedom and the protection of civil liberties and this is true of people of other nations too.
Mr Prime Minister, the results of the last General Election are clear indication that the people of Malaysia are demanding a reinstatement of the Rule of Law. I was appointed as your, albeit short-lived, Minister in charge of legal affairs and judicial reform. In that capacity, I came to understand more keenly how many of us want reform, not for the sake of it, but for the extent to which our institutions have been undermined by events and the impact this has had on society.
With your blessing, I attempted to push for reform. High on my list of priorities was a reinstatement of the inherent right of judicial review that could be enabled through a reversion of the key constitutional provision to its form prior to the controversial amendment in 1988. I need not remind you that that constitutional amendment was prompted by the same series of events that led not only to Operasi Lalang but the sacking of the then Lord President and two supreme court justices. Chief amongst my concerns was the way in which the jurisdiction and the power of the Courts to grant remedy against unconstitutional and arbitrary action of the Executive had been removed by Parliament and the extent to which this had permitted an erosion of the civil liberties of Malaysians. It was this constitutional amendment that paved the way for the ouster provision in the ISA that virtually immunises the Minister from judicial review, a provision which exemplifies the injustice the constitutional amendment of 1988 has lent itself.
I also sought to introduce means by which steps could be taken to assist the Judiciary to regain the reputation for independence and competence it once had. Unfortunately, this was viewed as undesirable by some since an independent Judiciary would mean that the Executive would be less ‘influential’.
I attempted to do these things and more because of the realisation that Malaysia’s democratic traditions and the Rule of Law are under siege. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with giving everyone an independent Judiciary and the opportunity to a fair trial. This is consistent with the universal norms of human rights as it is with the tenets of Islam, the religion of the Federation. Unchecked power to detain at the whim of one man is oppressiveness at its highest. Even in Israel, a nation that is perpetually at war, the power to detain is not vested in one man and detention orders require endorsement from a judge.
If there are national security considerations, then these can be approached without jettisoning the safeguards intended to protect individual citizens from being penalised wrongfully. In other jurisdictions involved in armed conflicts, trials are held in camera to allow for judicial scrutiny of evidence considered too sensitive for public disclosure so as to satisfy the ends of justice. If this can be done in these jurisdictions, why not here where the last armed struggle we saw, the very one that precipitated the need for the ISA, came to an end in the 1980s? Any doubts as to the continued relevance of the ISA in its present form should have been put to rest by the recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) that the ISA be repealed and an anti-terror legislation suited to the times enacted in its place. Containing as it did a sunset clause in its original times, the ISA was never intended to be a permanent feature on the Malaysian legal landscape.
Through its continued use in the manner described above and in the face of public sentiment, it is only natural that the ISA has become in the mind of the people an instrument of oppression and the Government is one that lends itself to oppressiveness. Its continued use does not bode well for a society that is struggling to find its place in the global arena. It does not bode well for the democracy that is so vital for us to develop sustainably.
Mr Prime Minister, I remember very clearly what you once said; that if one has the opportunity to do what is good and right for the country, then he must take on the task. I respect you deeply for that and if I were confident that I would have been able to do some good for Malaysia, I would have remained on your team. Sir, you are still the Prime Minister and you still have the opportunity to leave your footprint in Malaysian history. I urge you to do so by repealing the ISA once and for all.
Let us attempt to fulfil that solemn promise made by our beloved first Prime Minister to the people of this country.
Yours sincerely
ZAID IBRAHIM
Kuala Lumpur

Why Blowing oneself up?

 From Asia Sentinel
Why Do Terrorists Blow Themselves Up?

Written by Riaz Hassan
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
An exhaustive study by an Australian professor finds a complex set of factors Nine years ago, 19 young Muslims commandeered passenger jets and killed themselves, taking with them 2973 people to the inferno of fire. Since the 9/11 attacks, suicide bombings have become a staple of daily news, although the practice dates back at least two decades. A commonly accepted narrative frames such acts of self-destruction as the action of psychologically impaired, morally deficient, uneducated, impoverished individuals and, most of all, religious fanatics. But the analysis of information based on 1597 suicide attacks between 1981 and 2008, which killed more than 21,000 in 34 countries, suggests a more complex set of reasons, an understanding of which is essential if the world is to see an end of such slaughter. My book, "Life as a Weapon," analyzes suicide bombings as a method of choice among terrorist groups around the world and the motivations. Surprisingly, altruism emerges as a major factor in the complex set of causes behind the suicide attacks. In its most fundamental character, following the seminal studies of economist Ernest Fehr and colleagues, altruism can be defined as the costly actions that confer benefits on other individuals. Altruism is a fundamental condition accounting for human cooperation for organization of society and its cohesiveness. In the conceptual map of French sociologist Emile Durkheim, suicide bombings would fall in the category of altruistic suicidal actions – distinct from other types of suicidal actions caused by personal catastrophes, hopelessness and psychopathologies that lead people to believe life is not worth living. Altruistic suicides, on the other hand, involve valuing one's life as less worthy than the group's honor, religion or other collective interests. The genesis of suicide bombings is rooted in intractable asymmetrical conflicts pitching the state against non-state actors over political entitlements, territorial occupation and dispossession. Invariably such conflicts instigate state-sanctioned violence and repressive policies against weaker non-state parties causing widespread outrage and large-scale dislocation of people, many of whom become refugees in makeshift camps, in or outside so called war zones. Carolyn Nordstrom captures the mood in Sri Lanka during the recently ended civil war: "In the war zones, violence and war permeated all aspect of daily life. It was not certain a person going for work would return in the evening. A home could be suddenly searched, someone brutally killed, a mother raped or father taken away. A shell could land anywhere destroying everything around.…This kind of pervasive atmosphere of violence, rather than breaking down the resistance and spirit of population, in times creates resistance and defiance, particularly in the youth." Other contributing factors include incarceration and dehumanizing treatments of insurgents in state custody and mutual dehumanization of the "other." Suicide bombing, rarely the strategy of first choice, is selected by terrorist organizations after collective assessments, based on observations and experience, of strategies' relative effectiveness to achieve political goals. The decision to participate is facilitated by suicide bombers' internalized social identities, their exposure to asymmetric conflict and its costs, their exposure to organizations that sponsor such attacks as well as membership in a larger community where sacrifice and martyrdom carry high symbolic significance. In Sri Lanka, the Black Tigers attached importance to how the community would view their actions: They were glorified in their burial rituals, and an eternal lamp adorned the tombstone of every Black Tiger grave to commemorate the sacrifice. From sociological and economic perspectives, suicide bombings can be linked to altruism as a form of intergenerational investment or an extreme form of saving in which the agent gives up current consumption for the sake of enhancing probability of descendants enjoying benefit of some future public good. Analysis of Hezbollah suicide bombers in Lebanon shows that incidents of suicide bombing attacks increase with current income and the degree of altruism towards the next generation. Hezbollah suicide bombers come from above-average wealthy families and have above-average levels of education. The willingness of more educated people to engage in suicide missions suggests that education affects one's view of the world, enhancing sensitivity to the future. Altruism is not antithetical to aggression. In war soldiers perform altruistic actions by risking lives for comrades and country and also killing the enemy. Actions of Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II are examples of military sacrifice. Altruism can also be socially constructed in communities that have endured massive social and economic dislocations as a result of long, violent and painful conflict with a more powerful enemy. Under such conditions people react to perceived inferiority and the failure of other efforts by valuing and supporting ideals of self-sacrifice such as suicide bombing. Religiously and nationalistically coded attitudes towards acceptance of death stemming from long periods of collective suffering, humiliation and powerlessness enable political organizations to give people suicide bombing as an outlet for feelings of desperation, deprivation, hostility and injustice. The evidence, however, also shows that such personal and collective sufferings motivating suicide bombers coexist with their inner feelings of altruism and sense of fairness. An Iraqi suicide bomber Marwan prayed that "no innocent people were killed in his mission." Shafiqa, an incarcerated failed Palestinian suicide bomber in Israel, did not detonate her device after seeing "a woman with a little baby in her carriage. And I thought, why do I have to do this to that woman and her child?... I won't be doing something good for Allah. I thought about the people who loved me and about the innocent people in the street…It was a very difficult moment for me." French filmmaker Pierre Rehov interviewed many Palestinians in Israeli jails, arrested following failed suicide-bombing missions or for aiding and abetting such missions, for his film "Suicide Killers." Every one of them tried to convince him that that the action was the right thing to do for moralistic reasons. According to Rehove, "these aren't kids who want to do evil. These are kids who want to do good…." The result – young people who had previously conducted their lives as good people believe that a suicide bombing represented doing something great. Everyday degradations of Israeli occupation had created collective hatred, making them susceptible to indoctrination to become martyrs. As Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo puts it, "It is neither mindless nor senseless, only a very different mind-set and with different sensibilities than we have been used to witnessing among young adults in most countries." Suicide bombings invariably provoke a brutal response from authorities. By injecting fear and mayhem into ordinary rhythms of daily life, such bombings undermine the state's authority in providing security and maintaining social order. Under such conditions the state can legitimately impose altruistic punishments to deter future violation threatening security and social order. These include punishments meted out to perpetrators and their supporters. The state-sanctioned military actions against the Palestinians, Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers, Iraqi insurgents and the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan are examples of these punishments. But altruistic punishments are only effective when they do not violate the norms of fairness. Punishments and sanctions seen as unfair, hostile, selfish and vindictive by targeted groups tend to have detrimental effects. Instead of promoting compliance, they reinforce recipients' resolve to non-compliance. Counter-insurgency operations are aimed at increasing the cost of insurgency to the insurgents, and invariably involve eliminating leaders and supporters who plan suicide bombings, destroying insurgents' capabilities for mounting future attacks, and restrictions on mobility and other violations of civil liberties. But there is mounting evidence that such harsh measures reinforce radical opposition and even intensify it. This is now happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories and has also been the case in Sri Lanka and Iraq and other conflict sites. Riaz Hassan is emeritus professor at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, and global professor of social research and public policy at New York University Abu Dhabi. His book, Life as a Weapon: The Global Rise of Suicide Bombings, was published last month by Routledge.This is published with the permission of YaleGlobal, the publication of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.