malaysiakini and the DARK FORCES in MALAYSIA...

When the government launched the public inquiry on the Police after the "nude squat" incident 4 years ago, most Malaysians heaved a collective sigh of relief that finally the major problems would be resolved with the IPCMC.
Sadly the government backed off from implementing the important measures of the IPCMC but improved the terms and conditions of the police force.
Today's article in malaysiakini show that major probems still plague the PDRM. In the first example, Two nabbed for 'going to attend' vigil at the DAP headquarters to attend a candle-light vigil to mark the dark days of democracy in Perak.
In the second malaysiakini article Gobind: Where are Kugan's killers? the lawmaker asks what happened to the last case of a detainee being killed while in police detention.
These and other similar incidents show that some of the police officers are behaving more like the criminals they are supposed to be catching.
It looks like we NEED to change the government before we can bring changes to the PDRM.
Furthermore the IGP is now on extended contract service after his retirement. He has already had a major heart surgery and one wonders why the government does not promote the next qualified person to lead the force. Contract appointments should be limited to advisory roles and not more than one year duration.

malaysiakini and the MYNAMAR JUNTA....

malaysiakini has this article on the problem. It is headed 'Stronger action needed to free Suu Kyi'
The Myanmar regime is somewhat similar to the situation in Malaysia. The authorities are prepared to use force and illegal means to stay in power or to upset the results of a genuine election.
For Myanmar, the generals had too much to lose when Aung San Suu Kyi's party won the national polls and they decided not to let democracy flower.
After what happened in Perak and the court proceedings, Malaysia too is in danger of ending up in a similar state as vital state institutions have been compromised like the PDRM and the Judiciary.
In Burma we see raw military brutality - in Malaysia we can see the emerging of an ugly and all-powerful Executive.
If Malaysians are not vigilant and prepared to defend their liberty, we too can end up like Myanmar.
Maybe that is why Malaysia has been unwilling to condemn their actions for many years and in fact some prominent Malaysian companies have set up lucrative business there to exploit the nation's natural resources.

malaysaikini and the NEW ELECTION SYSTEM?

I believe this proposal by the Elections Committee as reported in malaysiakini Thumb print biometric system for 13th GE? is not that critical for ensure a proper administration of the democratic process especially for the next General Elections.
Given the sorry state of the state's vital institutions, this is a critical period to try and change the fundamental manner to determine election results.
After the Appeal Court's decision on the 2 Perak MBs, one can surely sense the real anger of the common folks about an "instant noodle" Judiciary that does not care to write written judgements.
Instead of spending perhaps RM100m on an unproven biometric election system, the EC would do better if it implemented a few simple steps to strengthen the democratic process like the following:

1.Reduce postal voters to those who are really engaged in combat duties or in remote locations. Ensure that party workers are able to observe the postal voting arrangements.
2.Arrange for all overseas Malaysians to cast votes in the major capitals of the world where we have diplomatic missions.
3.Make use of indelible ink. After all, they decided it was good enough to purchase a few million ringgit for the last elections.

The biometric method should not be used unless it has been properly tested in at least 5 by-elections and if the contract is awarded based on open tender with international companies bidding.

malaysiakini and a DAY to WEAR BLACK for PERAK

No today should be declared a day of national mouring and not just for Perak that has witnessed the death of a democracy via money politics and blackmail.
According to this malaysiakini article, Court of Appeal: Zambry is MB and the unanimous decision comes within a week of the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision in declaring Pakatan Rakyat leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the rightful menteri besar of Perak.
They say the law is an ass but it looks as if the Perakians are being made fools of when the Judiciary can come up with such conflicting decisions; especially in a matter in which they should not interfere with - ie the State Administration.
The only bright lining is this dark cloud over the nation is that it shows after the Lingam tapes scandal that the Judiciary is one dirty stable that needs a thorough cleanup.
They can pass all the judgements they want but do you think they will change the minds of Malaysians as to who is the rightful MB of Perak?
Unless the BN calls for state elections, this court-sanctioned MB will be a constant reminder to all Malaysians that they need to elect people of integrity to power especially for the federal government.

malaysiakini and ASKING the IGP to RESIGN..

I guess we can all learn from the UK in asking top officials to step down.
Over there, the Speaker has been forced from office after the scandal of MPs expenses that included moat cleaning and phantom mortgage payments.
In Malaysia, there is a call from various bodies like the Bar Council and BERSIH for the IGP to resign and this article in malaysiakini YourSay: 'IGP not doing his job' reflects the perception that somehow the police have been unable to uphold to a high standard of service, except for the national leaders who get excellent service.
Why some of them are even trained to follow orders without question, even to the extent of blowing up unwanted bodies.
I wrote in an earlier article in support of the IGP when his contract was first extended by Badawi but with the provision that the PM needed a tough cop to implement the IPCMC but since that commission has not seen the light of day even after more than 2 years, I too suggest that the IGP should be retired as he has come of age and has undergone a major heart surgery.
I am sure we do have other capable cops who can step up to the plate to seriously reform the police.
As for the Home Minister, I will give him some grace period if he makes a public pledge to implement the IPCMC within 6 months.

malaysiakini and DEFENDING our FREEDOM....

I thought there was going to be a major review of the ISA laws but clearly this article in malaysiakini shows the powers-that-be are still chugging along with dinosaurian mental capacity.
Whatever you may think about his political bent, one cannot help but admire this man's tenacity to thumb his nose at the authorities.
Uthayakumar to skip Kamunting meet describes how this guy refuses to bend to the authorities' demand for him to present himself before the Advisory Board who want to decide if he should be detained further under the ISA.
Maybe the reason is that he did not sign the papers so the authorities cannot file them in neat folders and with our bureaucracy, that is a serious "no-no".
Under the ISA, the authorities can hold you at the whim and fancy of the Home Minister for 2 years without any charge in a court and when they release you without even an apology for unlawful detention, they expect you to sign papers with certain conditions like night curfew and others.
So Uthayakumar refused to sign the papers and the Kamunting officers decided he was too much of a hot potato and released him anyway.
In other words, he was released without any conditions in the eyes of the public. It would be foolhardy for the government to re-arrest him now under the ISA.
Maybe a misdemeanor for retaining prison garments? But why did the prison authorities allow him to walk out with government property?

malaysiakini and WHY We Could Be Headed for MAJOR PANDEMIC in Malaysia

We could be heading for a major outbreak of H1N1 flu in Malaysia if we simply carry on business as usual.
According to this malaysiakini article World flu figures soar with schools in Kobe Japan closing after students there developed symptoms.
We know of three reported cases of this new strain in Malaysia and even now the health and immigration authorities have not been able to trace all the passengers of the infected flight from the Newark flight that carried the first case from the USA.
We all know how easy it is for people to remain undetected in Malaysia like the case of the private eye who made contradictory SDs some months ago and also the case of Mas Selamat who stayed undetected in Johor for over a year.
So why am I sounding the panic over H1N1?
Since no nation really has a fool-proof way to prevent the spread of the infectious virus and the only method is through a strict quarantine regime and avoiding personal contacts, it looks like the authorities are planning to cripple the nation's economy through unnecessary gatherings.
According to this MSM report they want to gather 417,000 ex-NS trainees "to gauge whether they still have the patriotism spirit."
I'm not sure what you think about NS but to me the program should be suspended untill the H1N1 outbreak subsides or we could have a serious national problem.
Even if one traineee get this flu in camp, we will have a major problem coping with an outbreak more widespread than the last deadly Nipah virus outbreak.
Even if there is no H1N1 flu, questions should be asked why the NS program needs ex-trainees to gather physically as a gathering of 417,000 will cost at least RM41.7million even if one takes an average of RM100 for each traineee to cover food, transport and lodgings.
Or is this part of the "stimulus package"?

malaysiakini and the COMMON FOLKS Response to 1MALAYSIA...

1Malaysia has a nice ring to it but only if one is sincere about treating all citizens with proper respect.
Seeing how the BN has mismanaged the Perak fiasco, it is small wonder that many common folks are rubbishing that catchy slogan as mere balderdash.
malaysiakini has the people's response here.
Now if you read about how the PM is trying to portray everyone as trying to practise parliamentary democracy and also shielding the Perak sultan, you need to give some some credit for trying to pull a fast one on Malaysians.

There is a major difference between the Sultan trying to decide who commands the majority after an elections and who has been bought over/blackmailed into crossing over during a defections "dirty tricks" campaign.

The former is the result of an elections campaign while the latter could have been executed to deny the people's choice of government.
Furthermore, since the State Secretary is a civil servant who answers to Putrajaya, it is abundantly clear who ordered that person to remove the legitimate State Speaker from the Perak Assembly.

1Malaysia? I don't think so. "1UMNO" is more likely the recalcitrant battle cry. UMNO is already in serious trouble with the common folks. I suppose we should be grateful for Najib's type of leadership for it spells doom in the next GE.

malaysiakini and BEING UNFAIR to Expect SULTAN to SOLVE PERAK CRISIS

I don't think it is fair to pressure the Sultan to solve the Perak crisis as he was not the main cause for the ongoing problem.
After all we practise a constitutional monarchial system and the ruler is confined strictly to the narrow path provided by the state constitution.
So this article in malaysiakini is rather surprising for it implies that the impasse can be solved by royal command. The ball is in sultan's court implies that the palace should solve the mess created by the BN leaders.

I blame the BN more as they had control of the police, the civil servants who created the chaos at the last assembly sitting that showed us to what extent some people are prepared to go to cling on to power.
Now it looks that 30% of the Judicial system will be occupied with the various cases emanating from the Perak crisis.

malaysiakini and a FEW GOOD THINGS about the PERAK CRISIS...

they have this article about the ongoing Perak crisis The silver lining in Perak crisis and I agree that there is some hope left for Malaysians but we need to address the issues fast; just like the Appeals Court that granted the infamous stay within 24 hours.

In the way, the March 2008 elections result is a delayed reaction to the May13 incident and only now are more Malaysians able to discuss that unhappy period without blinkers.
If we compare Malaysia and Indonesia that also underwent a few periods of rioting, I daresay that Indonesia has forged ahead in the democratic process compared to Malaysia and we appear to be regressing with so many state institutions tainted with serious corruption.

No I don't believe that an incident similar to May13 will happen in Malaysia but I suggest that it is quite possible that a people's revolt can occur. Especially since the people have seen how a few dozen people can barge into the Perak State Legislature and drag off the legitimate Speaker Sivakumar and install a new Speaker after a dubious proceedings.

It is quite possible for a High Court Judge or even the Prime Minister to be chucked out without due process unless we all abide by the rules that have served us well.
One basic reason that most laws are broken in Malaysia is that there is only selective enforcement and persecution.

Since the BN has welcomed talks to settle the Perak crisis, I suggest the following would be acceptable to the Perak folks:

1.BN will accept status quo before the Perak coup.
2.By-elections to be held for the seats that had cross-overs.
3.The federal authorities will not disturb PR states via cross-overs but work in a cooperative manner for all Malaysians.

To effect the above, Najib, Anwar and the 2 MBs should seek a joint audience with the Sultan and promise that the state government will be left in peace.

malaysiakini and the SHOCKING Court PROCEEDINGS of PERAK...

Or maybe we should be beyond shock now - after the Perak Speaker was so blatantly dragged out by the cops in violation of every democratic principle of the separation of powers.
OK, I know many readers are asking, "What separation of powers? We are 1Malaysia now."
The police, the EC, the Judiciary all come under the control of the all-powerful Executive. It has been moving towards that during the past 10 years but too many Malaysians were too occupied with life's struggles that we allowed wolves to start guarding the sheep, in a manner of speaking.
So Sivakumar being dragged out is just one symptom of the major sickness that is afflicting Malaysia. Like a virulent cancer, we have seen our cherished institutions like universities struggle to meet international standards and once revered bodies like the Judiciary become punching bags for government critics.
So this malaysiakini article Federal Court says no written judgment in Perak case is a cause for serious concern as it gives the perception the court is operating like a "fly by night" company whose decision-making process is devoid of merit and secrecy is to protect its shortcoming.
It seems that the judges who sat on the panel are incompetent or unwilling to let their learned judgement be put under the scrutiny of legal practitioners so that the case laws can be enriched.
If judges do not write judgements, is it in the same category as policemen who do not catch crooks?
ALLAH help us all!

malaysiakini and ROBBERY of a DIFFERENT Kind.....

You can read of how Perakians are being robbed of their rightful state leader in this malaysiakini article Nizar's stay application fixed for Monday which indicates that even the justice system is weighed heavily in favour of BN supporters.
Of course the judicial system has lost much of its prestige just like the PRDM who appear to be a law unto themselves with their rejection of the IPCMC which you will remember was to curb indiscipline and wrong-doing among the cops.

We allowed the Judiciary to be plundered more than 20 years ago and we witnessed how the police practise double standards - no doubt following the example of their political masters who practise money politics on a grand scale.
Will we also allow the legislature to be denied their proper role in our democracy?

Today there is another story that tells of a massive fraud in the Selangor land office that took place about 20 years ago. Those involved like the politicians and land officials should be hauled to court for corruption and the land should be returned to the state.
Speaking of the land office, I must write that one year has seen a major improvement in the Johore land office.
I witnessed the following when I went there to pay quit rent.
1.The office was almost empty. Usually at this time of the year, the office will be congested.
2.There was no need to get the quit rent statement like before and that saves paper and printing.
3.My number was called within 5 minutes - usually it would take about 30 minutes.
4.You can pay by credit card.
5.You can pay by cheque but this is only for companies. Don't understand the logic as to why individuals also cannot use cheques.
6.You can pay online but only using Maybank. I suggest all banks should be included for easier payment.

malaysiakini and "Different Strokes for Different Folks"?

If you are confused about the "quality of justice" in Malaysia be assured that you are not the only one.
It seems that the legal wrangling about who is the rightful Menteri Besar of Perak is also subject to vagaries like the weather and which CPU was used to process the various applications.
Maybe even the poor electrons in the different CPUs are getting confused with the dozen or more cases concerning the cases of the 2 MBs and 2 Speakers and 2 sets of Perak Excos.
According to this malaysiakini article Nizar's stay application fixed for Monday.

I know what you are thinking. How did that other guy manage to get a stay within 24 hours of being found to be an imposter MB as Nizar had never resigned or vacated his post? Now when the righful MB applies to quash the stay order, the matter is delayed by 4 days. I do include Saturday and Sunday as the case should be held by Friday the latest as it is a matter of great public urgency.

The quality of justice is indeed strained if the courts are perceived to be taking sides by handling this critical matter with a definite bias.
What happened to the saying, "Justice delayed is justice denied"?

malaysiakini and WHY You CANNOT See This on TV

According to this malaysiakini article Footage of 'speaker dragged out' banned as it shows the Police violating the sanctity of the Perak State Assembly and forcibly removing the Speaker after an illegal motion by the BN assemblymen at the last assembly.
At the moment, it is not sure who ordered the Police to act in this manner and surely it shows that democracy was raped in this incident.
All those involved are guilty of a serious crime of rioting,civil disorder or sedition. The Police too have a lot to answer for and it really shows why Malaysia desperately needs the IPCMC to rein in policemen who do not follow but flout all the laws.
As for the TV station, well we know that they are all just propaganda tools of the government.

malaysiakini and FOLLOWING the LAW into CHAOS for PERAK?

malaysiakini has this article on the Perak imbroglio in which But Najib says no snap elections in Perak but that the BN just wants to follow the proper process of the law.
To most ordinary folks in Malaysia, we have seen how the law has been twisted to plant a "bogus" MB under a false pretence and created such a "cock-up" (pardon my language) of the Perak legislature.

We have seen how the Police were deployed to prevent the legitimate MB from occupying his office and the worst incident was the forceful removal of the Perak Speaker from the Assembly. What law is he talking about?

Is this part of the 1Malaysia hoo-ha?
Of course no one likes to get thrashed in elections but I suggest there would be more honour in that than to continue to rule under some irrelevant laws.
I am no expert in constitutional law and all the intricacies but the will of the people is paramount in this case rather than 3 or 5 judges deciding the appeal.

In fact Malaysia will develop politically if both the BN and PR leaders make a joint appeal to the Sultan to dissolve the assembly which now appears more like a scene from "Animal Farm".

malaysiakini and How UMNO Brought ODIUM to the PERAK ROYALTY...

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the prestige and reputation of the Perak Royalty has been severely damaged, perhaps even beyond repair for many years.
This malaysiakini article headed Perak monarchy 'embarrassed' by imbroglio suggests that "the UMNO leaders brought odium to monarchy".

According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word "odium" means:
1 : the state or fact of being subjected to hatred and contempt as a result of a despicable act or blameworthy circumstance
2 : hatred and condemnation accompanied by loathing or contempt : detestation
3 : disrepute or infamy attached to something : opprobrium

If one observed the scenes during the swearing-in of the pretender MB, there was certainly a lot of ill feelings towards the royal family for agreeing to appoint the new MB on the basis that Nizar had been dismissed.
We do not know the deals behind the scenes or who had advised th Sultan before he made the decision.
It is good that we have a judge who can still decide without fear or favour and it definitely gives the powers that be some cause for reflection.
If we look at the despicable manner in which the esteemed Speaker of Perak was bundled away like a common criminal in the power grab, it shows to the common folks the types of people we have in the state legislature.

But back to the "odium" charge. In the good old days, perhaps within the last 300 years, such a crime would have been severely punished with imprisonment or even losing one's head after being drawn and quartered.

malaysiakini and NAJIB'S Plan to "Solve" the PROBLEM?

I don't know how Najib plans to "solve" the problem and I suspect the good people of Perak don't give a damn about his proposals unless it is a blanket decision not to contest in the upcoming state elections.
According to malaysiakini Najib: BN to appeal against decision and to me it shows that somehow they hope to overturn this important decision of the High Court.
This problem was created by the BN who really showed their true colours. It is time that all loyal subjects in Perak started wearing black as a sign of protest.

If Nizar is still the MB, then the last fiasco in the Perak Assembly was null and void; especially the removal of the Speaker who endured such a grave injustice at the hands of the usurper and also the Police.
If Najib has any sense for the longer term, Perak is already lost and if he is not careful, the BN federal government will definitely fall in the next elections.
Zambri and co have committed a serious offence by staging the “coup” and should be brought to justice.
Instead of trying to defend Z, the A-G should be tasked to protect the state constitution and not expect taxpayers to pay for the crime against the state.
In fact the Sultan of Perak can invoke his power of banishment to such a person who has caused such a tragedy to befall his state. But even if he prefers not to do so, the people of Perak will definitely boot him out.

malaysiakini and the FUTURE for MALAYSIA

This is an interesting article from malaysiakini with the heading Voters are not stupid.
For too long, political parties hve been taking Malaysians for granted and by having one dominant party since independence, the various institutions have been subjected to powerful corrupting influences.

1.We know that the police is struggling with a poor perception of the public with corruption and indiscipline with their rejection of the IPCMC.
2.We have seen how the Judiciary became tainted after the Judges' fiasco more than 20 years ago with the Lingam tapes implication of the Chief Justice.
3.We have witnessed how the Executive manages high profile cases like the Altantuya murder and the Lingam follow-up.
4.We see how the tainted Judiciary decide on state constitutional matters when they have no authority to do so.
5.We are still shocked at the shameful and illegal manner in which the Perak Speaker was forcibly removed by the Police from a supposedly important pillar of our democracy.

Most Malaysians are peace-loving and with a high tolerance for each others faults and this despite all the government's efforts to create disharmony with its racist policies.
Yes, Malaysian voters are not stupid. If anything, they just regret that they did not throw out this goverment many years ago.
I believe that the March 2008 elections shows that in the next Elections we will have a change of government unless the elections are frozen for years with Emergency rule.

Is the PERAK State Secretary Behind the SACKING of the SPEAKER?

The person who ordered the police to physically remove the speaker and "imprison" him is guilty of a serious crime against all the orders that govern the legislature.
Looking at the way the State Secretariat was locked down with the resulting "under the tree" sitting and the way the last assembly was notified without the knowledge or approval of the Speaker, it seems that the power has been usurped by the State Secretary or someone who gave him instructions.
It is important for both sides of the House to ascertain the dubious role played by the State Secretary for it seems he has breached many of the house rules.
As for the Speaker, I guess he should have forseen such an eventuality and arranged better security but even that would have been nullified by the Police who became a power unto themselves.
Yes we seem to have a Police state in the making and the basic reason is the government has failed to keep the force in order when they resisted the IPCMC. Surely it should be evident to all Malaysians now?

At Last Some GOOD NEWS from malaysiakini.....

According to this malaysiakini article Gov't to free Hindraf trio and 10 others.
This is excellent news and I wonder why they were not released earlier when Najib first came to office.
The effect would have been better then but now it seems the government realises the mood of the people is not good towards such a repressive detention. Still it will be good for these folks to go back home.
The detention under ISA has clearly been more for political reasons and because of any terrorist threat.

Surely the police are capable enough to find some evidence to charge some of the remaining people with some offence like damaging property, conspiracy etc?
Simply arresting anyone under ISA like reporters and politicians smacks of gross incompetence and even abuse of the laws.

The other good news is about the recapture of Mas Selamat, the escapee from Singapore. That capture shows that PDRM can do good work if they put their mind to it and not get embroiled in political intrigues.
There is a joke about Mas Selamat escape. Even Singaporeans used to spread this joke. After the intensive and extensive island search, many said that he probably fled to Malaysia as there is a sign that reads "Selamat Datang ke-Malaysia" on the Causeway.
For those who do not know Malay, that translates to "Welcome to Malaysia".

MACBETH in the state of PERAK?

They say life imitates art but the great writers like Shakespeare used the events of the time to create their plots and people are able to easily relate to their stories.
Many artists too used to portray prominent persons in paintings in subtle ways that showed their flaws.
I think Raja Nazrin acted well in the circumstances for having endured such a long wait and it must have tested the royal patience. I think having to wait for anything more than 10 minutes is a real bother but I suppose royalty are brought up to face such challenges.
After all the state assembly would have been in total chaos is he had left after a delay of say 30 minutes of freestyle wrestling among the state legislators.
If what the Star reported is true about his aside to Nizar, it appears that there is still some hope that a PR government may be acceptable in the near future.
Again it is the Police who appear to have come off the worst in the state assembly fiasco.
First of all, they decided that wearing black was an offence and then they enforced a 500m "no go" radius all around the state secretariat building.
There was no emergency, no bomb threat and yet the public and businesses in the area were being penalised so that they would look good at bullying ordinary folks who wanted to see how the politicians would resolve the Perak imbroglio.
They did not have to wait long. You see the Speaker was forcibly removed from his chair without proper ceremony. Since he could not be removed via any proper procedure, the BN decided that force was the only means. Some media reported that special branch was involved and if this the the case, it means that democracy in Perak was not only raped but trampled upon.
It is the blackest day for democracy in Malaysia and I daresay like most victims, sometimes the mind becomes too numb to react. The abuse is too great and the violation too unspeakable.
But back to Macbeth and perhaps this quote is relevant.

"But in these cases
We still have judgement here, that we but teach
Bloody instructions which, being taught, return
To plague th'inventor. This even-handed justice
Commends th'ingredience of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips."

You can read more in malaysiakini on how more lawyers were arrested after they turned up at a police station to inquire about a Bersih leader who was arrested.
It appears that the BN government is incapable of keeping the police under control after they rejected the IPCMC.

Photo: thanks to the Star (in Malaysia drinking teh tarek can be an offence)

malaysiakini and the BIRTH of a POLICE STATE?

I have always had the view that the failure of the government to implement the IPCMC is a major blow to our progress as a democratic nation.
In fact the government did not fail to implement the IPCMC - they did much worse. You see the government "chickened" out after a group of officers apparently resisted the government's move after the Royal Commission found out many flaws in how the police operated.
We all know well about the many deaths of suspects in police custody and rampant money politics in major political parties. Not to forget the Lingam tapes inquiry that should have put a few people in the dock for corruption and conspiracy charges.
Maybe the government could not take action like the IPCMC as it was bluntly told that many of its own leaders had cases that had been "held back" for political reasons.
Somehow I believe that the IPCMC was watered down as a "quid pro quo" that allowed everyone to carry on with their sordid business as usual.
Unfortunately as this malaysiakini article on the rape of Perak shows, the police have now become "a bully force" for the ruling party and have violated all the codes of an independent force.
Sivakumar dragged out shows how the conniving forces of the BN and the Police have joined to commit a grievous injury to politics and liberty in Perak.
It is a good indication of what can happen after the next general elections when the BN is expected to lose power.
The police have shown that they prefer BN rule as they will be free to carry on their usual practices of detention of innocent citizens who somehow irritate the political leaders.
So are you prepared to stand up and be counted or live forever shackled in your thinking?

malaysiakini on all the POMP and PAGEANTRY Signifying NOTHING in PERAK...

The Star and NST describe how the Regent of Perak will open the Perak State Assembly with much fanfare and ceremony but if one reads how the state constitution has been abused by the usurpers and the one-sided approach of the Polis, one can only be angry at the way the citizens of Perak have been denied their rights to a legitimately elected government.
This crisis would have been easily averted if new state elections had been called instead of the months of legal wrangling.
This article in malaysiakini says it all Chaos in State Assembly.
There are 2 things that concern me about the developments in Perak.
1.The prevention of the will of the people to be expressed in elections when a political stalemate is evident.
2.The one-sided approach of the Polis and even preventing the peaceful freedom of expression by wearing black as a sign of protest.

Malaysia could be the first country where your sartorial choice could be a hazard when wearing black can result in instant arrest. I guess it makes it easy for the Polis to spot you compared to the snatch robbers in major towns.

malaysiakini on WEARING Black.....

The arrest of a non-violent activist as reported in malaysiakini certainly rings alarm bells for liberty in Malaysia.
This free article in malaysiakini is worth reading Wear black to protest Wong's arrest describes how the government is certainly acting like the proverbial elephant in the china-shop.
Even a peaceful protest is being stifled with the Sedition Act.
Wearing black can hardly be considered a serious offence - it is not even a misdemeanor compared to the atrocities heaped upon ordinary citizens like:

1.Plotting the overthrow of a legitimate state government.
2.Using the police to thwart a proper state assembly meeting.
3.Allowing errant judges to remain free at large.
4.Condoning corrupt leaders to remain in public office after being found guilty of money politics.

Maybe we don't really need to wear black. The body of our nation Malaysia has been battered blue and black all over and wearing black only covers up the many bruises and batterings.

malaysiakini and SOLVING the ASM/ASW PROBLEM

Looking at the numerous letters in malaysiakini and also the local press about the problems related to the recent and previous ASM/ASW shares for the public, it appears that the fund manager is either asleep or just couldn't be bothered about service standards.

The method in which they distribute the allocation is similar to what MIDFCCS used to do 25 years ago with public share issues. Of course nowadays, public issues generate not much interest as many new issues actually lose money within one year of going public.

But that system of application and processing can be adopted for ASM/ASW if only the fund manager takes the trouble to make good use of ICT.
It will save time, energy and costs for all Malaysians who want to invest for the future.
Here is how it will work over a period of say 30 days:

1.Citizens are allowed to open a ASM/ASW account with RM10 with any bank in Malaysia.
2.The fund manager will announce the size of the offering and the rules for subscribing like:
a) size of the issue like RM2b
b) first time subscribers limit like RM10k
c) others limit like RM20k to 50k depending on balance in account
d) time to subscribe like within 12days for first timers and then open to others if issue not fully subscribed.

This ASM/ASW account can even be opened via Internet banking and funds can be deposited at ATM machines. This will remove the need to line up at banks.
The way things are managed, it appears that Malaysians are being penalised with both the hassle of filling even more forms and also allowing the bank to make use of depositers' funds during the processing.

Photo: Thanks to the Star

malaysiakini on NAJIB Taking SABAHANS for GRANTED...

Sabah used to be the great hope for a more cosmopolitan and inclusive Malaysia, especially when Joseph Pairin Kitingan won his Tambunan seat in a major upset against the BN many years ago.
But since he took PBS back into the BN, Sabah seems to be more complacent or maybe the a better word is acquiescent and the PBS has been a steady component of the BN for many years now.
The party is one of the many component BN parties of Sabah and both Sabah and Sarawak have become very strong contributors to the BN as far as federal control is concerned. Part of the reason is that the average size of the electorate in these 2 states is estimated at two-thirds those in Peninsula Malaysia.
But for the PM to describe Sabah in this malaysiakini article as "a fixed deposit" smacks of condesencion especially since the people of both Sabah and Sarawak make up the largest numbers of the poor in Malaysia.
Both these states have vast resources of timber and mineral wealth but it seems that the wealth is slow to trickle down to most ordinary folks.
On the other hand, being described as a "fixed deposit" may be accurate after all. Someone other than the citizens are surely enjoying the "interest" on their behalf.

malaysiakini and WAITING for JUSTICE for KUGAN'S KILLERS....

It all started with the "nude squat" incident years ago that resulted in a Royal Inquiry with the recommendations for the IPCMC.
Unfortunately the BN government backed down after the PDRM protested and now we still can read of more abuse and killings of suspects held in police lock-ups.
So this article in malaysiakini is hardly surprising. It is about Deciphering Kugan's post-mortem reports wherein there are now 3 different reports on a single death.
This must be quite bewildering for ordinary folks and adds to the heavy perception that now yet another government department is being used for the cover-up of police abuse.
The IPCMC proved that the PDRM needed fundamental reforms; the Lingam tape scandal indicated the corruption of the Judiciary - so why should anyone be surprised that the Executive can also order the MoH to do their bidding?
Do we need to change the BN government before the evil of corruption is purged? Increasingly that seems to be the only solution left for Malaysians.