PR KALAH DI BAGAN PINANG

12/10/2009-Bagan pinang telah mencatat sejarah bagi PR(pakatan rakyat) kerana tewas dalam PILIHAN RAYA KECIL dun bagan pinang dengan majaroti yang tinggi,Barisan nasional telah mempertahankan kerusi dun bagan pinang yang kini diwakili oleh isa samad.



mengenai perjalanan kempen pilihan raya kecil ini,didapati kempen yang dilakukan oleh pakatan rakyat@pas,amat perlahan sehingga penduduk setempat tiada maklumat yang tepat.akan tetapi provokasi yang dilakukan oleh penyokong BN telah disembunyikan,kerana mengelakkan parti dipandang kebuntuan atau tiada modal.jadi Bn telah menggunakan jentera keselamatan untuk melindungi kesalahan mereka.Bagi PR kekalahan di dun bagan pinang bukanlah kekalahan mutlak,tetapi pengajaran yang perlu diambil kira setiap sudut untuk mengelakkan perkara di bagan pinang berulang kembali.

Bagi penyokong BN @ PR perlu bersikap rasional agar parti boleh diterima oleh pengundi khasnya rakyat untuk mentadbir kawasan berkenaan,Semasa PRK N31,segala janji telah diberi,kini janji itu perlu ditunaikan oleh wakil yang telah dipilih oleh rakyat,Rakyat telah menjadikan politik sekarang yang lebih moden @ matang,tidak kira sama ada parti memerintah atau membangkang,jadi ketelusan parti dan wakil rakyat perlu seiring bersama.

mengenai laporan media,diharap agar lebih tepat dan tidak memihak kepada sebelah pihak,kerana rakyat sekarang mempunyai sumber maklumat yang alternatif,jadi tidak perlu menyembunyikan berita yang benar kepada rakyat,apa yang dapat dilihat semasa PRK N31,media lebih berat sebelah.jadi tindakkan ini akan mengundang tanggapan serong kepada pihak media...

agar kemenangan isa samad dapat memajukan bagan pinang khususnya rakyat N9,kerana mungkin rakyat N9 mahukan isa samad menerajui N9 kembali.....

salam dan selamat tinggal PRK N31...
kalah tidak bereti kalah selamanya,
menang bukan satu kemegahan,
tugas yang menanti adalah amat berat.

PRK BAGAN PINANG N31

SALAM EIDUL FITRI&REFORMASI....
kepada pelawat saya akan memberi sedikit info mengenai PRK BAGAN PINANG N31.kepada rakan seperjuangan diharap dapat memberi sokongan kepada calon PAS Persuruhjaya Pas N9, Zulkefly Mohamad Omar.saya merupakan penduduk port dickson mengharapkan DUN dibawah parlimen teluk kemang menjadi kerusi untuk PAKATAN RAKYAT,kepada sesiapa yang ingin yang kurang arif mengenai jalan ke DUN bagan pinang boleh menghubungi saya,saya lakukan ini secara sukarela untuk membantu kepada penyokong PAKATAN RAKYAT untuk membantu calon PAKATAN RAKYAT untuk berkempen..

0132832770-nan-

MEMBUJUR LALU MELINTANG PATAH,
LAWAN TETAP LAWAN,
BERSAMA BERJUANG BERSAMA ISLAM,
REFORMASI&TAKBIR BERGEMA DI BAGAN PINANG........!!!

ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!
REFORMASI!!!!!!!

'Political castration' new buzzword in Sarawak

Senior Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leaders have dismissed charges of being solely responsible for the ‘political castration of the majority Dayak community’ as alleged by Ngemeh state assemblyman Gabriel Adit who joined opposition party PKR on Saturday.
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“The Dayak leaders themselves are to blame for their (the community’s) political castration. They are disunited out of personal greed and lack discipline,” said one senior Melanau party activist from the Bumiputera wing of PBB in a text message from Kuching.

“They would rather see their political parties break up and deregistered.”

Over the weekend, Adit (left) announced that 12,000 of his supporters have joined PKR and they were welcomed with open arms in Sibu by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

But the ruling PPB in Sarawak is not particularly perturbed by Adit’s action, which has boosted PKR strength to two in the 71-seat state assembly.

“PKR is not going to solve their mistrust of each other and their self-destructive nature. At best, PKR is a temporary transit house for them,” added the PBB leader.

The PBB leader was responding to the following SMS text and query from Malaysiakini to a selection of leaders, activists and members from BN component parties, PKR, SNAP and the yet-to-be-registered Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC).

“12,000 new members led by Adit joined PKR in Sibu tonight (Nov 15). He handed over the application forms at a dinner attended by nearly 4,000 people. Adit said that PKR is the best vehicle to solve the problem of the political castration of the Dayaks. What do you think?”

Another respondent, PKR Sabah chief Jeffrey Gimpoi Kitingan, had this to say in a longish text message at 1am on Nov 16 from Sibu where he attended a 4,000-strong dinner hosted by the ‘Friends of PKR’ where Adit headed the organising committee.

“I could see and feel the desire for change and the excitement over Anwar’s speech and that of others who spoke, including Adit,” said Jeffrey.

“I think the Dayak/Iban have no better alternative than PKR/PR (Pakatan Rakyat) to overcome their castration. Their problems involve injustices that can only be solved by an alternative national government. Local parties wouldn’t be in a position to take on the (Abdul) Taib (Mahmud)-led BN state government.

“The Dayaks need a good sympathetic national leader to get them out of the situation - one who is also interested in bringing about national political change. I believe that man is DSAI (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim)...

“Anwar will make sure that the next generation of Dayak leaders will look after the interest of the people rather than their selfish interest.”

How Dayak parties were neutralised

Jeffrey witnessed the handover of the 12,000 application forms by Gabriel Adit, a nephew of Leo Moggie Irok - the first and last president of PBDS (Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak) which went defunct after moneybags in PBB openly backed James Masing to take on party founder Daniel Tajem, a long-time nemesis of Taib Mahmud.

It has been alleged that Taib wanted PBDS deregistered and “finished off for good”.

One respondent to Malaysiakini’s SMS query wanted to know the meaning of castration, while others were of the view that Kuala Lumpur was behind the disunity of the Dayaks.

Many have also pinned the blame on ‘unclean’ leaders parachuted in and thrust on the Dayak community so that they (the leaders) could be easily manipulated by the powers-that-be.

Some suggested that Abdul Rahman Yaakub and his nephew, Taib Mahmud, could not have stayed in power for almost four decades without federal government backing and see them as proxies for the real rulers in Kuala Lumpur.

Poverty, money politics and timber politics have also been cited as among the reasons for the political castration of the Dayak community.

“The coming of PKR to Sarawak is just like the entry of Umno to Sabah. PKR can do for Dayak politics what Umno did for Muslim politics in Sabah,” said one text message from a member of the pro-tem committee of the Malaysian Dayak Congress.

“Most of these Dayak leaders at the moment are satisfied with their regular ‘angpow’ packets from the powers-that-be. The money from the spoils of office keeps them in line. They couldn’t care less about their people.

“Besides, many of them have skeletons in their closets and can be easily manipulated. For example, one state minister is a gambling addict and has so many bank loans to take care of. Is he going to worry about himself or the Dayaks?”

The response from a senior Snap leader was telling.

He suggested taking another look at the history of how the present power equation in Sarawak came about and resulted in the political castration of the Dayak community.

According to him, Snap provided the first and second chief ministers - Stephen Kalong Ningkan and Tawi Sli respectively - until the Special Branch and the federal government entered the picture to break up the party’s dominance and bring about a re-alignment of the power structure which worked against the interests of the Dayak community.

“All the good Dayak leaders were either chased out, sidelined or hounded out of political existence as timber politics under Rahman Yaakub and the politics of development under Taib entered the picture,” said the Snap leader.

The rise of Muslim parties

The present power equation apparently began with two small Muslim parties, Barjasa and Panas, merging to form Parti Bumiputera in the late 1960s.

Parti Bumiputera in turn merged with Pesaka, an Iban party, led by Temenggong Jugah, the paramount chief of the Ibans.

The merger in January 1973 was allegedly “forced” on Pesaka by Kuala Lumpur which hinted that any opposition would be met with detention under the Internal Security Act - a fate suffered by several Sarawak United People’s Party (Supp) leaders at that time.

Bumiputera and Pesaka still remain separate but within PBB, with bumiputera having a 2:1 majority over Pesaka, thus effectively preventing the Pesaka leader emerging as the leader of PBB.

With the entry of Supp and Snap into the coalition government, the Dayak seats outside the Pesaka fold were further divided between Supp and Snap, with the latter having the lion’s share in the ratio of 3:1.

Within the Chinese-based Supp itself, the Dayaks formed a third of the membership and the seats.

Dayak Supp members, like Pesaka, helped dilute the political strength of the Dayak community while adding political strength to Supp and PBB with nothing in return for their community.

By the time Taib became chief minister in 1981, replacing his maternal uncle Abdul Rahman, he was still not happy with Snap having such a large number of Dayak seats.

Apparently, he bankrolled Moggie and Tajem to take on James Wong, the Snap president.

The result was the formation of PBDS in mid-1983 after Taib had indicated that Moggie and his supporters were not welcome in PBB since their entry would tip the power balance in favour of the Dayaks.

Earlier, during their open rebellion against Wong’s politics of money power, Moggie (right) had been led to believe that they would be accepted as members of PBB if they were expelled from Snap by the Limbang-based timber tycoon and former deputy chief minister, who ran the party like one of his family businesses and treated members like his workers.

Wong himself had spent some time under ISA detention for “planning to sell Limbang” to Brunei which had longed claimed the territory which almost completely separates Brunei into two halves.

The authorities never explained how Wong could on his own sell Limbang to Brunei. Wong was only released after Moggie and Tajem persuaded him to take Snap into coalition with the state BN.

Takeover of PBDS and eventual split

Tajem’s takeover of PBDS was opposed by Taib through James Masing’s challenge and the ultimate result was the deregistration of PBDS and the formation of the breakaway PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) which has suffered the fate of two presidents with assistant state minister Larry Sng claiming to be the real president in defiance of Masing.

Taib retains Larry Sng in the state cabinet despite Masing expelling him from PRS after the Registrar of Societies, on the directive of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, recognised him as the lawful president on the eve of the March 8 general elections.

Many of the Dayak state assemblymen and parliamentarians outside PBB and Supp are beholden to Alfred Jabu (right), the Pesaka leader, who has come up with a system of “loaning” his nominees as candidates to the other BN component parties.

These nominees are not even members of the political parties they are chosen to represent. This has led to charges of PBB bullying other BN component parties.

Meanwhile, Snap was deregistered and expelled from the BN but won a new lease of life through the courts. A Snap breakaway, SPDP (Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party), led by William Mawan, was accepted as a member of the Barisan Nasional.

Attempts by ex-PBDS members led by Tajem (left) to form the Malaysian Democratic Congress were rebuffed by the Registrar of Societies on “national security grounds”.

They are now turning to PKR as the only avenue for their political struggle although Tajem and Masing have since made up with each other.

Adit first won the Ngemeh seat on a PBDS ticket but was denied that seat in the 2006 state elections.

He stood as an independent and won and was refused entry into any BN component party on the grounds that he had “opposed the coalition and stolen a seat which belonged to PRS”.

Before Adit contested the election, he was a member of SPDP which had hoped to “swap” for the Ngemeh seat.

Adit had backed Tajem against Masing in the struggle for control of PBDS after Moggie suddenly resigned over “hurtful and ungrateful remarks” in public by Masing over his (Moggie’s) long stay in office.

Anwar to tell all at PKR congress?

The PKR congress this year will revisit the abortive Sept 16 plan to take over the federal government, with

MCPX

de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim expected to explain why the Pakatan Rakyat plan fell flat.

Supreme council member Khalid Jaafar, when contacted, said an explanation could defuse some of the perceptions and allegations that have been bandied about.

“(The congress) can be a platform to revive people’s faith in the party, since naturally there is disappointment over the Sept 16 plan,” he said.

“So far they’ve (Umno) talked about power transition, however we need to talk about power transfer, and quicken it if possible.”

About 2,000 delegates from 160 divisions are expected to attend the three-day congress from Nov 28, beginning with the Wanita and Youth meetings, at the Stadium Melawati in Shah Alam.
This year’s theme is Harapan Baru (A New Dawn).

Khalid said Anwar (right) would touch on changes in store for PKR, as well as talk about Umno.

“This congress will not just be a routine meeting. We have to mobilise the party since 2009 will be volatile with the (scheduled) power transition in Umno,” he added.

Deputy secretary-general Abdul Halim Mohamed Yusof said the congress will focus on strengthening the membership base.

This is vital because Parliament may be dissolved if after the power transition in Umno next March, he said.

Supreme council member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar said the congress will look at how the party can enhance ties with other Pakatan members and how the party can move forward.

“Personally I would like to see more ideas on how we can improve relationships between Pakatan states, and (how PKR can) mobilise to become the party of the future,” he said.

Formed in 1998 as Keadilan, during the reformasi period following Anwar’s arrest, the party subsequently merged with Parti Rakyat Malaysia to become Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The year that was

This has already been quite a year for the party, which achieved resounding success in the March general election to take 30 federal seats - compared to just one in the 2004 polls.

PKR played a pivotal role in the run-up to the election, working with opposition allies DAP and PAS to avoid three-way fights with Barisan Nasional (BN). They won 81 seats, denying BN its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The party now helms the Selangor government and is represented in Penang, Kedah and Perak, all of which fell to the opposition alliance.

In June, Anwar came up against a complaint of sodomy filed by ex-aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 23, but has elected to defend himself against the charge.

Some speculated that the allegation was part of a BN plot to derail Anwar’s agenda to take over the federal government by Sept 16, with the help of 31 defections.

This was at a time when several component parties in the ruling coalition were experiencing internal turmoil after the election debacle or were jostling for a higher profile in BN.

Although the defections did not take place, Anwar continued to claim in October that he still had sufficient support to take the plan through.

Another landmark event for PKR was Anwar’s return to active politics, having completed a five-year ban that followed his conviction and six-year jail sentence for corrupt practice from April 1999.

His wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who had held the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in the interim, vacated it on July 31.

Winning comfortably in his old stamping ground, Anwar was appointed opposition leader.

There is no word as yet if Wan Azizah will step down from her party post at the upcoming congress for Anwar to take control of PKR - party polls are only due next year.

DAP's anti-ISA run kicks off

DAP's anti-ISA (Internal Security Act) flag began its 350km journey on foot to the Kamunting Detention Camp in Pandamaran, Selangor today with several party personalities kicking things off.

MCPX

Party vice-chairperson and former ISA detainee Tan Kok Wai flagged off the low-key event at the Pandamaran new village at 8.15am with a short speech.

He said the walk was meant to express the public's disappointment with the continued use of unjust and repressive laws such as the ISA.

"We call upon the government to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees held under the ISA," he told a crowd of about 50 party supporters.

Tan said the purpose of the run, dubbed the 'freedom run', was also to call for a lift of the ban on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), adding that it symbolises equality, freedom, and a call to all Malaysians to unite in order to "move forward".

The DAP event was given a boost with the presence of popular blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and his wife Marina Lee Abdullah. Raja Petra has been detained twice under the ISA.

The wife on Hindraf legal advisor V Ganabatirau, V Buvaneswary, was also present during the flag off. Ganabatirau and four other Hindraf leaders have been in detention in Kamunting since Dec 13 last year.

'Run will be bear fruit'

Other personalities at the event included DAP advisor Dr Chen Man Hin and Selangor state executive councilor Ronnie Liu, who was the first runner at the event.

"It was an honour to be the first," said Liu, who headed towards Bukit Tinggi, where the flag was passed to an awaiting runner at the service centre of Klang MP Charles Santiago.

Liu told Malaysiakini that he had high hopes that the objective of the run would be accomplished as similar runs in the past had been successful.

This includes DAP's campaign to save Bukit Cina, Malacca from development and SRJK(C) Damansara primary school from permanent closure.

"We have organised this kind of run in the past and every time, it had been fruitful. You can expect this run to bear fruit in the future as well," Liu said confidently.

Also lending their support were Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners PAS and PKR. Elected representatives from these two parties will be joining in the run when the flag passes through their constituencies.

Two Pakatan MP's who have confirmed their participation are S Manikavasagam (PKR-Kapar) and Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS-Kuala Selangor).

End in Kamunting

If all goes to plan, the anti-ISA flag would pass through hundred of hands in the coastal towns of Kapar, Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan today, before ending up in Sabak Bernam, which borders Perak, by this evening.

After breaking for the night, the second leg of the run will begin at the border between Selangor and Perak before runners take the flag to Kamunting.

The flag would be passing through Teluk Intan, Setiawan, Pantai Remis, Simpang and Taiping before finally reaching Kamunting.

About a dozen plain-clothed police officers kept a close watch at the proceedings at the Pandamaran new village this morning while riot police were on standby in a nearby police station.

from hujah siri ke 29

click here >>>> Dun Batu Burok Molek Doh Weh: Hujah Dr. Syed Azman di TV9..

Azmi barbecued over Eurocopter findings

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Azmi Khalid has come under intense fire for clearing the government over the suspended RM1.6 billion Eurocopter deal.


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In lambasting the former home minister, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang cautioned him against creating the wrong impression.

"Azmi should be conscious that he should not act or conduct himself in any manner as to create suspicion or doubt whether he is being influenced by thoughts of getting back to the cabinet in the new Najib (Abdul Razak) administration beginning in five months time," he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, Azmi told a press conference that PAC found no procedural abuse in the suspended Eurocopter purchase but voiced concern that no physical examination was carried out.

He said PAC also proposed the formation of an independent review panel to look into large purchases.

Commenting on this, Lim said the PAC chairperson's statement had created consternation, disbelief and dismay of right thinking Malaysians and undermined public confidence in the parliament institution.

"Azmi cleared the government of grave procedural abuse in the tender process. However, in the next breath he admitted there was grave procedural abuse as no physical evaluation and test flights of the helicopters concerned," he added.

'Unilateral rush'

According to the Ipoh Timur MP, Azmi was guilty of an 'unilateral rush' to 'whitewash' the alleged grave procedural abuse in the Eurocopter helicopter tender process.

"Can he (Azmi) explain why he is prepared to overlook the grave procedural abuse of not having any physical evaluation and test flights of the helicopters tendered by claiming there was no procedural abuse?" he asked.

"As I pointed out in Parliament on Thursday during the winding-up of the Defence Ministry by Deputy Defence Minister Abu Seman Yusop, the helicopter tender documents specifically provided for 'documentary evaluation' in Section 37 and 'physical evaluation' in Section 38.

"We have here another instance of the conflicting claims and justifications by top government leaders for the Eurocopter deal fiasco, not only in three different versions for its price, but also on its evaluation," he said.

Lim said Abu Seman gave 'three ridiculous reasons' in parliament as to why there was no need to comply with the tender document requiring physical evaluation and test flight of the helicopters tendered.

On the other hand, he said Najib, who was defence minister when the helicopter deal was clinched, claimed that 'joyrides' of the Couger EC725 helicopter by RMAF pilots at the Lima Airshow in Langkawi were adequate as physical evaluation and test-flights.

"Why is Azmi swallowing 'line, hook and sinker' the government excuses for a gross abuse of procedure in the Eurocopter helicopter deal instead of showing an independent and critical mind which are the prerequisites for a conscientious PAC chairperson?" he asked.

Lim also explained that he was referring to Azmi personally and not the PAC because he was informed that no vote had been taken of the committee members for the PAC finding claimed by Azmi.

In fact, he said, this alleged finding of PAC is clearly not the views of all PAC members and it is most unfair and undemocratic for Azmi to claim that PAC had reached any such finding when it is not the case.

When is the report due?

Lim also saw red that his call for PAC to probe the suggestion by a former Nuri pilot that a better proposition is for an upgrade of the existing helicopters which will cost only a few hundred million ringgit was rejected by Azmi.

"I do not hold any watching brief for Sikorsky, the manufacturer of Nuri helicopters, and have no objection to the phasing out of the Nuris, if this is the considered opinion of any independent study of the matter as my top priority is the safety of the RMAF personnel using the helicopters.

"What I cannot accept is that Azmi has taken upon himself to pass such a judgement not as a result of an full inquiry by PAC, but because of the advice he had received by some Defence Ministry official," he said.

"If the PAC chairperson is going to be a puppet of any top ministry official, what is the use of having a PAC in the first place," he added.

Lim also asked when Azmi and PAC will submit its report on the Eurocopter inquiry to parliament for debate.

"Can the report be tabled by before the end of this month? Azmi must not forget that PAC is only a committee of the Dewan Rakyat which has the final responsibility to endorse, revise or reject its report and recommendations," he said.

According to Lim, this is the reason why there is a commonwealth parliamentary convention requiring opposition parliamentarians to become head of PAC.

This is to ensure it would not be bullied or overawed by the executive, he added.

Unanswered questions over Altantuya

MCPX'I empathise with Altantuya's father and I believe he must have thousands of questions running through his mind. How cruel is the world to him and his family.'On Abdul Razak Baginda acquitted Peter Ooi: Just like majority of Malaysians, I felt disappointed over Abdul Razak's acquittal. I empathise with Altantuya's father and I do feel how the whole world is tumbling down on him.I believe he must have thousands of questions running through his mind.Top of the list would be that had there not existed a man by the name of Abdul Razak Baginda, his dear daughter would not have made her fateful visit to Malaysia.Now that he has been acquitted, he must be wondering why such key evidence by Balasubramaniam was not examined in detail particularly the statutory declaration.Also he must be questioning where on earth Balasubramaniam has disappeared to without a trace. With all the expertise that our police have, he could have been traced with ease.Then he must be thinking why the police did not even examine the implications of SMSes between Najib and a lawyer. Any layman would feel that those messages were vital to the case and yet the prosecution did not use them.Altantuya's father must be thinking too why RPK - who made a statutory declaration - was not called as a witness but was instead slapped with criminal defamation charges.I believe Altantuya's father must be spending sleepless nights trying to find answers to even more questions than these few. How cruel is the world to him and his family.Can his daughter's murderers live with a clear conscience, I wonder.Lisa: The hearing has been so protracted and the evidence so convoluted that few have been able to follow facts of this murder case over the years.Add to that questions that were never addressed and other aspects of ‘water-muddying' and we have public perception of a tainted trial.Therefore, the belief is that there must have been something to hide and for that, Abdul Razak Baginda's acquittal will always make him guilty of something in the minds of the public.On Najib wins Umno presidency uncontestedTetraigrat: My dear members of Umno, ask yourself why didn't Mahathir pick Najib instead of Abdullah Badawi after sacking Anwar? Najib was one of the three VPs and had the highest winning votes.By that virtue, Najib should have rightfully been promoted to deputy prime minister after Anwar. was sacked from Umno. But Mahathir knew well Najib's skeletons and knew appointing him deputy premier would not been seen as right.Mahathir knew that people will question why was Najib appointed so to play to the tune of the people, Mahathir brought in Abdullah as a temporary solution though by virtue Najib should have been promoted.Now we only know that Mahathir is dead keen to get Najib in the PM's post to continue all his unfinished dreams at any cost. As it is being said, its not Najibism for Malaysia but a return of Mahathirism for another two or more decades.Putting this aside, with such a tainted background, Najib is not only playing puppet to Mahathir but may be blackmailed for favours. Why are the people in Umno subjecting Malaysia to this?Where is the morality of electing a true leader who has the country and people at heart? Perhaps we shouldn't be expecting morality from members of a party who put themself above the true interests of the party.On Backbenchers rap Penang's multi-lingual road signsSH Huang: Lately we read and hear a lot about road signs, road names and languages. What are the purposes of road signs, road names and their languages?Road names are usually named after certain personalities who had done some service for the people or nation. It is regrettable that some famous names have been replaced with some other names. Why should the names be changed?Some famous road names in Kuala Lumpur have been changed and this has made make tourists and locals alike a bit confused.Who would know the once-famous names like Foch Avenue, High Street, Davidson Road, Cross Street, Mountbatten Road, Batu Road, Swettenham Road, Circular Road, Brickfields Road, Madras Lane, Theatre Street to name a few ?I am sure many young people living in Kuala Lumpur will not know what their present names are! There is a history behind most of these names. Why try to change history?Many anti-colonialists want to discard the names which have a foreign sound. But those colonial masters administered the country named Malaya then and we should respect the British for the good administration they left behind.What about the language for road names? To familiarise the names which reputation took decades to build up, we should not change the language, just because we like to change them or just because we are in power and want to show our power. Leave them alone.But to make more people know about the place, we may need to have several languages like in Penang. Tourists want to know the meanings too.So several languages are included for easy reference and knowledge. Take the KLIA, for example. Why are their announcements in several languages? KLIA does it because it caters to foreigners.We should have proper road signs for easy access but keep the old road names for history and have several languages for road signs for tourists.On Why is Georgetown called Georgetown?Upper Caise: At the risk of sounding petty, it's not called ‘Georgetown'. The name of the heritage city of Nyonya and Straits Settlement culture and capital city of the state of Penang is George Town.Many make the common mistake of using Georgetown - but that is the name of various places in the world (the high class suburb in Washington DC, a university, many cities all over the US, a city in the Bahamas, and the capital of Guyana).But it is not the name of Penang's state capital no matter that the federal works and highway departments have misnamed the city so in road signs all over the state.And why George Town? After George III, the reigning monarch then, who is more well-known these days as the mad king who lost the colonies in North America.George Town was founded in 1876 - just 10 years after the colonists in New England declared independence.Another link to that event is in the naming of Fort Cornwallis, after the general who surrendered at Yorktown to the American revolutionaries and who was Governor-General of India when George Town was founded.Were the British obsessed with naming roads after themselves? Hardly. They named places after their notables and big shots, just like Malaysians do (but without the vanity of titles and full names, eg, Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, just one of several improbably long and snobbish present-day road names).So we have Weld Quay, after Frederick Weld, a governor and Gurney Drive, after Henry Gurney the high commissioner, but also Jalan Sir Hussein, after Hussein Abdoolcader, father of the late and respected federal court judge.

Najib wins Umno president uncontested

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today won the Umno president post uncontested by virtue of being the only candidate having the necessary nominations from the party divisions to qualify for the election.
MCPXHe picked up his 134th nomination from the 191 Umno divisions this afternoon, ensuring that rival candidate Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will not be able to get the 58 required to qualify for the contest.Razaleigh has only got one nomination so far after two-thirds of the divisions have met to make their nominations for key posts in the March party elections.The former party vice-president's sole nomination came yesterday from his own Gua Musang (Kelantan) division.Najib's 134th nomination came at 5.15pm from the Umno Batu Kawan (Penang) division.As at 8pm, Najib has garnered another four nominations giving him a total of 138 nominations.
Ali needs 7 more, Isa makes it to VP contest
Meanwhile, Melaka mentri besar Mohd Ali Rustam is one step closer to winning the right to contest against frontrunner Muhyiddin Yassin for deputy president.
Mohd Ali has 32 nominations so far and he needs another seven more to qualify for the contest, while Muhyiddin has notched up 78 nominations.Muhammad Muhd Taib, another candidate for the No 2 post, has 28 nominations. Like Mohd Ali, he needs 39 nominations to qualify.As for the three vice-president posts, Isa Samad has today joined five others in qualifying for the election.Isa has 21 nominations in the bag - one more than the 20 nominations needed to qualify.The five who have made it earlier are Hishammuddin Hussein (109 nominations), Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (79), Khaled Nordin (60), Shafie Apdal (57), and Syed Hamid Albar (24).Yet to qualify are Jamaluddin Jarjis (17), Rais Yatim (16), Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik (10), Shahidan Kassim (6), Mohamad Hassan (3), Musa Aman (2), Mohd Ali Rustam (1), Annuar Musa (1), Mohd Afifuddin Omar (1) and Halimah Sadique (1).Mukhriz Mahathir continues to lead in the nomination race for Umno Youth chief with 71 nominations. He is followed by Dr Mohd Khir Toyo (56) and Khairy Jamaluddin (51).
Umno divisions have up to Nov 9 to complete their meetings but an extension could be given to those which ask for more time. Division meetings are mostly held over the weekends.

Abdul Razak Baginda acquitted

The Shah Alam High Court today acquitted political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda of abetting the alleged murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
MCPX
Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against Abdul Razak.The court however ordered Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 32 and Corporal Sirul Azha Umar, 37, who are members of the Special Action Force (UTK), to enter their defence to the charge of murder.
Both decided to testify under oath. They will be taking the stand on Nov 10.
The prosecution is expected to file an appeal against Abdul Razak's acquittal.Altantuya was allegedly shot before her body was blown up with explosives two years ago.Azilah and Sirul are jointly charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, at a location between Lot 12843 and Lot 16735 in Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor between 10am on Oct 19, 2006 and 1am the following day.Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, was charged with abetting them. He is a known confidante of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, having worked on government arms procurement projects while the latter was defence minister.The prosecution closed its case against the trio on June 23 after 151 days of testimony from 84 witnesses.
An elated Abdul Razak left the court with his wife and daughter at about 10.10am.Refusing to address the journalists who cornered him, Abdul Razak merely said: "I just want to go home".The Shah Alam High Court today acquitted political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda of abetting the alleged murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
MCPX
Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against Abdul Razak.The court however ordered Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 32 and Corporal Sirul Azha Umar, 37, who are members of the Special Action Force (UTK), to enter their defence to the charge of murder.
Both decided to testify under oath. They will be taking the stand on Nov 10.
The prosecution is expected to file an appeal against Abdul Razak's acquittal.Altantuya was allegedly shot before her body was blown up with explosives two years ago.Azilah and Sirul are jointly charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, at a location between Lot 12843 and Lot 16735 in Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor between 10am on Oct 19, 2006 and 1am the following day.Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, was charged with abetting them. He is a known confidante of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, having worked on government arms procurement projects while the latter was defence minister.The prosecution closed its case against the trio on June 23 after 151 days of testimony from 84 witnesses.
An elated Abdul Razak left the court with his wife and daughter at about 10.10am.Refusing to address the journalists who cornered him, Abdul Razak merely said: "I just want to go home".

best student are BACK

lately in our country,the issue about 2 best student UPM(univesity putra malaysia)was not allow to stay in their hostel tun perak.but today 2 the best student allow to stay.what a point after 2 student make report and press statement...

http://www.malaysiakini.com

DPM-Najib accepts apology malaysiakini

today DPM malaysia accept apology malaysiakini blog for the statment manifesto.im no much more comment aboout this issue u all can read in http://www.malaysiakini.com

NEWS "CJ"

The Dewan Rakyat was informed today that an emergency motion to debate the proposed appointment of Zaki Azmi as the new chief justice was rejected on the grounds that such a motion breached provisions against discussing the behavior or character of senior judges.
MCPXDeputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuaku Jaafar (left) said the motion, submitted by Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) last week, was rejected in Chambers as both 36(8) of the Standing Orders and Article 127 of the Federal Constitution forbids the legislature from discussing the conduct or character of High Court, Court of Appeal or Federal Court judges.The only way such a motion can succeed in being tabled is as a substantive motion and must have the support of no less than one-quarters of the total number of members of Parliament, he said.Wan Junaidi also cited the book 'Document of Destiny' written by constitutional expert Shad Saleem Faruqi on the Federal Constitution to support his stand on the insulation and immunity of judges from “politically-inspired criticisms.”Zaki (left) is currently Court of Appeal president and was nominated by the Conference of Rulers last week as the country’s top judge to replace Abdul Hamid Mohamad.His rise up the judicial ranks from a corporate lawyer after being appointed by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration over a score of more senior judges met with outcry from several quarters due to his affiliations with Umno, including having been its legal advisor.Supporting the call for the motion to be debated, independent MP (Pasir Mas) Ibrahim Ali said this is preferable to the government letting it spread on the Internet as public fodder for its detractors and thereby become a liability.“If it is rejected in chambers and the motion spreads outside (this Dewan), it will have negative results (for the government),” said the MP.'Tendency to reject'Ibrahim also expressed disappointment with what he described as the ‘tendency’ of the speaker and deputy speakers - unlike their predecessors - to reject in Chambers motions submitted to them.“It is disappointing, like losing a girlfriend. I am trying to help this Dewan ... I myself in previous parliamentary sittings have lost motivation (due to the rejection of many motions),” he said.Chipping in, veteran politician Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said tabling the motion under Standing Order 27 as a substantive one would relegate it to the bottom of Parliament orders of the day and ensure it is not discussed at all.“It would go to the bottom of the list and up to the last day will not see the light of day,” he said.Responding to Ibrahim’s contention that most motions have been rejected in Chambers, the deputy speaker said he would discuss the matter with Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.However, Wan Junaidi was adamant on the issue of Zaki being a no-go area for the time being.“When it has to do with (Standing Order) 36(8), there can be no compromise because it ties in with the Federal Constitution and the Standing Orders... The issue of (it being a matter of) Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat politics does not rise in this matter,” he said.During a press conference later, Salahuddin said he would raise the Zaki matter in his debate speech on the 2009 Budget.

Headlines online: Oct 21, 2008

Malaysiakini compares the key news and views in major newspapers. What is today's agenda for the English, Bahasa, Tamil and Chinese papers?
MCPXFront PageEnglish newspapersNew Straits Times led with deputy premier Najib Abdul Razak’s office denying the contents of Malaysiakini report on manifesto initially attributed to him in his capacity as deputy Umno president. Star headlined Najib’s announcement that an additional RM5 billion will be pumped into the market to support undervalued stocks, and the government will continue spending on public projects to boost the economy. The economic growth forecast will also be revised.Malay newspapersUtusan Malaysia also led with measures to curb economic problems. Berita Harian headlined the dismissal of the report on Najib’s purported manifesto.Tamil newspapersMalaysia Nanban focused on the sedition trial of Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar.Tamil Nesan looked at the continuing conflict in Sri Lanka.Makkal Osai reported on the commotion by Hindraf supporters before the start of Uthayakumar's trial.EditorialNew Straits Times urged health authorities to protect the people and penalise companies that import food products that contain melanine.Utusan Malaysia stated that the government's crisis-aversion measures was timely preparation in view of the volatility of the global market.Berita Harian commented on the government’s decision to revise the economic growth rate.Malaysia Nanban hopes that the new MCA leadership will succeed in reforming the party.Tamil Nesan called for prudence in expenditure in view of the potential for economic problems.Makkal Osai commented on the revival of the government's intention to set up a media council.

Khalid: Bad past has cost Selangor RM30 billion

Selangor’s Pakatan Rakyat government alleged that the state could have made up to RM30 billion ringgit in revenue - if not for corruption under the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.
MCPX
Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, tabling his budget speech in the state legislature this morning, claimed that the losses were due to “dishonesty, irresponsibility and the lack of transparency” when BN ran the state.

“One example is the release of state land free of charge or with a trade-off, instead of directly developing the land which would have been more profitable,” he said.

State welfare, according to Khalid, was never a priority for his predecessor Dr Mohd Khir Toyo (right), while the ‘zero-squatters’ policy was not about housing development for the poor but to “enrich” some groups.

“The real motive behind the zero-squatter policy was to clear the land to be given to private companies through land development joint-venture enterprise,” he said.

Khalid added that these contracts were given to private companies directly without going through an open tender process, thereby benefitting companies that were incapable of implementing the projects.

“(Contrary to what Umno claims) these policies do not provide business opportunities to the Malays,” he added.

Although Selangor was awarded developed state status in 2005, Khalid said cannot be attributed to the previous government’s policies.

“The development was influenced by regional market trends that encouraged foreign investors like Intel, Motorola, Sony and Matsushita to invest in the state.”

Khalid claimed that the lack of transparency in the distribution of contracts has led to the ballooning of infrastructure costs - roads and public buildings - in the state.

Eye on GLC heads

Chief executive officers of government-linked companies (GLCs) involved in the joint-venture projects also be held accountable for this, he said, and not just Mohd Khir.

“Since we assumed power, the CEOs of these GLCs - when asked to clarify - could not rationalise their decisions which are lopsided against the state. Without shame, they placed the blame on the former MB,” he said.

Khalid was referring to Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd, Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor and Perbadanan Kemajuan Pertanian Selangor.

Despite this the CEOs have been allowed to keep their jobs for several reasons.

“We want them to redeem their mistakes and recover the money they lost due to corruption. We will sack them if they cannot do so and we’ll take further action (as well),” he said.

Efforts to clean up the administration are underway, but there are some aspects that require more attention.

“For example I have received complaints that people in the previous government are still seated in tender panels and continue to abuse their position,” he added.

“We will deal with this by directing tender panels in local councils to practise an open tender system that is open to all members of the public.”

Islamic banking escapes fallout of global financial crunch

Islamic banking has largely escaped the fallout from the global financial crisis, thanks to rules that forbid the sort of risky business that is felling mainstream institutions.

MCPXBut experts say that because of its heavy reliance on property investments and private equity, the booming 1.0 trillion dollar global industry could be hit if the turmoil worsens and real assets start to crumble.

"In the current financial turmoil, it is interesting to note that Islamic financing may have prevented a majority of the mess created by the conventional banking and financial institutions," Kuwait Finance House said in a report.

"The outlook for Islamic financing is bright and will likely take the lead in terms of providing funding for major projects as the conventional banking system reevaluates its business model."

The rules of Islamic banking and finance - which incorporate principles of syariah or Islamic law - read like a how-to guide on avoiding the kind of disaster that is currently gripping world markets.

Islamic law prohibits the payment and collection of interest, which is seen as a form of gambling, so highly complex instruments such as derivatives and other creative accounting practices are banned.

Transactions must be backed by real assets - not shady repackaged subprime mortgages - and because risk is shared between the bank and the depositor there is an incentive for the institutions to ensure the deal is sound.

Investors have a right to know how their funds are being used, and the sector is overseen by dedicated supervisory boards as well as the usual national regulatory authorities.

There will be an impact

"Islamic banking has, thus far, remained positive, despite the current challenging global financial environment," said Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the central bank governor of Malaysia, which is Southeast Asia's leader in Islamic banking.

Zeti said this month that because of the slowing global economy, plans for Islamic "sukuk" bonds had been postponed or scrapped by companies including Kuwait's Abyaar Real Estate Development Co and Malaysia's Perisai Petroleum.

And Jennifer Chang, a partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Kuala Lumpur, said that given the extent of the global crisis, Islamic banks may suffer damage despite their strong position.

"Islamic banks, especially in the Middle East, got heavily into private equity and real estate investments, and a lot of loans may be backed by properties. So if the property market goes down, there will be an impact," she said.

"If a borrower is not able to pay then the bank will foreclose and the question is - can you sell the property in the market and at what value? These are issues which all banks can face."

There have been calls for the conventional banking industry to take a leaf out of the book of Islamic finance, which also shuns investments in gaming, alcohol and pornography in favour of ethical investments.

Influential Sunni cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi earlier this month called on Muslims to take advantage of the turmoil to build an economic system compatible with Islamic principles.

"The collapse of the capitalist system based on usury and paper and not on goods traded on the market is proof that it is in crisis and shows that Islamic economic philosophy is holding up," said the Egyptian-born, Qatar-based cleric.

No safe harbours

In recent years the sector has broken out of its niche and been embraced by mainstream banks. As well as basic bank deposits and investment accounts, it has expanded into areas including equity funds, bonds and Islamic hedge funds.

Abhishek Kumar, a senior research analyst at Financial Insights, a company under market research and analysis firm International Data Corp (IDC), said recent events may further boost the sector.

"More and more institutions will be interested in providing Islamic services to diversify their risk portfolio," he said, while warning that in the current financial storm there were no absolutely safe harbours.

"We're not really sure what the real extent of the impact is, and whether we've passed the worst of it or not, But the extent is not going to be as bad as in the mainstream sector," he said.

-AFP

Ex-CPM member Shamsiah Fakeh dies

Nationalist, woman rights activist and ex-communist guerrilla Shamsiah Fakeh passed away due to old age this morning at 9am. She was 84.
MCPX
Shamsiah has been unwell for some time now and was most recently admitted to the UKM Hospital in Cheras last week.

She will be buried at the Sungai Besi Muslim cemetery this evening after the Asar prayers.

Shamsiah was born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan and became politically active during her student days.

During the height of nationalism right after the second world war, Shamsiah led the women's wing Angkatan Wanita Sedar (Awas) in Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya in 1946.

And upon the ban on PKMM in 1848 by the British, she joined the 10th regiment of the Communist Party of Malaya. This regiment was predominantly made up of Malays.

As a communist guerrilla, Shamsiah spend eight years in the jungle fighting the authorities.

She eventually fled Malaysia to Indonesia and Vietnam first before eventually ending in China.

She officially left CPM in 1968 but remained in China, working in a steel factory before appealing to the Malaysian government in mid-80s to be allowed to return home.

She and her family were finally allowed to return to Malaysia in 1994. She returned to Malaysia after an absence of 40 years, along with her husband, their three sons and their four grandchildren.

In 2004, she wrote about her experience in CPM in a Bahasa Malaysia book ‘Memoir Shamsiah Fakeh - Dari AWAS ke Rejimen ke 10'.

A new edition and a Chinese language edition was published in 2007

MCA poll: Polling ends, counting underway

The counting of ballots for the hotly-contested MCA triennial party election is currently underway after a two-hour polling closed at about 3pm today.

At press time, the counting is going on in the San Choon Hall at the MCA headquarters in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. The polling and counting went on smoothly with no untoward incident reported.

A high attendance of 99.04 percent, or 2,378 delegates, turned up to cast their votes today. The election results are expected to be known after 7pm.

According to seasoned party observers, there appeared to be mixed signals from the delegates so far but the question on everyone’s lips now is whether there will be any major upset in the contest for top posts.

All eyes are focus on the tussle for the presidency which is a straight fight between former vice-president Chua Jui Meng and incumbent vice-president Ong Tee Keat.

Favourite Tee Keat is said to be still having an edge over his rival although Jui Meng’s camp said they are confident to garner more than 40 percent votes based on the exit polls.

In his previous bid for the presidency in 2005, Jui Meng was defeated by the current president Ong Ka Ting. He garnered 37 percent of votes then.

Tough task for new leadership

As for the four-cornered fight for the deputy presidency, the race is said to be between another former vice-president Dr Chua Soi Lek and secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan.

The two other candidates are incumbent vice-president Donald Lim and former Penang state assemblyperson Lee Hack Teik.

Ka Chuan, aligned to the mainstream faction of the party leadership, was initially seen to be leading the race but Soi Lek was said to have picked up steam in the final push for votes.

During the introduction of the candidates at noon just now, Soi Lek was given a louder applause as compared to the scattered response received by Ka Chuan, also the elder brother of Ka Ting.

For the vice-president's posts, eight candidates are vying for the four slots - incumbent vice-president Dr Fong Chan Onn, ex-vice-president Yap Pian Hon, outgoing MCA Youth chief Liow Tiong Lai, outgoing MCA Wanita chief Dr Ng Yen Yen, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung, Kuala Langat MCA division vice-chairperson Lim Teck Chong, Johor deputy chief Tan Kok Hong and Deputy Finance Minister Kong Cho Ha.

It is believed that Liow and Kong are the front runners and the remaining two positions are narrowed down to Ng, Tan and Chor.

A total of 63 candidates, the biggest field in MCA's electoral histroy, are vying for the 25 slots in the powerful central committee, the party’s highest decision-making body.

Ka Ting and his deputy Chan Kong Choy are not defending their posts.

MCA is trying to regain the hearts and minds of the Chinese community following its humiliating defeat in the March general election.

At the national polls, the party only managed to win 46 state and parliamentary seats compared to the 106 it had secured at the 2004 polls.

The new batch of leaders will have a tough task in regaining the support of the community.

PERMATANG PAUH ELECTION

NOW ALL EYES IN THE WORLD LOOK AT PERMATANG PAUH.PULAU PINANG,MALAYSIA.SEE THE STATEMENT FROM MALAYSIAKINI

http://malaysiakini.com/news/88530

Malaysia’s Defining Moment and the New Economic Agenda - Singapore CLSA Keynote Speech

Keynote address by Anwar Ibrahim on 20th May 2008 at the CLSA Corporate Access Forum in Singapore, a high-profile gathering of corporate decision makers of the region’s most interesting companies and investment bodies.

Ladies and Gentleman.

On the eighth of March, with fortitude and conviction the people of Malaysia sent a clear message to the powers that be they would not continue to tolerate a corrupt and incompetent government. With resoluteness hitherto unseen they voted the Barisan Nasional out of office in four states and terminated their stranglehold two-third majority in Parliament. In the final toll, the Pakatan Rakyat, that is, the People’s Alliance, now controls five states accounting for about 60% of the nation’s GDP. Additionally, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur is almost entirely represented by Pakatan representatives in Parliament. After being in power for five decades, the Barisan Nasional meanwhile is still in comatose under this knock out defeat while its dominant and dominating anchor party UMNO is in utter turmoil.

In this defining moment of Malaysia’s history, the courage and singularity of purpose of the people has

been extraordinary. Having suffered the slings and arrows of an outrageous regime that had become very cozy with the culture of corruption, wastage and misuse of power, the people marched headlong into the battlefield and took the bull by the horns.
To my mind, the eighth of March, 2008 is the metaphor for the birth of a new era where the mill stone of race and religion which had been our burden to bear for the last fifty years has finally been shattered. With one stroke of the mighty pen, notwithstanding the overwhelming forces of electoral fraud and collusion of the organs of state, the people transformed the political landscape of the nation.
This will be a new chapter indeed for Malaysia indeed as it was for Indonesia not too long ago when the waves of reformasi swept the country taking it out of dictatorship to democracy. In a way, it was also for Myanmar though tragically the iron hand of military oppression proved far stronger than the earnest cries for justice and liberty.
A New Economic Agenda has been crafted borne of a long-term strategic vision to develop Malaysia into a prosperous and dynamic society competitive not just in the region, but in the world. We are not talking about knee-jerk reactions or strategies calculated to gain political mileage. This Agenda is a comprehensive program that we earnestly believe is sustainable in the long run.According to a recent survey, young Malaysians are now open to more multi-racial socio-economic policies as opposed to race-based ones. The general consensus is that affirmative action should be given to the poor and the marginalized regardless of race or religion. Notions of social dominance and racial superiority find no resonance among the people except for those diehards still bigoted over ancient and archaic forms of political ideology. Continue reading ‘Malaysia’s Defining Moment and the New Economic Agenda - Singapore CLSA Keynote Speech’