Author: seademon

For the life of me I am just too lazy to search for the video that I want to put into this posting.  Maybe for starters, Shahrizat Jalil could have asked her husband to take a look at this video first before getting involved in the NFC. For GE13, I don’t think it is fair for BN supporters to be answering on Shahrizat’s personal issue on behalf of her and her family as the BN members at large do not benefit from the business.

Coming from a renowned boarding school in Kuala Kangsar, I am privy to some info from old boys who are pro-government supporters as well as from those who oppose.  With 9th January looming on the weekend’s horizon (I am writing this on a Saturday while waiting for my wife to finish making her Mee Tomato), the story of succession in both PKR and Pakatan Rakyat in general, comes to mind.  It is interesting to note that some people in PKR’s up there has hinted that the Youth Chief of PKR, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, will take over the helm.  Nurul Izzah, the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, is being promoted by her mother, Dr Wan Azizah, much to the behest of Anwar’s long-time loyal-for-some-fishy-reason lieutenant, Azmin Ali, who wants the Party’s No.1 position all to himself, while the name of Badrul Hisham Shaharin, Rembau’s PKR’s Chief, was not mentioned at all.  Badrul Hisham lost in his bid for the No.1 Youth’s position to incumbent Shamsul Iskandar, and therefore does not have the locus standi (if I may use that term) to stake his claim at the National level.

Shamsul Iskandar’s appointment would serve DAP’s and PAS’s interest as it would seem to be a move away by PKR from Anwar’s shadow.  Anwar, who used to walk the streets flanked by leaders of the other opposition parties, now often seen walking alone up the staircase of the court during his sodomy trial, save for the company of his wife, daughters, and occasionally, Azmin himself.  But Shamsul Iskandar may not be welcomed by DAP and PAS to replace Anwar, whom they have successfully jockeyed for political mileage and support to get on the plane they are on now.  It would be naive to say that both DAP and PAS do not know of Anwar’s character weaknesses as the latter was part of the BN machinery; and especially DAP, had put a lot of effort in exposing BN MP’s dirty linen in public. Therefore, another leader, acceptable by both DAP and PAS, and some members of the public, would be the best to lead – and this person is reported to be none other than Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah himself.  PKR, being the weakest among the three parties, would have to accept this decision and take the backseat duty thenceforth.

I think it was on New Year’s Day that I saw the headline on one tabloid quoting DAP as saying, “We don’t need the MB’s seat.”  This was, I think, made in response to speculations.  We all know that in the states of Perak (when it was briefly under the Pakatan Rakyat) and Selangor, the real administrator of the states was and still is for Selangor, the DAP.  Even when the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) was raided by the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS), Khalid Ibrahim, the de jure Menteri Besar, quickly apologised to Pastor Daniel Ho on the Thursday after the 2nd August 2011 raid.  On the 8th the de jure Menteri Besar had a “meeting” with several DAP excos such as Tan Kok Wai, Ronnie Liu, Ean Yong Hian Wah, V. Ganabathiroa & Senator S. Ramakrishnan.  The result of the meeting can be found here.  Dr Hasan Ali, the Selangor State Religious Affairs Exco was immediately bashed by all quarters from the Pakatan Rakyat over this issue.  Dr Hasan Ali holds his ground until now, while fellow Selangor parliamentarian from PAS, Khalid Samad, is reported to deny that the act of proselytizing never took place at the DUMC, and continues to deny.  This is despite the fact that HRH The Sultan of Selangor had issued a proclamation that the act did take place (please refer to the full text of HRH’s proclamation).   I always wonder what hold does the DAP have on Khalid Ibrahim and Khalid Samad that they seem to be dragged by their nose by the former on this issue.

PAS is also seen as digressing away from its original path.  With the Ataturks (I refuse to term them as Erdogans, as Tayyib Erdogan fights for Islam while Ataturk fights for power, doing away with Islam) having 60% control and the Ulama controlling only 30%, PAS now seems to have forgone Islam and would deal with the Devil himself for power.  People with baggages like Mat Sabu and Mahfuz Omar now sit as Vice Presidents of PAS.  These are people who can easily be held at ransom given their past.  How do you see them lead a so-called Islamist party?  I personally feel that they are nothing more than Trojan horses for a force outside PAS, that would lead PAS to kowtow to anything that the other partners in Pakatan Rakyat do.

The Penang government led by DAP also tried to introduce mosque committee elections.  This, in my opinion, was malicious of nature.  DAP knows that it has a solid support from the Chinese voters in Penang, but not so from the Malays.  Perhaps mosque elections would split congregations politically, and dilute Malay solidarity at the grassroot level.

Recently, we also saw attacks on Article 153 of the Federal Constitution – a move seen to chip away at the Special Rights given to the Malays and other Bumiputeras.  There was even an attempt to confuse the masses by introducing historical facts that are totally wrong and misleading.  DAP-led forces are also trying to dilute UMNO’s influence in its final bastion – Johor.  If  UMNO’s influence in Johor  could be drastically weakened, BN may not even win a simple majority. And UMNO may be forced to abdicate its seat as the leading party in BN.

I have nothing against other races.  What I have is hatred towards those who are bent on chipping away at the fundamentals that have been holding this nation together.  While the Malays sleep, DAP continues to chip away at their cohesiveness, and spirit of Malayness that we used to see not too long ago; but these values have eroded so much that many do not realise the implications of losing the Special Rights.  While I take swipes at what I think is wrong with people in UMNO, I am against any attempt to usurp the power of the Malays through the religion of Islam and the protection of the institution of the Malay Rulers.  If Pakatan Rakyat wins 2/3 majority, with DAP being the biggest winner, DAP will be in the position to propose for amendments to the Federal Constitution.  The Malay Rulers would have a smaller role, probably similar to what was proposed during the Malayan Union, and would be powerless to even protect the religion of Islam in their respective state.

By then, it would be too late for the Malays to wake up from their slumber.

I shall not waste my time dwelling into what Article 153 of the Federal Constitution stands for. If any of you are Internet-savvy enough to reach this page would mean that you would be savvy enough to Google it up.

I am writing this with alarm because a self-professed Constitutional Lawyer by the name of Edmund Bon tweeted that the Reid Commission had recommended for the said Article to be removed 15 years after Independence had been achieved. While that point is true, Mr Bon probably did not and does not understand the whole history and spirit behind both the Reid Commission and the Federal Constitution itself.

On the road to Merdeeka, the Reid Commission did offer a draft Malayan Constitution to the Malay Rukers, the British Government, and the leaders of the Alliance Party. The Commission also recommended dual or multiple citizenship.  This, like its recommendation that Malay special privileges should be for only 15 years, the dual or multiple citizenship recommendation was also rejected.

Some naive people speak about the departures above from the Reid Commission draft as being a departure from an original constitution.  The likes of Mr Bon should learn history properly, that the Reid Commission was not a party to the Merdeka talks. The parties were strictly the Malay Rulers in whom resided the states’ sovereignty, the British Government, which was in treaty with the Malay Rulers as protector and administrator, and the Alliance which had a resounding victory to represent the people of Malaya – 51 out of 52 seats, the only opposing seats being won by the Pan-Malaya Islamic Party.

So please, people. Check your historical facts and spirit behind the Federal Constitution before you make a fool of yourselves.

These are excerpts from Chapter 7, Pages 77-88 of Michael Backman’s book “Inside Knowledge – Streetwise In Asia” that I find interesting and would like to share with all. For the benefit of those who do not understand English, I have included the Bahasa Malaysia translation as well.

Berikut adalah cabutan dari Bab 7, Mukasurat 77-88 buku Michael Backman berjudul “Inside Knowledge – Streetwise In Asia” yang menarik minat saya untuk berkongsi dengan semua.  Untuk manafaat mereka yang tidak berbahasa Inggeris, saya telah juga menyertakan terjemahan dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia’s Dark Cloud

A dark cloud hangs over Malaysia in the form of Former Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar was fired from these positions in September 1998.  He was then charged with sodomy and abuse of power and jailed nine and six years respectively.  The sodomy charges were overturned on appeal in 2004 and Anwar was released.

What is Anwar planning to do now that he has been released from jail?  Will he become a divisive opposition figure?  How much trouble will he cause?  Planning for business needs to take these unknown into account.  They will impact upon Malaysia’s future political stability.

Anwar Ibrahim: Awan Hitam Malaysia

Malaysia masih lagi dibayangi oleh awan hitam bekas Menteri Kewangan dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim.  Anwar telah dipecat dari jawatan-jawatan berkenaan pada September 1998.  Kemudian, beliau telah didakwa atas tuduhan meliwat dan salahguna kuasa dan didapati bersalah di atas kedua-dua pertuduhan.  Bagi kesalahan meliwat beliau dijatuhi hukuman sembilan tahun penjara manakala bagi kesalahan salahguna kuasa beliau dijatuhi hukuman penjara enam tahun.  Pertuduhan kesalahan meliwat telah ditarik balik pada tahun 2004 selepas rayuan beliau diterima.

Selepas dibebaskan, apakah perancangan Anwar?  Adakah beliau akan menjadi Ketua Pembangkang yang akan memecahbelahkan negara?  Sejauh mana masalah yang akan ditimbulkannya?  Perancangan untuk berniaga di Malaysia perlu mengambil kira persoalan-persoalan yang akan memberi kesan kepada kestabilan politik Malaysia masa hadapan.

What Anwar’s Release Really Means

The decision in 2004 by Malaysia’s Federal Court to overturn Anwar’s conviction for sodomy might have got him out of jail but did not get him off the hook.  Many commentators and journalists who reported on the decision did not appear to have read the detail of the 36-page majority judgment.  The initial conviction rested on a confession by Anwar’s co-accused, his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan, and statements by the only witness, Anwar’s wife’s driver who claimed to have been sodomized by both men.  The charges against the two men related to the acts of sodomy between the given dates, dates that famously had to be changed three times on the charge sheet as Anwar came up with credible alibis.

The Federal Court majority judgment ruled Sukma’s confession as inadmissible.  The judges found that it had been obtained under duress.  There is little doubt as to Sukma’s sexual orientation.  But what the court had to prove beyond reasonable doubt was that the incidents occured within the dates specified by the charges.  The Federal Court judges found that the dates had not been proven, and it was on this basis that they allowed Anwar’s appeal.

Apa Sebenarnya Makna Pembebasan Anwar

Keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan pada 2004 menggugurkan sabitan kesalahan Anwar mungkin membolehkan Anwar bebas dari penjara, namun ianya tidak membersihkan beliau.  Kebanyakan komentar dan wartawan yang mengulas keputusan berkenaan tidak membaca sepenuhnya keputusan 36-mukasurat yang dibuat secara majoriti oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan.  Sabitan awal Anwar berasaskan pengakuan Sukma Darmawan, adik angkat Anwar, dan kenyataan satu-satunya saksi iaitu pemandu kepada isteri Anwar yang mendakwa beliau telah diliwat oleh kedua-dua Anwar dan Sukma.  Tuduhan ke atas kedua-duanya bersangkutan dengan aksi meliwat yang berlaku di dalam satu tempoh masa yang telah ditukar sebanyak tiga kali oleh pihak pendakwa kerana alibi Anwar yang kukuh.

Mahkamah Persekutuan dengan secara majoriti memutuskan bahawa pengakuan Sukma tidak boleh diterima sebab telah dibuat dalam keadaan paksaan.  Walau bagaimanapun, tidak terdapat kesangsian tentang amalan homoseksual Sukma.  Apa yang perlu dibuktikan di mahkamah adalah perlakuan liwat oleh Anwar dan Sukma berlaku pada tarikh sepertimana yang dikemukakan oleh pihak pendakwaraya.  Mahkamah Persekutuan mendapati tarikh berkenaan gagal dibuktikan yang mana merupakan alasan utama mereka membenarkan rayuan Anwar.

To be continued/Bersambung

For as long as I can remember a Malaysian Indian family lived on the ground floor of my late grandmother’s house in Teluk Intan.  The family is no longer there as thaatha had passed on and the children have all moved out after starting their own family.  That family was like an extended kin to us; helped our family when my grandmother passed away almost three decades ago.  My father allowed them to stay on even after that and never once, as far as I can recall, was the rent rate ever revised.  My father  never have allowed that to happen as he too was taught to be just to all races even though his late uncle was the first UMNO leader there, and my late grandfather the first secretary.

Which brings me to this post.  My friends and foes in UMNO would probably scream at me once they get to read this post, but it is a matter that I have to bring forth.

I have been made aware that the MIC Youth has had their request for allocation to the Youth and Sports Ministry for a youth programme involving 1,000 Indian youths from Malaysia and Singapore shot down by the latter – apparently without offered reasons.  The request was personally sent in by the MIC Youth Chief,  T Mohan to the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Dato’ Razali Ibrahim.  However, I was made to understand that without even opening the envelope to read the content, Razali passed the letter on to his Special Officer.  The very next day, the Special Officer, when contacted, told MIC youth’s secretary, P Punithan that the Ministry had run out of allocations.  Punithan reluctantly accepted the reason (excuse, I would say) and asked if a Local Order could be issued, but was told that the Deputy Minister does not have a local order facility.  Now, I find that excuse quite absurd.

The above is apparently NOT the first time that such an incident has happened involving the MIC Youth and the said Ministry.  One wonders if the “Big Brother” attitude is back in business at this eleventh hour (with the General Elections just around the corner)?  Is it because Razali feels that Muar is a safe seat, oblivious to the fact that major voters’ registration process in major towns in Johor is taking place (and not organised by BN component parties)?  Or is it because the MIC Youth openly supports the UMNO Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin?  If the latter is the case, they I do not find Razali a mature or professional politician (he is four years younger than I am).  I, too, have had issues with Khairy but I know where to draw the line when it comes to the importance of the community at large.  Differences aside, Khairy is still a better choice, commandingly, as a youth leader than Razali is.

I pity the Prime Minister because every time he tries to do something different and acceptable to virtually all, some jokers will drag his efforts down.  And when Najb tries to appeal to the nation stating that “No one will be left out in nation’s march towards progress“, people like Razali proves otherwise.

If the Malays really want to prove their “Ketuanan,” they ought to learn that respect has to be earned and commanded – not demanded. The only way this can be achieved is by being fair to and respecting fellow Malaysians, and not by shunning them.