Wednesday, April 30, 2008
PM's silence made Dr M look right
Soon Li Tsin and Francis Paul Apr 30, 08 3:29pm
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s refusal to counter his predecessor’s scathing criticisms gave the impression that Dr Mahathir Mohamad was speaking the truth.
Stating that the prime minister was wrong in keeping quiet, Gerakan advisor Dr Lim Keng Yaik said the criticisms eventually had an impact on the March 8 polls.
"Mahathir’s (criticism) has in a way affected them (Umno and Barisan Nasional). He may be a single ordinary citizen but he is a super citizen because he has been PM for 22 years.
"If the leadership of Pak Lah and Umno feels that Mahathir is wrong and what he says is wrong, they have every right to expel him and not be worried.
"Tell the rakyat what he said is wrong. If he keeps on saying things and you don’t respond, then whatever he’s saying must be right," he told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview held at his new Selangor party office in Bandar Utama on Monday.
The outspoken politician, who stepped down as Gerakan president after 26 years, also took Mahathir to task for his lack of tact.
"(His) criticisms may be right but the attitude and the way the criticisms were presented did not help BN or Umno. If Mahathir loved Umno and BN, he should not have behaved the way he behaved."
Clad in a sky blue shirt and khaki pants, Lim appeared happy seeing the Malaysiakini team but also expressed concern that his statements might be "twisted".
With the scent of Salem cigarettes trailing him as he settled on the sofa, he was in good spirits when quizzed about the elections and called the new political landscape a "breath of fresh air".
"Of course (I am happy with the results). I don’t call it a tsunami. Tsunami concocts a negative perspective, it's destructive. I call it a breath of fresh air that is blown into the Malaysian political arena," he said.
Lim noted that his joy comes from the fact that the multiracial politics being called for by the people is Gerakan’s ideology that has been marginalised by BN in the past.
Umno's arrogance to blame
However, his tone changed when speaking about Gerakan’s future and its relevance after being essentially wiped out in Penang - a state held by the party since 1969 - in the March elections.
Stressing that the party will not desert BN, Lim suggested several ways to return the ruling coalition to glory beginning with changing the way Umno deals with component parties.
"The first step is to convince Umno that complacency, arrogance, abuse of power must be stopped.
"Change the way how Umno should face other component parties as well as give the impression to the multiracial rakyat that we are all really sitting down on the table planning for Malaysians and not just for any particular race," he said.
The former energy, water and telecommunications minister also proposed all 14 component parties to merge and turn BN into a multiracial party.
But should that fail, he suggested that 13 parties merge to posture Umno instead.
"If Umno cannot accept turning BN into a multiracial party [...] then the other BN partners could think of building up a big multiracial set up to be in partnership with a Malay-based set up.
"Rather than 14 little parties saying their little bit, (the 13) can be one big party and be the partner of Umno which will have a better effect on lowering the posturing of Umno itself."
The former Gerakan president admitted that he failed to change the political scene during his tenure with regards to BN adopting a multiracial approach.
However, he stressed that his party did no wrong.
Despite repeating several times that he does not want to play the ‘blame game’, Lim however alluded that Gerakan’s loss was caused by Umno’s arrogance.
"In the Malay-dominated seats, Umno delivered but Umno did not deliver the Malays in the urban areas. Mixed seats in the last 15 years are the ones which suffered the most.
"The non-Malays saw Umno’s arrogance, the ‘ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy), waving of the keris, the way they expressed their feelings in the Umno general assembly.
"Of course, we did not deliver the votes. Of course, we failed. But who did the undoing?" he asked.
Solve the crisis soon
As for the current in-fighting in Umno, Lim warned that if the party remains divided for another two years, it will have a negative effect in the next general election.
"BN with respects to Umno is still scrambling for direction and leadership. You can’t go on. If this goes on for two years, it will have negative effects on the following elections.
"People have a memory. If you want to solve it, solve it soon. And it can only be solved by Umno leaders. They should know what’s best for the party," he said.
With his trademark wit, Lim also predicted that the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat, which now controls five states and considers itself the government-in-waiting, will face the same problems encountered by BN in the past 50 years.
"They will face the same problems that we have faced. They will have to solve the problems with PAS just like how we have to solve the problems with Umno.
"They will have to solve the Indian minority problems and everything else equitably," he added.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s refusal to counter his predecessor’s scathing criticisms gave the impression that Dr Mahathir Mohamad was speaking the truth.
Stating that the prime minister was wrong in keeping quiet, Gerakan advisor Dr Lim Keng Yaik said the criticisms eventually had an impact on the March 8 polls.
"Mahathir’s (criticism) has in a way affected them (Umno and Barisan Nasional). He may be a single ordinary citizen but he is a super citizen because he has been PM for 22 years.
"If the leadership of Pak Lah and Umno feels that Mahathir is wrong and what he says is wrong, they have every right to expel him and not be worried.
"Tell the rakyat what he said is wrong. If he keeps on saying things and you don’t respond, then whatever he’s saying must be right," he told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview held at his new Selangor party office in Bandar Utama on Monday.
The outspoken politician, who stepped down as Gerakan president after 26 years, also took Mahathir to task for his lack of tact.
"(His) criticisms may be right but the attitude and the way the criticisms were presented did not help BN or Umno. If Mahathir loved Umno and BN, he should not have behaved the way he behaved."
Clad in a sky blue shirt and khaki pants, Lim appeared happy seeing the Malaysiakini team but also expressed concern that his statements might be "twisted".
With the scent of Salem cigarettes trailing him as he settled on the sofa, he was in good spirits when quizzed about the elections and called the new political landscape a "breath of fresh air".
"Of course (I am happy with the results). I don’t call it a tsunami. Tsunami concocts a negative perspective, it's destructive. I call it a breath of fresh air that is blown into the Malaysian political arena," he said.
Lim noted that his joy comes from the fact that the multiracial politics being called for by the people is Gerakan’s ideology that has been marginalised by BN in the past.
Umno's arrogance to blame
However, his tone changed when speaking about Gerakan’s future and its relevance after being essentially wiped out in Penang - a state held by the party since 1969 - in the March elections.
Stressing that the party will not desert BN, Lim suggested several ways to return the ruling coalition to glory beginning with changing the way Umno deals with component parties.
"The first step is to convince Umno that complacency, arrogance, abuse of power must be stopped.
"Change the way how Umno should face other component parties as well as give the impression to the multiracial rakyat that we are all really sitting down on the table planning for Malaysians and not just for any particular race," he said.
The former energy, water and telecommunications minister also proposed all 14 component parties to merge and turn BN into a multiracial party.
But should that fail, he suggested that 13 parties merge to posture Umno instead.
"If Umno cannot accept turning BN into a multiracial party [...] then the other BN partners could think of building up a big multiracial set up to be in partnership with a Malay-based set up.
"Rather than 14 little parties saying their little bit, (the 13) can be one big party and be the partner of Umno which will have a better effect on lowering the posturing of Umno itself."
The former Gerakan president admitted that he failed to change the political scene during his tenure with regards to BN adopting a multiracial approach.
However, he stressed that his party did no wrong.
Despite repeating several times that he does not want to play the ‘blame game’, Lim however alluded that Gerakan’s loss was caused by Umno’s arrogance.
"In the Malay-dominated seats, Umno delivered but Umno did not deliver the Malays in the urban areas. Mixed seats in the last 15 years are the ones which suffered the most.
"The non-Malays saw Umno’s arrogance, the ‘ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy), waving of the keris, the way they expressed their feelings in the Umno general assembly.
"Of course, we did not deliver the votes. Of course, we failed. But who did the undoing?" he asked.
Solve the crisis soon
As for the current in-fighting in Umno, Lim warned that if the party remains divided for another two years, it will have a negative effect in the next general election.
"BN with respects to Umno is still scrambling for direction and leadership. You can’t go on. If this goes on for two years, it will have negative effects on the following elections.
"People have a memory. If you want to solve it, solve it soon. And it can only be solved by Umno leaders. They should know what’s best for the party," he said.
With his trademark wit, Lim also predicted that the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat, which now controls five states and considers itself the government-in-waiting, will face the same problems encountered by BN in the past 50 years.
"They will face the same problems that we have faced. They will have to solve the problems with PAS just like how we have to solve the problems with Umno.
"They will have to solve the Indian minority problems and everything else equitably," he added.
IPF leader Pandithan dies
Apr 30, 08 10:08am
Indian Progressive Front (IPF) president MG Pandithan passed away this morning after a protracted bout with leukemia.
The 68-year-old leader died at Hospital Kuala Lumpur at 8.30am. His wife Jevashree Pandithan was at his bedside.
The veteran politician was previously a popular leader in MIC who commanded strong grassroots support from the Indian working class. He later rose up the ranks to become vice-president.
However, his ties with MIC president S Samy Vellu became strained when he backed a faction opposed to the president.
In 1988, he was slapped with a show-cause letter for allegedly practising caste-oriented politics.
Coffin protest
In June that year, Pandithan embarked on a hunger strike in front of the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. He brought along a coffin to signify that democracy was dead in the party in a protest which made headlines.
This led to his expulsion on July 16 together with 13 of his loyalists.
Two years later, he formed IPF and since then the party has been trying to gain entry into the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition but Samy Vellu remained opposed to this.
However during the Ijok by-election last April, the two sworn enemies buried the hatchet and hugged each other on stage.
During the IPF congress in July last year, a frail-looking Pandithan heaped praises on Samy Vellu and described him as a "hero of the Indians." He also likened him to the Hindu god, Lord Krishna.
This reunion did not go down well with some members in IPF who viewed it as an act of betrayal by their president.
Samy: I'll miss him
In a statement today, Samy Vellu said he is deeply sad over Pandithan’s demise.
"We are shocked by his death and wish to extend our condolences to his family. Pandithan was a great leader who had the people in his heart.
"He worked tirelessly for the Indian community and had achieved many successes. He is looked upon as a people’s leader with the qualities of a statesman," he added.
The MIC president said Pandithan will be remembered for his sacrifices and deeds as a leader of the people.
"I will miss him a lot because he’s not only a leader of a mass-based party, but he was also my friend," he added.
Meanwhile. Gerakan vice-president Dr S Vijayaratnam said Pandithan had been a great help to BN, including during general elections.
"We will never forget his untiring efforts to help Malaysians of all walks of life, not only from the Indian community, but from other races as well," said Vijayaratnam.
"He had an almost Gandhian image of being kind to all, never losing his temper, but being firm and resolute when the need arose."
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi paid his last respects to Pandithan at his residence in Seri Kembangan in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
"He had always shown deep concern on issues concerning low-income earners and poor Indians," he told Bernama.
"That was his struggle all along and he showed seriousness and dedication. His followers loved him dearly."
Dynamic leader
The Malaysian Hindu Sangam described Pandithan's death as a great loss to the Indian community.
In a statement, its president A Vaithilingam said he knew the late politician as a young journalist in the late sixties.
"He was then very popular with the San Peng Road Indian community who were mostly in the poverty group.
"I came to know him better in the seventies when we met at various seminars and youth training programmes. Though we had some differences in opinion, we were then together in the field of youth development.."
Vaithilingam said to Pandithan was a dynamic leader of thousands until his illness.
"He was a brave leader, a 'Makkal Thondan' (one who serves the people) and respected with love by his followers."
Indian Progressive Front (IPF) president MG Pandithan passed away this morning after a protracted bout with leukemia.
The 68-year-old leader died at Hospital Kuala Lumpur at 8.30am. His wife Jevashree Pandithan was at his bedside.
The veteran politician was previously a popular leader in MIC who commanded strong grassroots support from the Indian working class. He later rose up the ranks to become vice-president.
However, his ties with MIC president S Samy Vellu became strained when he backed a faction opposed to the president.
In 1988, he was slapped with a show-cause letter for allegedly practising caste-oriented politics.
Coffin protest
In June that year, Pandithan embarked on a hunger strike in front of the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. He brought along a coffin to signify that democracy was dead in the party in a protest which made headlines.
This led to his expulsion on July 16 together with 13 of his loyalists.
Two years later, he formed IPF and since then the party has been trying to gain entry into the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition but Samy Vellu remained opposed to this.
However during the Ijok by-election last April, the two sworn enemies buried the hatchet and hugged each other on stage.
During the IPF congress in July last year, a frail-looking Pandithan heaped praises on Samy Vellu and described him as a "hero of the Indians." He also likened him to the Hindu god, Lord Krishna.
This reunion did not go down well with some members in IPF who viewed it as an act of betrayal by their president.
Samy: I'll miss him
In a statement today, Samy Vellu said he is deeply sad over Pandithan’s demise.
"We are shocked by his death and wish to extend our condolences to his family. Pandithan was a great leader who had the people in his heart.
"He worked tirelessly for the Indian community and had achieved many successes. He is looked upon as a people’s leader with the qualities of a statesman," he added.
The MIC president said Pandithan will be remembered for his sacrifices and deeds as a leader of the people.
"I will miss him a lot because he’s not only a leader of a mass-based party, but he was also my friend," he added.
Meanwhile. Gerakan vice-president Dr S Vijayaratnam said Pandithan had been a great help to BN, including during general elections.
"We will never forget his untiring efforts to help Malaysians of all walks of life, not only from the Indian community, but from other races as well," said Vijayaratnam.
"He had an almost Gandhian image of being kind to all, never losing his temper, but being firm and resolute when the need arose."
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi paid his last respects to Pandithan at his residence in Seri Kembangan in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
"He had always shown deep concern on issues concerning low-income earners and poor Indians," he told Bernama.
"That was his struggle all along and he showed seriousness and dedication. His followers loved him dearly."
Dynamic leader
The Malaysian Hindu Sangam described Pandithan's death as a great loss to the Indian community.
In a statement, its president A Vaithilingam said he knew the late politician as a young journalist in the late sixties.
"He was then very popular with the San Peng Road Indian community who were mostly in the poverty group.
"I came to know him better in the seventies when we met at various seminars and youth training programmes. Though we had some differences in opinion, we were then together in the field of youth development.."
Vaithilingam said to Pandithan was a dynamic leader of thousands until his illness.
"He was a brave leader, a 'Makkal Thondan' (one who serves the people) and respected with love by his followers."
It's Bigfoot vs Big Monkey
Apr 30, 08 1:16pm
parliament The first debate in the new parliament descended into noisy name-calling today as a newly emboldened opposition took on the government.
'Monkey' and 'Bigfoot' were two of the epithets used in a rowdy session during which lawmakers shouted and gesticulated in heated exchanges across the floor of the chamber.
The scenes, broadcast live on television, were an indicator of the new shape of Malaysian politics, after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's governing coalition suffered its worst ever election results last month.
The March 8 polls saw his Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country for the last half century, lose its two-thirds majority in parliament as well as control of five states.
In response to the chaos, Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek threatened to pull the plug on the telecast, which was being trialled for the first time.
"Maybe there are people who love to watch circus, but parliament is not a circus," he said, adding that he would obtain feedback before deciding whether to continue with broadcasting.
The first sitting of Malaysia's 12th parliament was delayed by more than 20 minutes as government and opposition parliamentarians hurled barbs and raised technical issues.
Opposition DAP chairman and lawmaker Karpal Singh began by questioning the way the session was being held when he was distracted by a government MP, Bung Moktar Radin.
"I hope Bigfoot... does not disrupt the proceedings," Karpal taunted him, using a long-standing gibe about Bung's physical size. "Bigfoot, sit down," he added.
Bung sprang from his chair, shouting: "I am bigfoot, you are big monkey."
First-time House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia struggled to control the situation.
"Let's not create chaos in parliament," he appealed as the verbal exchanges continued, "let us ensure there is order in parliament."
However, after the end of the session this morning, the two duelling MPs greeted each other outside the parliamentary hall (photo).
PM answers question
A semblance of order was restored when Abdullah responded to a question on measures taken to reduce the impact of rising fuel and food prices.
However, Pandikar's refusal to allow the usual follow-up questions to the PM's response drew a further outburst, with former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang calling the restriction "a mockery of parliament."
An exasperated Pandikar again appealed for calm in the house.
"Now we have spent one hour shouting on issues, is this a democratic process? Can we continue peacefully?" he pleaded.
The opposition has a total of 82 of parliament's 222 lawmakers, meaning it can block constitutional amendments, and has vowed to play a vocal role.
Analysts say a rejuvenated parliament could herald a major change in the way democracy functions in Malaysia.
"What we really need to see now is if the opposition alliance can work together to create a shadow cabinet, which would be a check and balance against the government," political analyst Azmi Sharom told AFP.
"All this excitement and debate is good for the country and will mean greater accountability to the people," he added.
Karpal said later that Pandikar did not know the house rules.
"I hope he does not try to muzzle the opposition. If he goes on like this, there will be more disorder in the house," he said.
Ka Ting: Allow converts to renounce Islam
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz Apr 30, 08 8:21pm
Those who convert to Islam (muallaf) for marriage purposes should be allowed to revert out of the religion in the event their marriage ends, said MCA president Ong Ka Ting today.
In his motion of thanks for the royal address by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Ong also said children "unilaterally converted to Islam by one parent without the consent of the other parent should be allowed to go back to their original religion until they reach the age of majority."
"In the case where one parent embraces Islam, the religion of the minor must be decided by both parents. Should a dispute on the child’s faith arise, the religion must remain as status quo until the child reaches the age of majority, that is, 18 years, upon which the child decides," he said.
Ong also said in the event of a death of a muallaf, his or her property "comprised in the estate of the deceased prior to the date of conversion should be subject to civil laws of inheritance and succession."
The issue of conversion had rocked communal relations in the country over the past few years. While some pertain to demands that Muslims be allowed to leave Islam, others relate to the status of children of Muslim and non-Muslim parents.
In all, however, the determinative role and powers of the religious authorities have been brought to question, including in such cases as the late M Moorthy, Lina Joy, the detention of M Revathi, and the child custody battle of S Shamala and R Subashini.
"Non-Muslims are not to be subject to any form of Syariah laws, and for any disputes or overlapping areas between the jurisdiction of the civil and Syariah courts, civil laws must prevail.
"We urge the government to be transparent in this process to avoid a repeat of the cases mentioned above," said Ong.
Racial composition of the judiciary
On a related issue, the MCA president said the government cannot ignore the perception that the judiciary does not reflect the multiracial composition of the country.
To redress this a composition of judges that is more reflective of that multiracialism should be brought about, he said.
"We cannot deny the fact that judges are also humans too, and as much as they want to be perceived to be independent and transparent, factors such as religion, racial and their cultural backgrounds can influence their thinking," he added.
"I am not suggesting a racial quota be applied to judicial appointments. Of course, a judge’s appointment must be based on merit, capability, intelligence, independence and integrity, and it should not be seen as having any connection with background, descent and gender.
"But at the same time, we must correct any perception that our judges will not be able to adjudicate fairly and impartially on sensitive issues, particularly relating to religion if a persons’s faith becomes an issue before a panel of judges whose religions faith and beliefs differ from her or her."
On the Judicial Commission for the appointment and promotion of judges, Ong called for a strict vetting process of candidates "to avert any accusation that only the connected are being considered for judgeship."
He also said that judicial commissioners should be selected from among candidates proposed by the Judicial Commission.
Calls for heavier penalties
On the issue of corruption, Ong welcomed the announcement of the restructuring of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the establishment of the Malaysian Commission on Anti-Corruption (MCAC), the Parliamentary Committee on the Prevention of Corruption, and the Anti-Corruption Board.
In addition, he called for a time-frame for all government bodies to process all types of applications and announce these to the public.
Ong also said there should be one "clear, simple and transparent procedure" to process the applications.
"If the processing time-frame is not complied with, they (the government agencies) must give a reasonable explanation for the delay.
"This step is necessary to avoid situations where any officer deliberately slows down the duration to process the application with the hope to receive bribes, or give opportunity for people to take advantage of others."
Ong also called for heavier penalties against corrupt civil servants or those in the private sector, including withdrawing pension benefits from the latter.
On the issue of education, Ong said the time had come for the government to "think out of the box" by doing away with the policy of according different treatment between partially-aided and fully-aided schools.
"The mind-set that the government cannot help partially-aided schools is completely rejected by the rakyat, especially in this era when our nation’s core leaders emphasise developing human capital.
"Nobody loses out if the Ministry of Education treats all schools as government schools," he said.
Ong also called for open tenders in government procurement, as this will foster more competition and help reduce operational costs.
The government must help the poor and disadvantaged regardless of race and ethnicity, he said.
ACA investigations
In another development, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said based on the investigations done by the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA), nine local councillors, state assemblypersons, Mps or division leaders of political parties have been charged in court since 2004.
Out of this, two have been found guilty, four released and three cases still pending.
Nazri said not all investigations by the ACA have to result in the person being charged in court.
"A person is charged only when there is satisfactory evidence and sufficient statements," he said in response to an oral question posed by Ong.
Wan Azizah: Repeal ISA
Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) in her maiden speech as opposition leader called for the Internal Security Act (ISA) to be repealed.
"I would like to begin my official duty as opposition leader in this House by asking the government to release all the ISA detainees immediately without any condition or charge them in open court," she said while debating on the royal address.
According to her, the ISA - which was enacted in 1960 to combat the communist insurgency - has been used to detain 10,711 people without trial so far.
At present, there are 70 people being held at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak
Wan Azizah also called for the closure of the detention camp.
At one juncture, Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) - who said he was an ex-ISA detainee - interjected and said the ISA is still important.
This irked another ex-ISA detainee MP N Gobalakrishnan (PKR-Padang Serai).
"Since he agreed with the ISA, it is equivalent to admitting that he has done something wrong, he is not qualified to sit in this House as a MP," thundered the opposition MP.
Those who convert to Islam (muallaf) for marriage purposes should be allowed to revert out of the religion in the event their marriage ends, said MCA president Ong Ka Ting today.
In his motion of thanks for the royal address by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Ong also said children "unilaterally converted to Islam by one parent without the consent of the other parent should be allowed to go back to their original religion until they reach the age of majority."
"In the case where one parent embraces Islam, the religion of the minor must be decided by both parents. Should a dispute on the child’s faith arise, the religion must remain as status quo until the child reaches the age of majority, that is, 18 years, upon which the child decides," he said.
Ong also said in the event of a death of a muallaf, his or her property "comprised in the estate of the deceased prior to the date of conversion should be subject to civil laws of inheritance and succession."
The issue of conversion had rocked communal relations in the country over the past few years. While some pertain to demands that Muslims be allowed to leave Islam, others relate to the status of children of Muslim and non-Muslim parents.
In all, however, the determinative role and powers of the religious authorities have been brought to question, including in such cases as the late M Moorthy, Lina Joy, the detention of M Revathi, and the child custody battle of S Shamala and R Subashini.
"Non-Muslims are not to be subject to any form of Syariah laws, and for any disputes or overlapping areas between the jurisdiction of the civil and Syariah courts, civil laws must prevail.
"We urge the government to be transparent in this process to avoid a repeat of the cases mentioned above," said Ong.
Racial composition of the judiciary
On a related issue, the MCA president said the government cannot ignore the perception that the judiciary does not reflect the multiracial composition of the country.
To redress this a composition of judges that is more reflective of that multiracialism should be brought about, he said.
"We cannot deny the fact that judges are also humans too, and as much as they want to be perceived to be independent and transparent, factors such as religion, racial and their cultural backgrounds can influence their thinking," he added.
"I am not suggesting a racial quota be applied to judicial appointments. Of course, a judge’s appointment must be based on merit, capability, intelligence, independence and integrity, and it should not be seen as having any connection with background, descent and gender.
"But at the same time, we must correct any perception that our judges will not be able to adjudicate fairly and impartially on sensitive issues, particularly relating to religion if a persons’s faith becomes an issue before a panel of judges whose religions faith and beliefs differ from her or her."
On the Judicial Commission for the appointment and promotion of judges, Ong called for a strict vetting process of candidates "to avert any accusation that only the connected are being considered for judgeship."
He also said that judicial commissioners should be selected from among candidates proposed by the Judicial Commission.
Calls for heavier penalties
On the issue of corruption, Ong welcomed the announcement of the restructuring of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the establishment of the Malaysian Commission on Anti-Corruption (MCAC), the Parliamentary Committee on the Prevention of Corruption, and the Anti-Corruption Board.
In addition, he called for a time-frame for all government bodies to process all types of applications and announce these to the public.
Ong also said there should be one "clear, simple and transparent procedure" to process the applications.
"If the processing time-frame is not complied with, they (the government agencies) must give a reasonable explanation for the delay.
"This step is necessary to avoid situations where any officer deliberately slows down the duration to process the application with the hope to receive bribes, or give opportunity for people to take advantage of others."
Ong also called for heavier penalties against corrupt civil servants or those in the private sector, including withdrawing pension benefits from the latter.
On the issue of education, Ong said the time had come for the government to "think out of the box" by doing away with the policy of according different treatment between partially-aided and fully-aided schools.
"The mind-set that the government cannot help partially-aided schools is completely rejected by the rakyat, especially in this era when our nation’s core leaders emphasise developing human capital.
"Nobody loses out if the Ministry of Education treats all schools as government schools," he said.
Ong also called for open tenders in government procurement, as this will foster more competition and help reduce operational costs.
The government must help the poor and disadvantaged regardless of race and ethnicity, he said.
ACA investigations
In another development, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said based on the investigations done by the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA), nine local councillors, state assemblypersons, Mps or division leaders of political parties have been charged in court since 2004.
Out of this, two have been found guilty, four released and three cases still pending.
Nazri said not all investigations by the ACA have to result in the person being charged in court.
"A person is charged only when there is satisfactory evidence and sufficient statements," he said in response to an oral question posed by Ong.
Wan Azizah: Repeal ISA
Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) in her maiden speech as opposition leader called for the Internal Security Act (ISA) to be repealed.
"I would like to begin my official duty as opposition leader in this House by asking the government to release all the ISA detainees immediately without any condition or charge them in open court," she said while debating on the royal address.
According to her, the ISA - which was enacted in 1960 to combat the communist insurgency - has been used to detain 10,711 people without trial so far.
At present, there are 70 people being held at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak
Wan Azizah also called for the closure of the detention camp.
At one juncture, Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) - who said he was an ex-ISA detainee - interjected and said the ISA is still important.
This irked another ex-ISA detainee MP N Gobalakrishnan (PKR-Padang Serai).
"Since he agreed with the ISA, it is equivalent to admitting that he has done something wrong, he is not qualified to sit in this House as a MP," thundered the opposition MP.
Gobind wants Khairy to apologise
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz Apr 30, 08 11:14am
Deputy Umno Youth chief and Rembau parliamentarian Khairy Jamaluddin should follow the example set by his boss Hishammuddin Hussein and apologise for having called participants in last year’s Bersih rally beruk (monkeys).
DAP’s Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo issued this challenge to Khairy at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
“I think what Hishammuddin has done is perhaps the beginning of what should come from Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders: a series of apologies to the Malaysian public at large for issuance of statements that affected them,” Gobind said.
“Now an elected representative... a person who is supposed to represent not only himself but all his constituents, in addition to being a deputy Youth chief of Umno and the son-in-law of the prime minister, I think he should take responsibility and own up and apologise. This is my challenge to him.”
Gobind was referring to Khairy’s statement on Nov 7 last year during the Umno Youth annual general meeting, urging the authorities to come down hard on the Bersih mass rally for electoral reform that took place three days later.
“They claim that electoral process is not clean. Then why contest in 2004 (general election)? They boycotted Batu Talam (by-election), but they contested (later) in Machap and Ijok (by-elections),” Khairy had said in his winding-up speech.
“Don’t be like beruk (monkeys) on streets. If you want to fight, fight in the real ring like a man. At the general elections, we (Umno Youth) will fight and we will win!”
Gobind said Khairy’s use of the term beruk was “unacceptable”.
“You do not go around calling people names like that. His boss has taken the first step towards correcting the wrongs that Umno Youth has (done to) the people of Malaysia. I am challenging him to follow suit. Do the right thing and apologise to the people of Malaysia for saying that,” he said.
As for Nik Aziz...
Asked to comment on Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s use earlier this year of the term orang utan for Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, Gobind said he was not aware of the incident.
“If that statement was made against persons in Barisan Nasional, then perhaps an apology is proper,” said Gobind.
Also at the press conference was his father Karpal Singh, the DAP parliamentarian for Bukit Gelugor.
“I’m surprised that BN people have not asked for an apology. Maybe what the MB said is right,” he said.
Deputy Umno Youth chief and Rembau parliamentarian Khairy Jamaluddin should follow the example set by his boss Hishammuddin Hussein and apologise for having called participants in last year’s Bersih rally beruk (monkeys).
DAP’s Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo issued this challenge to Khairy at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
“I think what Hishammuddin has done is perhaps the beginning of what should come from Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders: a series of apologies to the Malaysian public at large for issuance of statements that affected them,” Gobind said.
“Now an elected representative... a person who is supposed to represent not only himself but all his constituents, in addition to being a deputy Youth chief of Umno and the son-in-law of the prime minister, I think he should take responsibility and own up and apologise. This is my challenge to him.”
Gobind was referring to Khairy’s statement on Nov 7 last year during the Umno Youth annual general meeting, urging the authorities to come down hard on the Bersih mass rally for electoral reform that took place three days later.
“They claim that electoral process is not clean. Then why contest in 2004 (general election)? They boycotted Batu Talam (by-election), but they contested (later) in Machap and Ijok (by-elections),” Khairy had said in his winding-up speech.
“Don’t be like beruk (monkeys) on streets. If you want to fight, fight in the real ring like a man. At the general elections, we (Umno Youth) will fight and we will win!”
Gobind said Khairy’s use of the term beruk was “unacceptable”.
“You do not go around calling people names like that. His boss has taken the first step towards correcting the wrongs that Umno Youth has (done to) the people of Malaysia. I am challenging him to follow suit. Do the right thing and apologise to the people of Malaysia for saying that,” he said.
As for Nik Aziz...
Asked to comment on Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s use earlier this year of the term orang utan for Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, Gobind said he was not aware of the incident.
“If that statement was made against persons in Barisan Nasional, then perhaps an apology is proper,” said Gobind.
Also at the press conference was his father Karpal Singh, the DAP parliamentarian for Bukit Gelugor.
“I’m surprised that BN people have not asked for an apology. Maybe what the MB said is right,” he said.
'Samy Vellu ordered temple demolition'
Syed Jaymal Zahiid Apr 29, 08 12:30pm
Since last October, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has been tagged as the chief culprit behind the controversial demolition of the Kampung Rimba Jaya Hindu temple near Shah Alam - he now claims that MIC president S Samy Vellu had instructed him to do so.
“Samy Vellu called me on the night of Nov 15 and told me that Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) people had infiltrated the temple and that it must be demolished that night itself,” alleged Khir, who was Selangor menteri besar at the time.
In an interview, Khir Toyo also denied that the temple had been pulled down two days before Deepavali, saying the exercise had been carried out a week after the significant Hindu festival.
Furthermore, he said an agreement had been concluded with the priest, in that compensation of RM40,000 would be paid and an alternative site provided to rebuild the temple.
The incident has been cited by both opposition and Barisan Nasional (BN) members as a key factor in influencing the outcome of the March 8 polls.
BN and Umno took the brunt of voter anger over this and other issues, resulting in the state government falling into opposition hands for the first time in electoral history. Khir then resigned as Selangor Umno head, and is now leader of the opposition in the state legislature.
The demolition of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple was carried out in two stages, albeit not intentionally. As the illegal extension was being pulled down on Oct 30, a violent fracas ensued between devotees and enforcement personnel and forced work to be abandoned.
The original 100-year-old structure was demolished later - apparently on Nov 15, based on Khir’s account during the interview. Deepavali fell on Nov 8 last year.
Samy Vellu had shown up at the site after the illegal extension was torn down, but was reportedly pelted with sticks and stones by angry residents.
He then issued an unprecedented statement urging an end to such incidents, warning that the government risked losing Indian Malaysian votes. Although he also banned MIC elected representatives from holding the traditional Deepavali open house as a mark of protest, he quickly rescinded the order.
The following excerpts of the interview with Khir have been edited for clarity.
The temple incident in Kampung Rimba Jaya was said to be a major cause of BN’s downfall and you have been blamed for it.
I would like to explain. The court, after three years of deliberation, decided that it was time to remove the temple as the flats that were being built there were nearing completion and people were ready to move in. The court decided that it was time to remove not just the temple but a surau and some squatter houses.
On the day itself, I was told that the surau had been demolished and (the enforcement team) was stopped at the gate of the temple.
Samy Vellu then met me and (premier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Blue Wave hotel (in Shah Alam) and we all agreed to stop the demolition process at the temple gate. Samy then made an announcement in Rimba Jaya, (asking) not to demolish the temple because in two days, the people would evacuate the site.
Now the purported version is that the Selangor government on my instructions had demolished the temple two days before Deepavali, and this is incorrect. As I said, the agreement to stop the demolition was agreed to by all parties and was witnessed by many others. When I visited Rimba Jaya after that, the temple was intact.
A week after Deepavali - not two days before - Samy Vellu called me on the night of Nov 15 and told me that Hindraf people had infiltrated the temple and that it must be demolished that night itself. And that’s what we did - so it wasn’t before Deepavali.
The demolition was done with the agreement of the temple priest and the relevant people were then given replacement land to rebuild the temple and were compensated with RM40,000. I didn’t tell this to the media before, but now that I have been blamed for it, I must explain. Samy was the one who told me to do it.
You have made this explanation before. Now the question is why your explanation is not generally accepted while the Hindraf contention has become the sole angle adopted by the Indian Malaysian community.
Hindraf does not just talk about temple issues only. The group also protested against the government’s inability to address other problems faced by the community like Tamil schools, education, employment, housing and poverty. What is demanded by Hindraf is more than temple- related matters..
The issue of price hikes had been consistently highlighted by the media, way before the general elections. Did you as menteri besar and BN Selangor chief discuss this matter with the central leaders?
Yes, we did. We suggested to the government to reduce the price of oil and stop other projects. But as a mere state leader I cannot make any decisions.
But the opposition has been riding on this issue and has consistently associated BN with price hikes. Why didn’t BN respond effectively?
I myself don’t understand. We had suggested to the federal government that the oil price be reduced, but they did not respond. Instead they believed in explaining (the issue) to the people, and the people don’t want to hear that.
As we remember it, the matter was discussed in depth by BN - this means the party had sufficient time to respond to the matter...
Suggestions were made, but there was no reaction. Point taken, but where were the responses?
Are you saying that there are no state issues that caused the electoral losses?
Not many. The biggest issue in Selangor is public transportation which renders it a must for everyone to own a car. Almost all the households in Selangor have a car, you can see low-cost houses with two or three cars (parked outside) because there is no efficient public transportation system. (It is) something that I have been fighting to get for a long time.
Light Rail Transit projects go only halfway because of insufficient funding. When there is a station, it’s so far from people’s houses that they end up buying cars. We actually have a plan to purchase houses and land near train stations, no matter how expensive it is, so we can build low- cost housing, but I can’t say it because I will be accused of trying to teach the government how to run things.
Since last October, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has been tagged as the chief culprit behind the controversial demolition of the Kampung Rimba Jaya Hindu temple near Shah Alam - he now claims that MIC president S Samy Vellu had instructed him to do so.
“Samy Vellu called me on the night of Nov 15 and told me that Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) people had infiltrated the temple and that it must be demolished that night itself,” alleged Khir, who was Selangor menteri besar at the time.
In an interview, Khir Toyo also denied that the temple had been pulled down two days before Deepavali, saying the exercise had been carried out a week after the significant Hindu festival.
Furthermore, he said an agreement had been concluded with the priest, in that compensation of RM40,000 would be paid and an alternative site provided to rebuild the temple.
The incident has been cited by both opposition and Barisan Nasional (BN) members as a key factor in influencing the outcome of the March 8 polls.
BN and Umno took the brunt of voter anger over this and other issues, resulting in the state government falling into opposition hands for the first time in electoral history. Khir then resigned as Selangor Umno head, and is now leader of the opposition in the state legislature.
The demolition of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple was carried out in two stages, albeit not intentionally. As the illegal extension was being pulled down on Oct 30, a violent fracas ensued between devotees and enforcement personnel and forced work to be abandoned.
The original 100-year-old structure was demolished later - apparently on Nov 15, based on Khir’s account during the interview. Deepavali fell on Nov 8 last year.
Samy Vellu had shown up at the site after the illegal extension was torn down, but was reportedly pelted with sticks and stones by angry residents.
He then issued an unprecedented statement urging an end to such incidents, warning that the government risked losing Indian Malaysian votes. Although he also banned MIC elected representatives from holding the traditional Deepavali open house as a mark of protest, he quickly rescinded the order.
The following excerpts of the interview with Khir have been edited for clarity.
The temple incident in Kampung Rimba Jaya was said to be a major cause of BN’s downfall and you have been blamed for it.
I would like to explain. The court, after three years of deliberation, decided that it was time to remove the temple as the flats that were being built there were nearing completion and people were ready to move in. The court decided that it was time to remove not just the temple but a surau and some squatter houses.
On the day itself, I was told that the surau had been demolished and (the enforcement team) was stopped at the gate of the temple.
Samy Vellu then met me and (premier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Blue Wave hotel (in Shah Alam) and we all agreed to stop the demolition process at the temple gate. Samy then made an announcement in Rimba Jaya, (asking) not to demolish the temple because in two days, the people would evacuate the site.
Now the purported version is that the Selangor government on my instructions had demolished the temple two days before Deepavali, and this is incorrect. As I said, the agreement to stop the demolition was agreed to by all parties and was witnessed by many others. When I visited Rimba Jaya after that, the temple was intact.
A week after Deepavali - not two days before - Samy Vellu called me on the night of Nov 15 and told me that Hindraf people had infiltrated the temple and that it must be demolished that night itself. And that’s what we did - so it wasn’t before Deepavali.
The demolition was done with the agreement of the temple priest and the relevant people were then given replacement land to rebuild the temple and were compensated with RM40,000. I didn’t tell this to the media before, but now that I have been blamed for it, I must explain. Samy was the one who told me to do it.
You have made this explanation before. Now the question is why your explanation is not generally accepted while the Hindraf contention has become the sole angle adopted by the Indian Malaysian community.
Hindraf does not just talk about temple issues only. The group also protested against the government’s inability to address other problems faced by the community like Tamil schools, education, employment, housing and poverty. What is demanded by Hindraf is more than temple- related matters..
The issue of price hikes had been consistently highlighted by the media, way before the general elections. Did you as menteri besar and BN Selangor chief discuss this matter with the central leaders?
Yes, we did. We suggested to the government to reduce the price of oil and stop other projects. But as a mere state leader I cannot make any decisions.
But the opposition has been riding on this issue and has consistently associated BN with price hikes. Why didn’t BN respond effectively?
I myself don’t understand. We had suggested to the federal government that the oil price be reduced, but they did not respond. Instead they believed in explaining (the issue) to the people, and the people don’t want to hear that.
As we remember it, the matter was discussed in depth by BN - this means the party had sufficient time to respond to the matter...
Suggestions were made, but there was no reaction. Point taken, but where were the responses?
Are you saying that there are no state issues that caused the electoral losses?
Not many. The biggest issue in Selangor is public transportation which renders it a must for everyone to own a car. Almost all the households in Selangor have a car, you can see low-cost houses with two or three cars (parked outside) because there is no efficient public transportation system. (It is) something that I have been fighting to get for a long time.
Light Rail Transit projects go only halfway because of insufficient funding. When there is a station, it’s so far from people’s houses that they end up buying cars. We actually have a plan to purchase houses and land near train stations, no matter how expensive it is, so we can build low- cost housing, but I can’t say it because I will be accused of trying to teach the government how to run things.
Khir Toyo: Umno has lost touch with reality
Syed Jaymal Zahiid & Fathi Aris Omar Apr 28, 08 5:13pm
Former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said he knew it all along that Barisan Nasional (BN) would suffer heavy losses in the March 8 polls, long before the date arrived.
In an interview, he revealed how he had learnt of the impending defeat. However, as the ‘general’ of his ‘army’, he could not disclose his forebodings to his ‘troops’.
“I started getting negative feelings when (former Finance Minister and Umno treasurer) Daim Zainuddin said five states would fall to the opposition. As Selangor Umno chief, I couldn’t say it out loud as it would have dampened the spirits of party members,” he said.
Instead, he saw it as his duty to suppress negativity and to focus supporters on slugging it out in the polls. Still, he dropped hints that, while the polls might appear easy to win, this would be a difficult task.
Selangor rode the Pakatan Rakyat wave alongside Penang, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, while the BN drowned in its worst ever defeat.
Khir pointed to the federal government’s arrogance and insensitivity to the needs of the people, even after he had sent up pleas to Umno president and premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (photo).
“Suggestions were made, but there was no reaction. Point taken, but where were the responses?” he said.
He criticised the information dissemination mechanism in Umno, saying the central leadership did not get the right information and therefore could not devise a campaign strategy to win over voters.
“The reports given to the leadership came from only one party, for example, Special Branch officers. These officers are often Malays and can only provide information regarding Malay voters, not the other races. So, it’s hard for us to get real information,” he said.
The election results, he said, are a reflection of Umno having lost touch with reality. This, leaves the party with no option but to tread the path of reform.
The following excerpts of the interview have been edited for clarity.
Let’s start with your blog...
I have received good responses to my blog. I didn’t expect (this). The comments are mainly positive ones like calls to reform the government.
When I was the menteri besar, I did many things to reform the state government but the people failed to see this.
This caused confusion among the rakyat and this is when certain quarters came in to exploit the situation. It led to the people being misled (into thinking that we had not done enough for them) and as we all know, blogs or the Internet media are more credible than other forms of media.
What about the so-called ‘cyber-war’ between you and Muhammad Muhd Taib?
I wouldn’t describe it as a cyber-war. As an Umno supreme council member and a blogger, I vowed in my first posting that I would tell the truth and I have been trained to tell the truth. Even though the truth is painful, I have no qualms about telling it. Even the Umno president has told all party members to tell the truth and that is what I am doing.
What is the reaction in Umno? You are among leaders deemed to be vocal and consistent with your views...
There are pros and cons to (being labelled as such), but I only wish to tell the truth..
What truth are you talking about? Are you talking about transition of power?
If that is what Umno members, bloggers and the rakyat want, we must express it and it is up to the leadership to decide how to react to it. Don’t let things come to a point where the rakyat say that we are not delivering the right information. This is possibly one reason why Umno was defeated so badly in the March 8 polls. To me, truth is important.
So what is the problem? Why is it that the party top leadership did not get the right information? It was impossible for Umno to predict the election outcome. You managed to identify eight hot seats in Selangor and MCA disagreed with you.
Perhaps the reports given to the leadership came from only one party, for example, the Special Branch officers.
These officers are often Malays and can only provide information regarding Malay voters and not the other races. So it’s hard for us to get real information.
If you look at the March 8 results in Selangor, the swing was 35 percent, of which 30 percent was caused by Chinese voters. The swing from Malays was only 5 percent.
But you didn’t predict this...
I started getting negative feelings when Daim Zainuddin (photo) said that five states would fall to the opposition. As Selangor Umno chief, I couldn’t say it out loud as it would have dampened the spirits of my party members.
As leaders, we have to refrain from giving our soldiers negative information. It may demoralise them. You have to analyse the information first...I was worried, I informed all division and branch chiefs of Selangor that the elections may look easy, but would be difficult to win.
Daim’s statement came quite late, so how did the BN election machinery react to it?
We told them to work really hard for the elections. I’m (only) responsible for Umno (and not other BN parties). Umno won 18 of the 20 seats (that went to) BN in Selangor. Maybe the over-confidence after BN’s 2004 election victory created a negative impact.
Political parties must become the voice of the rakyat, not the government... (but) politicians responded on behalf of the government (on issues) like the (increased) price of fuel and basic goods, saying that the government can’t do much about it. They began showing formulae used to calculate the prices when all the people wanted was for political parties to listen to them and address their problems.
We have to become the voice of the people but it’s the other way around now. I hope that Umno Youth especially can become the voice of the people now.
Is this a suggestion for separation of government and political functions?
Umno does not form the government - the BN does. Umno members must represent the will of the people and must press the government to safeguard the interests of the people.
For example, I have been bringing up issues on the food crisis since 2002. Now we can see the early signs of a food crisis and we have to tell the government that the rakyat wants prices of basic goods to be reduced. The government must think of a way to reduce the prices by either increasing the number of import agents or opening up the market.
But so far Umno has not spoken of about this matter...
That is why we have to learn, we cannot depend on old methods any more. As leaders we have to admit our mistakes and change things. When I concede mistakes, I try to change and I hope that others will follow suit.
Back to the rice price hike, we have to open up the market so that rice can be imported. Maybe it will affect the income of local rice farmers, but why shouldn’t we subsidise them?
Do you agree that the rice-import monopoly of Bernas (Padiberas Nasional Bhd) should be terminated?
Yes, definitely...(and it’s) not just with rice. For sugar and other basic food items, we have to open up the market to let the rakyat have the lowest price, while maintaining the income level of farmers.
In other countries, unemployed people receive financial help from their government. The same can be done here. The government can help supplement farmers’ income when the price of rice drops. What we see now is that the rakyat has to pay a lot for basic goods, while farmers (enjoy subsidies).
How do you propose to reform a party like Umno, which has several million members?
We need to start. We must. In fact I was thinking, the separation between the party and the government must be clear. To me, the party president should concentrate on consolidating the party, as is done in India.
Here we have all the (heads of BN) component parties asking for government posts. If the PM gives me the presidency (of Umno), I would consolidate the party. And if the PM does something wrong, the party will tell him so.
Wouldn’t it make the situation more complicated?
It is (a form of) check and balance.
When we look at separation of functions, we see that the higher one goes, the more government posts the person gets...
That is the problem. (We need to create) check and balance.
But it would prolong the journey...
Never mind. Reforms must be introduced. The most important thing is to never stop at introducing changes.
Former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said he knew it all along that Barisan Nasional (BN) would suffer heavy losses in the March 8 polls, long before the date arrived.
In an interview, he revealed how he had learnt of the impending defeat. However, as the ‘general’ of his ‘army’, he could not disclose his forebodings to his ‘troops’.
“I started getting negative feelings when (former Finance Minister and Umno treasurer) Daim Zainuddin said five states would fall to the opposition. As Selangor Umno chief, I couldn’t say it out loud as it would have dampened the spirits of party members,” he said.
Instead, he saw it as his duty to suppress negativity and to focus supporters on slugging it out in the polls. Still, he dropped hints that, while the polls might appear easy to win, this would be a difficult task.
Selangor rode the Pakatan Rakyat wave alongside Penang, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, while the BN drowned in its worst ever defeat.
Khir pointed to the federal government’s arrogance and insensitivity to the needs of the people, even after he had sent up pleas to Umno president and premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (photo).
“Suggestions were made, but there was no reaction. Point taken, but where were the responses?” he said.
He criticised the information dissemination mechanism in Umno, saying the central leadership did not get the right information and therefore could not devise a campaign strategy to win over voters.
“The reports given to the leadership came from only one party, for example, Special Branch officers. These officers are often Malays and can only provide information regarding Malay voters, not the other races. So, it’s hard for us to get real information,” he said.
The election results, he said, are a reflection of Umno having lost touch with reality. This, leaves the party with no option but to tread the path of reform.
The following excerpts of the interview have been edited for clarity.
Let’s start with your blog...
I have received good responses to my blog. I didn’t expect (this). The comments are mainly positive ones like calls to reform the government.
When I was the menteri besar, I did many things to reform the state government but the people failed to see this.
This caused confusion among the rakyat and this is when certain quarters came in to exploit the situation. It led to the people being misled (into thinking that we had not done enough for them) and as we all know, blogs or the Internet media are more credible than other forms of media.
What about the so-called ‘cyber-war’ between you and Muhammad Muhd Taib?
I wouldn’t describe it as a cyber-war. As an Umno supreme council member and a blogger, I vowed in my first posting that I would tell the truth and I have been trained to tell the truth. Even though the truth is painful, I have no qualms about telling it. Even the Umno president has told all party members to tell the truth and that is what I am doing.
What is the reaction in Umno? You are among leaders deemed to be vocal and consistent with your views...
There are pros and cons to (being labelled as such), but I only wish to tell the truth..
What truth are you talking about? Are you talking about transition of power?
If that is what Umno members, bloggers and the rakyat want, we must express it and it is up to the leadership to decide how to react to it. Don’t let things come to a point where the rakyat say that we are not delivering the right information. This is possibly one reason why Umno was defeated so badly in the March 8 polls. To me, truth is important.
So what is the problem? Why is it that the party top leadership did not get the right information? It was impossible for Umno to predict the election outcome. You managed to identify eight hot seats in Selangor and MCA disagreed with you.
Perhaps the reports given to the leadership came from only one party, for example, the Special Branch officers.
These officers are often Malays and can only provide information regarding Malay voters and not the other races. So it’s hard for us to get real information.
If you look at the March 8 results in Selangor, the swing was 35 percent, of which 30 percent was caused by Chinese voters. The swing from Malays was only 5 percent.
But you didn’t predict this...
I started getting negative feelings when Daim Zainuddin (photo) said that five states would fall to the opposition. As Selangor Umno chief, I couldn’t say it out loud as it would have dampened the spirits of my party members.
As leaders, we have to refrain from giving our soldiers negative information. It may demoralise them. You have to analyse the information first...I was worried, I informed all division and branch chiefs of Selangor that the elections may look easy, but would be difficult to win.
Daim’s statement came quite late, so how did the BN election machinery react to it?
We told them to work really hard for the elections. I’m (only) responsible for Umno (and not other BN parties). Umno won 18 of the 20 seats (that went to) BN in Selangor. Maybe the over-confidence after BN’s 2004 election victory created a negative impact.
Political parties must become the voice of the rakyat, not the government... (but) politicians responded on behalf of the government (on issues) like the (increased) price of fuel and basic goods, saying that the government can’t do much about it. They began showing formulae used to calculate the prices when all the people wanted was for political parties to listen to them and address their problems.
We have to become the voice of the people but it’s the other way around now. I hope that Umno Youth especially can become the voice of the people now.
Is this a suggestion for separation of government and political functions?
Umno does not form the government - the BN does. Umno members must represent the will of the people and must press the government to safeguard the interests of the people.
For example, I have been bringing up issues on the food crisis since 2002. Now we can see the early signs of a food crisis and we have to tell the government that the rakyat wants prices of basic goods to be reduced. The government must think of a way to reduce the prices by either increasing the number of import agents or opening up the market.
But so far Umno has not spoken of about this matter...
That is why we have to learn, we cannot depend on old methods any more. As leaders we have to admit our mistakes and change things. When I concede mistakes, I try to change and I hope that others will follow suit.
Back to the rice price hike, we have to open up the market so that rice can be imported. Maybe it will affect the income of local rice farmers, but why shouldn’t we subsidise them?
Do you agree that the rice-import monopoly of Bernas (Padiberas Nasional Bhd) should be terminated?
Yes, definitely...(and it’s) not just with rice. For sugar and other basic food items, we have to open up the market to let the rakyat have the lowest price, while maintaining the income level of farmers.
In other countries, unemployed people receive financial help from their government. The same can be done here. The government can help supplement farmers’ income when the price of rice drops. What we see now is that the rakyat has to pay a lot for basic goods, while farmers (enjoy subsidies).
How do you propose to reform a party like Umno, which has several million members?
We need to start. We must. In fact I was thinking, the separation between the party and the government must be clear. To me, the party president should concentrate on consolidating the party, as is done in India.
Here we have all the (heads of BN) component parties asking for government posts. If the PM gives me the presidency (of Umno), I would consolidate the party. And if the PM does something wrong, the party will tell him so.
Wouldn’t it make the situation more complicated?
It is (a form of) check and balance.
When we look at separation of functions, we see that the higher one goes, the more government posts the person gets...
That is the problem. (We need to create) check and balance.
But it would prolong the journey...
Never mind. Reforms must be introduced. The most important thing is to never stop at introducing changes.
Khir Toyo: Blame the keris, not the broom
Syed Jaymal Zahiid Apr 30, 08 1:40pm
The keris-waving incident that sparked an uproar among non-Malays may have contributed to the poor performance of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the March 8 polls, said former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.
Khir said it had created negative perceptions of Umno and possibly caused the swing in non-Malay votes towards the opposition.
“We must admit our mistakes. If we don’t, the rakyat will call us arrogant,” he said in an interview.
Umno Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein had made an apology of sorts last week for drawing out and kissing a keris at the Umno Youth assembly last year.
He has since been criticised by party leaders like vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno Cheras division head Syed Ali Al-Habshee, who are of the view that the tradition should not be questioned by non-Malays.
Khir believe that if the gesture is offensive in some quarters and is seen to send out negative signals, then it should be stopped.
However, he discounted the notion that the broom incident also had an impact in causing the fall of Selangor to Pakatan Rakyat in the general election.
“Take a look at other states, they did not have similar incidents, yet they (too) lost. This is all part of the denial syndrome that we are suffering from and this is a huge problem for the party,” he argued.
Khir had handed over brooms to under-achieving civil servants at an event for Selangor government staff last year.
In his defence, he said this was done to force civil servants to be more efficient in serving the people.
“When the people came to me and complained about the poor performance of civil servants and (this was also) highlighted in the media, I felt restless and worried. As a representative of the people, I will of course take action,” he said.
The only mistake, he conceded, was “not to (gift-)wrap the broom”.
The following excerpts of the interview have been edited for clarity.
The media reported that one of the factors that caused Selangor Umno to lose the state in the general election was the ‘broom incident’. What are your comments?
I would like to explain. When the people came to me and complained about the poor performance of civil servants and (this was) highlighted in the media, I felt restless and worried. As the representative of the people, I will of course take action. We reacted by creating a star rating system. If you get five stars, you’ll be rewarded, but if you don’t get a single star, you’ll be warned.
We did this for five years and there were still no improvements. Then we ‘froze’ them at the headquarters and yet saw no improvements. We raised salaries and still there was no improvement. We took disciplinary action, and still no improvement.
As a leader, I had to solve this matter. I discussed it with my officers and some suggested that we give them a pair of (cheap) slippers, some suggested making them wear torn clothes, and some suggested that we give them brooms. Maybe the mistake was not to (gift-)wrap the broom, but this was not my doing. It was my officers who prepared everything, I was just there to hand over the ‘gift’.
But do you agree that this incident contributed to the defeat of BN in Selangor?
I disagree. Take a look at other states, they did not have similar incidents, yet they lost. This is all part of the denial syndrome that we are suffering from and this is a huge problem for the party. We always say we are strong but actually we are not. We lost five states, and yet we say we are strong.
You mean that there were national factors...
70 percent of (the reasons for the electoral losses) came from national factors.
The defeat for BN has also been linked to your own arrogance, for example, in pursuing your ‘zero-opposition’ policy.
As a general of an army, I can’t be telling my army that we are losing. Is it proper to tell your army that some will die in the battle? When Napolean went to battle and knew that he was going to lose, he told his army that they would win. I cannot send out negative messages that will demoralise my soldiers.
The keris issue has also been mentioned as a factor for BN’s heavy losses.
This is a matter of perception. It depends on how we manage perceptions. Maybe it was a factor. We must admit our mistakes. If we don’t, the rakyat will call us arrogant.
But as far as Umno’s history is concerned, the keris was never used to rally Malay support. How did it suddenly become a rallying symbol for Umno?
I can’t answer this because I was never involved.
Let’s analyse it anyway. It is not just Umno Youth that uses the keris as a ceremonial item, but other Umno wings as well.
The keris perhaps is a symbol of power, a symbol of supremacy, but for the Malays it means nothing. Maybe it’s different for the Chinese (which is why they look at it differently).
But it was never seen as symbol of supremacy for Umno before...
This is because it was never politicised by Umno before.
So do you agree that the keris culture should be eliminated?
Yes, why not? If it’s negative, we should stop using it. We have to admit our mistakes. Admitting mistakes is a courageous thing to do.
What about your preparations to contest the Umno Youth leadership?
The response so far has been good. Though some might say I am an ‘outside’ contestant, I disagree. I was once an Umno Youth divisional head, I was once the Umno Youth national executive councillor. Any contestant who comes in late must work hard. But I feel...Insyallah (I can do it) because I have been thoroughly schooled politics-wise. I can offer experience. I have completed the full political cycle; not many politicians can parallel my situation.
I have a new motto for Umno Youth: ‘Youth as the voice of the people and towards building the perseverance of the Malays’.
Meaning that you want to bring Umno back to its old idealism?
We have to become the voice of the people, and not the government.
But the mechanism in Umno itself renders it impossible to speak freely, even Umno members itself cannot speak...
I am doing it.
Maybe one or two people...
I am talking and I will continue to do that. I believe that the voice of the youth is the voice of the rakyat.
But the culture in Umno itself? How do you cultivate courage in the party?
We must be brave to express the truth. We cannot be controlled. If we are controlled in an independent nation, it means that we are not free. Expressing ideas cannot be seen as a bad thing. As a supreme council member entrusted to be the voice of the people, I will continue to speak up. I might not be able to be direct in my expression. I am a local and as a local I am raised to be polite so I will say something like ‘exit plan’.
To some, ‘exit plan’ is a euphemism for calling for the Umno president to step down. Do you have any expectations when it comes to this ‘exit plan’?
I can’t say I have any expectations. The president has the right to construct his own exit plan and according to his own timeframe, but transition of power is compulsory. In any leadership there must be transition of power. Sooner or later it will have to happen. If it’s better to have it earlier, then do it. If you think it takes time, then you must explain the reasons.
But if Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an introduce measures to reform the system and his popularity increases as a result, would the exit plan still be necessary?
This is if we look at it from a long-term perspective. That is why, in my blog, I have stated that changing the president or the prime minister will not solve everything. The most important thing is reform of the system - reforming economic, education and inter-religion policies and reform the party.
What is most important is that these measures will make Umno a sanctuary that the rakyat can rely on. If this does not happen, people will leave Umno, members will jump off. Maybe not the leaders but the members will.
The government must introduce real reform and a timeframe for implementation. Each leader in Umno who contests for posts must have some sort of plan or idealism. The rakyat can choose which plan they feel will benefit them the most, but we are not seeing this right now.
If this is done, there will not be a crisis of confidence in relation to the government. If this is done, even the (BN) component parties will lean on Umno.
The keris-waving incident that sparked an uproar among non-Malays may have contributed to the poor performance of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the March 8 polls, said former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.
Khir said it had created negative perceptions of Umno and possibly caused the swing in non-Malay votes towards the opposition.
“We must admit our mistakes. If we don’t, the rakyat will call us arrogant,” he said in an interview.
Umno Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein had made an apology of sorts last week for drawing out and kissing a keris at the Umno Youth assembly last year.
He has since been criticised by party leaders like vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno Cheras division head Syed Ali Al-Habshee, who are of the view that the tradition should not be questioned by non-Malays.
Khir believe that if the gesture is offensive in some quarters and is seen to send out negative signals, then it should be stopped.
However, he discounted the notion that the broom incident also had an impact in causing the fall of Selangor to Pakatan Rakyat in the general election.
“Take a look at other states, they did not have similar incidents, yet they (too) lost. This is all part of the denial syndrome that we are suffering from and this is a huge problem for the party,” he argued.
Khir had handed over brooms to under-achieving civil servants at an event for Selangor government staff last year.
In his defence, he said this was done to force civil servants to be more efficient in serving the people.
“When the people came to me and complained about the poor performance of civil servants and (this was also) highlighted in the media, I felt restless and worried. As a representative of the people, I will of course take action,” he said.
The only mistake, he conceded, was “not to (gift-)wrap the broom”.
The following excerpts of the interview have been edited for clarity.
The media reported that one of the factors that caused Selangor Umno to lose the state in the general election was the ‘broom incident’. What are your comments?
I would like to explain. When the people came to me and complained about the poor performance of civil servants and (this was) highlighted in the media, I felt restless and worried. As the representative of the people, I will of course take action. We reacted by creating a star rating system. If you get five stars, you’ll be rewarded, but if you don’t get a single star, you’ll be warned.
We did this for five years and there were still no improvements. Then we ‘froze’ them at the headquarters and yet saw no improvements. We raised salaries and still there was no improvement. We took disciplinary action, and still no improvement.
As a leader, I had to solve this matter. I discussed it with my officers and some suggested that we give them a pair of (cheap) slippers, some suggested making them wear torn clothes, and some suggested that we give them brooms. Maybe the mistake was not to (gift-)wrap the broom, but this was not my doing. It was my officers who prepared everything, I was just there to hand over the ‘gift’.
But do you agree that this incident contributed to the defeat of BN in Selangor?
I disagree. Take a look at other states, they did not have similar incidents, yet they lost. This is all part of the denial syndrome that we are suffering from and this is a huge problem for the party. We always say we are strong but actually we are not. We lost five states, and yet we say we are strong.
You mean that there were national factors...
70 percent of (the reasons for the electoral losses) came from national factors.
The defeat for BN has also been linked to your own arrogance, for example, in pursuing your ‘zero-opposition’ policy.
As a general of an army, I can’t be telling my army that we are losing. Is it proper to tell your army that some will die in the battle? When Napolean went to battle and knew that he was going to lose, he told his army that they would win. I cannot send out negative messages that will demoralise my soldiers.
The keris issue has also been mentioned as a factor for BN’s heavy losses.
This is a matter of perception. It depends on how we manage perceptions. Maybe it was a factor. We must admit our mistakes. If we don’t, the rakyat will call us arrogant.
But as far as Umno’s history is concerned, the keris was never used to rally Malay support. How did it suddenly become a rallying symbol for Umno?
I can’t answer this because I was never involved.
Let’s analyse it anyway. It is not just Umno Youth that uses the keris as a ceremonial item, but other Umno wings as well.
The keris perhaps is a symbol of power, a symbol of supremacy, but for the Malays it means nothing. Maybe it’s different for the Chinese (which is why they look at it differently).
But it was never seen as symbol of supremacy for Umno before...
This is because it was never politicised by Umno before.
So do you agree that the keris culture should be eliminated?
Yes, why not? If it’s negative, we should stop using it. We have to admit our mistakes. Admitting mistakes is a courageous thing to do.
What about your preparations to contest the Umno Youth leadership?
The response so far has been good. Though some might say I am an ‘outside’ contestant, I disagree. I was once an Umno Youth divisional head, I was once the Umno Youth national executive councillor. Any contestant who comes in late must work hard. But I feel...Insyallah (I can do it) because I have been thoroughly schooled politics-wise. I can offer experience. I have completed the full political cycle; not many politicians can parallel my situation.
I have a new motto for Umno Youth: ‘Youth as the voice of the people and towards building the perseverance of the Malays’.
Meaning that you want to bring Umno back to its old idealism?
We have to become the voice of the people, and not the government.
But the mechanism in Umno itself renders it impossible to speak freely, even Umno members itself cannot speak...
I am doing it.
Maybe one or two people...
I am talking and I will continue to do that. I believe that the voice of the youth is the voice of the rakyat.
But the culture in Umno itself? How do you cultivate courage in the party?
We must be brave to express the truth. We cannot be controlled. If we are controlled in an independent nation, it means that we are not free. Expressing ideas cannot be seen as a bad thing. As a supreme council member entrusted to be the voice of the people, I will continue to speak up. I might not be able to be direct in my expression. I am a local and as a local I am raised to be polite so I will say something like ‘exit plan’.
To some, ‘exit plan’ is a euphemism for calling for the Umno president to step down. Do you have any expectations when it comes to this ‘exit plan’?
I can’t say I have any expectations. The president has the right to construct his own exit plan and according to his own timeframe, but transition of power is compulsory. In any leadership there must be transition of power. Sooner or later it will have to happen. If it’s better to have it earlier, then do it. If you think it takes time, then you must explain the reasons.
But if Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an introduce measures to reform the system and his popularity increases as a result, would the exit plan still be necessary?
This is if we look at it from a long-term perspective. That is why, in my blog, I have stated that changing the president or the prime minister will not solve everything. The most important thing is reform of the system - reforming economic, education and inter-religion policies and reform the party.
What is most important is that these measures will make Umno a sanctuary that the rakyat can rely on. If this does not happen, people will leave Umno, members will jump off. Maybe not the leaders but the members will.
The government must introduce real reform and a timeframe for implementation. Each leader in Umno who contests for posts must have some sort of plan or idealism. The rakyat can choose which plan they feel will benefit them the most, but we are not seeing this right now.
If this is done, there will not be a crisis of confidence in relation to the government. If this is done, even the (BN) component parties will lean on Umno.
Hisham's non-apology apology
comment: Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh Apr 30, 08 11:27am
We've all said and done things that we wish we could take back. Hishammuddin Hussein surely must rue the day he first raised that keris at the Umno general assembly in 2005.
He probably had no idea that the image of him waving that keris with a look of fierce determination would forever haunt him.
A picture speaks a thousand words and this one was used to good effect by the opposition in the recent election. He was given the moniker 'Kerismuddin' by some and that issue was to dominate subsequent Umno general assemblies.
Once Hishammuddin had let the keris out of the bag, so to speak, there was no way of putting it back in. He simply could not fail to raise the keris at subsequent general assemblies because it would have been seen as a sign of weakness. He had gotten himself onto a one-way street with no U-turns.
While he himself did not pay a personal electoral cost for his actions some of the electoral fallout on the Barisan Nasional component parties could be attributed to the keris-waving incident.
And so we come to last week, when Hishammuddin apologised for his actions. Was it a non-apology apology? Some people think so, for good reasons.
Firstly, he said he was sorry 'if' he had offended the non-Malays. Is there any doubt that they were not just offended but outraged by it? Even party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah attributed the keris-waving as one of the reasons why non-Malays were willing to vote PAS over Umno.
Secondly, in the same breath, he also apologised to the Malays for failing to defend the use of the keris as a Malay symbol. How does he expect anyone to interpret his apology as sincere when he takes back with one hand what he extends with the other? While we understand that this was a political move to defend his position within Umno, it would only provide fodder to those (such as ourselves) who question the sincerity of such an 'apology'.
He’s a fake ultra
The sad thing about this incident is that we do not believe Hishammuddin to be a traditional Malay ultra. Like his deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin, he is what you'd call a fake ultra – someone who tries so hard to be an ultra for the sake of drumming up grassroots support.
His upbringing and demeanor certainly gives no indication of any deep ultra roots. His father, was third prime minister Hussein Onn, who probably had as many non-Malay friends as Malay ones. His grandfather, Onn Jaafar, famously tried (but failed) to open up Umno to non-Malays.
Furthermore, Hishammuddin's track record as the minister of education has not been a bad one, especially when it comes to giving financial assistance to Chinese and Tamil schools and making it easier for them to relocate. But with one movement of his arm, he undid much of the goodwill that would have come his way from the non-Malay community.
His apology has resulted in calls from within Umno for him to resign but for different reasons.
An Umno leader in Johor came out to say that the apology was not sufficient and that Hishammuddin should step down because his actions led to the historic electoral losses. This could have been a strategic ploy to weaken Hishammuddin and strengthen the hand of another Johor Umno leader who is poised to take on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the presidency of Umno.
Meanwhile, another Umno figure from Cheras has come out to call for Hishammuddin's resignation for giving into the demands of the non-Malays! This is probably more reflective of the general sentiment within Umno, especially in Umno Youth, but even if they feel this way, these days they would generally think twice before articulating it.
While Hishammuddin would like this matter to be put behind him, the whole issue of the keris (should it be raised again or not?) and the apology (was it insufficient or was it not even necessary?) will bound to emerge from time to time, and especially when the Umno general assembly draws near.
Hishammuddin has refused to say whether the keris will be raised again but we think that given the events of the past two months, it's highly unlikely that it will be raised - at least not in the same belligerent fashion as before. It might still make an appearance but in a non-threatening way.
Ol' Blue Eyes once sang: "Regrets, I've had a few, but then again too few to mention." Hishammuddin might not have too many regrets in his life but if he were to ever write an autobiography, the one regret that he would probably mention is his decision to raise the keris on that fateful day in 2005.
Let this be a lesson to others aspiring leaders within Umno.
We've all said and done things that we wish we could take back. Hishammuddin Hussein surely must rue the day he first raised that keris at the Umno general assembly in 2005.
He probably had no idea that the image of him waving that keris with a look of fierce determination would forever haunt him.
A picture speaks a thousand words and this one was used to good effect by the opposition in the recent election. He was given the moniker 'Kerismuddin' by some and that issue was to dominate subsequent Umno general assemblies.
Once Hishammuddin had let the keris out of the bag, so to speak, there was no way of putting it back in. He simply could not fail to raise the keris at subsequent general assemblies because it would have been seen as a sign of weakness. He had gotten himself onto a one-way street with no U-turns.
While he himself did not pay a personal electoral cost for his actions some of the electoral fallout on the Barisan Nasional component parties could be attributed to the keris-waving incident.
And so we come to last week, when Hishammuddin apologised for his actions. Was it a non-apology apology? Some people think so, for good reasons.
Firstly, he said he was sorry 'if' he had offended the non-Malays. Is there any doubt that they were not just offended but outraged by it? Even party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah attributed the keris-waving as one of the reasons why non-Malays were willing to vote PAS over Umno.
Secondly, in the same breath, he also apologised to the Malays for failing to defend the use of the keris as a Malay symbol. How does he expect anyone to interpret his apology as sincere when he takes back with one hand what he extends with the other? While we understand that this was a political move to defend his position within Umno, it would only provide fodder to those (such as ourselves) who question the sincerity of such an 'apology'.
He’s a fake ultra
The sad thing about this incident is that we do not believe Hishammuddin to be a traditional Malay ultra. Like his deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin, he is what you'd call a fake ultra – someone who tries so hard to be an ultra for the sake of drumming up grassroots support.
His upbringing and demeanor certainly gives no indication of any deep ultra roots. His father, was third prime minister Hussein Onn, who probably had as many non-Malay friends as Malay ones. His grandfather, Onn Jaafar, famously tried (but failed) to open up Umno to non-Malays.
Furthermore, Hishammuddin's track record as the minister of education has not been a bad one, especially when it comes to giving financial assistance to Chinese and Tamil schools and making it easier for them to relocate. But with one movement of his arm, he undid much of the goodwill that would have come his way from the non-Malay community.
His apology has resulted in calls from within Umno for him to resign but for different reasons.
An Umno leader in Johor came out to say that the apology was not sufficient and that Hishammuddin should step down because his actions led to the historic electoral losses. This could have been a strategic ploy to weaken Hishammuddin and strengthen the hand of another Johor Umno leader who is poised to take on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the presidency of Umno.
Meanwhile, another Umno figure from Cheras has come out to call for Hishammuddin's resignation for giving into the demands of the non-Malays! This is probably more reflective of the general sentiment within Umno, especially in Umno Youth, but even if they feel this way, these days they would generally think twice before articulating it.
While Hishammuddin would like this matter to be put behind him, the whole issue of the keris (should it be raised again or not?) and the apology (was it insufficient or was it not even necessary?) will bound to emerge from time to time, and especially when the Umno general assembly draws near.
Hishammuddin has refused to say whether the keris will be raised again but we think that given the events of the past two months, it's highly unlikely that it will be raised - at least not in the same belligerent fashion as before. It might still make an appearance but in a non-threatening way.
Ol' Blue Eyes once sang: "Regrets, I've had a few, but then again too few to mention." Hishammuddin might not have too many regrets in his life but if he were to ever write an autobiography, the one regret that he would probably mention is his decision to raise the keris on that fateful day in 2005.
Let this be a lesson to others aspiring leaders within Umno.
Anwar to sue Samy if there's no apology
Apr 30, 08 5:41pm
PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has demanded a public apology and RM100 million in damages from a senior politician for alleged libelous remarks made against him.
Anwar’s counsel Sankara Nair named S Samy Vellu as the defendant over the MIC leader’s remarks which appeared in a Malay daily newspaper two weeks ago.
According to Sankara, Berita Harian in an April 15 article headlined ‘Kenyataan Anwar Dibidas’ reported Samy Vellu’s response to Anwar’s criticism of Barisan Nasional.
He cited the following three paragraphs in the article which contained the alleged defamatory remarks against Anwar:
Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu membidas keceluparan Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang mengkritik parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) selepas menggalakkan penyokongnya menggunakan pelbagai taktik kotor pada pilihanraya umum lalu.
“Katanya, negara akan lebih aman dan makmur jika tiada kelibat manusia seperti Anwar yang menggunakan ugutan, tekanan, paksaan dan menakut-nakutkan pengundi bagi menjamin kemenangan calon pembangkang.
“Saya sudah lama kenal dia. Ini cara mereka meraih undi,” katanya di Kuala Lumpur semalam.
Sankara (left) said that Samy Vellu’s allegations were understood to mean that Anwar, among others, was promoting “unlawful elections practices” and that he has no regard for the process of free and fair elections.
He added that Samy Vellu was also trying to show that Anwar was acting in a “criminal manner” as well as behaving “immorally, fraudulently and irresponsibly”.
“Your (Samy Vellu’s) utterances in the impugned article as stated above of our client (Anwar) are and were grossly negligent, reckless, irresponsible, deliberate, malicious and aimed to lower our client’s esteem in the eye of the public and expose our client to public hatred, scorn, odium, contempt and ridicule.” said Sankara in the letter of demand to Samy Vellu.
‘Samy seeking cheap publicity’
Sankara also added that Samy’s remarks was done mainly to seek cheap publicity and sensationalism.
In the letter, Sankara said that Samy Vellu “have or caused to have republished the following libelous comments in the impugned article.”
He stressed that the comments against Anwar was extremely libelous and has brought Anwar considerable distress and embarrassment.
According to an e-mail to Malaysiakini, Sankara said the letter of demand has been served to the MIC headquarters this morning.
Anwar gave Samy Vellu 48 hours to apologise otherwise a RM100 million law suit would be initiated against the MIC chief.
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