Apa lagi alasan Pengerusi SPR selepas ini?

TMI   27/6/2013

Jawapan Shahidan Kassim di Parlimen mengenai dakwat kekal yang sebenarnya hanya menggunakan pewarna makanan benar-benar memeranjatkan semua pihak. Ia seperti pukulan maut untuk SPR. Setelah SPR bertegang urat mempertahankan isu dakwat kekal yang banyak dipertikaikan sebelum ini, tetapi dengan jawapan Shahidan ini, kita rakyat Malaysia seperti diperbodohkan mengenai dakwat kekal itu.

Malah ramai yang mengeluh, ini rupanya bentuk Malaysia tanahairku setelah 56 tahun merdeka.

Penggunaan dakwat kekal yang didapati tidak kekal dalam pilihanraya lalu menjadi isu besar kepada rakyat. Setelah rakyat yang mengundi mendapati ia tidak kekal sebagaimana yang digembar-gemburkan oleh SPR, ramai yang bising mengenainya. Ramai yang membuat laporan polis mengenainya demi untuk mempertahankan proses demokrasi, termasuk seorang anggota tentera yang kemudian dikenakan tindakan di peringkat jabatan atas perbuatan yang sebenarnya berniat murni itu.

SPR pula begitu pantas mempertahankan kekekalan dakwat itu setiap kali ia dibangkitkan. Kononnya ia sudah diuji dan ketidakkekalannya adalah kerana ia tidak digoncang sebelum diguna. Kononnya kalau digoncang betul-betul, ia akan tahan lama. Petugas yang mencalit dakwat diletakkan kesalahan kenapa dakwat itu mudah luntur.

Kemudian apabila ia terus dipertikaikan, SPR memberi jawapan lain pula. Kononnya bahan kimia yang digunakan iaitu nitrat perak dalam dakwat itu terpaksa dikurangkan atas nasihat Kementerian Kesihatan. Seorang timbalan menteri yang juga Ketua Penerangan UMNO, Ahmad Maslan, turut bercakap dengan hujah yang sama.

Namun kemudian SPR dimalukan pula apabila Menteri Kesihatan berkata pihaknya tidak pernah mengeluarkan laporan mengenai pengurangan nitrat perak dalam dakwat itu.

Apabila is terus dipertikaikan, SPR lalu menubuhkan sebuah jawatankuasa untuk menyiasat mengenai perkara itu untuk mengetahui apa sebenarnya yang berlaku. Agak menghairankan, mereka yang menyediakan dakwat kekal itu, mereka juga yang mengujinya, mereka juga yang mempertahankannya tetapi akhirnya kerana tekanan rakyat, menubuhkan jawatankuasa pula.

Namun untuk mengaku kesilapan, jauh sekali. Rakyat pula terus keliru.

Sementara rakyat di bawah terus bercakap mengenai dakwat kekal yang tidak kekal ini dan mempertikaikan kewibawaan SPR, isu ini sering saja tenggelam timbul. Tetapi rakyat hairan dengan jawapan dolak-dalik dan tidak konsisten SPR mengenai isu ini. SPR seolah-olah memberi jawapan ikut sedap mulut saja dan bukan berdasarkan fakta sebenar.

Dalam ertikata lain, jawapan SPR seperti hujah politik seorang Ketua UMNO Cawangan saja layaknya.

Dengan jawapan Shahidan di Parlimen bahawa tiada bahan kimia digunakan dalam dalwat kekal itu, sebaliknya hanya pewarna makanan saja, Pengerusi dan Timbalan Pengerusi SPR sepatutnya menghantukkan kepala masing-masing ke dinding jika mereka faham erti wibawa dan integeriti. Ini benar-benar memeranjatkan dan jelas bahawa pelbagai jawapan yang diberi selama ini bohong belaka. Ahmad Maslan pun turut menjadi pemimpin yang berbohong kepada rakyat.

Sudahlah hanya pewarna makanan yang digunakan, kos pembelian dakwat kekal yang menececah RM7.1 juta turut menjadi isu. Kalau hanya dakwat yang menggunakan pewarna makanan, bagaimana boleh harganya mencecah semahal itu?

SPR kini tidak boleh berdolak-dalik lagi. Jawapan Shahidan di Parlimen lebih dipercayai berbanding pelbagai hujah SPR di sidang media. Kewibawaan SPR sebagai pengendali pilihanraya yang bebas dan adil sudah berakhir. Rakyat berhak mempertikaikan pelbagai isu mengenai pengendalian pilihanraya oleh SPR memandangkan untuk menguruskan hal yang begitu mudah seperti dakwat kekal pun, mereka tidak mampu melakukannya dengan baik.

Rakyat juga hairan kenapa dakwat kekal di negara kita menjadi begitu kalut sedangkan penggunaannya di India dan Bangladesh tidak pernah timbul masalah dan sudah digunakan sejak puluhan tahun lamanya. Jika susah sangat, import saja dakwat yang sama yang digunakan di kedua-dua negara itu!

Dalam hal ini, memang tiada alasan lagi untuk Pengerusi dan Timbalan Pengerusi SPR mempertahankan diri mereka. Sudah sampai masanya mereka secara sukarela mengundurkan diri dan meletakkan jawatan. Tidak perlulah berdolak-dalik lagi mengatakan perlantikan mereka atas perkenan Yang Dipertuan Agong dan memaksa berundur kononnya mempertikaikan peranan dan perlantikan baginda itu.

Terus mempertahankan benang basah hanya mengeruhkan lagi keadaan. Letak jawatan dan biar orang lain yang lebih berwibawa memimpin SPR. Memandanfkan pilihanraya kecil Kual Besut akan diadakan tidak lama lagi, sebaiknya mereka mengundurkan diri sebelum pilihanraya itu berlangsung.

Ternampak sekarang, dengan pelbagai kemelut ini, merekalah yang sebenarnya sedang mencemar nama baik Yang Dipertuan Agong, sistem demokrasi dan Raja Berperlembagaan di negara ini dengan jawapan dan hujah yang entah apa-apa dan ikut sedap mulut saja mengenai dakwat kekal yang dipertaikaikan oleh seluruh rakyat Malaysia.

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/

Haze displays malaise

If the world needed further proof that Malaysia’s BN regime preys while the rakyat pays, it’s this latest outbreak of so-called haze.

Behind its smoke-screens and shadow-plays, this ‘crooked’ government, like its counterpart in Indonesia, couldn’t give a damn about the well-being of its citizens as long as its members and cronies are free to continue in their corrupt and otherwise criminal ways.

In fact these crooks are so contemptuous of the people that the Indonesian Environment Minister, Balthasar Kambuaya, had the gall to initially accuse Singaporeans of being “cry-babies” for complaining of the suffocating smoke.

But of course what Singaporeans, Malaysians and a great many Indonesians are actually choking on are the noxious clouds of corporate and official corruption.

The whole world knows, and has for years, that the haze is not just the product of ‘burning-off’ by a ragtag bunch of small farmers, but wholesale illegal clearance of what’s left of Sumatra’s peat forests by the managements of massive palm-oil plantations.

And that many of these environmental vandals are so-called government-linked corporations which the respective ruling regimes involved are coy about naming because they and their cronies are the principal beneficiaries.

Thus the newly and allegedly fraudulently ‘elected’ Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has responded to the haze by retreating into an apparent daze, leaving his so-called Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel, to try and quell the bad-publicity blaze – which Palanivel finally did after dithering for days, but only fanned the flames by doing it on Facebook instead of facing the people in person.

Cough-up names, gov’t told

With Najib himself later finally emerging from his strategic daze, or perhaps overseas holidays away from the haze, to emit one of his customary smoke-and-mirrors remarks to the effect that “all ministries and agencies involved in haze disaster management at the federal, state and district levels must plan and take the needed measures to ensure safety and public health is protected.”

And according to BN mouthpiece ‘news’ agency Bernama, he added that “the guidelines on the actions to take to manage a haze disaster were already in place and that all relevant agencies must discharge their duties accordingly.”

In other words, it was nothing but Najib’s customary discharge of gusts of hot air, as to “plan” and “take measures” to protect public health and safety would require the naming, shaming and prosecution the many corrupt BN-crony companies responsible for the people’s annual choke on their smoke.

Of course the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore all know very well who the culprits are, but are maintaining a breathless silence in order to protect the guilty deny their own complicity in this atrocity.

But the truth may soon emerge from the fog of obfuscation, as there are growing calls for the BN regime to cough-up the names of the companies causing the haze.

The most definite of these demands to date has come from Malaysian NGO Memacu Arus Perjuangan (MAP), whose deputy president Ally Harzan Hashim has given Environment Minister Palanivel a 48-hour ultimatum to name the Malaysian companies involved in the ongoing haze crisis, or else.

According to Malaysiakini, a lawyer for MAP, Ahmad Jufliz Faiza, has said that if the minister fails to reveal the name of the offending companies, the group intends to bring the government to court for failing in its duty of care to Malaysian citizens.

Another MAP lawyer, Patrick Dass, “questioned whether the government had vested interests in the companies involved, judging from its inaction although the haze has been a recurring problem for about 15 years.”

Ally Harzan was quoted as saying that the MAP has “several suspects,” and is working with Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and environmental NGOs in Singapore and Indonesia for confirmation on which companies are involved.

And Ahmad Jufliz added that “we know the names of the companies, but we have to confirm this. That is why we request the government through the minister to give us the names, while we are also liaising with other NGOs to get their names.”

BN regime ‘failed to deliver’

Meanwhile, Malaysian Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam has stated that Indonesia must act quickly against those responsible for the haze situation even if it involves Malaysian companies,” but added in typically hazy BN fashion that there is “no evidence” of the involvement of such Malaysian involvement.

And the ever-BN-friendly ‘news’ agency Bernama has reported that the Association of Plantation Investors of Malaysia in Indonesia (Apimi) has denied that any Malaysian-owned companies are involved in the haze situation.

Though there must be very few Malaysians remaining who are prepared to take any BN-connected spokesperson at his or her word, given that the regime has denied any involvement in literally countless scandals from all the massive financial and electoral frauds that have occurred under its watch to the hundreds of suspicious deaths suffered at the hands of its police and anti-corruption commission (MACC).

The regime has also conspicuously failed to deliver on a single, solitary one of Najib’s promises to “transform” Malaysia into the “world’s best democracy” with “zero tolerance of corruption” and fair and equitable treatment for all.

And despite Najib’s alleged eagerness to unite Malaysian society, much has been made lately both by him and other BN mouthpieces likeUtusan Malaysiaand former Court of Appeal Judge Mohd Noor Abdullah of the alleged “betrayal” of the Malays by Chinese Malaysians who voted for the opposition in the recent general election.

A claim that is an attempted diversion from the fact that it is BN itself that is the malaise that betrays Malaysians of all races and creeds, including and even especially Malays, as both evidenced and symbolised year after year after year by this accursed, killer haze.

http://anwaribrahimblog.com

IPCMC: Pinda dan Selaraskan Undang-Undang Jika Ada Pertindihan. Jangan MALAS!

Naib-presiden Umno dan menteri dalam negeri yang baru, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi hari ini berkata kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) menolak terus cadangan pembentukan Suruhanjaya Bebas Aduan dan Salahlaku Polis (IPCMC) oleh kerana wujudnya pertindihan dengan undang-undang yang sedia ada.

Katanya lagi, contoh beberapa pertindihan tersebut adalah seperti Akta Pencegahan Rasuah (Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia - SPRM), Akta Kanun Jenayah, Akta Kesalahan-kesalahan Di Luar Negeri dan sebagainya.

Untuk memastikan IPCMC tersebut tidak ditubuhkan oleh kerana tekanan pergerakan hak-hak sivil dan parti-parti pembangkang, kerajaan BN dan menteri dalam negeri tersebut menggunakan alasan yang sedemikian rupa bagi mematahkan terus tekanan tersebut. Alasan tersebut sememangnya tidak dapat diterima rakyat jelata.

Jika sekiranya terdapat sebarang pertindihan undang-undang yang sedia ada dengan cadangan pembentukan IPCMC, selaraskanlah undang-undang tersebut dengan lebih teratur agar kesemua bentuk pertindihan tersebut dapat diatasi bagi memberikan laluan kepada IPCMC untuk diwujudkan dengan segera.

Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) mempunyai ramai pakar di dalam bidang perundangan dan undang-undang. Masalah di sini adalah, kenapa menteri tersebut enggan menggunapakai tenaga pakar tersebut dengan sepenuhnya bagi menyelaraskan segala undang-undang yang bertindih di antara satu sama lain.

Jangan kata IPCMC, malah banyak lagi undang-undang yang sedia ada bertindih di antara satu sama lain dan kenapa pula undang-undang tersebut diwujudkan pada mulanya? Ini menunjukkan bahawa KDN telah gagal mengkaji dengan teliti sebelum sebarang undang-undang baru diwujudkan. Dan apabila terdapat pula tekanan daripada pihak umum agar IPCMC diwujudkan dengan segera bagi membendung penyalahgunaan kuasa di dalam pasukan polis, KDN pula mengkaji dengan begitu teliti sekali bagi memastikan IPCMC tidak diwujudkan dengan menggunakan alasan pertindihan semata-mata.

Sebenarnya, pertindihan di antara undang-undang tidak menjadi masalah langsung. Ianya boleh dipinda untuk diselaraskan jika sekiranya kerajaan benar-benar positif di dalam hal tersebut dengan mengambil inisiatif untuk memperbetulkan keadaan. Akan tetapi, di dalam isu pembentukan IPCMC ini, kerajaan mengamalkan sikap sambil lewa dengan memberikan alasan yang remeh kononnya pertindihan undang-undang tersebut tidak dapat diperbaiki.

Selain daripada itu, pertindihan undang-undang juga tidak menjadi sebarang masalah jika sekiranya ianya digunapakai, bergantung kepada pihak mana yang menguatkuasakannya ataupun menggunapakai mana undang-undang tersebut dengan terlebih dahulu, di manakah kejadian tersebut berlaku, pihak manakah yang menerima laporan tersebut terlebih dahulu dan siapakah yang memulakan siasatan tersebut terlebih dahulu. Ianya juga bergantung kepada kebijaksanaan para pengamal dan pakar undang-undang yang sedia ada di dalam menentukan ke manakah halatuju dan objektif kes-kes tersebut yang diketengahkan.

Majlis Peguam Malaysia (Bar Council) pada awalnya telahpun mengesahkan bahawa pembentukan IPCMC itu tidak akan menemukan sebarang masalah jika sekiranya kerajaan BN benar-benar ikhlas, komited dan serius di dalam perkara tersebut. Malah seorang hakim Mahkamah Tinggi pada hari ini turut menyokong agar IPCMC dibentuk dengan sekadar segera oleh kerana kes-kes salahlaku pihak polis kian bertambah.

Oleh yang demikian, pihak KDN, khususnya menteri dan para pegawai kanannya, adalah digesa agar tidak menjadi MALAS di dalam usaha untuk menyelaraskan segala undang-undang yang sedia ada bagi pembentukan IPCMC dapat dilaksanakan dengan seberapa segera yang boleh.

Adakah keMALASan ini suatu konsep "1Malaysia, Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan"?

http://viktorwong-socialaffairs.blogspot.com/

Can UMNO's "over dominance" be broken? Is the Pakatan up to the game?

Malaysia-Chronicle

Many governments in the world have established some sort of democracy and Malaysia has her own peculiar version which cannot be branded with any particular name.

It is not even a Malaysian version of democracy per se but purely and totally – it is UMNO’s own version of democracy. And sad to say, Prime Minister Najib Razak’s party knows little about the subject, hence the great controversies and boorish clownishness.

What UMNO has done to “democracy” is not to practice it but to institutionalize the facades of democracy, including regular multiparty elections to give the appearance of being a democratic country. These multiparty elections have never been free or fair, resulting in the formation of an authoritarian government.

Many people – within and outside Malaysia – may take these democratic facades for real. Many others, however, do not. More than anyone, the Opposition parties and candidates here who have suffered the worst consequences of the cheating know very well that the present government is only playing a game and not practicing legitimate democracy or democratic elections.

A new era of adversity where courage must be the first quality

It is time to call a spade a spade. It is time for those in the Opposition who say‘but what can we do’ to stand aside and make way for people with stronger gumption. For example, you may have been brave in the past and went to jail for so and so, but are you brave anymore – NOW? Or has your gut grown thick and fat like those in the UMNO-BN?

Such a question may seem rude, but it is a very legitimate one for Malaysian voters to ask. As we often slam the Umno-BN, perhaps it is now timely to cast the spotlight on the Pakatan and what does it have to offer Malaysians in the face of a rabid Umno-BN, even more arrogant and dangerous now that it has ‘won’ another 5 years in power.

Boils must be pricked and pus must be expelled otherwise gains made in the past few years will be lost and we become like the past generations – silent because we were afraid when we came face to face with ‘danger’!

Old dogs and new tricks

Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and Hadi Awang are towering figures in the Opposition and have been so for decades. With all due respect, when it comes to broken electoral promises, surely these three would have to account for the most number since they have never been able to wrest the federal government and thereby implement their dreams and visions for the people. Looking at the situation objectively, theirs is actually a pretty horrendous track record. 30, 40 or perhaps even 50 years of not being able to realize their goal. Why should Malaysians, if they seriously want change, continue to choose these leaders then? These guys could not do it after so many decades, and the chances are, unless they revamp their mindset, Malaysia will continue to be governed by the Umno-BN.

Do Malaysians really want ‘Ubah’? If so, they had better stop wearing rose-tinted glasses and confront the fact that some of their revered leaders have in actual fact never managed to perform at all. The question begs – did Umno-BN rule Malaysia since 1957 because they were strong or because the Opposition until 2008 was weak? Malaysians must pick winners, if change is truly what they want. Of course, this is not easy and we could jump from the frying pan into the fire. But we still move – whether forward or backward, there is still motion. Life and strength still flow in our veins and limbs, and with a bit more courage, we can get to our goal. The worse option is to stay comatose, trapped in loss, stuck in defeat.

Pakatan has to continue playing the game but they have to change their game plan. Otherwise, it is tantamount to allowing themselves to be cheated over and over again. And that is a mark of insanity.

It is also a mark of cowardice and bad faith with voters who supported Pakatan because they wanted a change in government. What would help and are really needed most are fresh ideas to be get the county moving forward and not round and round in circles.

The drastic responses from Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat in the immediate aftermath of the recently-concluded 13th general election marks the start of an era to break the impasse and shatter once and for all Umno’s dominance. This is a tack that Pakatan leaders must hammer through and ferociously!

Right direction but not yet there

For the first time in Malaysia’s history, the Opposition had dared to say no. Anwar and Pakatan voiced their rejection of the election results. They mobilized their followers to protest the fraudulent electoral process and its outcomes via the Black 505 rallies. But have Anwar and Pakatan succeeded?

So far, the desired outcome of their actions has not materialized but they must not give up. Umno-BN has still formed the government. On the first day of new Parliament session, Umno-BN continued to cheat with the election of the Speaker. Prime Minister Najib Razak made a laughing stock of himself by forcing his own reps to sign a so-called secret ballot so that all would toe the line and vote a controversial toady back into office.

It was also ironic that as the re-elected Speaker was pompously calling for ‘change’ in his acceptance speech, 32 youth activists were roughed up and arrested by the police just outside Parliament. In other words, nothing has changed. Democracy has not deepened or widened. It may have shrunk even further following GE13.

Meanwhile, the Black 505 rallies seem to have lost steam despite clear evidence of public support. No doubt, the crowds are no longer so large but obviously, if you have attended one or two such ‘ceramahs’, you won’t want to go again unless there are new issues or speeches to hear. So the right medicine is not to dump the rallies but to ask, what new strategies can we apply to keep the public interest intact? Actually, if the crowd size tapers down to sustainable levels, that’s fine because there may be another 5 years to go before the next general election, so don’t throw away this powerful and precious early momentum.

Also, has there been enough ‘outreach’ to all the towns in the country yet? Who is really losing interest here – the Pakatan leaders or the people? Who is feeling the fatigue? Why are there no efforts to galvanize public interest with new issues? Why zero search for new tacks to keep the flame burning? Also, why are only PKR and PAS involved and not DAP?

Does ‘Ubah’ stop with GE13 campaigning? What happens at GE14?

In the May 5 general election, DAP won the most seats with 38 versus PKR’s 30 and PAS’ 21. Most of their wins also came with thumping majorities. But is DAP really so strong? They should not forget that most of their wins came from Chinese-dominated seats which they insisted on and exerted enormous pressure on PKR and PAS to yield to their candidates. The fact is the Chinese are already pro-Opposition and there is no need to ‘convert’ their thinking. Maybe this is also why DAP leaders are reluctant to take risks and get nabbed for attending the Black 505 rallies. Instead some have even behaved like their Umno counterparts and actively contributed to the scaremongering over the event.

Let’s not forget that it is what the voters want that counts, not the DAP, PAS or PKR leadership. The Chinese ardently want change and if they don’t get this from DAP and Pakatan, they will look else where. So scrap the hype and thanksgiving rhetoric. The core electoral promise has already been broken. And to make it worse, it looks like the DAP leaders have no intention to stick their necks out to stop a repeat electoral robbery. It seems they just want to have their 5 years of being a Member of Parliament or state assembly-person. They want to stick to the safe and narrow path, immerse themselves in rhetoric but without carrying the burden of output. If this is so, at GE14, why should Malaysian Chinese vote for them again? They might as well stick with the mousy, greedy and selfish MCA. As for the Malays, it is odd but DAP is to most of them what Umno is to the non-Malays – something that the Pakatan leaders should take note of.

Pulling wool over the people’s eyes: Fighters needed in the Opposition ring

It also seems like Pakatan may be experiencing a dose of ‘over success’ among its ranks. It is obvious that the pretty boy and girls of the Opposition, and a good example of these are in the DAP, seem to care more about the frills and fuss of being in Parliament, no? They certainly seem to hanker  for the high government posts, the power-dressing that befits their double-barelled qualifications, the chauffeur-driven cars and plush-carpeted corridors of power.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. Just don’t do it in the political space – especially that which belongs to the Opposition. In the Opposition ring – particularly in a semi-dictatorship like Malaysia -fighters are needed. Really tough ones. So like their counterparts in the MCA, DAP boys and girls should move on to the corporate scene where they can make more money although they won’t enjoy so much fame. But stop wasting the precious 5-year mandates of the people. Do not repeat the non-achievement of the elder leaders and keep Malaysia forever floundering in Umno’s ever-increasingly vicious cycle.

The acid test is simple. There is nothing hazy about this. For example, what is the point of raising motion after motion on the haze? What real or concrete result can Teo Nie Chieng or her rival Wee Ka Siong from MCA achieve here other than a fleeting puff for themselves? Face it, even Singapore strongman Lee Hsien Loong and his dad Lee Kuan Yew are powerless to reduce the haze in their precious republic.

Malaysian Opposition leaders should be honest and ask themselves – do the people want them to keep pointing out corruption case after corruption case, one cheating scam after another, haze year in and year out but at the end of the day be the same powerless people unable to make a real or concrete difference? We see Pakatan leaders at risk of failing in their primary duty, we believe they may lose sight of the main goal because of their desire for the fluff, and a good example is Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa who was apparently so terrified of being left out from Parliament that he broke party line to attend a briefing that was boycotted by the rest of the Opposition.

Really, what is the point of being in the fight if the Opposition is only making the motions of trying to win the federal government. Just yesterday Pakatan could not even stop Najib from cheating again in the secret ballot for the Speaker. And yet some of the Pakatan MPs have brazenly and a tad arrogantly declared their ‘priority’ to ‘solve’ the issue of the haze and to ‘combat’ the even more complex matter of corruption!

Seems to us that all the Umno-BN needs to do is to just threaten arrests, label an issue or event illegal and that’s the last you see of some of these so-called “brave but at the same time kiasu” leaders from the Opposition! We say why should Malaysians vote for ‘kiasu’ leaders at all – be they from the Pakatan or the BN?

Round and round in circles

It takes a lot to be called a hero but what Malaysians need and deserve are heroes in their Opposition. This is the sad fact of politics. So do wake up, Pakatan. Also, wake up Malaysian voters. There is no doubt the so-called drastic responses that Anwar had tried to initiate are vital.

To stay relevant, some in the Pakatan – and they know who they are – must look at new strategies and stop the hot gas and rhetoric to mask their sheer political cowardice – no one is fooled! Look in the mirror and stop tricking themselves and the people. All Tony Puas in this world could never stop the corruption in KLIA2 or in the ministry of defense if they continue to keep their heads buried in the sand!

Instead, the cheating and corruption only increases because as Tony and his Pakatan colleagues including Rafizi Ramli holler out the Umno-BN’s worst secrets, it is not in the least bit scared! Umno-BN leaders don’t care at all because they know – as proven in the past 5 years – that Pakatan can blow the whistle as much as they like but they can’t do anything more than that. So who wins then, and who loses? The answer is pretty obvious – Umno-BN gets the illicit cash, Pakatan gets the publicity, the people lose.

Really, the time has come to stop being ‘clever children’. Political prodigies are a waste of time. Malaysia is near bankruptcy and no one has time for ‘smart-alec’ stories that yield no concrete results in the end.

So what can Pakatan do?

Pakatan will have to go back to basics and try to learn from the examples of other countries that managed to shake off the shackles of political dictatorships.

Let’s have a quick look at just one. Let’s go to South America and take a look at Brazil where the citizens have marched on the streets, blocked roads and halted traffic in more than a half-dozen cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia, as well as swarming past the Congress and Presidential Palace  because of a hike in transport fares from 3.00 to 3.20.

We highlight this example because like in Malaysia, the ruling politicians in Brazil only defend their own interests, wasting public funds and unlawfully enriching themselves while the various law enforcement officials are known to be equally as corrupt. However, the economy is active. Money is easy to earn and the ordinary people there can still manage to get a small slice of the economic pie. Hence, it is easy to close an eye on the new government which had inherited the sound economy from ex-President Lula. But the new government, like Najib’s, has failed to sustain real or developmental growth and has to keep on spending without having priorities in order to hide the truth from the people.

If the Brazil protests were just about transport fares, few would be taking notice. But the fare increase was merely the last straw –there were so many issues  that had outraged the Brazilians. Ultimately, it all boils down to “their dissatisfaction and total disbelief in politicians.” This was why the protest became so massive – enough to pressure a real solution, if not a complete change in government.

Sense of urgency vital

Street protests are not the only way. Sometimes, street demos are counter-productive because they make the ruling regime more authoritarian, resolute, vigilant and inventive in maintaining the status quo. Unless massive enough, street demonstrations are seldom enough to constitute a serious threat to the regime’s survival.

At the moment, the Black 505 peaceful gatherings are not a threat and cannot spark any immediate governmental changes. But they sure make a helluva  statement. And with the right approach and development, Black 505 can be used to harness enormous public support plus an all-important sense of urgency that is still sorely lacking despite Malaysia being in a really precarious position – socially, democratically and economically.

The lesson to take home from the Brazilian example is that the focus of their protests was on “collective grievances”, not just about transport fares. For the Black 505 gatherings here, the focus was on the “common grievances” suffered by voters due to the lack electoral reforms and the frauds perpetrated during the election. The scope of Black 505 can easily be expanded because the chest of wrongdoings of the UMNO-BN is too deep and way too wide.

And another key point is that the Black 505 must retain its core feature of being a peaceful gathering. Given the amiable nature of the Malaysian people plus the good track of the rallies held so far, this should not be beyond the organizers.

Mass civil pressure exerted peacefully, with dignity and regularly can achieve dramatic results. There is no need for the violence of the Arab uprisings to bring about change here. All it takes is for Malaysians to keep repeating their demands to the government in a very VISIBLE way – stop the nonsense. Enough is enough!

How to fight a ‘law unto itself’

In Malaysia, where Umno is dominant, it is almost impossible to change the government through the ballot box because of the past gerrymandering by unscrupulous people including Mahathir Mohamad and even Abdullah Badawi.

However, the Umno legacy of “collective grievances” inflicted onto the rest of the country may in the end be its own undoing. This is the crucial common denominator that unites 51% of Malaysians against them.

The second tie is the social media network that helped to communicate down the line the latest developments and happenings in the Opposition, uniting it with the people of the county and the rest of the world.

Without freedom of speech and a free press, the Umno-BN government could take any action or make any laws it wants unobserved by its own people and the outside world.

It is ironic that in GE13, Pakatan has won 7 more seats and taken 51% of the popular vote while Umno-BN has slid further. Yet over the next 5 years, the going will be tougher for Pakatan than for Umno-BN.

The call is very clear for greater courage from the Pakatan. It not yet time for it to rest on its laurels and to ‘enjoy’ the fruits of its hard work yet. Otherwise, Malaysians voters will dump Pakatan in GE14 for not doing enough to fulfill their primary request – which is to take over the federal government and make real, broad-based, structural reforms to save this country.

The test before the Pakatan MPs as they doll themselves up to take their oaths at Parliament is far greater than for Umno-BN, which by now is practically a law unto itself and therefore lawless. Umno leaders have managed to get away scot-free despite all the outrageous tricks and stunts they pulled the past 5 years.

So Pakatan MPs, especially the ‘boys and girls’, please get savvy and learn ‘guerrilla warfare’ real fast because you will now be fighting a completely lawless and amoral entity.

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/

The EC is playing God

We have heard the same trite comments before: “We’re clean. We’re not guilty. It wasn’t us.”

Umno Baru’s most sanctimonious hypocrite, Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, has denied claims of cheating.

Abdul Aziz expressed sadness that the indelible ink used in GE13 could easily be washed off and in an interview with the Malay daily Sinar Harian said, “If people ask me now, what is the saddest thing in my life, I would answer: ‘Indelible ink’.”

The indelible ink had been tested before use and he said, “On the much-awaited day, the power of Allah is greater when the ink could disappear after being washed several times. Where is the mistake?”

He ignored allegations of gerrymandering, the use of money and citizenship as inducements given to illegal immigrants to vote for BN, the violent attacks on Pakatan workers, the extra ballot boxes, the spoilt votes, the blackouts, as well as the plane and busloads of foreigners transported to the peninsula to vote for BN. In other words, the EC conspired with BN to cheat in GE13.

Abdul Aziz said that the ink had been tested, but then blamed the failure of the ink on “the power of Allah”.

He had sanctioned the use of doctored ink, and by saying Allah was responsible – when it was him who authorised its use – it means that he is playing God. By Abdul Aziz’s will, there was massive cheating in the election process, which allowed Umno Baru to “win the election”. By claiming that it was “the power of Allah” that allowed Umno Baru to win the election, Abdul Aziz is effectively saying that he is Allah.

This blasphemy will not endear him to the rural Malays and may mean that he will have to be sacrificed, to save the party.

Indelible ink and the EC are not compatible. Three general elections ago, in 2004, the National Fatwa Council decided that the ink would prevent Muslims from performing their prayers. In GE12 (2008), the EC said that there were national security issues and claims of sabotage. In 2013, the lies ranged from EC workers feebly shaking the bottles to a full-blown health scare.

Familiar Umno Baru excuses

These excuses are a familiar Umno Baru dodge. Recently, the organisers of the ‘Black 505’ rally were given the runaround, when trying to find a suitable venue for their rally. The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the police could not even coordinate their lies. One said there was a wedding, whilst the other claimed there was a charity run. The police also made the outrageous claim that they would be provoked.

If you must lie, do so convincingly and with a concerted effort.

If Abdul Aziz said the ink was tested prior to its use, which laboratory tested it? Was there an independent laboratory analysis? Did their results match? What was the test used?

Goldenchurn butter and Tabasco sauce went through a similar drama when their products were said to contain pork DNA by the Malaysian Islamic authorities. Butter is made from cow’s milk. Tabasco contains only vinegar and chillies. In which part of the manufacturing process would porcine DNA be introduced?

The Chemistry Department refused to share their test results with the manufacturers, did not want to reveal their methods and did not wish the butter to be sent for independent chemical analyses.

The fiasco with the indelible ink in GE13, has similar echoes of subterfuge and chicanery.

Who is the manufacturer of this ink? Have they sold us defective ink? Should we demand a refund? Why is the manufacturer not defending his product? Does he not want a repeat sale? Hasn’t his reputation been irreparably tarnished? To what standard was this ink tested?

Abdul Aziz said that a task force would investigate the ink’s recipe, the way it was used, its transportation and whether the hot air in the lock-up where the ink was stored, had caused a degradation of the ink.

The only ‘hot air’ comes from the EC chairperson, who should not waste any more of the taxpayers’ money. The only thing left is for the senior management of the EC to resign en-masse, to restore the credibility of the EC before GE14. They have severely dented the confidence of the rakyat in Malaysian democracy. If they will not go willingly, they must be sacked.

Obviously, there are three types of Umno Baru politicians and supporters – the ones who keep an undignified silence about important issues, the false prophets and those who play God.

Recently, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan wrote in Utusan Malaysia’s weekend newspaper that BN was ‘fated’ to win GE13, because God had willed it. He said, “In short, fate and God’s will determines everything.”

Who gave this false prophet, Abdul Rahman, the divine right to make prophecies? True prophets serve God and their flock, but Umno Baru politicians are self-serving men (and women) who are full of exaggerated self-importance. Is Abdul Rahman aware that Muhammad was the last prophet? Despite his blasphemous remarks, Abdul Rahman is not being investigated for sedition.

‘Cowards as leaders’    

Leaders who refuse to comment on important issues when the news break, but wade-in days or weeks later, are simply playing safe. These cowards do not want to be proven wrong, or to be seen to be wrong. They need to protect their own positions. It is not just the Pakatan coalition or the rakyat whom they fear, others within their party are looking for reasons to topple them as well.

Thus, so-called leaders like BN chief Najib Abdul Razak will keep quiet about ‘mat rempit’ mobs attacking ceramah, the brutal deaths in police custody, corruption and child conversion.

The rakyat is at the mercy of Umno Baru, but it is also at the mercy of the environment. Reports from Jakarta allege that the companies which contribute to the haze affecting parts of South-East Asia, are linked to the illegitimate BN government. Najib has good reason to keep quiet.

Perhaps, the men who keep silent on important issues live in the feverish hope that these problems will fade away.

Before I graduated in Environmental Pollution Control, I applied to the Department of Environment (DOE). The DOE replied that Malaysia does not suffer from pollution. I subsequently worked for an American company and never looked back.

In Perak, the oil-palm industry – which is responsible for the haze originating from Sumatra – has production facilities and processes which are polluting the waterways of Perak. The livelihood of the villagers is affected. Fish and crustacea like udang galah die. The income from tourism is at risk. The Perak government closes one eye and panders to the industry, as rural voters are only useful to BN in the weeks before an election.

What goes around comes around. Umno Baru likes to invoke God. So, is the current pollution crisis a divine intervention? Or is it caused by Umno Baru’s policies and failure to enforce strict environmental pollution controls?

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2013/06/25/the-ec-is-playing-god/

Black505 June 22, 2013 - Our Date with Destiny

Bad faith is not a good start to the exercise of executive power. What more from those who have no legitimacy. Federal Territory Minister Tengku Adnan Yaakob has been busy barking out orders as to when and where the people may gather for our fateful rally. Collectively, they are making it extremely difficult to hold tomorrow’s rally at Padang Merbok even though we have bent backwards to accommodate them. That is bad faith writ large.

We know that this arrogance of power is the result of power being usurped. They have come to power not by popular vote but by a combined process of decades of gerrymandering and outright systematic fraud.
Yes, indeed we have been mild and we have been patient. The people have exercised extreme self-restraint so far. Instead of taking to the street, the people have only held rallies and peaceful assemblies to show their anger, protest and disappointment. They want justice of course starting with the chair and deputy chair of the Elections Commission stepping down and an overhaul of the electoral system. Is that too much to ask? As T.S. Eliot would say in situations like these: RESIGN, RESIGN, RESIGN.

Having robbed us of our electoral victory, the UMNO-BN government has also committed a long list of wrongdoings – arresting innocent protesters, prosecuting activists and opposition leaders under the Peaceful Assembly Act, threatening to revoke passports, etc. The list is just too long to enumerate. At the same time, incitement to racial hatred and fear mongering is given free reign. The culprits among whom are a former Prime Minister and an ex-senior judge are going about it with impunity aided by UMNO’s main media organ.

We won the elections but UMNO has used the Elections Commission to steal our victory. They have cheated the people. They have violated their rights. And now the police are being instructed to issue unwarranted threats of prosecution if we proceed with this rally.

To the people, let me say this:

Ignore these threats. It is your constitutional right to assemble peacefully. Your lives cannot be dictated by the police, or UMNO or the Prime Minister.

Tomorrow marks our 15th Black 505 rally. It is your right to demand that the Election Commission heads step down for the widespread fraud. The ink was not indelible and that itself is a crime but tomorrow’s rally will leave an indelible imprint in our history. Your children and my children and the future generations to come will remember it.
They will remember that in spite of the odds, the obstacles and the pitfalls along the way, we soldiered on. They will remember that hand in hand we walked through the storm – peace loving Malaysians from all races and backgrounds young and old united in seeking and demanding fairness, justice, and what is rightly due to us.

History has shown that leaders who hold on power through illegitimate means will sooner or later be brought to justice by the power of the people. This is a power drawn from the inalienable rights conferred by the Constitution. They cannot take these rights away from you because they are fundamental to a nation governed by the rule of law. The UMNO-BN government is not your master and cannot determine your future.
By the will of God, the future of this nation lies in your hands. So, when tomorrow comes, let us all be there to make our date with destiny.

Anwar Ibrahim
21st June 2013

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/

JUNE 22 BLACK505 : One moment in time for M'sians - last chance to stand up for themselves?

Malaysia-Chronicle

Whitney Houston’s song “One Moment in Time” perhaps best sums up the gargantuan momentum that is being showcased in the Blackout 505 rallies – with tiny Perlis being its latest ‘wow’ phenomena.

Up to this day, since the close of GE-13, we are witnessing the undeniable swelling crowds of tens of thousands at these rallies all throughout the country. Certainly there is a BIG picture taking root. And this, no force can rule out, suppress or even attempt to annihilate. And if they do, it will be at their own loss.

The spirit of the masses can best be alluded to in Whitney’s song:

Each day I live

I want to be

A day to give

The best of me

I’m only one

But not alone

My finest day

Is yet unknown

The citizens are emerging and converging all across the country – come pelting rain, or roaring thunderstorm, to express their hope for this nation. To miss out this BIG picture ‘meaning’ behind the gatherings is to deny citizens their rightful role in patriotism for King and nation.

I broke my heart

Fought every gain

To taste the sweet

I face the pain

I rise and fall

Yet through it all

This much remains

As they make the time to be out in droves when they could be huddled in the comforts of their homes, couched before the idiot box, it means sacrifice for the good of all citizens, king and nation. It means the kind of hope that Whitney tried to capture in the lyrics of her song:

I want one moment in time

When I’m more than I thought I could be

When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away

And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time

When I’m racing with destiny

Then in that one moment of time

I will feel

I will feel eternity

Yes, the Blackout 505 will have to be (not by maneuvered force but by volition) a full blown experience that must at some point culminate in crowning glory. In all likelihood, the mega-Blackout 505 planned for 22 June might just be the one significant moment – that “One Moment in Time”.

In fact the entire nation is already abuzz pregnant with hopeful talk from warongs to corporate corridors similar to the sentiments as captured in the song, i.e. When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away.

I’ve lived to be

The very best

I want it all

No time for less

I’ve laid the plans

Now lay the chance

Here in my hands

When you chat up with the people gathering at these rallies, you cannot miss that common thread of thinking and feeling that seems to draw each and every one of them out into the open – wearing some black on them, and standing up attention to sing the national anthem with such passion and magnetic connectivity. It appears to be a commitment to be a part of a future that they can all be proud of for generations to come – just like our forefathers who earned Merdeka for us.

But unfortunately there are still forces-that-be that cannot recognize that the people all across the country, cutting across race, religion and socio-economic class and age divides are converging with those sentiments as best expressed in Whitney’s lyrics:

Give me one moment in time

When I’m more than I thought I could be

When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away

And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time

When I’m racing with destiny

Then in that one moment of time

I will feel

I will feel eternity

However if the UMNO-BN party alliances want to be a part of that tidal wave and be also crowned as You’re a winner for a lifetime then they must race against time to seize that “One Moment in Time” if they too want to “Make it Shine”.

But let honesty prevail – can they be contrite enough to face up to it? However, it appears that the prince and politician, Tengku Razaleigh’s recent sojourn with the protesting BN MPs might just give UMNO lama that last saving grace.

Why?

Because as in that song One Moment in Time, the spirit of the people says it all very clearly:

Give me one moment in time

When I’m more than I thought I could be

When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away

And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time

When I’m racing with destiny

Then in that one moment of time

I will be

I will be

I will be free

I will be

I will be free

Yes, the BIG picture of the Blackout 505 rallies is all about being FREE – about freeing this nation from corrupt ways; about returning democracy in all its pristine glory untainted, beginning with clean and fair general elections; about returning to the Rulers their Constitutional glory and our loyalty uncompromised; about being a one nation for one people called Malaysians.

If the power brokers and their paid peddlers continue to see Blackout 505 as a threat and keep attempting to give it unwarranted labels like ‘security threat’, ‘opposition ploy’, ‘chaos’, ‘foreign agents’, ‘out to topple the government’ and the likes, then the Blackout 505 will only get tougher for the enemies of the citizens of this country.

A defining day

In a nutshell, Blackout 505 on 22 June 2013 is bound to be a defining phase for this nation. If we try to deny that reality, we are fools blinded by our own insecurities.

For certain, Malaysians are a peaceful lot, disciplined and able to bite the bullet when the situation demands. This has been proven time and time again throughout all the previous rallies involving tens of thousands of citizens congregating against all odds – be it imposed by man or nature.

It is no more a pre-election campaign fever. It is about honor, integrity and determination to make this nation a model for the region, an inspiration for the troubled world.

And so, Whitney Houston’s song One Moment in Time would serve most edifying for the doubters, skeptics, blinkered fools and of course for all those who are dead bent in continuing with the legacy of fast fading regimes around the world.

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/