April Fool's Day Extended Indefinitely...

People's Tribunal on GE13: "Every tenet of a free election was violated"

Thank you, Bersih 2.0.

IGP Khalid Abu Bakar must be charged with abuse of power & conspiring to cover up a most heinous murder

LANDMARK CASE: IGP found liable for covering up Kugan's "murder", abuse of power

The mother of Kugan Ananthan, a 22-year-old car theft suspect who was brutally beaten to death by his police interrogators, has won a landmark case against the government, the Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar and two others.

In delivering his judgement, High Court judge VT Singham minced no words, lambasting the IGP and the government for failing to ensure Kugan's safety.

The judge also found Khalid and the late Subang Jaya police chief Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar guilty of trying to cover up the cause of Kugan's death while lauding N Surendran, a human rights lawyer who had fought for a second post-mortem to be carried out.

"The court has found all defendants liable as per our claim. The court found that Kugan died as a result of the assault and battery and detained inflicted while trying to extract a confession," Latheefa Koya, the lawyer for Kugan's family, told reporters outside the courtroom.

"It also found he was detained unlawfully. The first defendant and third defendant (Khalid and Zainal) are found liable for covering up the incident and also found liable for misfeasance in public office (abuse of power). As for the second defendant (V Navindran), the judge actually referred to all the police witnesses and he found them to be unreliable and their stories untenable and they could be liable."

[As to be expected under the BN rogue regime, Khalid Abu Bakar continues to abuse his power as IGP two years following this damning indictment and has, in fact, filed an appeal against the High Court's judgment.] 

Another Victim of PDRM's "Ku Klux Klan"?

KUGAN'S DEATH: What The Pathologist Discovered

43 Years of Racial Politics ~ The End of Mahathirism!

Umno is still trying to pin the blame for the bloody 13 May 1969 episode on the DAP (in other words, the Chinese). Notwithstanding widespread reports that machete-wielding, black-clad berserkers donning red headbands were brought in and out of Selangor in army and police field force lorries, there is no doubt that the authorities could have ended the violence within 48 hours - instead of allowing the carnage and tension to drag on for weeks - if they had had the political will to do so...

A few months ago a young friend shared with me his unease about the upcoming general election. "I have a gut feeling Pakatan Rakyat will win and Umno will stir up trouble," he said.

If he was hoping to get some reassurance from me that nothing so horrific could possibly happen, he would have been disappointed. My response was that the signs were clear - Umno knows it has reached the end of the line, but it refuses to get off the gravy train.

Fat man in a red suit not always Santa Claus!

Ever since Razak Hussein took over the reins from Tunku Abdul Rahman in the grim aftermath of May 13, Umno has been gorging itself off the fat of the land, riding on the NEP and an outrageous array of Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy) policies.

No need to go over soggy, rank-smelling ground. Umno's sins are legion, and an inordinate proportion were obviously perpetrated under Mahathir Mohamad's 22-year-tenure. Umno should have died and been buried in February 1988 - but Mahathir was way too ruthless and nipped in the bud an attempt by two former prime ministers to establish an "Umno Malaysia" without him.

It was all about the money then - and even more so now. When so much money is involved, the worst traits tend to emerge. Umno in general - and Najib Razak in particular - are in dire straits. They can see the bold graffiti on the wall: the younger, street-savvier generation of Malays are no longer inclined to be whipped into a mindless frenzy by issues of race, religion and royalty. They are far more interested in freedom and social justice.

Umno's support base has been reduced to just a small band of rowdies and bullies - many of them moonlighting as policemen and goons-for-hire. Even its rural voter base of FELDA settlers can no longer be taken for granted - their children are beginning to wake up to the fact that they have been systematically robbed by smooth-talking Umno warlords who claim to have the Malays' interests at heart.

Is the army behind Umno? It's safe to say that the top brass are behind Najib. As defence minister for two terms, Najib had ample opportunity to line the pockets of high-ranking officers and make sure their retirement benefits were well taken care of. However, if the army is called out in the event of a national emergency, the rank-and-file troops may be disinclined to open fire on multiracial crowds for fear of injuring their own friends and relatives.

Alice slays the Jabberwocky of race-based politics

The Bersih 2.0 Rally of 9 July 2011 for free and fair elections put to rest the specter of May 13. And to make doubly sure it was dead, Bersih 3.0 on 28 April 2012 attracted 5 times the numbers.

That was Bersih 2.0's greatest achievement. After that pivotal date, Malaysians are uniting against corruption, social injustice, and demanding their civil liberties. While Umno and its fascist offshoots Perkasa and Pekida remain mired in the ugly rhetoric of race, religion and royalty, everybody else has moved on.

So, even if Umno attempts to revive its May 13 scenario after it loses the next election, it can only send a few hundred rempit into the streets to create an atmosphere of tension. Nobody else will be provoked to join the fray. You can't start a full-scale "race riot" without participants. What can the rempit do except burn a few cars and overturn some trash cans?

Everyone who isn't still in a cultural trance or living beneath a coconut shell knows what sort of dirty tricks Umno is capable of and is unlikely to fall for any race-based sandiwara  it attempts to stage, post GE13. Even if Umno's armed thugs manage to inflict injury on a few hapless bystanders - the rest of the population will take cover and refrain from retaliating. How long can a bunch of mindless thugs roam the empty streets before they tire of their aimless rampage?

The SupremeTransformer, 1Nazjib

Sure, Najib can twist the Agong's arm and declare a national emergency... but such a desperate ploy can only backfire on his corrupt regime. No nation can maintain a state of emergency for more than a few weeks. And then what?

Without people going about their everyday business, everything grinds to a halt. This would be akin to a massive hartal  (general strike) which some of us have been trying to organize - only this time the hartal  would be thrust upon us by an evil and massively unpopular regime that has just lost an election. Well, if such a situation arises, it would only prove beyond any shadow of doubt that Umno/BN has lost its legitimacy - and even if it seizes this opportunity to arrest and imprison all Opposition leaders, activists and bloggers, it will only be signing its own death warrant.

So let's put it this way: should we continue voting Umno/BN just because we fear the dire consequences if we don't? Or should we pit our fearlessness against Umno/BN's fear? But what about the Election Commission? By now nobody doubts that the EC is prepared to go to any lengths to ensure a BN win. Should we bother voting on an uneven playing field? Or should we boycott all elections until Bersih 3.0's demands are met? Can we get 1,000,000 in the streets for Bersih 4.0? Will Hishammuddin send his brainless goons out to whack the voters yet again?

I'm willing to concede that we may have to embark on a national reconciliation exercise - the way it was done in South Africa during the tenure of F.W. de Klerk, when many police officers received formal pardons in exchange for their confessions and corrupt ministers were let off if they agreed to return a fair percentage of their ill-gotten gains to the national treasury.


[First published 25 December 2011]

A BRIEF MESSAGE FOR BERSIH 3.0 FROM AMBIGA

Thank you so much, dear Ambiga and every brave soul behind the Bersih Movement. Never before in the history of our nation have so many been touched and inspired by what a small handful of determined individuals can achieve when they join minds, hearts, bodies and souls together to demand the elections be fair and clean - and we now know beyond any doubt that Barisan Nasional has been rigging the polls for many, many years just to stay in power and continue robbing us of our past, present and future - and all our rights as free citizens, especially the right to peacefully assemble in public spaces and voice our grievances or jubilation.

It's utterly incomprehensible that anybody in their right mind can be against Bersih 3.0's simple demand that the top echelon of the Election Commission step down immediately in view of their abysmal failure to perform their duties honorably and honestly. But, in a rogue regime where the incorrigibly corrupt, deceitful and hypocritical are allowed to rise to the highest ranks of government - where even an individual under suspicion of cold-blooded murder can be muscled into the top job - it would be naive to believe that the incumbent party is in any manner capable of reforming itself, no matter how much it spends on useless and extravagant public relations exercises.

On 9 July 2011, the Specter of May 13 was slain by the collective will of at least 50,000 who defied the police lockdown of Kuala Lumpur and took to the streets. Never again will anyone fear the possibility of racial riots. If anyone stirs up the shit, it will be none other than the uniformed or plainclothes hooligan auxiliaries of Umno, MIC or MCA.

28 April 2012 is the final showdown between the disintegrating Barisan Najis and the People of Malaysia. Whether or not you are able to be physically present at any of the 72 rallies worldwide, please help by visualizing Malaysia as a free nation where social justice, truth, compassion and wisdom have triumphed over atavistic tribalism, ego insecurity, moral depravity and insufferable hypocrisy.

Two totally pertinent comments from 30 July 2008...

Anonymous said...

Chandra Muzaffar, rebel turned
rogue regime apologist

How naive can you be! Talk to Dr Chandra Muzaffar, Ezam and Nalla. Then you'll get a better understanding of what kind of person Anwar is. It is sad that most Malaysians are so easily deceived.
July 30, 2008 11:51:00 PM GMT+08:00

Antares said...
Nameless one, I measure a hero by his deeds and by his willingness to risk his neck for something he strongly believes in. Chandra Muzaffar qualified as a hero in the days when he got himself into trouble with USM and founded Aliran. Indeed, he was greatly admired and loved... until after his arrest and brief incarceration under Ops Lallang, when he suffered a subtle but insidious personality change.

I suspect Room 101 broke his fighting spirit and he went the way of Winston Smith in Orwell's 1984. Chandra was encouraged to establish his JUST Foundation and concentrate on global human rights issues. His criticisms of Mahathir became toned down and he reverted to being the brilliant academic he always had been. Well and good... but when Chandra allowed Umno to use his good name and intellectual credentials as a weapon against Anwar just before GE12, he fell from grace in my books.

Yes, I am unabashedly partisan in that I can never pretend to "objectivity." I trust my instincts and my nose... and Umno/BN stinks to high heaven! Anyone who values his soul integrity had better quit BN now before they go down with the Titanic. Even Dr M has quit Umno - but for all the wrong reasons.

As for Ezam and Nalla... they don't interest me one bit because they have no fresh political vision and are quite irrelevant to our nation's destiny. They did play their supporting roles ten years ago in 'Sodomee (Pt. One)' but, take away Anwar and these men are mere shadows.

Umno Senator Ezam Mohd Nor, political toxic waste

Most people I know who fear and hate Anwar are armchair pundits in denial of their own heroic potential. They pretend that working for reform within the system is the safest route... but the system is so toxic that once you're inside your psyche gets seriously contaminated, and then you begin to rationalize and spout platitudes about the wisdom of moderation and gradual, progressive reform.

That's zombie talk, brother, and I'm not going to waste time chatting with the walking dead. I'd rather be proven wrong about Anwar than tolerate Dr M's evil legacy an instant longer than it takes to flush away the shit. BN is running amok and it is armed with a dangerous weapon, a rogue police force.

For the sake of our children we have to grow instant balls and disable it permanently before our destiny as a free and happy nation is forever thwarted.
..................................................

Thought I'd repost these two comments from July 2008 as both remain completely pertinent after more than 3 years!

Anwar in an interview with the BBC's Robin Grant

The original post was titled ANWAR: A MAN OF EXTRAORDINARY DESTINY

Malaysia declared rogue nation, deleted from world map...

In Memoriam

MALAYSIA (1963-2011)

Scandalous images guaranteed to destroy the Opposition once and for all!

That's right, folks, those vile characters who lead Pakatan Rakyat have been caught picking their noses, farting in public, taking a crap, pissing their pants, and even wanking on Sundays and public holidays. Now that you have seen how scandalous Opposition leaders can be, you are left with no choice but to continue voting Barisan Najis forever, wakakakaka!

TISS OFF, "DATUK P"!

Violent death throes of a rotten regime...

I salute Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (president of Gerakan Mansuh ISA) for his courage, perseverance and impeccable integrity. Thank you, sir, for keeping your faith in the possibility of reform - and for continuing to demand justice on behalf of all those without a voice.

I salute each and every one of you who assembled on 1 August 2010 with candles in Petaling Jaya, Ipoh and Penang to remind the rest of us that all is hardly well in any country that clings ferociously to cruel, unjust laws to subjugate the spirit of freedom. Many of you were roughly mishandled by red-helmeted robots who serve the corrupt and criminal UMNO/BN agenda rather than democracy and the public good.

And then there were many others - in London and in Sydney - who gathered in support of the Abolish-ISA Movement in Malaysia.

Cruelty, tyranny and gross injustice - Dr Mahathir's evil legacy - will inevitably bring down Jibby the Hutt's rotten regime. Patience and fortitude, folks!

THE CANADIANS WEIGH IN FOR ANWAR

Speak out for Anwar Ibrahim's sake

Anwar Ibrahim with Paul Martin, circa 1995

Politically motivated charges impede his vision of a democratic Malaysia

Paul Martin

From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Published on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010 5:35PM

Anwar Ibrahim is a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia. After having differences of opinion with prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998, he was removed from office, charged with sodomy and corruption – charges condemned worldwide as an attempt to remove him from politics – and imprisoned for six years. After his release in 2004, he became the leader of a coalition of opposition parties that is successfully challenging the ruling coalition's power. Mr. Anwar has now been charged again with sodomy, a charge that has again been condemned worldwide.

I have known Mr. Anwar well since the period when we each served as finance ministers for our respective countries. He is deeply committed to democracy, justice and the rule of law. And I have watched with horror how he has been treated in Malaysia because of that commitment. His initial imprisonment was seen worldwide as politically motivated. Amnesty International regarded him as a prisoner of conscience, jailed for the non-violent expression of his political opinion. After his release in 2004, he redoubled his campaign, attracting thousands to his public rallies, with the result that the historic 2008 election returned an unprecedented number of opposition candidates to Parliament. He now poses a threat to the government in the next national elections, expected in 2013 – the real reason for the latest charge.

His trial, which began Feb. 2, is widely seen as not meeting international standards for a fair trial. The former Anwar political aide who is making the sodomy accusation was reportedly seen with leading ruling coalition figures prior to the filing of the charge; Mr. Anwar's lawyers have been denied access to vital prosecution documents; and the trial has been transferred to a higher court whose judges are seen as linked to the ruling coalition's main party. It is small wonder that Michael Danby, chair of Australia's parliamentary subcommittee on foreign affairs, has charged that Malaysia's legal system is being manipulated to drive Mr. Anwar out of politics. Mr. Danby has said that Asian democrats were “flabbergasted” by the charges and that “everyone in Malaysia, and everyone in the international legal community, knows that Anwar is innocent of these charges.”

The presence of so many foreign embassies attending Mr. Anwar's show trial is a clear expression of international concern. This is an issue on which the world must speak out.

If his country is to take its place among the progressive nations of the world, it is crucial that the politically motivated charge against Mr. Anwar be dropped and that he be free to pursue his vision of a democratic Malaysia, properly respectful of human rights and international law.

Paul Martin is former prime minister of Canada.

Canadian Parliament in Ottawa

To: Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Federal Government Administration Centre
Bangunan Perdana Putra
62502 Putrajaya
Malaysia

cc: His Excellency Selwyn Vijayarajan Das
High Commissioner for Malaysia
60 Boteler Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8Y7


Dear Prime Minister

We, the undersigned members of the Parliament of Canada, respectfully express our concern about the current trial of former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Anwar Ibrahim, now an opposition leader. We write in the knowledge of the longstanding friendly relationship between our two countries and trust that our petition will be accepted in that light.

We are concerned about the charges of sodomy against Dr Anwar, which appears to be a repetition of the sodomy conviction against him some 12 years ago. The conviction, which led to his six-year imprisonment as a prisoner of conscience, was seen worldwide at that time as politically motivated and, as such, caused serious damage to Malaysia's reputation. We are anxious that such damage not be repeated. Reports, however, strongly suggest that the current sodomy charges against Dr Anwar, lodged following his re-election to Parliament and major electoral gains by his party, are again a ploy to remove him from political life.

We therefore urge that all charges against Dr Anwar be dropped. Such a decision by your administration will, we believe, restore international respect for your premiership and for Malaysia's judicial system. We note that our Australian parliamentary colleagues have similarly expressed their concern and requested an end to this trial.

Again, we stress that our petition is submitted with respect and amity towards Malaysia.

Signed,

The following Canadian Members of Parliament of the Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party signed:

Gilles. Duceppe (Leader, Bloc Quebecois)
Franciine Lalonde (Bloc Quebecois Foreign Affairs spokesperson)
Louis Plamondon
Andre Bellavance
Johanne Deschamps
Mario Laframboise
Gerard Asselin
Paule Brunelle
Yvon Levesque
Meili Faille
Luc Malo
Christian Ouellet
Serge Cardin
Guy Andre
Diane Bourgeois
Pascal-Pierre Paille
Nicolas Dufour
Robert Vincent
Monique Guay
Carole Lavallee
Richard Nadeau
Marc Lemay
Yves Lessard
Claude Bachand
Roger Pomerleau
Raynald Blais
Claude Guimond
Eve-Mary Thai Thi Lac
Josee Beaudin
France Bonsant
Nicole Demers
Maria Mourani
Serge Menard
Luc Desnoyers
Jean Dorion
Jean-Yves Laforest
Carole Freeman
Robert Carrier
Bernard Bigras
Thierry St-Cyr
Christiane Gagnon
Claude DeBellefeuille
Michel Guimond
Pierre A. Paquette
Wayne Marston
Paul Dewar
Yvon Godin
Bill Siksay
Tony Martin
Chris Charlton
Claude Gravelle
Denise Savoie
Megan Leslie
Fin Donnelly
Don Davies
David Christopherson
Nathan Cullen
Irene Mathyssen
Dennis Bevington
Peter Stoffer
John Rafferty
Bruce Hyer
Malcolm Allen
Linda Duncan
Peter Julian
Alex Atamanenko
Jack Harris
Patrick Martin
Olivia Chow
Joseph Comartin
Libby Davies
Jean Crowder

ZAID'S THE MAN!

Zaid Ibrahim (courtesy of The Nut Graph)

On 18 March 2009 Zaid Ibrahim addressed the Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur. His clear-headed, no-punches-pulled speech greatly impressed me and deserves to be revisited - particularly now that Zaid is poised to become the new MP for Ulu Selangor...

"If truth be told, Najib can't be PM"
Zaid Ibrahim | March 18, 09 1:51pm

Full text of former law minister Zaid Ibrahim's hard-hitting speech at the Royal Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur on 18 March 2009.

This is the second time I have been invited to address a Rotary Club. Thank you for the honour. Given the times we live in, perhaps it might be appropriate for me to speak about the leadership transition that has been foisted upon us Malaysians.

I say ‘foisted’ because neither me nor anyone in this room had any role or say in the choice of the person who will lead Malaysia next. We were mere bystanders in a political chess game. And yet the transition is a subject of great consequence to the nation, one I would say is of great national interest.

Leadership is definitive; the individual who assumes the mantle of leadership of this nation, whomever that may be, is one who for better or worse will leave his mark on us. His will be the hand who guides us to greater success, or possibly gut-wrenching disaster.

Save for the dawn of Merdeka, never in the history of this country has the choice of prime minister been so crucial: Malaysia is in crisis. We are facing tremendous economic challenges with unavoidably harsh socio-political consequences. Our much undermined democracy is once again being assailed by those who would prefer a more autocratic form of governance.

Our public institutions are hollowed out caricatures, unable to distinguish vested party interests from national ones, unable to offer the man in the street refuge from the powerful and connected.

Our social fabric that took us from colony to an independent nation and on through the obstacles of nation building has reached a point where it sometimes feel like we are hanging on by a thread. This is the Malaysia we live in.

PM’s resignation ill-fated

This is the Malaysia which Abdullah Ahmad Badawi leaves behind. Our prime minister will resign later this month - an ill-fated decision. I say ill-fated not because he has been a great prime minister and we would lose irreplaceable leadership, that is regrettably not the case as all things said and done Abdullah could have done much more for Malaysia.

Rather, I say that his resignation is ill-fated because his departure will expose the country to forces which may take us down the road of perdition faster than ever. Much has been said of Pak Lah being a weak leader. However, what his critics have not adequately addressed are the consequences of replacing him as prime minister with the anticipated incoming president of Umno, Najib (Abdul) Razak.

It is an undeniable truth that the average Malaysian is anxious about the anticipated transition. Many would prefer it did not happen.

There are two reasons why this is so. The first has to do with the reasoning underlying Umno's demand for the transition itself. The second has to do with Najib personally.

We must recall that after the 2008 general election - a great success for the nation but a fiasco for Umno – one of the chief complaints by the powers-that-be within Umno was that Abdullah’s feeble leadership led to the concept of Ketuanan Melayu being challenged and ultimately undermined.

His critics also lashed out at him for the latitude given to civil society, a move which they believed weakened a key aspect of Umno's political leverage. It followed in Umno's mind that in order to regain lost ground, it was necessary to reassert its ideology with greater strength.

There was nostalgia for Mahathir's heavy-handed style of leadership and a return to the times when the party cowed many into subservience and submission. The conservatives in Umno yearned for a return to Mahathirism, hoping that it would become a cornerstone of the leadership transition plan. There has been much speculation and punditry on whether a return to the Mahathir era would be good for Malaysia.

Difference between then and now

Let me offer some of my own insight to this debate. The major difference between then and now is this: in most instances, Mahathir was harsh and dictatorial if he believed it was good for the country. But an authoritarian style of government under anyone else would be dictated by the need for self preservation and very little about the country’s interest.

The evidence is all around us. After March 8, (2008) when the prime minister ceased being the home minister, the threats of reprisal have escalated and a climate of fear re-cultivated. The detention of Raja Petra Kamarudin, Teresa Kok and Tan Hoong Cheng exemplify this turn for the worse, this appetite to use the sledgehammer.

The shameful power grab in Perak and wanton disregard for public opinion over how BN wrested control of the silver state make many people shudder at the prospect of a return to the dark days. If that was not depressing enough, we have had to bear witness to the police and the newly-minted Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) displaying their allegiance and support to the BN when all we needed and craved for were honest brokers.

It stands to reason that in the mind of the average Malaysian, having suffered a significant loss last March, Umno is on a rampage to regain what it lost by any method available and the man who is expected to lead it to victory is the man who succeeds Abdullah: Najib (Abdul) Razak.

A prime minister must have the confidence of the majority of the rakyat. In order for this to be the case, his integrity must be beyond question; not only must he be such a person character, he must be seen to be such a person. The office of prime minister is one of great trust, he who holds that office cradles the nation in his palms.

For this to be the case, there cannot be anything in the mind of the greater public that, correctly or otherwise, associates him with matters of criminality, wrongful action, improper conduct or abuses of power. In short, he must be beyond reproach in his dealings both official and private.

Without intending any accusation, it is regrettable that in the collective mind of the rakyat, Najib is not such a person. If a referendum were to be conducted on the subject or if the prime minister was to be elected directly by the rakyat, I do not think Najib would succeed. The reason for this is obvious: the rakyat has doubts, fuelled by the unanswered allegations against him and his unwillingness to confront these allegations.

It is not a mere trifle in the minds of the rakyat that despite a direct challenge from a member of parliament in the august House recently, the deputy prime minister remained silent, not even denying the implicit accusation made against him and demanding that it be repeated outside the chamber in the tried and tested method of refutation employed by parliamentarians throughout the world.

It has not assisted the cause of the incoming prime minister that the MP concerned was suspended for a year on a motion tabled by a fellow minister without the member having been afforded an opportunity to defend his position.

Evidence of SMS text-messages

Consider this. Commissions were paid to an agent for the procurement of submarines through the Defence Ministry, Najib (then) being the defence minister. It is unthinkable that he had no knowledge that the agent was his adviser and aide, Abdul Razak Baginda. The commission paid out was exceedingly large, in excess of RM500 million.

The defence minister was dutybound to direct enquiries to see if there had been any impropriety in the way the contracts were awarded when news of the commission surfaced; after all the price of the submarines would be considerably lower without the need for such commissions.

Taxpayers, you and I, have paid for those submarines at a price that in all probability factored in the commission. Taxpayers are yet to be told of an inquiry let alone the result of such an inquiry.

Consider the Altantuya Shaariibuu affair. A young woman was brutally murdered, her corpse destroyed by explosives.

These explosives are not the usual type of explosives, yet no inquiry was held to determine how they were available to these killers. Those accused of her murder are police officers serving in the Unit Tindakan Khas, a highly specialised unit who amongst other things serve as bodyguards to the prime minister and the deputy prime minister.

Amidst evidence that the accused were employed to protect the PM and the DPM, they were directed to (Abdul) Razak Baginda through the aide of the deputy prime minister. Amongst other things, we have heard of the senior investigating officer admitting that the deputy prime minister was an important witness and yet no statement was taken.

It is not unreasonable to think that this is irregular, more so when evidence of SMS text-messages from the deputy prime minister concerning material matters have surfaced. The text-messages cannot be ignored, proverbially swept under the carpet.

Even if they do not establish - or are not capable of establishing - any culpability on the part of Najib, these issues must be addressed.

The air must be cleared, it is thick with accusations and doubts which can only undermine the office of the prime minister if he were to assume it. The deputy prime minister's cause has not been aided by the fact that charges were preferred against (Abdul) Razak Baginda only after public outcry, the manner in which the prosecution was conducted and the decision of the High Court acquitting (Abdul) Razak Baginda not having been appealed.

Power grab an unmitigated disaster

The Perak affair was an unmitigated disaster for the nation. It is no secret that Najib led the charge there and is still overseeing matters.

In the minds of Malaysians, Perak is synonymous with the deputy prime minister. They now equate him with the high-handed tactics that were employed to seize power, tactics that included the disappearances of the three crucial assemblypersons and the blockading of the legislative assembly by the police.

In doing so, they equate the DPM with the hijacking of democracy, the only persons saying otherwise being those persons who have associations with Umno. In their minds, no responsible leader would allow for the undermining of the institutions of state and the constitution of this nation.

They ask, rightly so, whether this is the kind of leadership that Malaysians can expect from Najib when he becomes the prime minister.

With all of this, and more, how are we not to feel anxious? How are we to sleep peacefully at night? I know that I cannot. The situation is desperate and the air is pregnant with tension. We need the state of affairs to be resolved in a way that is in the best interests of the nation and the rakyat.

To an extent, this is a matter for the Barisan Nasional. I urge its members to put politics aside and think things through. We all want a better future, a safer and more prosperous life for our children, all of them, a Malaysia where our children can reach for the stars with the certainty that there is nothing to stop them from being the Malaysians they want to be.

Let the king be kingmaker

I do not believe that the Barisan Nasional will do what is necessary. Politics has a tendency of making those who embrace it cynical. The answer lies elsewhere, with His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In this case, His Majesty plays the role of ‘kingmaker.’ The discretion to appoint the prime minister who succeeds Abdullah lies with His Majesty. Though His Majesty is required under the constitution to appoint the person who commands the confidence of the majority of the members of parliament, it is a matter for His Majesty's judgment.

Never before has such a heavy burden been laid on His Majesty to make a brave and correct choice.

For King and country, I urge His Majesty to take into consideration the prerequisites to appointment and the concerns of the rakyat. There is no constitutional obligation on His Majesty to appoint the president of Umno as the prime minister. There are still well qualified members of parliament from Umno who can be appointed PM to bring us back from the brink.

Malaysia needs someone whom the rakyat can throw their weight behind without reservation. Someone they can trust and respect. Someone who has no scandal to distract him and thereby gain respect from the international community.

These are difficult times and be prepared for worst times to visit us. Malaysia needs a leader who will unite the country in the face of the adversity. Divided, we are weak. I am loath to say it, but for the reasons I have set out am compelled to say that Najib will most certainly divide us and in doing so, will nudge us closer to the edge.

Some of you may say that all efforts to promote the national interest are at this stage an exercise in futility. If truth be told, I am tempted to slip into cynical hopelessness too. I am fighting the temptation to give up for one simple reason: Malaysia and all that it represents. This is a blessed country, a country too valuable for us to turn our backs on.

TIME TO KICK SOME BN ASS!

Those of you who have been following this blog for a while will probably have observed that I haven't been addressing political issues - at least not in my characteristic swashbuckling style - since I returned from an unplanned pilgrimage to the Sungai Buloh hospital in early January.

This isn't because I fear for my personal safety at the hands of an enraged Rais Yatim (right) - the irascible Information, Communications and Culture with a reputation for threatening bloggers with "stern action" - (which makes him sound like a closet pederast, if you happen to be familiar with nautical terminology).

Nor is it because I have given up the battle against BN's 53-year misrule. On the contrary, I'm as determined as ever that before too long all decent folk will be celebrating the installation of a Pakatan Rakyat federal government; the abolition of archaic oppressive laws; an exhaustive reform of the deformed police force, judiciary and civil service; and the flowering of a more democratic, more open and far more just new era in the nation's evolution.

The real reason I've taken a break from writing acerbic commentaries on the political scene is that I was enjoying a period of expanded consciousness that afforded me an eagle's eyeview of events occurring on multiple levels on this planet - and beyond. In effect, my focus was on the macro rather than the micro - and, besides, there are already enough political commentaries appearing on a daily basis on various blogs and news portals.

Unlike Raja Petra Kamarudin (left) - arguably the best-informed, most audacious political analyst and catalyst Malaysia has ever produced - I have little or no access to juicy gossip from within the corridors of power. At this juncture I can only repeat what I've been saying for the past few years (in fact, my entire adult life): Banish Umno/BN from power... or migrate!

I'm too long in the teeth to start all over again in a different country. So I have no option but to dig my heels in and contribute what I can towards the political sea and sky change that's long overdue.

I keep bumping into friends with rightwing views who stubbornly cling to the spurious notion that it's safer to support the devil you know - rather than risk an unknown quantity like Pakatan Rakyat taking over the reins of power. Such unimaginative perceptions are so tedious and tiresome to my ears I can hardly be bothered to argue with them.


However, all those who endorse the status quo are invariably from the comfortable upper middle class who made their pile during the Mahathir era. They were very much part of the rapid material growth Mahathir envisaged as crucial to his ambition to be leader of a "developed" nation and founder of a powerful political dynasty. For this segment of society, authoritarian and repressive governments are acceptable simply because they can maintain, by force if necessary, a degree of political stability. They know that obnoxious laws like the ISA and the Police Act against "illegal assembly" do not apply to them - only to rabble-rousing idealists and the long-suffering underclass.

Well, I am neither a rabble-rousing idealist nor a member of the oppressed underclass - but I cannot lend my support to authoritarianism of any stripe, especially when it's heavily laced with the grossly insensitive patriarchal bias that invariably accompanies a rapacious ecocidal agenda.

Najib's regime, taking a cue from the cynical and Machiavellian Dr Mahathir, is undeniably an authoritarian one with a patriarchal underbelly. It attempts to pump itself up through systematic propaganda (courtesy of public relations consultant APCO Worldwide) combined with brute force (courtesy of the Royal Malaysian Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission). It's above all an irredeemably corrupt and cynical rightwing fascist regime bereft of ideas and utterly indifferent to the population at large - except when elections are called and they need to go around buying votes and bribing constituents with baubles and instant projects.

(Pic by Ginie Lim)

On March 26th Anwar Ibrahim was the star speaker at a rally in Kuala Kubu Bharu to inaugurate the "Save Malaysia" campaign. There may have been as many as 10,000 people from as far away as Rawang and Tanjong Malim filling the KKB mini-stadium - and a tangible excitement rippled through the crowd when Anwar arrived, just before 11pm. It was the sort of thrill you might expect to feel at a rock concert just before the band takes its position on stage and the show's about to kick off.

Note the unsmiling guy on the right. Is he SB or Umno? (Pic by Ginie Lim)

Earlier the crowd had shown mentri besar Khalid Ibrahim a very warm welcome. It was obvious that the people genuinely like the new chief minister; their applause was spontaneous and wholehearted.

The moment Anwar took his place at the lectern he had the crowd eating out of his hand. He was in great comedic form as he took swipes at Najib's bungling attempts to continue pulling the wool over the sheeple's eyes.

It was impossible not to wish that I could fast-forward to a much more open-ended and promising future with Anwar Ibrahim securely installed as a prime minister we can sincerely love and respect - and Pakatan Rakyat forming the federal government with a comfortable majority in parliament.

Meanwhile, there's a significant by-election coming up in Ulu Selangor and I shall be forced to stick my nose back into the political stew and ensure that those Nazi wannabes in Umno/BN lose this one big time.

'Save Malaysia': unprecedented turnout at the KKB Mini-Stadium (pic by Ginie Lim)

Exclusive Interview with Malaysia's Opposition Leader

British Parliament: "Quit harassing Anwar and the Opposition!"

Jeremy Corbyn met Anwar Ibrahim on Friday, 19 March; while more Members of Parliament signed the EDM last Tuesday.

MALAYSIA AND ANWAR IBRAHIM
15.03.2010

Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn submitted the following EDM (Early Day Motion) to the British Parliament on Monday, 15 March 2010, and it was passed.


That this House recognizes Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's contribution to promoting democracy in Malaysia and peace and understanding between the Muslim world and the West; is deeply concerned at the charges laid against Anwar Ibrahim and that his current trial flouts international standards of fairness and adherence to the rule of law; notes that this trial resembles the one he faced in 1998 in which the conduct of the judiciary was condemned by Malaysians and by the international community; further notes the renewed exhortations by international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and prominent leaders from Commonwealth nations including the Right honourable Paul Martin of Canada and the Right honourable Michael Danby and 59 other elected representatives of Australia for the Malaysian government to drop the charges against Anwar Ibrahim; and calls on the Malaysian authorities to bring an end to the harassment and persecution of members of the political opposition.

Najib's 3 Stooges fuck up in Washington

 

Nazri's talk was so boring even JJ read the newspaper
By Raja Petra Kamarudin in Washington, D.C.*

It was a strange scene at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington on Wednesday morning. When the seminar on Governance & Rule of Law in Malaysia began, only one of the speakers came into the room, Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Attorney-General Gani Patail and former Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Mohamed were somehow nowhere to be seen.

And in good Malaysian fashion, the seminar started 10 minutes late.

The seminar's chairman, Ernest Bower, looked tired and nervous, saying that he had received a number of e-mails expressing concern that the seminar would not be balanced. He said that he wants a dialogue on important issues. Therefore he also has invited the opposition to speak at CSIS. He hopes they will accept.

Ernest Bower then shocked the audience of about 40 people by saying that the session was 'off the record'. The flyer announcing the seminar never said it was an off the record session.

It doesn't matter though. The session was so boring there is very little to report anyway.

Malaysian Ambassador to the US, Jamaluddin Jarjis a.k.a. JJ, spoke for two minutes. He just said that he is working very hard to improve relations with the US (whenever he happens to be in town, that is). He made no mention, though, whether the new US$150,000 Porsche he just bought is paid for by the Malaysian taxpayers or by him personally.

Nazri said that it was just a coincidence that he, Gani and Abdul Hamid happen to be in Washington at the same time. (Sure. If you believe that then I have half a bridge to Singapore to sell you.) He said he didn't know where the two missing persons were.

He then introduced the "four members of my delegation," all MPs. (Talk about wasting the taxpayers’ money!) Two of them were PKR turncoats, including the infamous Zahrin Mohamed Hashim.

[Read the whole hilarious report here.]


____
That was no typo. The by-line reads: "By Raja Petra Kamarudin in Washington, D.C." This man has certainly earned his stripes as the Ultimate Cyberguerrilla. RPK's was the earliest and most detailed report on the Washington PR fiasco financed by Malaysian taxpayers. Respect and Love, Bro! :-) 

POSTSCRIPT:  NAZRI LIED IN WASHINGTON