Selasa, 19 Mac 2013

The Spirit of Lubok Kawah/Semangat Lubok Kawah

The Spirit of Lubok Kawah/Semangat Lubok Kawah

Laman Rasmi: VIDEO - ANWAR DI K. KRAU PADA 14 MAC 2013

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 04:20 PM PDT
Dicatat oleh di Tiada ulasan:

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim

The Myth of the Rich and Poor

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 07:08 PM PDT

Malaysian Insider

by Anas Alam Faizli

"They are simply lazy"

"His father is a Tan Sri"

"He knows someone from the inside"

"I made it purely out of effort; I worked hard to get where I am today"

These are some typical expressions that are sure to be heard in coffee chats, every time the topic of rich and poor is brought up. People have grown easily accustomed to brushing off the topic of inequality as welfarist or socialist. This happens even amongst supposedly "middle class" Malaysians, not realizing that they are in actuality, most likely top income earners and wealth owners. Households earning RM10,000 a month above already qualify as Top 4% Malaysians! In fact, while partisan voices continue their discourse in the racial imbalance tone, Malaysia has silently migrated into new battles, concerning intra-racial, income, and class-based imbalances.

It is often argued that the poor and the low income earners are plain lazy and do not work hard; that one earns what one deserves. This is not true. Many are simply unlucky, to be born to parents who lack education or skills to escape from the clutches of poverty. Some were born with disabilities and diseases, while some others live in flood-prone or hazardous places. On the other hand, we have sub-quality undeserving businessmen linked to political patrons, estate and fortune inheritors, and individuals plainly lucky to be placed in lucrative industries with high economic rent. Accusations like laziness then become hardly the issue. The rich can be lazy too!

There are those who do not deserve to be in poverty, just as there are those who do not deserve their wealth. The cases above are simple yet fitting examples to describe that not all poverty is a result of unwillingness for hard work, and not all wealth is a result of it. Thus, the fight against inequality is rather a fight to equalize opportunities so as to reach more equitable outcomes, not to distortively equalize outcomes. This is not a crusade against the rich, but a crusade to help the poor.

What's the Big Deal with Inequality?

Inequality is very real, whether or not we have problems with the GINI coefficient as a measure. In fact, the attention regarded to inequality is very much driven by consequences of inequality, rather than pre-emptive. We can see real consequences to the society; including societal backlashes, power imbalances, effects on wages, effects on growth, crime and quality of living, to name a few. As long as the income and wealth inequality gap remain large and public investment for education, training, childcare and public infrastructure remain inadequate, progressive taxes and affirmative action in its true and productive spirit have a place within public policy. It is imperative that the richer within the society share the responsibility of helping the poor; in the bigger picture, it is actually in their interest to do so, as they too will feel the consequences of inequality.

The Fallacy of the Free Market

In any discourse of inequality and the rich and poor, the "free market" will almost immediately arise. The basic tenant of a free market is well described by the "Invisible Hand" coined by 18th century economist, Adam Smith. It argues that prices, and thus distribution of goods, services, labour, capital goods, land and human skills are all determined by market forces, or this "hand" that cannot physically be seen. Proponents of this market-based allocation system are naturally against increased forms of government intervention like transfers, donations, taxes, subsidies and benefits. To put simply, they believe that letting the market run its course freely will reach desirable market equilibriums in the fairest manner, thus achieving productivity and wealth for a nation.

The marketplace does have some elements of arguable fairness; hard work will get you higher income, and laziness will be punished. Jobs, goods and wages are "naturally" supplied to and demanded by society, according to their needs and capabilities, instead of government allocation which is dangerously prone to over or under budgeting.

However, one must note critically that the fairness of the marketplace should not be exaggerated. Market forces can be "brutally unsentimental", as put by Jeffrey Sachs. Pockets of failures in the market are impossible to deny because not everyone in the economy starts from the same baseline. Endowments like wealth, opportunities, or physical health vary extremely amongst people within the system. While some manage to climb out of low income brackets and make it, as a result of opportunities and big breaks, others remain pressed in a vicious downward cycle. Indeed, not everyone gets a big break.

The Taxation Antagonist

The most common proponents of the free market are libertarians; whose ethical core is liberty. They hold the best economic outcomes will only prevail when each individual is left free to act economically and live without an authority governing their economic decisions. Individuals are in no way held responsible to the society, other than to be respectful towards the liberty and property of others. The government's sole responsibility is to only maintain law and order such as protection of private property. Extreme libertarians even hold that there is no requirement for government to build infrastructures, road or highways; such should be left to market forces because the need for them itself is incentive enough for someone to build them.

Libertarians are like "taxation antagonists". Amongst other forms of government intervention, libertarians reject governments promoting fairness and efficiency through a system of taxation. Tax is regarded as just another form of government extortion; de-motivating those who work hard while potentially over compensating those who don't.

In summary, libertarians hold that free market is the only way economic allocations are done "democratically"; hence it is the savior of democracy and enough on its own to ensure prosperity. Therefore, talk of government intervention in helping the poor will also become a point of contention in the books of libertarians.

Malaysian Libertarians

Many quarters have easily discarded the New Economic Policy (NEP) in hindsight, but it arguably did its job to almost eliminate poverty; reducing it from 50% in 1970 to the current 3.8%. Previously poor now form middle class and professional Malaysians.

Unfortunately, there is nothing to be proud of with the NEP mid 90s onwards. Rampant corruption, leakages and a breakdown in the integrity system demonstrated by those within the government have further worsened the situation. Perhaps this frustration in the government is behind the mushrooming of libertarian ideologies in Malaysia.

Is Libertarianism for Malaysia? We can first answer this by revisiting typical problems of missing a government sector. There is the question of who will provide public and common goods. We also do not need more than one police force, firemen, or court of law competing against each other. Without the government, who will then take care of the environment, regulate moral hazards, ensure individuals do not hurt each other, and protect the sovereign rights of Malaysians? Reducing government role is perhaps agreeable, but its total elimination has grave repercussions.

We then approach the issue of poverty. In all its admirable intentions of rewarding hard work and reducing influence of corrupt governments, libertarianism leaves too much room for an upward continuity of wealth and a downward spiral of poverty. As argued earlier, people start from different baselines. Holders of wealth are in the position to continue leveraging on existing wealth, to create more wealth- they can hardly be blamed as they are only incentivized and allowed to do so! It is worse when wealth comes from extracting economic rent, rather than the creating of true values that ultimately increases the size of the economic pie.

Consequently, the levers of power will be in the hands of corporations and the wealthy, which will have a bigger say in public policies, thus countering the libertarians' intended "democracy". Unlike the government of the day, boards of directors are not voted in by the people. Their fear of how a socialist nation will lead to fascism can also happen in free market except under the disguise corporate power. The free market failure then becomes as much political as economic!

Now imagine this "free market" is Malaysia, with one of the highest inequality levels in Asia (measured by GINI). The helpless poor will be left drowning in the currents of this market force, contending against the rich. This is exactly where a true, free, and liberal form of the market may not be able to generate the pristine intended outcomes it initially set out to do.

The Pakatan Rakyat Manifesto: A Manifesto for its Time

Political preference aside, there is cause to applaud the recent Pakatan Rakyat Manifesto. Tackling core economic issues, its four pillars hit home the concerns of the common rakyat; fraternity of the people, the people's economy, people's well-being and people's government. In Malaysia, the published absolute poverty number may be low, but in relative terms, many rakyat including daily creation of urban poor are effectively impoverished by demanding cost of housing and living that are unmatched by salary levels, high indebtedness, and low productivity levels due to limited skills and education.

For the government to maintain relevance in the face of libertarian claims, government interventions need to be tactical. If the government's stance is pro-business, it must be backed-up with robust social safety nets to hoist up and bring along poor households in the sprint towards growth and wealth creation. If the focus is the rakyat, care must be put to ensure business appetite is not suppressed. Such aspirations will be impossible to achieve without policies such as those proposed by the PR Manifesto; such as expanded educational opportunities (by making tertiary education free), reduction in the cost of living (utilities and tolls), targeted instead of blanket subsidies, and an upward pressure towards wages and salaries that are currently depressed by influx of foreign labour.

We have yet to see what Barisan Nasional has to promise with its manifesto but as a start, it should be more defined than its 2008 one; “to grow the economy” and start quantifying them. In fact, growing the economy is really a given.

Uplifting the Poor: Leveling the Playing Field

This is no plan to pull a modern-day Robin Hood, robbing the rich off of their hard work to reassign some wealth to the poor. The rich may be reached out to, to shoulder some responsibility to raise the level of education, health and productivity of the poor. Imagine the difference between a community with a billionaire worth RM40 billion and lots of poor people, versus one with 400 households worth RM10.0 million each. We might not love to pay tax but we accept its legitimacy as long as it is properly enacted into law and is used properly. This by no means entails slacking off on the part of the poor. Opportunities are provided, but they still need to be capitalized upon. The idea is a bigger economic pie and an unleashing of further values that the poorer population could have produced and Malaysia could have enjoyed.

Putting all these into consideration, where does it leave libertarianism, minimal taxes to the rich and businesses, and the free market? Need bigger government roles necessarily mean bigger inefficiencies, and more corruption? Welfare states in Scandinavia have ranked higher than America in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI). At the same time, Scandinavian nations are among the most equal nations, high in governance and control over corruption, despite the bigger size of their government.

Ultimately, a healthy economy is a mixed economy, in which both the government and market forces both play their role. The exact balance remains an ongoing battle; but it's good to start with unraveling the realities of inequality. Inequality is neither a hobby for anti-capitalist activists, nor development economists looking for the next trendy topic for their thesis. It's true that government intervention in the shapes and sizes that they take form, may have distortive capabilities, but the "lazy poor and the hardworking rich" is a myth. For a better Malaysia, we have no choice but to continue our strive for productivity albeit with a new focus; inclusiveness.

Otherwise, Malaysia will be dragging its feet into the future, carrying the baggage of the past policies and its repercussions.

"A statesman is he who thinks in the future generations, and a politician is he who thinks in the upcoming elections." – Abraham Lincoln

* Anas Alam Faizli is an oil and gas professional. He is pursuing a post-graduate doctorate, executive director of TFTN and tweets at @aafaizli

[VIDEO] UMNO Guna Isu Lahad Datu Bukan Sebagai Isu Keselamatan

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:33 AM PDT

Kita Mempunyai Harapan Tinggi Di Sabah & Sarawak

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:31 AM PDT

[VIDEO] Jelajah MerdekaRakyat Kuala Lipis Pahang

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:27 AM PDT

PR Gesa Najib Tubuh Kerajaan Sementara

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:15 AM PDT

Sinar Harian

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) mendesak atas nama keadilan agar Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) mengambil kira lima penambahbaikan berdasarkan laporan persidangan antarabangsa berkaitan pilihan raya anjuran pihaknnya awal bulan ini.

Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, penambahbaikan itu antaranya mahu Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak bersetuju dengan penubuhan kerajaan sementara.

“Beliau harus memastikan jentera dan dana kerajaan tidak disalahgunakan dalam usaha meraih undi Barisan Nasional,” kata Anwar dalam kenyataan media yang dibacakan oleh Naib Presiden PKR, Tian Chua di sini, hari ini.

Katanya, Najib selaku perdana menteri pada hari ini sudah tidak ada status etika untuk meluluskan apa-apa projek jika sistem kerajaan sementara diaplikasikan.

Menurut kenyataan media itu lagi, PR juga mahu tempoh berkempen yang diputuskan sekurang-kurangnya 11 hari oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) sebelum ini dipanjangkan kepada 21 hari.

“Ini akan memberi ruang kepada semua parti terutamanya parti yang memiliki keupayaan kewangan terbatas untuk memastikan mesej kempen mereka sampai kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia,” kata Anwar.

Pihaknya juga menggesa supaya agar capaian media yang sama rata diperuntukkan kepada semua parti politik yang bertanding dalam PRU13.

SPR katanya, boleh mengarahkan supaya ia dilaksanakan oleh media kerajaan dan perdana menerusi TV, radio, media cetak dan elektronik di negara ini untuk berbuat demikian.

Ketua Setiausaha Negera (KSN), Datuk Seri Ali Hamsa juga diminta mengarahkan semua penjawat awam supaya mengamalkan sikap berkecuali dalam pilihan raya.

“Walaupun SPR yang merancang dan menguruskan pilihan raya, para penjawat awam yang bertugas dengan SPR dalam menguruskan pilihan raya merupakan penentu kepada proses pilihan raya yang bebas dan adil,” katanya.

SPR juga dituntut supaya mengendalikan tugas mereka khususnya melibatkan undi pos, undi awal, akses kepada pemerhati dalam dan luar negara serta pengurusan pegawai petugas,” katanya.

Menurut Anwar, jika tuntutan-tuntutan ini dipenuhi berpandukan kepada laporan ini, proses pilihan raya akan menjadi kebanggaan rakyat Malaysia.

Laporan persidangan antarabangsa yang berlangsung awal bulan ini turut diserahkan kepada menteri yang bertanggungjawab menjaga hal ehwal Parlimen, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz Khamis lalu.

Bekas DO Dakwa Mahathir Lulus ‘Projek IC’

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:02 AM PDT

Malaysiakini

Seorang bekas pegawai daerah Sandakan, Hassnar Ebrahim mengakui terlibat dalam ‘Projek IC’ di Sabah pada tahun 1980-an dan mendakwa mengetahui bahawa skim tersebut diluluskan oleh perdana menteri pada masa itu, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Hassnar, berkata beliau menyertai satu "mesyuarat rahsia" pada tahun 1980-an, di mana Timblan Menteri Dalam Negeri pada masa itu, Allahyarham Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub "secara terbuka mengakui penglibatan Mahathir".

Sejumlah 15 orang pegawai menghadiri mesyuarat tersebut, dakwanya, termasuk "tiga orang anggota pasukan polis, termasuk wakil daripada jabatan imigresen dan jabatan pendaftaran negara", katanya.

Hassnar, 62, berkata demikian pada malam tadi dalam satu forum mengenai pencerobohan kumpulan Suluk di Lahad Datu, Sabah.

Acara berkenaan dianjurkan Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor.

Beliau yang kini mengetuai PKR Batu Sapi berkata skim berkenaan untuk memberi kerakyatan kepada pendatang asing beragama Islam itu bermla pada awal 1980-an.

Beliau berkata, pengundi Cina pada masa itu menjadi kumpulan yang menentukan kemenangan parti yang bertanding dalam pilihan raya di negeri berkenaan.

"Jadi, timbul perasaan bahawa kehadiran orang Islam di negeri itu mesti diperkukuhkan untuk memastikan negeri berkenaan kekal di tangan orang Islam," katanya.

Beliau seterusnya mengimbau kembali pengalamannya pada hari pertama sebagai pegawai daerah Sandakan pada 1982 – jawatan yang disandangnya atas desakan ketua menteri Sabah masa itu, Tan Sri Harris Salleh – di mana beliau diarahkan untuk menandatangani 500 borang pendaftaran kewarganegaraan yang tidak mempunyai butiran pemohon.

"Di antara 1976 dan 1984, saya boleh kata tidak kurang dari 125,000 pendatang asing diberi kewarganegaraan di Sabah," dakwanya.

[PRESS STATEMENT] Anwar sues UMNO-linked blogger Papa Gomo over latest fake sex video allegations

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 09:23 PM PDT

March 19, 2013

Federal opposition leader Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim has today commenced legal proceedings against one Wan Muhammad Azri b Wan Deris who is the owner/operator of the Umno-linked website known as ” Papa Gomo “. On 16th March 2013, the Papa Gomo website published fake photos and vicious allegations against Dato’ Seri Anwar in an attempt to implicate him in another fabricated sex video. The faking and distribution of photos and false allegations of a sexual nature against Dato’ Seri Anwar has become a trademark of the gutter politics practised by Umno and its bloggers.

The blogger Papa Gomo is notorious for his close and confidential ties with the Umno leadership, including Umno Vice President Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. In December 2011, the blogger was even allowed privileged access to KD Tun Razak, which is one of our Navy’s newest and most advanced submarine, during a controversy between BN and PR on defence capabilities.

The hidden hand of Umno is thus clearly present behind this latest disgusting attack upon the character and reputation of the leader of Pakatan Rakyat. Umno’ s heavy reliance upon this type of sleazy politics and dubious bloggers highlights their utter moral and ethical collapse. It proves Umno-BN’s complete unfitness to continue to rule and administer our nation.

In the letter of demand sent today, Dato’ Seri Anwar’s solicitors have demanded that the blogger Papa Gomo withdraw his malicious allegations, apologize within 48 hours from today, and pay damages in the sum of RM 100 million. The sum of damages demanded reflects the blogger’s close ties with Umno amd Umno’s clear backing for him.

N SURENDRAN
Vice President
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Dicatat oleh di Tiada ulasan:

Anak Muda Kampung Nak Senang

Anak Muda Kampung Nak Senang

120 pekerja ditahan cuba cetus Nepal Spring

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 02:09 AM PDT




19 Mac 2013  - Kesemua 120 pekerja Nepal yang ditahan kerana cuba berdemonstrasi di bandar itu sehingga dikhuatiri boleh mencetuskan Nepal Spring telah dibebaskan malam tadi. Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Muar, Supritendan Sahadan Jaafar berkata, kesemua mereka yang ditahan dalam operasi selama 10 jam tersebut dibebaskan selepas didapati mempunyai dokumen dan permit kerja yang sah.

Katanya, pihaknya turut mendapat kerjasama baik daripada pihak majikan yang datang ke Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Muar di sini. "Hasil siasatan juga mendapati mereka tidak membawa sebarang senjata tajam atau objek merbahaya. Kita tahan di tempat mereka sering berkumpul di bandar ini selain semasa sekatan jalan raya untuk masuk ke pusat bandar.

"Mereka bekerja di kilang-kilang perabot di sekitar Muar dan Bakri. Keadaan terkawal dan orang ramai tidak perlu bimbang," katanya semasa ditemui selepas Majlis Penyerahan Tabung Wira Lahad Datu Sumbangan Persatuan Penjaja dan Peniaga Kecil Melayu Johor (PPPKMNJ) cawangan Muar di IPD Muar hari ini

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Jenayah/20130319/je_08/120-pekerja-ditahan-cuba-cetus-Nepal-Spring
Dicatat oleh di Tiada ulasan:

Isnin, 18 Mac 2013

The Spirit of Lubok Kawah/Semangat Lubok Kawah

Dicatat oleh di Tiada ulasan:

R Sivarasa - Ahli Parlimen Subang

R Sivarasa - Ahli Parlimen Subang

Statement by Sivarasa: Americk's revelation re: SD2

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 06:59 AM PDT

Yesterday, Malaysia Chronicle, a popular news-website, carried an article by Deepak Jaikishan.  The article stated some very serious allegations against Prime Minister Datuk Seri  Najib Tun Razak.
Deepak alleged in writing that an unnamed person had actually prepared a statutory declaration stating that he had been instructed to kill Altantuya by his immediate superior, and that an immediate superior had taken instructions from Najib.

He also said that the unnamed person changed his mind after seeing private investigator Balasubramaniam's second SD.

Najib & Rosmah "belled"
In so saying, Deepak had finally belled the cat by actually speaking in writing for the first time the whispers that have been circulating in this country from the time of the murder in October 2006 regarding the alleged involvement of Najib and his spouse in the high profile murder of Altantuya.
His statements are sufficient for the relevant agencies, the Attorney-General's office and the police to immediately re-open the murder investigation and record a full statement from him.

No action from them will mean a continuing conspiracy to hide the truth. It is also in the Prime Minister's interest that his name is cleared if Deepak's statements are indeed false.
Secondly, Deepak again reiterates the involvement of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the process of the making of the second SD done by Bala.  He repeats, amongst other things, that he was instructed by her to remove "certain facts and certain spicy details in (sic) the affair between Najib and Altantuya".

The Malaysian public will need to hear from Rosmah what her riposte is to this.

Proceeds from Glomac Tower
Thirdly, Deepak alleges that he made payments to Najib and Rosmah from "the proceeds of Glomac Tower to a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House" and this evidence was recorded by one Dato Jamidan, a senior director with MACC in 2011.

MACC has to explain immediately to the Malaysian public whether this allegation of payment to Najib and Rosmah is true, and if so, was it for any corrupt purpose. We also await the response of the MACC on Deepak' allegations supported with documents that he had made expensive presents in diamonds and jewellery to Rosmah.

A serving Prime Minister going to the public for an electoral mandate to govern cannot be the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand in respect of these very serious issues.  Deepak's statements are specific.  Malaysia needs specific answers.

Silence will be taken to mean that Deepak's allegations are credible and with basis.

PKR not involved in first SD
I take this opportunity to also correct a misstatement in the first paragraph of Deepak's article where he says( perhaps because of incorrect information given to him ) that I and other Pakatan leaders had advised on the content of Bala's first SD.

I repeat what has been said on record by Bala's own lawyer Mr Americk Singh Sidhu. Bala's first SD was prepared by Americk Singh with full detailed instructions from his client.
It would be insulting to Americk as a senior lawyer to suggest that I or any other lawyer or politician for that matter could influence the contents of what I understand to be a document that he had taken careful, conscientious and considerable time and effort to prepare.

I also reiterate that no money was promised or paid to Bala by myself or any other Pakatan leader for the making of Bala's first SD. Americk Singh is also fully aware of that.

Finally, the Malaysian police had in 2009 recorded full statements from myself and Americk Singh and other persons pursuant to allegations that Bala's first SD was made under duress.  No further action was then taken by the police or the Attorney-general in respect of those allegations.


Sivarasa Rasiah
Member of Parliament for Subang
Member, Biro Poliik and Majlis Pimpinan Pusat, Parti Keadilan
Dicatat oleh di Tiada ulasan:

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim

[VIDEO] Jelajah MerdekaRakyat Kuala Lipis Pahang

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:14 AM PDT

[VIDEO] Duit Lembu RM250 Juta, Pemuda UMNO Dapat RM20

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:11 AM PDT

[VIDEO] Hentikan Politik Yang Tidak Akhlak

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:09 AM PDT

[VIDEO] Dr. Md Nur Manuty Calon Pakatan Rakyat Parlimen Bagan Serai

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:07 AM PDT

[VIDEO] Nama Saya Anwar Sultan Kiram Sulu !!!

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:04 AM PDT

GRIM REAPER already at Umno’s Sabah door: Stop pointing fingers at Anwar

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 12:55 AM PDT

Malaysia Chronicle

UMNO should stop politicising the Lahad Datu fiasco. The country has lost 10 patriotic warriors leaving the family members grieving. The total death toll in the fighting is now almost reaching 70.

The 2013 Lahad Datu standoff arose after about 235 militants, many of whom were armed, arrived by boats in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia from Simunul Island, Tawi-Tawi in Southern Philippines on 11 February 2013. According to some analysts, this incursion happened very much earlier undetected by the military intelligence.

The group, calling themselves the “Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo” was sent by Jamalul Kiram III, one of the claimants to the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu. Kiram held that their goal was to affirm their unsettled territorial claim to eastern Sabah – the former North Borneo.

The issue of who "owns" Sabah has never been definitively and formally resolved. According to the Sultan Jamalul Kiram III – one among the many heirs of the Sultan of Sulu responsible for sending the "intruders" to occupy Lahad Datu – he claims that Sabah belongs to them and that it's time for them to have their homeland back. But Malaysia claims otherwise: Sabah is legally theirs.

In such a situation, it looks like Manila – for their internal political expediency – may not anymore exhibit ASEAN spirit and solidarity by officially dropping all claims to Sabah.

A grim reminder to Malaysia

Critics have blamed the government for not being able to handle the intruders that led to the loss of lives to our army personnel and police officers. Pollicising the issue is making them none the wiser. Politicians do not seem to be united and focussed on how to end this noxious affair; instead they are bickering over the issue non-stop.

For UMNO leaders and UMNO media to ruthlessly attack the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, for the fiasco is very unfortunate indeed. They seem to have lost the plot here. They are exploiting the Sabah debacle for their own failure and their own political expediency and this is backfiring on them.

Not all the intruders have been killed or captured. Those who have escaped must have left the state or blended with the community. Revenge on their part cannot be ruled out. These people form South Philippines have the record of taking revenge in their country of origin. It's their inherent trait to be vindictive. And down in Sabah they have people of their ethnic group who will sympathise with them.

The decades of war between the Moros and Manila have claimed more than 100 000 lives and destroyed the economy of Southern Philippines. This must be a grim reminder to Malaysia.

There are thousands of Filipinos now living in Sabah – most are given Malaysian citizenship and are UMNO members. Weeding out the bad from the good now is near impossible. It's just unmanageable for the government now to identify who among them are truly loyal to the country.

Sheer arrogance

Najib Abdul Razak feels that the Opposition has no place to work with them in resolving the matter. This must be a sign of sheer arrogance on his part. Convening an emergency parliamentary session on the ongoing clash in Sabah in order to form "a united front" transcending political parties and pay tribute to servicemen killed in the line of duty does not seem to his priority.

It looks like Najib is against the idea of all political parties uniting under one platform as one people on the Sabah Sulu crisis. "We know best" seems to be his stand right now and the media is unfairly used to implicate the role of Opposition members on what is happening in Lahad Datu.

If Najib's intention is to gain some brownie points for his political survival from this debacle he must be gravely wrong. His popularity has dipped further with this latest tragedy. The people feel that he has not handled the matter commendably as the country's leader.

Using the media to politicise the issue has only earned the wrath of the people. The airing of the incomplete "lyrics" sung by Anwar Ibrahim during his political campaigns is solely intended to hoodwink the people that it's all because of Anwar that Lahad Datu was invaded or that "Sabah is going to be lost".

This unnecessary propaganda is backfiring as many viewers opine that this is further wounding the people, especially those who have lost their loved ones in the Lahad Datu conflict.

A 36-year-old bank officer in Kuala Lumpur has this to say: "Just imagine those who have lost their loved ones in the conflict listening to the lines and other government propaganda against the Opposition. This must be insulting to the intelligence of the people."

Another officer popped in to say: "The motive here is to politicise the whole issue, thinking of the coming election more than those combatants in the war field fighting the intruders." "They keep on blaming the Opposition all because of their own failure. This propaganda will further disrupt those suffering in the war fields and those who have lost their loved ones," she added.

A student in a local public university has this to say: "UMNO leaders are unwise. They just do not know how to calm down the feelings of those who have lost their loved ones. They are politicising more than handling the whole issue professionally."

"UMNO is more interested in bashing the Opposition leaders for political reasons than to seeing an amicable solution to the Sabah issue now," he added.

Cannot afford to lose more

We have lost 10 patriotic heroes in the Lahad Datu mess. The end to the turmoil is yet to be seen. As Malaysians we cannot afford to lose more of our security personnel.

Blaming Anwar Ibrahim for meeting Nurallaj Misuari is a cheap political gimmick created by UMNO to sidetrack the real issue. Misuari – the leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) – was the 3rd Governor of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (1996–2002) and was a friend of all Malaysian leaders. Most UMNO leaders have met him before and this is a non-issue at all.

Even if there were rumblings that Nur Misuari had an eye for Sabah it could not be a drive that was pushed by any Malaysian leader. Ask any Filipino out there and they would say "Sabah is theirs". And ask any Malaysian, they would say: "Sabah is ours".

History has it this way: In 1967, Operation Merdeka was initiated by the late President Ferdinand Marcos. The main goal then was to annex Sabah for the Philippines. The legal rationale for the operation was the claim of the Sultan of Sulu and his heirs to Sabah. The Sultan's heirs insist that the land still belong to them.

They trust that it was simply leased (padjak) to the British East India Company in 1878 and was illegally transferred by the British in 1963, when it became part of the Federation of Malaysia. The heirs of the Sultan of Sulu gave the then President Marcos the mandate to reclaim Sabah as part of the country.

Plotting to invade Sabah is not something new. Reports say that they had the Operation Merdeka at one time in the 60s', when the Suluk and Tausug and the Moros were recruited and trained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines for specialised training in covert operations. Their command was to disrupt military installations and key infrastructures in Sabah for the subsequent invasion by the Philippines.

This operation however bungled when the recruits abandoned the idea of transgressing Sabah. However, The Philippines government till this day has never ditched the historical claim of the Sultanate of Sulu on Sabah.

The trained Moros

Malaysian political strategists had the impression that the country could depend on the Moros in case of a military conflict with the Philippines, as the Moros then were willing to disobey orders to battle with Malaysia. So Malaysia's best lines of defence against a Philippines annexation of Sabah were the Moros at one time.

According to reports, the training and equipping the Moros to fight for a separate homeland (secession of Mindanao from Manila) became an implicit state policy. Malaysia expedited the military training of Moros beginning 1969 with the help of Libya, who provided the financial assistance and military equipment.

There were military bases for the Moros within Malaysia – stationed in peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak. The trained Moros later became the core of the MNLF. The Moros were trained to become a "buffer entity" against the Philippine claim over Sabah.

The threat of Sabah annexing Sabah was a non-issue then as long as MNLF did not co-operate with the Philippine Government. But today the Moros are no longer the first line of defence against Philippine annexation of Sabah that Malaysia depended on.

Malaysia can no longer rely on the Moros to provide the same buffer zone against Philippine's possibility of annexing Sabah – a buffer zone that the Moros liberally provided since the late 1960s.

Close ally of UMNO and USNO

It was in 1968 that Muslims in Mindanao organised a Muslim Independence Movement (MIM) demanding the absolute secession of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan regions from Manila. Leaders of MIM subsequently formed the MNLF in 1969 – the military wing of the secessionist movement headed by Misuari. Misuari then was a very close ally of UMNO and also USNO leaders in Sabah.

The movement split into two factions in 1977 due to ideological differences – the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the MNLF. These secessionist groups and the Philippine Government went through major conflicts that decimated more than 100,000 people and caused huge destruction to the economy of Southern Philippines.

This enfeebled the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) possibly much to the joy of Malaysia. Malaysia erroneously thought that they had neutralised the threat of Sabah annexation by simply supporting the Moro secessionist movements from 1968 to 1972.

It is their homeland

However, the close relationship between Malaysia and the Moros was dazed on 12 February 2013, when a group numbering around 235 claiming to be the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army landed in Lahad Datu village in Sabah, declaring that they will not leave Sabah because "it is their own homeland".

There are many implications of the Sabah incursion.

It cannot be Anwar or Najib who are working behind the scene. Photos of them appearing with some Muslim leaders from Southern Philippines cannot be construed that there was a "conspiracy" involving them that led to the Sabah incursion.

The main players actually are all from the Philippines.

The two mistakes the Malaysian government has made though were firstly, accommodating thousands of Muslim Filipinos to be in Sabah thinking that they are Muslims and they would not fight Malaysia. Many were given citizenship, allowed to live in Sabah and most became UMNO members.

Secondly, they never thought that by comforting MILF and Manila they had offended the MNLF. MNLF was side tracked in the peace-agreement signed on 12 October 2012 between Manila and MILF and also the issue of the Sulu Sultanate was not part of the agreement package. Thus this must have angered these two groups, especially the latter.

Their plan now is to derail the final peace agreement between the MILF and the Philippine Government and oust President Aquino from office. And this could be the two main reasons of the Sabah incursion. Of course their claim over Sabah would remain intact.

Individuals backing Sultan

According to reports, some influential individuals backing Sultan Jamalul Kiram III are allies of ex-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – President Aquino's political nemesis – such as Norberto Gonzales, the former National Security Adviser and a close friend of the Sultan. They were alleged by the Aquino Administration to have played a role.

Misuari who is aligned to MNLF is also alleged to be one of the players in the plot to occupy Lahad Datu as he is aligned to Arroyo's political faction and not Aquino's. They have however fervidly denied any involvement in the incursion. Nevertheless, they still profess support for the claim of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

There were also allegations that Prime Minister Najib was responsible for "staging" this incursion. There were also counter allegations that Anwar, the leader of the Opposition coalition in Malaysia, was a conniver in the Sabah incursion. Both Najib and Anwar have denied vehemently any involvement in this.

According to analysts, it's just preposterous for any patriotic Malaysian to have tacitly collaborated with any Filipino leader or the intruders. The possibility is high that the intruders must have conspired with some Filipino leaders and have the tacit support of those Filipinos living in Sabah who have been "invited" to take Malaysia as their home.

Some of the Lahad Datu intruders were found to be carrying Malaysian MyKads and they were also UMNO members. One main figure or master mind of the incursion even worked as an assistant district officer in Sabah at one time.

If to influence the outcome of the Malaysian 13th general election is the reason for allowing the intrusion to occur, this does not make sense at all. Both the sitting government and the Opposition would gain nothing from this kind of enemy infiltration.

But in the Philippines, the Sabah incursion has popular support from Filipinos and this can affect the outcome of their mid-term elections to be held before June 2103. If politics is the reason, then it has to be the politics of the Philippines, not Malaysia.

Unfortunately, Malaysia is now being unwittingly caught by the political schemes in the Philippines.

Must be repatriated

The Sabah incursion should see a new role of the Malaysian government. There has to be tighter border controls and the eviction of Filipino migrants living in Sabah. Those given "instant IC and living in Sabah or other parts of Malaysia must be stripped off their citizenship and repatriated to their country of origin.

Malaysia and Indonesia too have faced some skirmishes over border issues in that region in the past and she cannot be so sure that history does not repeat when matters turn awry, especially when there are thousands of Indonesian illegals and migrants who are given "instant ICs" living in Sabah.

Prevention is always better than cure. Malaysia – a small country with a population of about 28 million – has porous borders with the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Confrontations with any of these countries will not be advantageous to Malaysia.

As with the Philippines and Malaysia now there has to be a diplomatic and conclusive solution to the Sabah claim. All stakeholders – the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, the Malaysian Government (which should include the Opposition) and the Republic of the Philippines – will have to sit and negotiate diplomatically to resolve the claim once and for all.

UMNO should stop pointing fingers at Anwar for the unexpected turn of events to sidetrack the real issue facing Sabah. The situation in Sabah now is all because of the Malaysian government's unexpected strategies in the past that went off beamed.
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PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT NEGERI SEMBILAN

PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT NEGERI SEMBILAN

Najib & Muhyiddin sibuk ke N Sembilan, kawasan sendiri terabai

Posted: 17 Mar 2013 09:22 PM PDT


KUALA LUMPUR 18 MAC: Pengerusi KEADILAN Negeri Sembilan, Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas (gambar) hairan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan Timbalannya, Tan Seri Muhyiddin Yassin begitu gemar melawat negeri itu.
"Kenapa Najib suka datang Negeri Sembilan, terutamanya Port Dickson? Ada kenangan silam ke?" seloroh Kamarul disambut ketawa hadirin.
"Muhyiddin pun sama. Kalau tak silap, sudah enam kali dia datang ke Negeri Sembilan. Sedangkan kawasan sendiri pun belum tentu terjaga," kata Kamarul pada ceramah Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat di Rembau, Sabtu lalu.
Tegasnya, BN tidak mampu merangka dasar untuk kesejahteraan rakyat, selain menabur wang dan janji termasuk pemberian Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) pusingan kedua tahun ini.
"Respon rakyat masih menolak Umno BN walaupun BR1M sudah diberikan. Kalau yakin menang pilihan raya umum, sudah lama mereka bubarkan Parlimen, tapi asyik tangguh," katanya. – SDQ
Short URL: http://www.keadilandaily.com/?p=47663

Teknik solekan boleh menyerupai Anwar sama seperti ‘Lincoln’

Posted: 17 Mar 2013 09:05 PM PDT


Abraham_Lincoln_November_1863
Rupa asal Abraham Lincoln
(Oleh: Rusnizam Mahat)
KUALA LUMPUR 17 Mac: Jika pelakon Daniel Day Lewis boleh disolekkan hingga wajahnya saling tak tumpah seperti Presiden ke 16 Amerika, Abraham Lincoln, apatah lagi dalam isu gambar menyerupai Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Pengarah Strategi KEADILAN, Mohd Rafizi Ramli berkata, sama seperti gambar lucah terbaru mirip Anwar, teknik solekan penyamaran juga boleh dilakukan ke atas mana-mana individu untuk menyerupai ketua umum KEADILAN itu.
Beliau berkata demikian mengulas isu gambar fitnah terbaru yang disebar blogger Umno, memaparkan individu mirip Anwar bersama seorang lelaki.
Kata Rafizi, bukan sesuatu yang asing dalam industri filem Hollywood mengguna teknik solekan bagi menghidupkan watak dalam sesebuah filem, khasnya filem biografi.
Lincon
Daniel Day Lewis selepas disolekkan
"Dengan special effect, make up dan teknologi baru dalam filem Hollywood, Lincoln dan Nelson Mandela boleh diklonkan.
" Daniel Day Lewis, rupanya langsung tak sama seperti Lincoln. Solekan pada wajah, janggut, latihan berjalan dan lain-lain digunakan untuk menjadikan rupa dan pembawaannya sama seperti Lincoln.
"Sudah tentu perkara yang sama boleh dibuat oleh mana-mana individu untuk menyerupai Anwar Ibrahim,"
"Kalau Hollywood boleh hidupkan semula presiden yang sudah mati, bukan lah satu  mustahil, malah perkara yang mudah untuk menghasil individu seperti Anwar. Apatah ia dirakam dalam video pendek dan hitam putih yang kualitinya jauh lebih rendah," kata Rafizi.
Persoalannya, kata Rafizi, berapakah kos yang dihabiskan oleh musuh politik Anwar untuk menghasilkan individu yang kelihatan sama sepertinya?
"Sudah tentu ia memerlukan dana yang besar, disokong dan dibiayai orang tertentu. Dalam video fitnah pertama, ia dikeluarkan individu yang rapat dengan Umno dan Mahathir seperti Rahim Tamby Chik.
"Memang ada bukti tokoh Umno memainkan peranan yang cukup penting untuk
Daniel Day Lewsi
Daniel Day Lewis
mengeluarkan video fitnah seperti ini," ujarnya menambah pelakon serupa digunakan seperti dalam video fitnah pertama yang dihasilkan di Thailand.
Tambah beliau, tidak mustahil lebih ramai lagi pimpinan KEADILAN akan menjadi mangsa Umno, termasuk dirinya sendiri dengan penghasilan video seumpama itu.
Bagaimanapun kata Rafizi, KEADILAN enggan melayan fitnah berkenaan kerana tumpuan kini adalah kepada isu melibatkan urustadbir negara.
"Reaksi rakyat akan lebih marah lagi dengan video ini kerana rakyat tidak berminat dengan fitnah peribadi. Hingga satu peringkat ada pemimpin Umno sendiri meminta supaya menghentikan fitnah ini kerana ia menimbulkan kemarahan rakyat,"
"Umno hanya mahu kita mengalih usaha dan tumpuan daripada isu lebih besar seperti rasuah dan kerosakan pentadbiran negara," katanya.
Dalam filem Lincoln, arahan Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day Lewis disolekkan oleh jurusolek, Lois Burwell yang pernah memenangi anugerah Oskar, dan ia bukan sesuatu yang baru dalam industri filem Hollywood.
Di Malaysia, solekan penyamaran tidak kurang hebatnya. Ia pernah digunakan dalam filem-filem tempatan seperti filem Hingga Ke Hujung Nyawa yang menampilkan Erra Fazira sebagai seorang nenek berusia 78 tahun.
Dalam filem terbitan Metrowealth Movies Production Sdn Bhd itu, teknologi solekan silikon diguna untuk menghidupkan watak Erra sebagai wanita tua.
Manakala Cinta Kolesterol pula menggunakan medium latex atau getah khas untuk mengubah fizikal bekas Ratu Cantik Malaysia itu kepada gadis bertubuh gempal.
Short URL: http://www.keadilandaily.com/?p=47605

Pakatan yakin menang 23 kerusi DUN Negeri Sembilan – AMK

Posted: 17 Mar 2013 09:03 PM PDT


REMBAU 18 MAC: Pakatan Rakyat yakin dapat menawan Negeri Sembilan berdasarkan kaji selidik dan maklumat akar umbi, kata Ketua Angkatan Muda KEADILAN (AMK) Negeri Sembilan, kata Nazree Yunus.
Beliau berkata, ia hasil gerak kerja Pakatan berpandu maklumat dari pemandu teksi, peniaga dan semakan laporan pegawai awam.
"Kita ada berita gembira. Pakatan dijangka menang 23 kerusi. PAS dan KEADILAN tambah kerusi manakala DAP menang semua 11 kerusi yang disandang sekarang," katanya.
negeri-sembilan-voting
Beliau berkata demikian depan ribuan rakyat pada ceramah Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat di Kampung Pedas Tengah, Rembau 16 Mac lalu.

Negeri Sembilan ada 36 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dan Pakatan hanya memerlukan empat kerusi lagi untuk menawan negeri berkenaan.
Selain itu, Nazree berkata, hutang terkumpul RM1.4 bilion kerajaan negeri kepada kerajaan Pusat menjadi bukti kegagalan pentadbiran Umno BN yang diterajui Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
"Tokoh korporat jadi Menteri Besar jaga Negeri Sembilan. Tapi apa jadi apabila diperintah Umno BN?" katanya.
Justeru, Nazree meminta rakyat negeri itu membandingkan pencapaian kerajaan Selangor yang memiliki rizab simpanan tunai RM2.3 bilion.
Sebelum ini, media kawalan Umno BN pada Jun 2012 melaporkan Adun BN Chembong, Mohamad Rais Zainuddin mencadangkan supaya Mohamad Hasan digugur sebagai calon PRU 13.
Ahli Parlimen Rasah, Loke Siew Fook pula pernah menggesa pejabat Peguam Negara menyiasat dakwaan Mohamad Hassan menyalur RM10 juta ke United Kingdom melalui perkhidmatan pengurup wang.
Short URL: http://www.keadilandaily.com/?p=47643
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