Malaysia-Chronicle

Malaysia’s smallest and northern-most state Perlis saw its largest-ever political rally on Monday night, with some 10,000 people packing the Pakatan Rakyat’s Black 505 gathering in downtown Kangar to greet Opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim, PAS deputy chief Mohamad Sabu and a host of other leaders who had trekked up the country to rally public support for their fight against electoral cheating in the recently concluded May 5 ballot.

“We continue with our fight. As I have said, the general election is not over. We are now exposing one electoral fraud after another,” the 64-year-old Anwar told the roaring crowd.

“We have to make a stand. Enough is enough.”

‘Penipuan’ (Cheating)

Monday’s rally was the first-ever Black 505 gathering held by the Pakatan in Perlis and the folk here were not disappointed. Many had come to see for themselves what has been variously described as being “a social wave”, “a phenomenon”, “a political awakening” overtaking the country.

The Black 505 rallies – the brainchild of Anwar himself – has drawn mammoth crowds all over the country. Malaysians of all races have taken part in these assemblies with gusto, abandoning their customary shyness to call out voraciously for the resignations of Prime Minister Najib Razak and the top officials of the Election Commission for allegedly cheating in the country’s 13th general election.

In Kangar, where the 11th Black 505 rally was held, it was no different. The crowd’s enthusiasm was obvious despite it being a Monday night. ”Penipuan” was the the most common response when Malaysia Chronicle asked several members of the audience why they had come to the rally.

“Inilah satu petanda orang Malaysia sudah sampai satu tahap politik yang matang (It is a sign Malaysians have become politically more matured),” was another common response.

Sustaining power, not ego trip but a fight for the very foundation of democracy

As usual, Anwar was mobbed by the crowd who rushed to greet him when he arrived, reaching out to touch him as he was made his way to the stage. Like it or not, his popularity and ability to mobilize public support is undeniable and unprecedented in Malaysian politics.

The success of the Black 505 in Kangar flies in the face of Pakatan’s critics, namely Umno, its newspapers and related news portals. The latter, in particular, have been vocal in their criticism that it was a waste of time, that the rallies were a mere puff for Anwar’s ego but a drag on public resources and time as well as being a red light for foreign investors.

Whether or not, they are speaking at the behest of their political bosses, the Umno-linked media and online portals have claimed that the Black 505 rallies were ‘not what the Malaysian people want from their Opposition’.

What do Malaysians want of their Opposition then, if not to fight for the most basic fundamental – a cleaned-up polls system that would ensure who got the greatest votes became the government as desired by the most number of people? Otherwise, how could the Opposition ever become the government and translate into action the policies they envisioned and promised the people?

Pakatan leaders, in rebutting the claims against them, point to the massive crowds that keep coming back for more. They point to the 51% of the Malaysian people who voted for them but were denied of a Pakatan federal government due to the electoral fraud, which includes widespread gerrymandering.

In their speeches, Anwar, Mat Sabu, PKR vice president Tian Chua and MP for Sungai Petani Johari Abdul all made it clear that Black 505 will continue until the Election Commission chairman and deputy chairman stood down and re-elections held in the seats where evidence of fraud had been found and were the strongest.

Those would be the first essential steps for the people to reclaim their ownership of the electoral system, which unless is reformed, would ensure that Umno-BN remained in power in perpetuity, the Pakatan leaders said.

“Today Kangar, tomorrow Sungei Petani and the day after Kota Bahru and on the 16th Batu Pahat,” Anwar announced.

“And on the 22nd June, a major rally in Kuala Lumpur. Exactly like this, a peaceful assembly, but larger scale – a national event – to show Malaysians and the world we will not condone cheating.”

Ada orang nak ‘bunuh’ Zahid: Dr M out to destroy Zahid?

Mat Sabu, who is in the process of completing a post-mortem of his own party’s performance in the general election, promised transparency and offered re-elections to Umno-BN in Pakatan-won seats so long as they showed proof.

“Yes, we hear what Umno is saying about our reps who have been sworn-in in Penang and Kelantan. Sure, if you (Umno-BN) have proof, show and you can also request for re-elections,” said Mat Sabu, who together with Tian received loud applause for their oratorical skills.

Youth activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin aka Chegubard, who heads the Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia, was another popular speaker.

The 35-year-old had the crowd clearly on his side as he rattled through the list of reasons why Malaysians must stand up to the polls fraud he claimed had been perpetuated by the Umno -BN..

Chegubard also had the crowd in stitches with his witty remarks and the way he regained his poise after flubbing a line meant to attack former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

“Ini bukan kubu Umno, ini kubur Umno (this is not Umno’s fortress but Umno’s grave),” said Chegubard.

He repeated his warning to Home Minister Zahid Hamidi to be careful of Najib and Mahathir, whom he claimed were out for Zahid’s ‘blood’.

“Zahid, you are actually a leader with charisma but you are being trapped by Najib and Mahathir,” said Chegubard, referring to the intensifying infighting in Umno ahead of its internal polls due to be held later this year.

“Mahathir wants to ‘bunuh’ (destroy) Zahid so that his son can take over,” he added.

Malaysiakini

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi violated the Election Offences Act 1954 by spending more than the ceiling sum of RM200,000 in his campaigning during the 13th general election, PKR has alleged.

“There is a video circulating (on the Internet) that shows Zahid saying that he gave RM100 and a 5kg bag of rice to 24,000 people in Bagan Datoh,” PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli said today.

At a press conference at party headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Rafizi said according to his calculation, the expenses for that one act of largess alone would be more than RM200,000.

This, he claimed, was a violation of the rules for candidates in the Election Offences Act.

Based on this, PKR will file an election petition this week.

Rafizi said he would reveal the related evidence linked to this petition – and others – at a press conference on Wednesday.

PKR has signalled its intention to file 18 more petitions, while Pakatan will file 35 in all.

Malaysiakini has not been able to locate the video or to contact the minister or his aides for comment on this PKR allegation.

Pakatan Rakyat telah memberikan notis untuk mengadakan perhimpunan aman #black505 di Padang Merbok yang mulanya dijadualkan pada 15 Jun 2013 dalam tempoh 10 hari seperti yang dituntut oleh pihak berkuasa. Penganjur juga menerima nasihat kepimpinan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) untuk tidak mengadakannya di Dataran Merdeka, walaupun itu adalah tempat perhimpunan yang dituntut oleh banyak pihak.

Saya mengambil kira rayuan pihak-pihak yang telah pun mempunyai perancangan program di Padang Merbok pada 15 Jun 2013. Setelah berbincang dengan IPD Dang Wangi, penganjur membuat keputusan untuk menukar tarikh perhimpunan aman #black505 Padang Merbok ke minggu yang seterusnya iaitu pada 22 Jun 2013 bermula jam 12 tengahari.

Permohonan kepada DBKL untuk menggunakan Padang Merbok pada 22 Jun 2013 telah pun dibuat pada hari Jumaat 7 Jun 2013, iaitu 2 hari selepas permohonan pertama dibuat. DBKL juga telah mengesahkan bahawa semasa permohonan dibuat pada 7 Jun 2013, tidak ada mana-mana pihak yang membuat permohonan mengadakan acara di Padang Merbok pada 22 Jun 2013.

Oleh itu, tidak ada lagi alasan untuk DBKL dan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan bermain politik dengan melengah-lengahkan permohonan ini. Saya ingin mengingatkan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan bahawa majoriti besar rakyat di Wilayah Persekutuan bersama-sama Pakatan Rakyat dan beliau perlulah menghormati hasrat rakyat Wilayah Persekutuan yang mahu berhimpun secara aman di Padang Merbok yang merupakan padang milik rakyat.

Notis kepada IPD Dang Wangi akan dibuat esok dalam tempoh 10 hari seperti yang dituntut oleh PDRM.

Ini adalah ketetapan akhir dan tidak akan ada sebarang perubahan selepas ini tidak kira apa alasan yang diberikan oleh DBKL.

Perhimpunan aman #black505 akan diadakan pada tarikh 22 Jun 2013 (Sabtu) bermula jam 12 tengahari di Padang Merbok. Rakyat Malaysia yang cintakan kebenaran dan menolak penipuan pilihanraya diseru turun beramai-ramai untuk menuntut 3 perkara:

1.       Keseluruhan ahli SPR meletakkan jawatan serta-merta dan ahli-ahli SPR yang baru akan dilantik secara bersama dengan Pakatan Rakyat dan kumpulan civil society yang mewakili rakyat;

2.      Pilihanraya semula di 30 kawasan Parlimen bila mana dibuktikan berlaku penyelewengan;

3.      Hentikan sebarang usaha untuk meminda undang-undang pilihanraya atau persempadanan semula sehinggalah ahli-ahli SPR baru yang adil dilantik secara bersama seperti tuntutan (1)

RAFIZI RAMLI

Pengarah Strategi KEADILAN

Ahli Parlimen Pandan

10 JUN 2013 

Saya boleh mengesahkan bahawa bermula hari ini, ketiga-tiga parti Pakatan Rakyat akan memfailkan petisyen pilihanraya di kawasan-kawasan Parlimen berikut:

Malaysiakini

Dataran Merdeka is symbolic. It is our metaphorical Berlin Wall and its significance cannot be exaggerated.

Umno Baru leaders and the police have refused to allow the use of Dataran Merdeka for the ‘Black 505’ rally in Kuala Lumpur on June 15.

Etched in the memories of older Malaysians is the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of the Malayan flag at midnight, at the Selangor Club padang as Dataran Merdeka was then known. The younger generation would have learnt about its historical role.

When the 154.5km Berlin Wall – a concrete structure built by the East Germans to divide the east from the west – came down, the city of Berlin was reunited, communist rule in eastern Europe fell and the process of re-unification of East and West Germany started.

If the opposition coalition were to hold this rally at Dataran Merdeka, it would score a great moral victory, just as Bersih did. The violence during the Bersih 3.0 rally was perpetrated by the police. A weak regime is one which does not know how to use arguments and discussion as weapons, but resorts to violence.

If the place that is connected with Merdeka and the Tunku were to become the focal point for the ‘Black 505’ rally, attention would be focused on the reasons for the rally, and Umno-Baru would be forever linked with cheating in elections. Umno-Baru is desperate to deny the opposition the publicity.

A common tactic of Umno-Baru is to give the rally organisers the runaround. Even when Umno-Baru lies, it fails to do it with a concerted effort. When the opposition coalition applied to use Padang Merbok as an alternative venue, the Dang Wangi district police chief Zainuddin Ahmad claimed that another event was scheduled to take place there.

Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar claimed that the opposition’s application was incomplete, while Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor claimed that indoor venues and closed spaces, like stadiums, would be more suitable.

He said: “…..But to me, Padang Merbok is an open space… when it comes to open spaces, we will not give (our permission) because we know the law and abide by it.”

If Tengku Adnan claims to be well-versed with the law and would happily abide by it, what explanations can he give for alleged widespread electoral fraud and cheating during GE13?

How does he explain the money politics which is synonymous with his party Umno-Baru? Can he account for the increasing acts of police brutality which suggest that police personnel are breaking the law and getting away with murder?

Don’t expect reform

Some of you may disagree with street protests but only the naïve would think that GE14 could be the solution. The electoral boundaries are being skewed in Umno Baru’s favour by the Election Commission (EC), even as you read this. Umno Baru and the EC will never negotiate or reform.

How much longer have the marginalised Indians to suffer? How many more election promises will their self-appointed leaders be taken in by? This minority government promised that they would implement many reforms before GE13 if elected; but after the election, they say the implementation will take five years.

In GE11, the EC made a last minute claim that the indelible ink would prevent Muslims from performing their prayers.

In GE12, the EC claimed that there was a national security scare and certain parties were planning to sabotage the elections by marking the fingers of people before they could vote. It was claimed that several people had been arrested while trying to smuggle election ink into Malaysia.

In GE13, the EC diluted the ink, saying it could be harmful.

In GE14, the EC will be just as creative.

It is ironic that, in 2010, Najib Abdul Razak had warned delegates at the BN convention, held in Wisma MCA, that the opposition coalition was attempting to take over Putrajaya and that the federal government had to be protected from the greedy and the power crazy.

He said: “BN is a responsible coalition. You can place your hopes and trust in us. The people can trust us to do not only what is right, but what is in their best interests.”

Around the world, repressive regimes have been toppled by non-violent civil resistance movements – Chile, Poland, South Africa, the Philippines. Armed resistance is not the answer, as military training and the supply of weapons is expensive. Nor should we expect foreign countries to intervene; they have to protect their own interests.

Only we can help ourselves. This sham Malaysian democracy can expect more marches and more resistance from the rakyat.

If Najib continues to exploit the rakyat, it is possible that even the police and security personnel will shift their allegiance and loyalty, as happened in Egypt.

In the current economic climate, the rakyat is forced to tighten its belt further. Graduates are finding it more difficult to get jobs, unlike politicians’ children who are given choice appointments or who become directors of companies with a paid-up capital of RM2, which receive multi-million ringgit government contracts.

Young adults cannot afford to live away from home. Skilled workers are refused employment, as foreign workers, both legal and illegal, are cheaper.

Symbols of oppression

As living conditions become more intolerable, NGOs, human rights activists, students, opposition politicians, religious organisations and the rakyat will unite as one movement against oppression.

Najib can arrest a few such as Adam Adli, Haris Ibrahim, Tian Chua, Safwan Anang or Tamrin Ghafar, but more leaders will emerge.

Thirty-nine years ago, the education minister who gagged our academia and students with the Universities and University Colleges Act was Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Today, Najib will attempt to do the same.

In the Tunisian uprising, Mohammed Bouazizi immolated himself, when the police stopped him from making a living as a street pedlar to feed his family. He became the symbol of the Jasmine revolution.

In the recent protests in Turkey, ‘The Woman in Red’ whose face was sprayed with tear-gas has become a global symbol of police brutality and oppression. The demonstrations, which began as a protest against the redevelopment of a park, have escalated into public fury against the creeping Islamicisation and the increasing authoritarian rule of the government.

In Malaysia, we are not short of symbols of oppression. Two National Union of Bank Employee (Nube) officials, vice-president Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen from Pulau Tikus, Penang and general treasurer Chen Ka Fatt, from Ipoh Garden in Ipoh, were sacked from Maybank because they made a stand against its treatment of workers.

In the late 1970s, as Minister for Trade and Industry, Mahathir clipped the power of unions.

Today, Najib honours Abdul Wahid Omar, who was CEO of Maybank, by making him a minister in the PM’s Department.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi may order a crackdown on activists and opposition leaders. In doing so, he will only unleash a more determined rakyat who will retaliate with more marches, boycotts and strikes.

Najib may try to prevent the rakyat and the ‘Black 505′ rally from entering Dataran Merdeka, but he cannot curb our resolve to fight oppression. Perhaps, we should occupy Dataran Merdeka, our metaphorical Berlin Wall.

Najib may surround Dataran Merdeka with razor wire, but he cannot imprison our minds.

TMI

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is coercing voters to support the government by punishing opposition backers through selective aid, Pakatan Rakyat leaders have said.

The federal opposition blasted Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his promise to provide greater assistance only to those who backed BN in Election 2013, saying the move was aimed at “victimising” voters in a bid to sustain its political dominance.

“It is not surprising as this has always been the way of BN which is to victimise those who vote against them and help those who back them,” PAS central working committee member Khalid Samad told The Malaysian Insider.

On Saturday, Muhyiddin was quoted as saying that the BN administration will direct “greater assistance” towards the communities that backed it during the general election in a move that gave out mixed signals over the Najib administration’s seriousness in pushing for national reconciliation.

The clear message is that the majority of the Malays, Indians, Bumiputeras, Orang Asli, Siamese community as well as those in Sabah and Sarawak still support the BN.

“We will continue to give them greater assistance; that is what we will do,” the deputy prime minister was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama at a BN thanksgiving function in Kundang Ulu, Johor, in an apparent continuation of the vilification of Chinese voters following the general election.

The DAP’s Rasah lawmaker Anthony Loke said it was obvious that Muhyiddin’s statement was aimed towards the Chinese community of which majority of them had voted for the opposition in the last national polls.

“This shows that he wants to penalise the Chinese community.

“What he said goes to show that he is not a deputy prime minister for all Malaysians but only for BN. After all, he is famous for making that statement that he is ‘Malay first, Malaysian second’,” Loke told The Malaysian Insider.

The DAP central executive committee member cited analysis that pointed to an increased shift in Malay support towards the opposition and demanded to know why was the government only punishing the Chinese.

“It’s a very stupid statement and very irresponsible. He is saying something completely different from Najib who is pushing for reconciliation and so on and yet he is making all these divisive statements,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had spoken of a need to reconcile the country immediately after the polls outcome was announced, but it was not a theme that was universally accepted in the BN coalition.

Right-wing elements in Umno along with party mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia have sought to frame the May 5 polls as a Chinese-versus-Malay vote, after Najib’s reference to a so-called “Chinese tsunami” following the election.

Utusan Malaysia had front-paged an incendiary headline titled “Apa lagi Cina mahu?” (What more do the Chinese want?) while tabloid Kosmo! took the blame game further with an even more overt title, “Pengundi Cina bersikap talam dua muka (Chinese voters are two-faced)”, a day after polling.

However, analysts instead pointed to a growing urban-rural divide as well as the ascendancy of a “Bangsa Malaysia” who did not vote along racial lines, as the main factors for the outcome.

Khalid said Muhyiddin’s statement reveals BN’s true nature and said that until this government is voted out, discrimination against anyone who opposes it will continue.

“That is why we are here. To oppose them. After so long in power they still do not understand that the money belongs to the rakyat. Of course not everyone will vote for them but when they are elected into power, they must serve everyone,” he said.

Despite the burgeoning of right wing elements within BN, several leaders have rejected the attempt to pin the blame for the ruling coalition’s worst-ever electoral showing solely on the Chinese community.

BN won 133 seats in the 222-seat federal Parliament, seven fewer than in the 2008 polls.

An apparent crackdown against opposition politicians and activists for sedition, however, has cast doubt over the government’s commitment to reconciliation.

The Malaysian Insider

Tycoon Tan Sri Halim Saad’s massive legal suit against the government underlines the widespread corruption that typifies the Mahathir-era where the line between business and politics was blurred to help the ruling Umno amass an empire of wealth, said Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders.

Opposition leaders believe the suit, set to be one of the biggest corporate battles in the country, will also test the Najib administration’s seriousness in tackling high-level corruption as they expect the legal battle to expose more gruesome details on Umno’s dirty corporate ties.

“This is yet another legacy of Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad),” DAP lawmaker Liew Chin Tong told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the longest-serving former prime minister whose administration had spearheaded a Bumiputra corporate advancement project that helped create a pool of Malay tycoons like Halim.

“When it comes to corruption and cronyism, we know Umno is corrupt and filled with cronies. What we want to know now is, who is getting all that money. That’s what the people want to know,” he added.

Halim has mounted a massive legal challenge against the government to demand full settlement of an over RM2 billion deal that forced him to relinquish his controlling stake in Renong Bhd more than a decade ago.

According to digital business magazine, The Edge Review, Halim, once the sole corporate nominee of the ruling Umno, was offered RM1.3 billion in cash and property as well as control of a private waste management company, roughly valued at RM2 billion, in exchange for his disposal of Renong in the 2001 agreement.

Citing people familiar with Halim’s suit, the magazine reported that the business magnate had since only received RM165 million despite giving up his business empire and is seeking the remainder.

The move comes as a shock since Halim’s tenure in Renong was marred by questionable decisions. It is widely perceived that he had failed to rein in Renong’s growing debts, which allegedly forced the government to take over his stake in the conglomerate through state investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

Liew said the Halim saga was among the many failures of Dr Mahathir’s Bumiputra corporate advancement project, citing other controversies like the legal battle between national carrier MAS and its former chief executive officer Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli and the Forex scandal in 1983.

Opposition leaders believe the suit will test the Najib administration’s commitment to tackling high-level corruption. — file pic“Unfortunately, since Mahathir retired, we are still dealing with these issues after 10 years. I feel it is time the suggestion to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry be executed to investigate all financial legacies related to Mahathir,” he said.

The Edge Review had said that the suit would expose for the first time the “behind-the-scenes dealings in several multibillion dollar transactions and contract awards that shaped corporate Malaysia between the mid-1980s and the early part of this decade”.

It also quoted industry observers as saying that Halim’s suit will provide insights into how Umno created a political moneymaking machine around Renong and its associated concern, United Engineers Malaysia Bhd (UEM).

“It will offer Halim’s account of how he ceased to be a business nominee of Umno and also provide a personal confession of the gruelling years the businessman went through as he battled to keep debt-laden Renong afloat,” the magazine wrote.

PKR’s newly elected Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen echoed the view and said the suit will help shed light on Umno’s corporate links and how it helped the ruling Malay party amass massive wealth to sustain its dominance.

“This case will expose a system where an Umno sole corporate nominee helped shape and protect the party’s empire.

“Furthermore, it would also highlight the dubious relation between Umno and businesses. What Halim Saad said is true, the nominal system had encouraged the culture of opaqueness in business and politics,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Wong, who is in charge of opposition party PKR’s investment portfolio, also noted how the case would show if the government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would act on those involved in the fiasco.

“It will test if they are as transparent and accountable as they say they are”.

The opposition claimed that those behind the costly policy failures of the Mahathir administration have not only escape punishment but are compensated heftily in some cases.

The most notable case is the out-of-court settlement between MAS and Tajuddin, another Bumiputra corporate posterboy of the Mahathir era.

Halim was taken by former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin under his wing to become Umno’s sole corporate nominee in 1984. — file picThe move has been described as an attempt by the government to cover up details found in Tajudin’s affidavit in support of his counter-claim where the embattled tycoon purportedly revealed much of the inner workings behind the purchase of MAS.

Opposition leaders noted that the same could happen with the Halim suit as the tycoon’s exposes on the Umno-Renong link could force the government to concede and seek a settlement outside of court.

“I hope this case will not imitate the Tajuddin Ramli case where it was settled out of court. Until today, the people are asking what happened and how much of taxpayers’ money was paid to him,” PAS chief economist Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider.

According to The Edge Review, Halim had tried to pressure the government into paying a full settlement from the Renong deal but in 2010, Dr Mahathir told him the agreement would not be honoured.

Businessmen familiar with the situation say that Dr Mahathir told Halim that he had been informed by (Tan Sri) Nor Mohamed (Yakcop) that the assets taken over by Khazanah belonged to Umno,” it added.

The Edge Review said Halim then met with Nor Mohamed, then a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, who confirmed Dr Mahathir’s words.

According to the magazine and StarBiz, Nor Mohamed, the Malaysian government and state-owned strategic investment fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd have been named as defendants in the multibillion-ringgit suit that was filed in April this year.

In the statement of claim sighted by StarBiz, Halim is alleging that the parties had signed the 2001 and/or another 2003 agreement with him with “an intent to deceive him or induce him to enter into both agreements”.

Unfortunately, since Mahathir retired, we are still dealing with these issues… I feel it is time the suggestion to set up a RCI be executed to investigate all financial legacies related to Mahathir. — Liew Chin Tong

Dzulkefly said the only way to unravel the fiasco was to conduct a forensic audit on the suit. I think what the people want to see is if their money is not freely gambled,” he said.

The former Kuala Selangor lawmaker also called on Putrajaya to expose all corporate transaction data involved in the Renong deal.

“Is the money belonging to the government-linked company Umno’s money? And not the people’s?” He said.

Halim, who was in 1984 taken by former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin under his wing to become Umno’s sole corporate nominee, had built Renong and UEM into Malaysia’s largest conglomerate, with ventures in the banking, construction, telecommunications, real-estate development and tolled-roads industries.

The Asian financial crisis of 1997 led to the fall in Renong’s share prices and according to The Edge Review, exposed the conglomerate’s poor cash flow and large debt burdens.

Malaysiakini

Pakatan Rakyat will file a judicial review application to challenge the veracity of the electoral roll involving several constituencies in Sabah.

At a press conference in Kota Kinabalu today, PKRde facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said there are evidence that the electoral roll is tainted with non-citizens.

He said that this had affected the election in five parliamentary constituencies in Sabah – Pututan, Sepanggar, Libaran, Kudat and Tawau.

“We cannot accept (the results) because not only did we win the majority vote (but) there was that huge scam… In Sabah, other than the election petitions for Kota Marudu and Pensiangan, we will bring the case of non-citizens casting their votes.

“This is a serious case in Sabah and in the name of justice, the courts should, in the judicial review that we will be filing, decide that Election Commission must clean up the electoral rolls,” he said.

RCI testimonies to be used

Apart from the judicial review, Anwar said Pakatan will be filling about 30 election petitions to challenge the results of the 13th general election.

Anwar did not present any evidence during the press conference but claimed that Pakatan’s research found that more than 60,000 non-citizens had voted in Sabah on May 5.

In addition, he said Pakatan’s lawyers will also be submitting testimonies given to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Sabah’s population boom as evidence.

Several beneficiaries of the so-called “Project IC” or “Project M” – essentially a citizenship-for-votes scam – have provided detailed testimonies to the RCI on how easy it was for them to become a full-fledge Malaysian citizens.

Anwar predicts that the chances of Pakatan succeeding in its application for a judicial review and election petitions were “slim” because he believed that “judges of integrity” who decide based on facts and the law are scarce.

“I am hopeful and if the judiciary system cannot defend the Federal Constitution and law, then it is a tragedy for Malaysian,” he said.

Harakah Daily

Timbalan Mursyidul Am PAS Tuan Guru Datuk Dr Haron Din mendakwa, rakyat khususnya pengundi pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) lalu telah ditipu berhubung penggunaan dakwat ‘kekal’.

Katanya, tidak kira pihak mana yang sebenarnya bertanggungjawab dengan dakwat yang tidak kekal itu, namun hakikatnya seluruh pengundi telah ditipu oleh istilah ‘dakwat kekal’ itu.

“Polis mempunyai kapa­siti menyiasat siapa yang menipu siapa dalam kes tersebut. Pembekal mem­bekalkan dakwat tidak kekal sedangkan dinamakan sebagai dakwat kekal. Ertinya pembekal menipu SPR. Kalau SPR memesan dakwat tidak kekal tetapi menamakan dakwat kekal, maka SPR menipu kerajaan dan pengundi.

“Kalau kerajaan ber­pakat dengan SPR meme­san dakwat yang tidak kekal tetapi mendakwa se­bagai dakwat kekal, maka SPR bersekongkol dengan kerajaan menipu rakyat,” ujarnya.

Pada hari pengundian 5 Mei lalu, beliau yang merupakan calon PAS bagi kawasan Parlimen Arau, adalah antara individu yang membuat laporan polis berhubung dakwat yang dicalit ditanggannya boleh tanggal sejurus selepas membuang undi.

Mengulas lanjut beliau berkata, banyak lagi kepincangan yang berlaku sepanjang proses pilihan raya lalu seperti didedahkan oleh banyak pihak.

Sehubungan itu katanya, beliau menyokong se­barang perhimpunan aman membantah penipuan pilihan raya yang dianjurkan di negara ini selagi tidak mengun­dang kepada malapetaka.

“Lagi pun, Islam dan perlembagaan negara membenarkan perhimpu­nan secara aman. Seperti juga kita berhimpun pada hari Jumaat. Itu juga dina­makan sebagai demonstra­si tetapi diadakan secara aman. Sama juga perhim­punan besar di Makkah. Perhimpunan aman saya sokong,” jelas beliau.

When Hamlet bemoans “the oppressor’s wrong…, the law’s delay, the insolence of office”, it is a classic case of art imitating life. Except that in our present condition, the powers that be are seeing it fit that life should imitate art.

So, as last week’s events have shown, in re-arresting Tian Chua, Tamrin Ghafar, and Haris Ibrahim just four days after they were freed by the court, the police plainly displayed ‘the insolence of office’ and showed utter contempt to the magistrate who had ordered their release.

Prosecuting them as well as other activists and opposition leaders for activities linked to the “Blackout 505” rallies therefore adds to ‘the oppressor’s wrong’ and nails the lie on Najib’s ‘reform agenda’ so proudly proclaimed not just to the nation but the world at large.

The custodial murders of Kugan, Dhamendran and others speak for themselves in the brutality and horror of the crimes and the audacity of those responsible for the initial cover-up, notwithstanding that some of the killers are finally charged.

Deporting Nurul Izzah from Sabah as if she were a common felon and placing Lim Kit Siang, Ambiga and me on the persona non grata list are yet other instances of the shameless abuse of power. That the bar was subsequently lifted is immaterial because the damage had already been done since she could not be there in time to celebrate a major cultural event with the people of Sabah.

They may claim some ‘technical right’ to arrest prior to charging suspects, power to interrogate, unfettered power for the Attorney General to prosecute whom he so wishes or some legal provision which allows the powers that be to bar citizens from entering Sabah. But when such a right or power is exercised without regard for human dignity, what more for the sanctity of life, it is not rule of law but tyranny and oppression. More profoundly, these acts and many more that have been committed have demonstrated the chilling and insidious consequences of the arrogance of power.

Under what circumstances are we that a mere presumed legal right can be used to justify dumping innocent people in the lockup to spend the night just to make life easy for the police to have them charged before a court of law?

Some will say this is making a mountain out of a mole-hill. But is it? To my mind, this liberty is inalienable and no words suffice to describe its import to the dignity of the person.

King Lear may tell Cordelia: “Come, let’s away to prison; We two alone will sing like birds in the cage” but that’s on a mystical level. And at that stage, Lear’s already insane. You may get used to the damp wall and the hard bed or even the stale bread but as long as your mind is clear, your spirit will never come to terms with the deprivation of your liberty.

In making the needless arrests, and then using the Sedition Act after having promised the nation it would be repealed, Najib Razak has ridden rough-shod over the urgings of the people – of lawmakers, civil society leaders and other community leaders – and have now in one fell stroke sealed the wall of alienation with the people. He’s also proven once again that he is not an honorable man.

That is why the prosecution of P. Uthayakumar for sedition – as well as the others – is significant in showing up the farcical nature of Najib’s government. That the reality never matches the rhetoric; that the promises are left on the wayside; and that when unchecked the ‘oppressor’s wrong’ can multiply many fold, eroding the foundation of our fundamental rights and tearing the fabric of our dignity as free citizens in a sovereign nation.

No doubt by refusing to continue with his defence, Uthayakumar had chosen to take the moral high ground for the cause he believes in and this has landed him a jail sentence far in excess of the supposed ‘crime’. But it needn’t have gone that far had the Attorney General used his prerogative to issue a nolle prosequi, that is, to discontinue the trial.

But all roads to accountability must lead to the man who wants to be Prime Minister. Indeed, “the oppressor’s wrong…, the law’s delay, the insolence of office”, are symptoms of a deep-seated systemic breakdown of the institution of governance.

So, let me remind not just Najib but Mahathir, Daim, the oppressors, and their co-conspirators, the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Slowly indeed the wheel of karma turns around its axis but those who commit wrongs and injustice will sooner or later be brought to account.

The brazen show of arrogance is matched only by the bias in the handling of real mischief makers, the hate mongers and racist provocateurs. The failure to take action against these criminals speaks one thing and one thing only: that this country has two sets of laws, one favouring UMNO and its cronies and another against law abiding citizens whose only ‘crime’ is to fight for their rights, for justice and for a legitimate government through free and fair elections.

Make no mistake. This arrogance of power will backfire. It will not succeed in dampening the spirit of the people. They can jail us, deport us, intimidate and even humiliate us, but the courage and the will of the people shall never be defeated. That’s because real power resides in the people. As Malcolm X once said, power in defence of freedom and if I might add, of justice and of our dignity, “is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression.”

ANWAR IBRAHIM
6th June, 2013

6 June 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Malaysia’s Sovereignty Sacrificed for Free Trade?

The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) initiative involving 11 countries and is currently in its 17th round of closed-door negotiations. Malaysia joined the TPP discussions in October 2010. Unfortunately, in keeping with past traditions, Malaysians including their elected representatives have not been informed of the discussions pertaining to the TPP.

This unfortunate exclusion from discussions, debates or any other form of participation let alone the entire process of obtaining a Parliamentary ratification denies the public their right to oversight and scrutiny of international treaties and agreements – be they bilateral or multilateral – which could affect national interests and sovereignty.

Although the Government is allowed to enter into international agreements and treaties without having to obtain Parliamentary approval, the scale and size of the TPP supercedes any other treaties in the world. Consistent with President Barack Obama’s goal to make it the ‘trade treaty’ worthy of the 21st century, TPP far exceeds the authority and quality of the multilateral agreements already agreed at World Trade Organization (WTO). This in itself should have been a red flag for further caution.

Invariably, we are extremely worried that the Government will sign the TPP agreement without first seeking public opinion, or being attentive to the concerns and sentiments of the people of Malaysia.

While KEADILAN in principle supports FTAs if all stakeholders are involved in the process, alongside Parliamentary review and ratification, all FTAs nevertheless must be premised on “fair trade” principles without compromising the socio-economic sphere, environment, cultural domain, labour rights, public safety and national security. On that premise, we call for a parliamentary expert study group on TPP – formed of Malaysian experts and specialists drawn from around the world – to be immediately convened to look into the nuts and bolts of the FTA.

We have justifiable reasons to be concerned. This is because by joining this trade agreement:-

- TPP confers greater legal rights on foreign businesses than those available to domestic businesses through a clause called the “investor-state” dispute settlement (ISDS) resolution. In lieu of this, we question the motives of the Government for entertaining the notion of joining an agreement that empowers foreign corporations to challenge domestic laws and regulations outside of domestic courts without first exhausting local legal measures. This is especially frightening as it allows foreign corporations to circumvent laws and regulations enacted by our Government in public interest such as those pertaining to natural resource, environmental protection, and health policies.

- TPP contains provisions concerning infringements of Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) ranging from basic pharmaceuticals to digital information online. These provisions would result in the increased costs of medicines purchased by our Government, and for the private consumer of medicines. Further, some provisions would hinder privacy, expression and innovation on the Internet as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would be required to monitor the everyday activity of internet users, and are given the authority to act upon them by means of disabling net access or throttling bandwidth, effectively hindering freedom of speech.

Accordingly, even if we accept TPP, we demand that the Malaysian Government ensure certain safeguards to be in place:-

1) Strengthen our environmental laws to that of international standards to prevent any abuse of our diverse ecosystem.
2) Emulate the international best practices to strongly oppose ISDS, and incorporate these best practices in the Trade Policy Statements.
3) Enact laws to protect the interest of domestic internet users and maintaining freedom of information as long as it does not breach existing security laws.

A study has been made by the Peterson Institute, stating that Malaysia stands to gain huge income gains through TPP. However, the projection has made no attempts to determine the impact of this trade deal on income inequality or environmental sustainability. Hence, we see TPP, and especially the processes leading to its ultimate acession, to be fraught with various social, political and economic risks, which could undermine the very integrity of the agreement eventually.

I will move a motion within Parliament strongly demanding a Parliamentary Expert Group on TPP be convened, with the added caveat that the legislature should be duly informed. This is to ensure the protection of the democratic rights of the Malaysian Parliament, especially in relation to the issue of review and ratification of all treaties.

Indeed, subsequent legislative amendments must be restored in light of this upcoming new treaty of TPP. Our concerns are not trivial. We will not accept the blind faith assurances that the Malaysian Government would perform its duties when they have failed miserably to protect our national interest and sovereignty in the past; including instances such as the territorial dispute cases of Pulau Batu Putih (with Singapore) and Block L and M (with Brunei), the Water Agreement (with Singapore) and the Singapore Tanjong Pagar KTM land deal (with Singapore).

I will further prioritise engagement with representatives from the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Chamber’s of Commerce regarding this matter. We take kindly to the invitation of the US Embassy which stated that they have offered give numerous groups from both business and civil society here in Malaysia the opportunity to be a stakeholder in the negotiations. I fully intend to represent the interests of Malaysians during the upcoming round of negotiations that will be held in Malaysia and will be bringing with me representatives from the respective CCM’s to be stakeholders as well.

This TPP may have been in the spirit of ‘Free Trade’, but is it truly a ‘fair trade’ deal for the citizens of our country?

NURUL IZZAH ANWAR
Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai
and Vice-President Parti KEADILAN Rakyat (People’s Justice Party)

Human Rights Watch

At least six alleged organizers of the “Blackout 505” rallies have been charged with violating Malaysia’s Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for failing to give police the required 10-day advance notification. On May 22, police also arrested 18 peaceful protesters at a candlelight vigil outside the Jinjang police station in Kuala Lumpur.

“Prosecuting activists for organizing peaceful protests makes a mockery of the prime minister’s promises to establish a rights-respecting government in Malaysia,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. “The government should drop the charges against the six activists and publicly pledge to cease bringing cases against organizers of peaceful protests.”

The “Blackout 505” rallies in Selangor, Penang, Ipoh, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Johor Bahru, and other parts of Malaysia attracted large numbers protesting the results of, and alleged malfeasance during, the country’s May general elections. The well-ordered demonstrations have generally been confined to clearly defined spaces or venues, such as sports stadiums and empty fields.

Statements by prominent public officials called into question the government’s commitment to protect the right to peaceful assembly. For example, Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the media that people had to stop the post-election gatherings, and “if they still want to continue, then they will have to pay the price.” Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Mohmad Salleh said the police refused to tolerate the candlelight vigil, “as it will only cause agitation among the public.”

The 10-day notice provision under the Peaceful Assembly Act is contrary to international human rights standards and should be amended along with other problematic parts of the law to protect public assembly and free expression. The United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of assembly and of association, Maina Kai, reported to the UN Human Rights Council in April 2013 that “peaceful protests should not be viewed as a threat” by governments. He flagged lengthy notification periods and recommended a maximum notice requirement of 48 hours.

“Prime Minister Najib should understand that addressing the issues surrounding the May elections means listening to his opponents – not prosecuting them for asserting the right to have their voices heard,” Robertson said.