Not all fraud is committed in broad daylight

2013-05-25T01:33:56Z

FMT LETTER: From Ravinder Singh, via e-mail

Listen. Malaysian unbelievers should listen. When an Oxford graduate tells you to believe that 10 is approximately equal to 1, he should know what he is talking about. He told The Economist that there isn’t a shred of evidence to show any fraud in the recently concluded GE13. This despite the fact that the vote of a voter in Kapar (an opposition supporting area) was only worth 10% of the vote of a voter in Putrajaya (a ruling party supporting area). And this in turn despite the fact that para (c) 13th Schedule of the Federal Constitution expressly states that the number of voters in the various constituencies should be “approximately equal”. The VIP is Khairy Jamaluddin.

On the same wavelength is the current Minister of Home Affairs who also strongly asserts that the Constitution was fully honoured in carrying out the election process and as such Malaysians should not question the fairness of the election.

Even the National Council of Professors has similarly defended the EC for having complied with the Constitution and conducted a fair election.

Well, that is their democratic right to do so. On the other hand it is also the democratic right of voters to question them, to reason, to analyse and to make their conclusions.

Instead of trying to force their views, opinions, etc. upon the voters, the authorities should explain honestly the points raised rather than sweeping things under the carpet. The attitude that the powers that be know best, have a right to do as they wish and no one should question them, must change.

One very important complaint about the electoral process is gerrymandering which has from election to election ensured the ruling party’s advantage over its opponents. This has been confirmed by researchers of standing and so it is not the cry of disgruntled losers.

On this one score alone, electoral fraud cannot be denied. Yes, fraud, because any form of manipulation to give advantage to any side was not the intention of the Merdeka Constitution nor is it acceptable in any democracy worthy of its name.

Replying in the Sun newspaper of 5/1/2012 to a letter that had questioned the redelineation of constituencies, the Public Relations Officer of the Election Commission Sabri Said wrote:

“On the issue of the review of the division of the federation and the states, the EC is guided by four main principles stipulated in the Thirteenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution which are as follows:

a) while having regard to the desirability of giving all electors reasonably convenient opportunities of going to the polls, constituencies ought to be delineated so that they do not cross state boundaries and regard ought to be had on the inconveniences of state constituencies crossing the boundaries of federal constituencies.

b) regard ought to be had to the administrative facilities available within the constituencies for the establishment of the necessary registration and polling machines.

c) the number of electors within each constituency in the state ought to be approximately equal except that having regard to the greater difficulty of reaching electors in the country districts and the other disadvantages facing rural constituencies, a measure of weightage for area ought to be given to such constituencies; and

d) regard ought to be had to the inconvenience attendant on alterations of constituencies, and to the maintenance of the local ties.

The EC wishes to emphasise that it has faithfully and consistently relied on the rule of law in carrying out its responsibilities.”

Repeated calls to the EC to explain in what language or by what mathematical formula or theory 1 vote in Putrajaya is “approximately equal” to 10 (around 18 in 2008) in Kapar have not been responded to.

Take this scenario: A bank advertises that for your cash investment for five years, your return will be approximately equal to Ringgit for Ringgit. You put in RM100,000 hoping to get a return of nearly the same amount. But when the time comes, the bank gives you only RM10,000 or a mere 10% return on your investment.

The bank will say and keep repeating that the return of RM1 is approximately equal to the investment sum of RM10. Will the investor accept this as fair play by the bank, or conclude that the investment scheme was a fraud perpetrated on the investors? Will rule of law be on the bank’s side although it has conned investors with its false advertisement?

It is a very similar kind of situation pertaining to the electoral boundaries as enshrined in the Constitution and as manipulated to give unfair advantage to the ruling party. The EC cannot give the phrase “approximately equal” any meaning it chooses. Is the EC telling Malaysians that it was the intention of Parliament, when amending the Constitution on elections, to give the EC a free hand to manipulate the electoral boundaries to ensure the ruling party stays in power, and stays with a two thirds majority? Is it democratic for a party/coalition that has a two-thirds majority in Parliament, to make a law that would ensure it remains in power at all times?

Not all fraud is committed in broad daylight.

The law is an ass

2013-05-25T01:32:47Z

FMT LETTER: From Muhammad Sadas Abdullah, via e-mail

The proverbial English expression ‘the law is an ass” simply means application of the law contrary to common-sense. It is the stupidly rigid application of the law that this phrase calls into question.

Another related expression ‘selective prosecution” simply means that there are people who are above the law as the AG sees it who are not prosecuted but bright citizens get whacked by the full letter of the law.

Any Malaysian who does not know what I am talking about should emigrate (learning points from my leaders). Anyway, for the less informed, whilst a student activist, Adam Adli is charged under the Sedition Act for allegedly inciting people to topple the elected government, a former MP, Ibrahim Ali, is riding the waves of patronage since no one has burnt any Bible yet. The waves apparently are above the law. What a circus of absurdity.

From my understanding, all scholars are in unanimous agreement that using force to displace an already established Khalifa who is meeting his responsibilities is forbidden. The above scholars rely on the following hadith to support their opinions.

From Sahih Muslim: A companion of the Prophet named Hudhayfah asked the Prophet about what the future holds for the Muslims. The Prophet replied that they will be led by devils at some point. The Prophet then added that the Muslims should obey these leaders.

From Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: The Prophet noted that there will come leaders whom Muslims will not like – that is, they will not follow the Sunnah precisely. the Prophet continued and ordered the Muslims to “give your right to them, then ask God for your right,” or in other words, be patient.

I shall be patient.

The unsung heroes of GE13

2013-05-25T01:32:04Z

FMT LETTER: From Thomas Fann, via e-mail

The 13th General Election is over and the result showed that majority of Malaysians wanted to “Ubah”, that is, to see change. Many who have worked hard for it are disappointed with the outcome but we realise that we must move on and prepare ourselves for GE14.

We salute the tireless efforts of politicians and civil society leaders at the forefront of this push for change. Many of them travelled the length and breadth of this country, keeping an insane schedule for the past few months just to make themselves heard at the hundreds of ceramahs or rallies across this nation. It was almost a superhuman effort. Though they have lost the battle to take Putrajaya this time, they are still heroes of this struggle for a better Malaysia.

But this struggle is not theirs alone. Throughout these last few years and especially in the last few months in the run-up to May 5, it has been my absolute privilege to have served together and to have known ordinary Malaysians from all walks of life who shares a common passion for this country. To me they are no less heroic in their efforts and their sacrifices are no less significant. I want to sing the praises of some of these unsung heroes of GE13.

- Felicia is a Malaysian who has lived in Singapore for many years, never registered and never voted before. Just after Parliament was dissolved and election called, she checked her voting status at the SPR’s website and found herself registered not only as a voter but as an advance voter in Putrajaya. Not wanting anyone to cast her vote on her behalf, on 28th April, the day advance voters were supposed to vote, she got into her car very early in the morning and drove the 340km from Singapore to Putrajaya to cast her vote by 9am and then turned around and head back to Singapore.

- I met Boon at the campaign office of a candidate. He has volunteered himself to help out with some of the administrative stuff there and we got talking. I found out that Boon and his family have been living in the UK for many years but have keenly followed the political developments of Malaysia and decided to fly home with his wife to cast their votes, for the very first time.

- There were probably thousands of folks just like Felicia and Boon, Malaysians who live and work overseas who came back to vote. Some thoughtless individuals might have considered these overseas Malaysians unpatriotic but I challenge them to find me more committed people than these, who came home at great personal expense to cast their one vote. For them it was more than a vote but a stake in the future of this country, a country they love.

- When the call went out for volunteers to serve as polling and counting agents, literally tens of thousands of Malaysians came forward to be trained and deployed on Polling Day to do their part for a clean and fair election. Many came out with no expectation of payment and if they received any allowances for their services, they donated back these allowances. Money cannot buy such people and they can’t be bought, they are priceless.

- Thanks to the news of foreigners being flown in to vote in our election, thousands of citizens came forward to volunteer as election observers or as “ghostbusters”, standing guard under hot sun or rain outside polling stations. At several of the polling stations I visited that day, I saw between 30-50 residents standing outside their own polling stations until polling ended and for some, they followed the ballot boxes all the way to the main counting centres. All this they did on their own accord without anyone telling them what to do.

- Ariff and his friends were one of those who stood guard outside a main counting centre. At around 10.30pm they saw a taxi bringing in additional ballot carriers with a uniformed but unnumbered policeman in it. They stopped the taxi and challenged the legality of such last minute additional ballots. The taxi turned around and sped off with them in pursuit by foot.

- In the early hours of May 5, a factory manager in Johor found out from his HR manager that 100 of his foreign workers were not turning up to work. They told the HR manager that their agent was coming to fetch them to collect ICs so that they could vote. The factory manager rushed to the police station to make a report and with the report he managed to stop the workers from voting. But he didn’t stop there. He made copies of the police report and pass it to as many election observers as he could find so that they would be on the lookout for foreign voters. A true patriot!

- Ben and his wife went to cast their votes early and decided to stay back to help those who were queuing up to check their salurans (channels) number. They told those who already knew their numbers to go straight to join the queue at the saluran so as to save some time. But their efforts to help were not appreciated by the SPR officer-in-charge who insisted that all must check for their salurans before queuing again to vote. They were ordered to leave but they remained outside the school gate to continue assisting those coming to vote till the end of polling at 5pm.

- I know of a young man whose life was miraculously saved from the burning wreckage of his car seconds before it exploded on 8th April. He was hospitalised for more than 3 weeks and still suffered serious spinal injuries when polling day came. He insisted on casting his vote and was wheeled from the hospital to the polling station to cast his vote for change. A life spared, a vote counted.

- Then there were the probably hundreds of ordinary citizens who became social activists after the previous election in 2008. Many of these post-GE12 activists willingly made huge sacrifices to organise others to be involved in new voters education, polling and counting agent trainings, organised and participated in various protests and forums and did street ceramahs. For many, their business and work suffered and marital relationships strained. They are not household names but they are heroes to those whom they have served and led.

The above true stories are just a very small representation of the many unsung heroes strewn all across Malaysia and the globe. You would have many stories of your own to tell and of people you know. We salute them all.

There is no doubt in my mind that with the highly questionable way Barisan Nasional has won this election and subsequent divisive statements by Najib, his ministers, and UMNO loyalists, and the unjust crackdowns on Adam Adli, Haris Ibrahim, Tian Chua and Tamrin Ghafar, we can expect to see even more citizens rising up to play a direct and active role in the political process of this country.

To me, this is the true Malaysian Spring, the uprising of ordinary Malaysians who are determine to have a say in how our country is run and to hold elected officials accountable for their service. Like a tsunami, It is an uprising that is unstoppable, and irreversible, it is an uprising that will eventually achieve its intended purpose – Ubah!

JANGAN SALAH TANGGAPAN

2013-05-25T01:11:00Z

Black505 bukan untuk guling kerajaan

Blackout505 bukan bertujuan menggulingkan kerajaan secara kekerasan sebaliknya ia merupakan himpunan aman bagi membantah penipuan dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) pada 5 Mei lalu.
Naib Presiden PAS, Salahuddin Ayub menegaskan, PAS komited menggunakan seluruh saluran demokrasi yang ada termasuk himpunan aman untuk mengembalikan pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil.

"Sepanjang saya menyertai himpunan Black505, ia bukanlah berbentuk kekerasan apatah lagi bertujuan menggulingkan kerajaan secara tidak demokrasi seperti yang didakwa Umno BN.
"Ia sekadar himpunan aman untuk menunjukkan rasa tidak puas hati rakyat terhadap pilihan raya yang tidak bersih," katanya ketika dihubungi Harakahdaily hari ini.

Beliau berkata, PAS bersama Pakatan Rakyat akan terus memperjuangkan pilihan raya yang adil dan bersih.
"PAS akan terus berjuang dengan segala ruang yang ada untuk mengembalikan pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil," katanya.

Siri Black505 bermula di Stadium Kelana Jaya 8 Mei lalu sebelum ke Perak, Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Pahang dan Negeri Sembilan. - HD

Started out on the wrong foot?

2013-05-25T00:09:02Z

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seemed to have started out on the wrong foot in his second term as Prime Minister. You don’t think so?

Well, he made the biggest blunder by labelling the results of the 13th general election as a ‘Chinese tsunami’ immediately after the polls results were announced.

Appended below is ample evidence to show how wrong he is. These results reveal BN’s Chinese candidates winning in Malay-majority seats by defeating PAS’ and PKR’s Malay candidates:

1. P151 Simpang Renggam, Johor – won by BN’s Leong Teck Meng with a majority of 5,706 votes. (Total number of votes is 19,754.) There are 56% Malay voters.

2. N04 Cheka, Pahang – won by BN’s Fong Koong Fuee with a majority of 1,185 votes. (Total number of votes is 5,324.) Malay voters make up 69% of the electorate.

3. N22 Gurun, Kedah – won by BN’s Leong Yong Kong with a majority of 1,296 votes. (Total number of votes is 11,411.) Malay voters account for 57% of the electorate.

4. N03 Pemanis, Johor – won by BN’s Lau Chin Hoon with a majority of 1,329 votes. (Total number of votes is 10,305.) There are 56% Malay voters.

5. N54 Pulai Sebatang, Johor – won by BN’s Tee Siew Kiong with a majority of 3,412 votes. (Total number of votes is 13,554.) 63% is the number of Malay voters.

On the other hand, two DAP Malay candidates had to win with the help of Malay and Indian voters. Listed below are the results and the details:

1. P80 Raub, Pahang won by DAP’s Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz with a majority of 2,814 votes by defeating BN’s Hoh Khai Mun. Malays make up 49.8% of the voters, Chinese 40.3%, Indians 6.5% and Orang Asli 3.1%.

2. N30 Mentakab, Pahang won by DAP’s Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji with a majority of 1,554 votes by defeating BN’s Chuah Boon Seong. Malays make up 51.9% of the voters, Chinese 40.1%, Indians 5.8% and Orang Asli 1.6%.

“Saying that the polls results is a Chinese tsunami shows up PM Najib as emotional and irrational as his outburst is not based on factual analysis and he must be reminded that his government is a minority government,” said former PAS Kuala Selangor MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Double XL cabinet

Another blunder committed by PM Najib is in regard to the size of his new cabinet which is “Double XL” as labelled by Dzulkefly who mentioned that Indonesia which has a population of 250 million has the same-sized cabinet as Malaysia whereas Malaysia’s population is less than 30 million (around 28 million).

“Therefore the size of the cabinet is much higher than the Malaysian population warrants it,” commented Dzulkefly.

“Many old faces in the cabinet also indicate that PM Najib remains in the shadow of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and this means he has to ensure his own political survival.

“This explains the inclusion of several faces such as Khairy Jamaluddin, Nazri Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rahman Dahlan who can help PM Najib to stay in power,” said PAS Pokok Sena MP, Mahfuz Omar who also reminded everyone that now there are 35 ministers compared to 29 when Najib took over the Prime Minister’s post in April 2009.

Najib has also strengthened his power by having eight full ministers and two deputy ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department to ensure that he stays as Prime Minister, Umno president and BN’s chairman.

The exchange of portfolios between Hishammuddin Hussein (from Home Ministry to Defence) and Zahid Hamidi (Defence to Home Ministry) is seen by Mahfuz as Najib’s way of shielding himself against any eventualities by ensuring that the top two minister’s listen to him.

“Najib’s performance is worst than former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and he will probably be facing some internal conflict as Dr Mahathir has said that Najib needs to step down if he fails to regain the two-third majority in Parliament,” remarked Mahfuz.

Mahfuz stressed that such a big cabinet also adds to the government’s operating expenditure besides lessening its efficiency and quality of service through its massive bureaucracy. The formation of the cabinet is to implement the government’s programmes and should not be a reward to friends who have done well in the recent 13th general election.

He is also of the view that this large cabinet will increase the national debt that has already passed the RM500 billion mark since Najib became the prime minister.

Said Mahfuz, “As the nation’s debt is more than RM500 billion, the size of the cabinet should therefore be smaller so that the cost of maintaining the cabinet can be decreased. The savings incurred can then be used to service the national debt. The large cabinet is just to save Najib’s political career and has nothing to do with the people’s welfare.”

GST on the way?

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has weighed in his view by saying that the cabinet this time is the weakest and dullest in all of BN’s 56 years of tenure as the federal government.

The refusal of the MCA election winners to take up posts in the cabinet is also a headache for Najib. Therefore it remains to be seen whether the extra large cabinet can function efficiently and effectively.

The third mistake committed by the prime minister pertains to the GST (Goods & Services Tax) wherein Dzulkefly remarked that “It is certainly not ‘Janji Ditepati’ because 7 percent is ridiculous especially for the low-income group”.

“This 7% is very unfair because GST is across the board and therefore the low-wage earner has less to save as the GST will eat up more of his income”.

Thus with all these mistakes in the space of less than a month, let us now start to evaluate the performance of the BN federal government.

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.

Zahid’s bad impression ‘indelible’

2013-05-25T00:06:52Z

Barely hours after the new Cabinet was unveiled, its ministers through sheer foolery, had revealed their true colours.

One such minister is Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who in the previous Cabinet line-up held the Defence Ministry portfolio.

Angered by unhappiness voices over the fraud employed by the Barisan Nasional ruling alliance to win the 13th general election, Ahmad Zahid point-blankly asked those unhappy with the May 5, 2013 general election outcome to migrate.

Predictably, Ahmad Zahid who is also Umno vice-president was lambasted for his racist stance.

However, like all ‘seasoned’ politicians, Ahmad Zahid too quickly clinged to the alibi that his statement was taken out of context by certain irresponsible parties.

“I actually said those who are not confident of our political system to berhijrah to countries with political systems that suited them.

“I am not being racist… I am just being practical in saying such groups should go to countries where they can translate their political beliefs into reality,” Ahmad Zahid said in his defence.

Making a lame justification as to why he said that which he did is not going to help Ahmad Zahid make a good impression on the already fuming rakyat.

In fact, Ahmad Zahid’s explaination that Malaysia is the beneficiary of the Commonwealth system and individuals who think the system in the United States or other countries were more suitable could migrate there has made one thing clear, that the proof of the pudding is in its eating.

That said, there is little good the rakyat can expect from ministers like Ahmad Zahid or rather the entire Cabinet line-up, all of whom came in not by virtue of quality but through cronyism.

And that once again Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is ‘at loss for words’ when the rakyat is humilated speaks volumes of his dedication towards the people.

Politicians never have personal views

If the “get lost” outburst by Ahmad Zahid was not discomforting enough, newly-minted Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin butted in saying the remark was made in Ahmad Zahid’s personal opinion.

Now, can Khairy enlighten the rakyat as to when does a minister speak in “his personal capacity?”

Khairy’s uncalled for attempt at dousing the tension caused by Ahmad Zahid goes to show just how much these “Umno boys” will stoop to save their own skin.

The truth as the rakyat knows is that Ahmad Zahid is yet another Malay extremist out to subjugate the non-Malays of this country; hence, any form of damage control by any quarters is not going to change this fact.

Ahmad Zahid’s intolerance towards the Chinese and Indians is apparent, it is now a matter of wait and see as to what prime minister Najib does to tone down the highly-charged racial tension in this country, if he ever does anything that is.

As for the rakyat, they have two options – either put up with ministers like Ahmad Zahid or make it clear to the Barisan Nasional leadership that the people are in no mood to entertain bigots like Ahmad Zahid.

Zahid’s bad impression ‘indelible’

Barely days old as the Home Minister and Ahmad Zahid has created an ‘indelible’ bad impression of himself by telling the disgruntled voters off.

In fact, Ahmad Zahid’s notoriety for denying Malaysians the right to a better voting system and telling them to migrate if they are unhappy with Malaysia’s first-past-the-post system will precede all else that he does.

The question, however, that keeps popping up is – why has BN adopted the ‘deaf mute’ stand in the ‘Ahmad Zahid and migrate’ issue? Whatever happened to the BN policy of ’1Malaysia’ and ‘People First’?

The dissenting voice, as always, has come from the opposition quarters with DAP anchorman Lim Kit Siang pushing for a motion once Parliament convenes to censure the Home Minister for his “arrogant and insufferable outburst”.

With BN’s nonchalant attitude towards the ‘Ahmad Zahid and migrate’ episode, the revelation by World Values Survey that Malaysians are among the least racially tolerant in the world comes as no surprise.

The survey reported in the Washington Post, was conducted by Swedish economists showed that 20% to 29.9% of Malaysians would not like living next to a person of a different race; Malaysia was lumped together in the category with Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Mali and Zambia.

While the survey findings are far from not shocking, what however does the Home Minister intend to do to? Will Ahmad Zahid condemn all Malaysians and ask them to “get out” of the country or will he work hard at instilling the long lost ‘love thy neighbour’ culture?

And going by the racial politicking employed by ministers in the new Cabinet line-up, does the much talked about national reconciliation stand any chance at succeeding?

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.

Stick to your original task, Anwar

2013-05-25T00:04:06Z

Barely weeks after the election and already this Barisan Nasional government has started to dismantle Pakatan Rakyat electoral structure and their avowed compatriots piece by piece – harrasing, intimidating, questioning and even jailing Pakatan Rakyat activists.

They are not in the least perturbed by the saber-rattling antics of Anwar Ibrahim and a Pakatan Rakyat that simply does not have the capacity or the means to follow through on its implied threat of punishing Barisan Nasional.

Today it is Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Adam Adli, Haris Ibrahim, Tamrin Ghaffar, Tian Chua and Dr Chen Man Hin. Tomorrow maybe Anwar Ibrahim!

It is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ Anwar be will arrested and charges laid upon him under the Sedition Act – if not for his call to topple the government through massive street protests, then perhaps for his alleged involvement in Lahad Datu.

I do not doubt that Anwar could muster thousands of Malaysians to join him in his Blackout 505 rallies but it would be impossible for him to dismiss the relentless pursuit by the Special Branch and the powers-that-be.

Let us not forget what a BN government has done in the past, the various ‘solutions’ that Umno will surely revisit to solve any threats to ‘national security’.

What risks are Pakatan Rakyat and their supporters willing to take to show their ire against BN’s ‘provocative acts’? The wisdom of going into a confrontational stance with BN carries with it more risks to Pakatan than to BN.

For me Pakatan’s threats are hollow and more often than not, borders on the comical, given that they have yet to put their own house in order!

I am troubled that PAS, one of Pakatan Rakyat’s coalition partners, would take in Muhammad Muhd Taib, Rahman Maidin and Tamrin Ghaffar into their confidence.

I am troubled that the Bersih whom I have expected to be non-partisan (not partisan; free from party affiliation, bias, or designation) have increasingly shown itself to be in Pakatan Rakyat’s camp.

I am troubled that the thousands upon thousands of phantom voters conjured up by BN to vote for BN, have, to date, not yet been exposed in the numbers that Pakatan Rakyat have been mentioning – in the tens of thousands.

And most worrying of all is that since the end of the 13th general election, Pakatan Rakyat has yet to get their act together as an opposition that has grown stronger.

Move forward

An opposition that should by now have started the process of harnessing the growing discord against this BN government into something more positive than holding these Blackout 505 rallies nationwide.

An opposition that could ill afford to have its political luminaries intimidated, harassed and carted off to be incarcerated when they are all needed to do the work within Pakatan Rakyat of consolidating their gains, understanding the losses and organizing a responsible and effective opposition to do battle with BN in Parliament and beyond.

A case in point: Pakatan must start working immediately in the 133 constituencies they failed to win – a tedious exercise indeed – but surely that would be the more responsible thing is do.

Go forward and do not dwell on the past. For Pakatan Rakyat, the past must be lessons learnt in making themselves ready for what is to come.

Our past is a myriad of negativity that shouts of corruption, arrogance, racism, nepotism, cronyism, money politics, self interests – all that reposed in a BN government that still rules Malaysia today.

The future promises much because now our people have a voice that must already been heard by Najib Tun Razak and his BN colleagues.

BN have been told by the majority of Malaysians that they should not go on doing government the way they have been doing for the past 55 years.

The process of change that started in the 12th general election marches on unabated and Pakatan Rakyat has continued to make inroads by increasing its representation in Parliament.

Any fool can understand the implications of these results and I do not take Najib for a fool. Nor are Umno’s political elites of the same genre.

Greed and self interest may be their primary failings but fools they are not! Let us now hope that Anwar is up to the challenge before him – that of being leader of the opposition against a minority BN government.

He must continue with the task he started: to make good governance the cornerstone of Malaysian politics.

For sure he could have done this better if Pakatan Rakyat had won government but surely the strong opposition he now leads is equal to the task of keeping those politicians in government honest.

CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.

Outrage grows over scandal-tainted Malaysian leader

2013-05-24T16:11:14Z

Despite earning a civil servant’s salary for three decades, Taib Mahmud, the powerful chief minister of Malaysia’s Sarawak state, is reputed by critics to be one of Asia’s richest men.

Taib, 77, and his family are accused of massive corruption and running Malaysia’s largest state like a family business, controlling its biggest companies with stakes in hundreds of corporations in Malaysia and abroad.

A Rolls Royce and flashy jet cover his transportation, while a vast war chest has kept his political authority unrivalled in 32 years in charge of the resource-rich Borneo island state, which remains one of Malaysia’s poorest – South China Morning Post.

Read the rest of this report HERE.

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Posted in: 13th General Elections, Asalkan Bukan UMNO, Dishonest politicians

← Thank you, God. Thank you, all. Now let’s get back to the business of taking our country back. See you all at Amcorp tomorrow

Thank you, God. Thank you, all. Now let’s get back to the business of taking our country back. See you all at Amcorp tomorrow

2013-05-24T14:24:39Z

It’s good to be home.

There are just too many of you to thank by name.

All of you who have been praying for Tian Chua, Thamrin and me, thank you.

Those of you who kept vigil outside the Jinjang police lock up last night and again today, thank you.

The flash mob guys and girls who hit town calling for our release, thank you.

ABU eagles, you are priceless.

My family members, thank you for being there for me.

To the team of lawyers who appeared for Tian Chua, Thamrin and me to oppose the remand application, you collectively reminded me today of why I once so loved the legal profession. Thank you, all.

Ashok, love you, bro.

Yang Arif Puan Megistret Norashikin Sahat, you gave me hope today that the judiciary may be on the mend. Thank you, Your Honour.

I also want to thank the officers of the arresting team that detained me in Segambut and the officers at the Jinjang lock-up. You were professional in discharging your duties. I want to reiterate here that our struggle for justice is as much for you and your loved ones.

Tonight, I renew my pledge to all of you to continue our struggle to return democracy to our nation.

As I go to bed tonight, my thoughts go out to all those detained at police lock ups throughout the country who will have to make do with a floor without bedding, pillow and blanket.

As we fight for justice, let us not forget them.

See you all at Amcorp tomorrow.

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Posted in: 13th General Elections, Asalkan Bukan UMNO

‘For a better Malaysia, move forward’

2013-05-24T16:00:55Z

Alyaa Azhar

A forum on better Malaysia says we have choice to heal our wounds, and with mutual understanding, move forward .

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have a choice to heal their wounds and move forward for a better Malaysia, according to a forum at Universiti Malaya (UM).

The forum entitled, “Moving Forward: Dream of a Better Malaysia” was organised yesterday by peace movement Global Peace Festival (GPF) Malaysia, UM and Projek Dialog and moderated by UM’s K Puniamurthy.

Panellists included Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia’s deputy director-general Azizan Baharuddin, managing editor of Projek Dialog Ahmad Fuad Rahmat, entrepreneur Maverick Foo, cultural activist Eddin Khoo and Astro Awani’s executive director Kamarul Bahrin Haron.

“We don’t have to be angry, I refuse to look at the issue of polarisation.

“The 84% turnout during the 13th general election (GE13) did not mean that the people were angry. When I went to vote, the lines were long due to the generation Y lining up,” said Kamarul.

However, Khoo disagreed: “I am angry, millions of people are angry and they have a right to be angry. We need to seriously question the issue of the rot.

“We are now seeing the effects of 15 years ago: ‘Reformasi’ now has gone beyond Anwar Ibrahim.

“We must be angry because we must demand answers from the system. Like it or not, we are an incredibly fractured and wounded society,” added Khoo.

Fuad agreed with this and said: “We are experiencing a rot. The wounds we are harbouring were created by fear mongering from the mainstream media.

However, with regard to the Chinese tsunami statement by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Foo said that people have to understand the particular circumstances of things.

“If we want to strive for peace, we must look at the other side of things. With regard to the prime minister’s Chinese tsunami statement, although I was affected as I am Chinese, perhaps he said that because he was tired.

“He probably had not slept for seven days, if we do not sleep for even 24 hours we would start acting strangely. So sometimes we need to figure out what the other person is thinking,” he said.

Quarreling is important

Khoo however disagreed: “It was a despicable thing to say [the Chinese tsunami statement]. He said it because it was what his warlords expected for him to say.”

Khoo then stressed that in order to move forward, everyone must candidly look at the past.

“We can only move forward when we can candidly look at the past. There needs to be a lot of re-thinking for renewal.

“Also, I disagree with the notion of not quarreling. I think quarreling is important. We don’t need to kill each other, but there must be sustained quarreling,” he said.

Fuad on the other hand queried on what peace really means.

“People still consider Malaysia peaceful as long as people are not killing each other in the streets and there are no riots.

“However, if we are living under constant suspicion, what kind of peace is that?” he queried.

Concluding the forum, Foo said that people should just move forward and not dwell on the “wounds”.

“You can go on looking at the wounds, we can also fight but not everyone is a fighter.

“So we should move forward and do something about it rather than just looking at things from the sofa at home.

“And if you don’t like what you see in the media, then just switch it off, probably it can take the mind off the wounds,” he said.

Kamarul on the other hand stressed that there is no such thing as absolute freedom.

“Of course I want a better and greater Malaysia but there is no such thing as absolute freedom anywhere.

“Situations are imperfect anywhere so we should engineer a better Malaysia through our respective means,” he said.

Azizan urged for people to have mutual respect, saying: “Can we have a little bit of respect to others? Even if we hate the person, we still have to respect them.

“We can differ in opinions but we must still respect each other. The way forward is to understand and listen to each other

“It is not that I am not angry, but I’ve taken anger to a different level, after all, people are unique beings. So those tending to their wounds, just stop it,” she said.

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Cramped classrooms, hostels in rural Sarawak

2013-05-24T16:00:40Z

Joseph Tawie

The appalling conditions of rural schools and roads is compounded by the harsh daily life of teachers teaching there.

Against the three-fold increase of salaries of the state elected representatives and ministers, an opposition assemblyman here has called for in review of school conditions in the Sarawak

Krian assemblyman Ali Biju said rural pupils in Saratok parliamentary constituency were being neglected by the Ministry of Education. The constituency covers Krian and Pakan state seats.

In debating the Yang DiPertua Negeri’s address at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday, Biju said that everyone was aware of the maxim that ‘the youths of today will be the leaders of tomorrow’.

“And yet this precious investment of ours, these young minds that need nurturing, is not well taken care of.

“Pupils are crammed in dilapidated classrooms where they have to endure an uncomfortable environment that is not conducive to learning.

“Pupils’ and teachers’ furniture need overhaul. Learning materials are scarce and pupils often have to share learning tools just in order to complete their class projects. Contrast this with pupils in schools in the urban centres and cities.

“It is a far cry. How are we going to expect our rural children to progress on par with their city cousins if this is allowed to continue?” he asked.

Biju said their teachers likewise had to endure issues of their own.

“One major issue is that many teachers have to commute daily from Saratok town to schools situated in the rural interior simply because of the insufficiency of living quarters.

“With the appalling conditions of rural roads in Krian, it compounds the harsh daily life of teaching at rural primary schools. Teachers commuting daily have to fight small battles on the way to school even before arriving at their destination.

“Is this how we treat our educators? Are there no funds to build extra teachers quarters in one of the richest states of Malaysia?” Biju asked.

‘Living like sardines in a can’

Biju said that amidst this situation was pathetic conditions boarding facilities for rural students

“What is most disheartening is the state of the boarding houses (asrama) for our young minds.

“Do the honourable members of this most dignified House know and realise that, for example, the very young pupils at Sekolah Kebangsaan Brayang, are forced to even share mattresses in their tiny boarding rooms?

“Why are the young children forced to live like sardines in a tin can? If we in this noble House will not allow our own children to suffer such shocking living conditions, how can we close a blind eye to our rural relatives’ children to live in such despicable and dire conditions in the interior?

“Is it not shameful for wealthy and resource rich Sarawak to close a blind eye to this endemic problem throughout the state, let alone Krian?” he said.

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Is EPF speculating?

2013-05-24T16:00:36Z

P Gunasegaram

One thing stands out from the announcement of the first quarter results of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF); the retirement repository of over 12 million Malaysian workers which now manages some RM540 billion of funds and is one of the largest single retirement funds in the world.

This is a sharp drop in its investment income to RM5.6 billion for the first three months of the year, down 28 percent from the RM7.74 billion recorded for the corresponding quarter last year.

What is positively alarming is the statement that explains the drop: “Income in 1Q12 was boosted by one-off gains that were not replicated in 1Q13. A lack of volume on the local Bursa Malaysia in the first quarter also contributed to the decline in earnings this quarter.”

That’s puzzling on two counts. First, what kind of one-off gains did it benefit from last year? Did it sell shares that it had acquired cheaply to register income? If it did so, then what was the reason? Could it be to pay a good dividend for last year to members this year?

Second, why does EPF depend on stock market volume to make its money on the stock market? As a long-term investor which safeguards the savings of its members for retirement, is it not incumbent upon it to get the best returns over a period of time instead of short-term profits that cannot be repeated?

The overall paramount question arising from these is whether the EPF is speculating with members’ money instead of investing it in assets which provide a steady stream of earnings and capital appreciation over an extended period of time.

EPF’s behaviour in terms of investing in the stock market is worrisome and has deep implications on the returns it provides on members’ money. The evidence is clear that EPF is engaged in trading to get income up, a dangerous way to go as this is a high-risk strategy totally out of whack with its stated objectives.

And because EPF, the largest single investor in the local stock market, has such a colossal amount of money, it is rather easy to hide the individual losses that it makes.

A look at its income figures is instructive. It made RM1.52 billion from Malaysian government securities and equivalents in the first three months of the year, the same as in the previous corresponding period. Income from loans and bonds amounted to RM1.92 billion, down RM485 million or about a fifth, probably reflecting declining interest rates.

The big fall was in equities where income declined RM1.71 billion or nearly 50 percent to RM1.86 billion while contributions from money market instruments declined to RM78 million (RM178 million previously) and real estate and infrastructure increased to RM227 million (RM74 million).

The big reduction in equities income must reflect decreases in trading income, obtained from the buying and selling of shares, because dividend income from year-to year for the shares would not have been very different. That EPF is so dependent on trading income is unhealthy and risky.

Feel-good factor for the electorate?

The question is whether EPF deliberately tried to increase its trading income last year so as to be able to pay better dividends this year ahead of the general election as a feel-good factor for the electorate.

The fund declared a dividend of 6.15 percent for 2012 in February, an increase over the 6 percent paid out for 2011. It represented a record breaking total of RM27.45 billion being distributed to its members, an increase of 12.2 percent the RM24.47bil paid out in the previous year, said EPF chairperson Samsudin Osman.

“Notwithstanding the increasingly complex investment environment, the EPF maintained its steady upwards momentum to post its strongest set of results since the turn of the millennium, underpinning the effectiveness of its long-term investment strategy as well as its disciplined and prudent approach,” he said in a press statement.

Unfortunately, that may have been less than prudent. By taking profits on good investments, it is by no means certain that EPF can get back into these investments at the same attractive prices again. As a long-term investor, it should be invested in good companies which provide good returns.

This is all the more important as equities have become the largest single asset class for investments held, accounting for RM203.75 billion or nearly 40 percent of the fund with loans and bonds accounting for RM151.48 billion and government securities RM145.56 billion.

A check of trading on May 17 on the local bourse shows that EPF is the most active player on the market, buying and selling some 32 million shares. In some instances, on the same day, it bought and sold hundred of thousands of the same share, incurring needless brokerage.

In contrast, the other major investor on the stock market, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and its unit trusts, sold just 2.32 million shares – EPF trades amounted to some 14 times that.

PNB has some RM240 billion under management at last count with an estimated 80 percent or so invested in the equities markets, which amounts to about RM192 billion, only about 5 percent less than EPF’s RM205 billion. Yet EPF’s transactions are 14 times that of PNB! Why?

Surely trading stocks cannot be one of the mainstay incomes of a retirement fund.

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Forces of darkness gaining upper hand, warns bishop

2013-05-24T16:00:25Z

Terence Netto

Catholic bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing said the latest arrests under the Sedition Act were for him “an eerie reminder of Operation Lalang” – the October 1987 detentions under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) of more than 100 opposition and social activists.

“I hope I’m wrong but these arrests are an unnerving reminder that bad law is unjust and encourages evil enforcement,” said the head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka-Johor diocese who as a priest in Kuala Lumpur in 1987 was informed by the Special Branch then that he was on the list of religious activists – the others were French priest Pierre Gautier and La Salle Brother Anthony Rogers – marked for arrest.

Anthony Rogers, then an aide to Gautier in the Office of Human Development in the Catholic archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, was taken in under the ISA dragnet that year but Jesuit-trained Paul Tan and Gautier were left unscathed.

Yesterday, several social and political activists were either charged under the Sedition Act or detained for investigation under the law.

This flurry of prosecutorial and investigative activity under the Sedition Act has raised concerns that the public is about to witness a repeat of the infamous ‘Operation Lalang’.

Antiquated law

“That was one of the darkest chapters of our history,” said Bishop Paul, in reference to the period when several score political and social activists were detained under the ISA and held in Kamunting for periods from a few months to a few years.

“The Sedition Act is an antiquated law that should, like the ISA, have been consigned to the dustbin of history,” opined the prelate in remarks to Malaysiakini.

“I think we should have left that part of our history well and truly behind but it appears that the forces of darkness and forces of light are in contention in this country once again and right now, judging from the trend of the last few days, one is gaining the upper hand over the other,” asserted Bishop Paul.

“Heaven forbid that this should come to pass,” he remarked.

“It would be most unfortunate if the forces for retrogression gain the upper hand for that would mean that this country will slide back into the quagmire from which the forces of progress have struggled to free us,” he declared.

The bishop reiterated that Christian teaching required its followers to uphold justice, promote equality and oppose the violation of human rights.

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RM8 per day for rural school meals?

2013-05-24T16:00:22Z

Joseph Tawie

Why has the Ministry of Education reduced the budget per head of the much needed allocation for meals in rural boarding schools?

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin must explain why the ministry has reduced the per head cost of meal allocations for students in rural Sarawak.

Raising the issue at yesterday’s Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting, Krian assemblyman Ali Biju described the current M8 per head per day meal allowance for rural category A primary boarding schools as “most unjust”.

He said as a result of the Ministry’s cutback, the food quality in these rural boarding schools had “drastically declined”.

“If you are shocked (at the reduced allocation), allow me to shock you further, my honourable colleagues.

“Are you aware that the quality of food has drastically declined in the past two years for rural boarding schools?

“The vast majority of rural primary school pupils are boarders, as we know.

“It has come to my attention that the ration provision for rural primary schools Category A has been reduced to RM8 person per day

“Let me break it down so you know exactly how much a pupil is entitled to: Breakfast RM1.20; Lunch RM2.40; Tea Break RM1.00; Dinner RM2.40; and Supper RM1.00.

“Would you feed your growing child RM8 per day?” he asked.

RM5 a day for meals?

Biju however was more concerned about how much of the RM8 actually trickled down to the students after suppliers and contractors took their respective cuts.

“Is it RM5 ringgit perhaps, and is this what we are spending on feeding our rural pupils on a daily basis?

“Inflation and the increase in food prices only mean that our rural children are fed very poor quality food.

“We do not need scientific data and research to tell us all that the nutritional value of meals for young and growing pupils are vital for their health and growth and ensuing academic performance,” he said.

Biju went on to demand an explanation from the Ministry as to why it reduced the much needed food rations for rural schools.

“Give us a reasonable explanation as to why the need to reduce the ration, instead of increasing it in the light of the economic downturn and rising cost of food supplies, when the people who need it most are made to suffer unjustly,” said Biju.

He also called on the Ministry of Education to conduct a study into this blatant disregard for the health of Sarawakian pupils in the interior.

High illiteracy

On Wednesday, Ba Kelalan elected representative Baru Bian pointed out to the assembly the vital need to improve education services in the state, especially in the rural areas as it affected the quality of the Sarawak’s labour force.

He said although statistically, poverty in Sarawak had improved in 2012 compared to 2009, it was not reflected on the ground. In 2009 poverty levels stood at 5.9%. This figure dropped to 2.4% in 2012.

“Whilst I would dearly like to believe this statistics, my observations during my trips in the rural areas and in the interior of Sarawak give me reason to doubt the accuracy of this figure.

“The standard of living of a population is causally related to their educational attainment, which in turn determines their levels in the occupational hierarchy.

“In Sarawak, even to this day, the indigenous people, with only primary education or a lack of formal education, are relegated to jobs at the bottom end of the occupational hierarchy such as skilled agricultural workers or elementary workers.

He said that Sarawakian labour force accounted for 35.4% of the country’s functionally illiterate workers.

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An open letter to the home minister

2013-05-24T16:00:10Z

Stephen Doss

Dear Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,

I write to you as someone who has followed your political ascension from Umno Youth chief to your current position as minister of home affairs.

As a young university student, I watched with pride when you took on the then Umno president and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the issue of cronyism and nepotism at the 1998 Umno General Assembly. At the time it was unthinkable for someone so low in the ladder in politics to take on the all-powerful Dr Mahathir.

Over the years I have noticed that you have mellowed in speaking out on issues that someone like me (young urban middle class) would hold dear and value. Young individuals like me yearn for a level playing field as we lack the connections and cables that the connected and family members of politicians and businessmen have access to.

I was not surprised with the results of the 2008 general election, even less with the results of the 2013 general election. The more the leadership in Barisan Nasional (BN) speak less about the issues that are of concern to the urban middle-class electorate, then it is only natural that you begin to lose the support of that electorate. The correlation should be by now painfully obvious to those who seek the truth.

There are two ways in which political parties and politicians can react to sliding support among the masses — they can either seek to halt and reverse the declining support, or they can seek solace within their comfort zone or cocoon of ignorance until it is too late.

Sir, I don’t need to tell you that the most important issues today affecting the urban populace are education, security and cost of living. Issues that although as important to all Malaysians are probably more to so those who live in urban centres.

Dear Datuk Seri, although Umno may have won the majority of the rural votes cast, it lost the popular vote. I know you will say that this is irrelevant in a country that practises a first-past-the-post system, but that would be fooling oneself into thinking that all is well, especially when you know that the urban demography is a demography that is the most educated, most critical in their thinking and the most discerning, probably a key demography any political party worth their salt will do their best to court as they key supporters.

I am glad that the key portfolio of the Home Ministry is now yours. I am sure you of all people will be aware that different times call for different measures, no longer will Malaysians be easily subdued, easily persuaded or easily fooled by half measures. Nothing less than sincerity of intention and purpose, easily detected through action, will do. The days of saying one thing and doing another and getting away with it are over, in no small measure thanks to the alternative media which is free from state censorship.

In business one sells one’s products not by running down one’s competitor, one sells one’s products by highlighting their advantages and virtues. By far this is the best and proven method of sale. I firmly belief if your ministry can reduce the anxiety of the people who depend on your ministry to feel safe, then you would have won half the battle. Security is a bigger issue in the urban centres than in the rural constituencies, solve these problems and you will win their support. The ball is in your court not with the opposition.

Datuk Seri, I look forward to this national reconciliation process as announced by the prime minister. I am sure that you will lead the way as one of his most trusted lieutenants. I assume that reconciliation here means reaching out to all Malaysians, even the ones who didn’t vote for BN.

Leave the days of sledgehammer politics to a generation past, a generation who benefited from the absence of the alternative media, who could get away with murder because people did not have access to information.

No government in the world will blame the electorate for choosing freely who they wish, neither would they achieve anything by doing so. I pray that God gives you and the leadership of this country the wisdom and ability to win any election in future in a free and fair manner, respected for the work that you do, for upholding democracy and trusting the electorate.

I am sure whether we like the form of democracy or not in this country we all still love this country, having been born here we would wish to die here. As a fellow Malaysian I wish you all the best and hope to see you do great things through your ministry. Say and do the morally right thing and we will be with you.

Sir, I sincerely hope that you do well in the next general election. I would hate to see you do well in Umno but fail at the next general election.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Doss.

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An open letter to the home minister — Stephen Doss

2013-05-24T03:50:54Z

May 24, 2013

MAY 24 — Dear Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,

I write to you as someone who has followed your political ascension from Umno Youth chief to your current position as minister of home affairs.

Sir, I sincerely hope that you do well in the next general election. I would hate to see you do well in Umno but fail at the next general election.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Doss.

* Stephen Doss reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

The need to understand the workings of a parliamentary democracy — Ahmad Mustapha Hassan

2013-05-24T02:51:14Z

May 24, 2013

MAY 24 — It is without doubt that all or maybe about 99 per cent of Umno Baru members are Malays but it must also be remembered that not all Malays are Umno Baru members. This has to be made known to leaders and members of Umno Baru.

It is a complete fallacy to simply equate Umno Baru as Malay and Malay as being Umno Baru.

Just to quote, albeit on a different plane, a has-been notable who opined that just by joining the DAP did not mean that he was selling his soul to the DAP and in the same vein just because the Malays used to vote for the original Umno that did not mean that the Malays had sold their soul to the Umno label. Democracy means choice. It does not mean that you must choose the one that you had chosen before.

This anger emanating from the results of GE13 is completely misplaced. Umno Baru/BN must focus on itself on the reasons why there has been such a massive rejection of their coalition. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak keeps on talking about a 1 Malaysia society but there are others in his camp who are advocating the very opposite. And to the amazement and unbelievable puzzle to the people is Najib’s complete silence, simply making zero comment on this.

Corruption was allowed to take its grand course without any abatement and this is again a puzzle that is most difficult to understand. Either he is serious about it or he simply is not. It must not simply be a public relations gimmick.

So for how long can he keep on behaving in this zigzag manner? Be honest and be truthful. People are no more interested in empty rhetoric. Show that you mean what you say.

Now, we find the minister in charge of home affairs behaving like a complete ruffian. He does not befit the high office of a minister. He is simply drunk with power. Either he has no intelligence or just trying to show how powerful he is. Najib simply keeps mum on this roguish behaviour.

This is no longer the age of threats and complete unrestrained power. The laws and enactments may be there but intelligence and good governance should precede any action. Diplomacy is an art, unless of course he is devoid of such capabilities.

Najib should understand that this is the type of behaviour that is much abhorred by the people. There is always avenue for sensible discussions, talks and understanding the needs and desires of each other. Do not start with the hammer first and then only engage the brain.

Be humble in victory unless that victory is very much questionable in character. If that has been the case, then one can understand this kind of high-handed action and the braggart attitude displayed.

Then there are the doings of the pro-Umno Baru NGOs which negate Najib’s so-called reconciliation attempts. Nothing positive came out from the mouths of anyone representing the ministerial group. Instead, a very lame excuse was given by a newly-appointed minister that these people were entitled to their opinions. But these are opinions against the national interest. It is as simple as that.

There is no question of anyone going against the establishment. During the elections, both political entities were on the same plane. None was the establishment. One is free to choose either one. Just not to choose the party that was holding power prior to the elections did not mean going against the establishment. Please understand the workings of parliamentary democracy.

So in the United Kingdom, if in the next elections people do not vote for the Conservatives or the Liberals, does that mean that they have not chosen the establishment? They are choosing parties that they want to govern the country. The question of establishment was never there.

There must be a change in the mentality of those belonging to these groups. They have to understand what parliamentary democracy is. It is amazing that after over 50 years of independence, some people still cannot distinguish between parties and governments. Umno Baru/BN is not the establishment during the elections.

The mentality is still that of the frog under the coconut shell.

We simply owe nothing to Umno Baru/BN and we will choose the party that we know can bring this country towards proper progress for the people as a whole!

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Compassion means suffering together — Steven Sim

2013-05-24T02:39:17Z

May 24, 2013

MAY 24 — A few years ago I visited Sri Lanka to attend a meeting with its opposition coalition of the social democratic persuasion. I was at that time running the secretariat of the Network of Social Democracy in Asia, a coalition of political parties, organisations and scholars in the region espousing social democratic values.

At the conference in Colombo, I met a Buddhist monk in the familiar saffron garb of the order. What a strange place to meet a monk, at a political conference discussing rights of minority, war crimes and welfare economy. I approached the monk politely asking him about his political involvement. I found out that he was a member of one of the socialist parties. I also found out from him that there were even monks elected into Parliament. This raised my curiosity even further. Being raised in a Chinese Buddhist family (I am a Christian), I’d thought that monks are not supposed to “interfere” in worldly affairs and should instead devote themselves to the spiritual path of enlightenment.

When I enquired further, he said that when the masses suffer, it is even more needful for the so-called enlightened ones to rise up in compassion to end sufferings.

This is a simple and yet profound principle.

To have compassion is not patronising. Compassion comes from the compound Latin word, co-passion. It literally means to suffer together. Our fate as a community and as a nation is inextricably bound to each other. How can we feel good when our neighbours are being persecuted? How can we feel glad when our friends suffer? It is compassion which compels us to act against injustice and oppression we see around us. Simply because, like my friend the monk in Sri Lanka, we feel the suffering as if it was inflicted upon us. A society cannot function with one part feeling good while the other suffers.

If we are not convinced, perhaps, Pastor Martin Niemoller’s poem may serve as a reminder, or rather warning, to us all. He was writing of the indifference of the German intellectual community against the atrocity of the Nazis. His warning: our apathy will eventually catch up with us.

First they came for the communists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak for me.

This Wesak Day, may we all be filled with compassion to show an act of kindness to our neighbours. And if we are wondering what kind of act? We can give all sorts of things to our suffering neighbours. But perhaps the Dhammapada offers a timely message, “sabbe dana dhamma danam jinati”, that is, of all gifts, the gift of the truth excels. In a time when we are constantly bombarded with falsehood, whether in the news or on TV or even on the Internet, we have the responsibility to speak the truth even if it costs us. When the lines between right and wrong are blurred, when criminals go free and those who seek justice and righteousness are imprisoned, we have the responsibility to speak the truth even if it costs us. Because one simply cannot feel good and stay in our comfort zones when others are feeling pain.

And let us remember, embracing and speaking the truth is not sedition. Preventing people from speaking the truth, that is seditious.

Happy Wesak Day. May all be well and happy, and compassionate.

* Steven Sim Chee Keong is the MP for Bukit Mertajam. He was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2012.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

The unsung heroes of GE13 — Thomas Fann

2013-05-24T02:31:17Z

May 24, 2013

MAY 24 — The 13th general election is over and the result showed that majority of Malaysians wanted to “Ubah”, that is, to see change. Many who have worked hard for it are disappointed with the outcome but we realise that we must move on and prepare ourselves for GE14.

But this struggle is not theirs alone. Throughout these last few years and especially in the last few months in the run-up to May 5, it has been my absolute privilege to have served together and to have known ordinary Malaysians from all walks of life who shared a common passion for this country. To me they are no less heroic in their efforts and their sacrifices are no less significant. I want to sing the praises of some of these unsung heroes of GE13.

● Felicia is a Malaysian who has lived in Singapore for many years, never registered and never voted before. Just after Parliament was dissolved and election called, she checked her voting status at the Election Commission website and found herself registered not only as a voter but as an advance voter in Putrajaya. Not wanting anyone to cast her vote on her behalf, on April 28, the day advance voters were supposed to vote, she got into her car very early in the morning and drove the 340km from Singapore to Putrajaya to cast her vote by 9am and then turned around and headed back to Singapore.

● I met Boon at the campaign office of a candidate. He had volunteered to help out with some of the administrative stuff there and we got talking. I found out that Boon and his family have been living in the UK for many years but have keenly followed political developments in Malaysia and decided to fly home with his wife to cast their votes, for the very first time.

There were probably thousands of folk just like Felicia and Boon, Malaysians who live and work overseas who came back to vote. Some thoughtless individuals might have considered these overseas Malaysians unpatriotic but I challenge them to find me more committed people than these, who came home at great personal expense to cast their one vote. For them it was more than a vote but a stake in the future of this country, a country they love.

● When the call went out for volunteers to serve as polling and counting agents, literally tens of thousands of Malaysians came forward to be trained and deployed on Polling Day to do their part for a clean and fair election. Many came out with no expectation of payment and if they received any allowances for their services, they donated back these allowances. Money cannot buy such people and they can’t be bought, they are priceless.

● Thanks to the news of foreigners being flown in to vote in our election, thousands of citizens came forward to volunteer as election observers or “ghostbusters”, standing guard under the hot sun or rain outside polling stations. At several of the polling stations I visited that day, I saw 30-50 residents standing outside their own polling stations until polling ended and for some, they followed the ballot boxes all the way to the main counting centres. All this they did on their own accord without anyone telling them what to do.

● Ariff and his friends were one of those who stood guard outside a main counting centre. At around 10.30pm they saw a taxi bringing in additional ballot carriers with a uniformed but unnumbered policeman in it. They stopped the taxi and challenged the legality of such last-minute additional ballots. The taxi turned around and sped off with them in pursuit by foot.

● In the early hours of May 5, a factory manager in Johor found out from his HR manager that 100 of his foreign workers were not turning up to work. They told the HR manager that their agent was coming to fetch them to collect ICs so that they could vote. The factory manager rushed to the police station to make a report and with the report he managed to stop the workers from voting. But he didn’t stop there. He made copies of the police report and passed it to as many election observers as he could find so that they would be on the lookout for foreign voters. A true patriot!

● Ben and his wife went to cast their votes early and decided to stay back to help those who were queuing up to check their saluran (channel) number. They told those who already knew their numbers to go straight to join the queue at the saluran so as to save some time. But their efforts to help were not appreciated by the EC officer-in-charge who insisted that all must check for their saluran before queuing again to vote. They were ordered to leave but they remained outside the school gate to continue assisting those coming to vote till the end of polling at 5pm.

● I know of a young man whose life was miraculously saved from the burning wreckage of his car seconds before it exploded on April 8. He was hospitalised for more than three weeks and still suffered serious spinal injuries when Polling Day came. He insisted on casting his vote and was wheeled from the hospital to the polling station to cast his vote for change. A life spared, a vote counted.

● Then there were the probably hundreds of ordinary citizens who became social activists after the previous election in 2008. Many of these post-GE12 activists willingly made huge sacrifices to organise others to be involved in new voter education, polling and counting agent training, organised and participated in various protests and forums and did street ceramahs. For many, their business and work suffered and marital relationships strained. They are not household names but they are heroes to those whom they have served and led.

There is no doubt in my mind that with the highly questionable way Barisan Nasional has won this election and subsequent divisive statements by Najib, his ministers and Umno loyalists, and the unjust crackdown on Adam Adli Abdul Halim, Haris Ibrahim, Tian Chua and Tamrin Ghafar, we can expect to see even more citizens rising up to play a direct and active role in the political process of this country.

To me, this is the true Malaysian Spring, the uprising of ordinary Malaysians who are determine to have a say in how our country is run and to hold elected officials accountable for their service. Like a tsunami, it is an uprising that is unstoppable and irreversible, it is an uprising that will eventually achieve its intended purpose — Ubah!

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

The measure of effective teaching — K. Ranga Krishnan

2013-05-24T02:19:43Z

May 24, 2013

MAY 24 — If we spend time with our children when they prepare for an examination, we are likely to be surprised, if not shocked, at the vast content they have to deal with. There is so much more that students in schools, colleges and universities have to grapple with.

But do not blame teachers for expanding the curricula — they just want to prepare our children to cope with new knowledge.

In the past 50 years, our understanding of the world has grown by leaps and bounds, whether it is in biology, physics, chemistry or medicine. And it is not just the breadth of knowledge that we have to concern ourselves with, but the depth of the various topics, as well.

In pre-Internet days, if we wanted to bone up on a topic, we would head to the library and start with a book to get a basic understanding. Next, we would turn to journals for updates on the information.

Today, we can find the information we seek from the comfort of our couch, if we know how to do so. With the ocean of information and flood of new insights available, the old paradigm about mere transfer of basic knowledge from teachers to students is no longer applicable. But we still need teachers to help students look at new knowledge in perspective.

With more knowledge available, students need to study a greater number of topics relevant to a particular subject.

So, subject teachers would wish to cover the widest range of concepts and ideas, their fear being that if they omit a topic, their students might not be able to respond adequately to exam questions and this would reflect badly on their performance and that of their school.

GO FOR DEPTH

At one stage, it was felt that students would benefit more if they were exposed to more knowledge. But in recent years, the pendulum has swung more towards getting students to go more for depth of knowledge.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Research Centre support the “depth” point of view. States like California affirm this position. As a philosophy, there is general consensus that this “depth” proposition has become nearly self-evident.

But there are practical difficulties in emphasising a position of depth. Authors and editorial committees producing new books obviously have a range of views about what is vital. Often, they focus on breadth instead of depth out of political necessity.

Conflict is dodged by using imprecise language concerning standards and covering so many topics that no interest group is left out. Content priority is sacrificed to the political necessity of breadth in coverage.

With enough variation in opinions, textbooks have become massive tomes, with little clarity of focus. This leaves teachers with the difficult task of what topics to cover in breadth and in depth.

As is to be expected, students have more things to memorise. In fact, a recent survey shows that depth of coverage in a particular science is a good indicator of performance of students at college level. In other words, teaching for breadth, as is commonly practised in secondary or high schools, confers limited benefit.

What is more important is to know whether our students comprehend the essence of what they are taught. If they can incorporate their new knowledge in their further studies and in their work, that would meet our desired outcome.

Effective teaching enables students to think intensely about the subject at an appropriate level. Then we can monitor that thinking and provide them with more guidance.

RESEARCH-BASED LEARNING WORKS

Today, in some disciplines such as physics, there is a clear attempt to delineate the concept content that is necessary for students to better understand a given topic. Physics lends itself to such an approach, but a similar inventory of concepts can be built in other fields. So the first step would be to define concepts that need to be understood.

The next step would be to develop effective methods that are more in depth, engaging students in active learning and helping to improve their understanding of concepts. Some of these methods have been tested. A recent paper in Science magazine by Deslauriers illustrates this point.

Students were given three hours of instruction by a trained but inexperienced lecturer, based on research learning. They were also given three hours of instruction on the same topic by an experienced lecturer, using the old system.

The research-based education was found to be twice as effective. Just as important, it was highly rated by the students themselves.

In the research-based system, we have pre-class reading assignments and quizzes, in-class clicker questions with discussions, and small-group active learning tasks, as well as instructor feedback.

At Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, we use a similar approach where all the materials are pre-assigned, with students taking class tests using clickers, followed by discussion and application of what they have learnt to solve a problem.

Our impression is similar to the results of the Science paper, suggesting that this approach could be modified and used in a variety of disciplines. It can leverage on the enormous content available through the websites. We can teach our students to find appropriate information, and how to use it.

These steps may begin to address the “broad as an ocean, deep as a puddle” problem. — Today

* K. Ranga Krishnan is dean of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore. A clinician-scientist and psychiatrist, he chaired the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Duke University Medical Centre from 1998 to 2009.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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