TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

Ceramah Anwar Ibrahim at Dengkil, Selangor 27/01/2012

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

part 5

part 6

Criticised for voicing liberal views in the West while flirting with orthodox Islam at home, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said there should be no reason for a contradiction between democracy and Islam. “The vast majority of Muslims are under democratic rule... or are opting for democracy, as in Egypt,” the man vying to be prime minister told Financial Times (FT) in an interview published yesterday. The influential international daily noted that the former deputy prime minister has drawn scepticism, even from admirers, that he can lead his fractious three-party Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to victory in the next general election or deliver his promises of a reformed government. But the opposition leader told the newspaper he was confident that Muslim-majority Malaysians were inspired by the wave of changes that have swept the Arab world and embracing what he described as a new wave of Muslim democracies.

He said that old leaders such as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ousted Arab despots and by implication Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak are out of touch with that new wave. The 64-year-old said he aspired to be a leader like Turkey’s prime minister of eight years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Anwar said had shared similar hopes for an Islamic democracy. He added that they had discussed the wider opportunity presented by the Arab uprisings. “I talk about the Malaysian Spring, but our route will be elections,” Anwar told FT, adding that it was going to happen “very soon”. The PKR adviser told the newspaper he was focused on improving the country’s economy based on American philosopher John Rawls’ model — based on treating everyone impartially equal — should he win in national polls widely believed will be called this year.

Anwar said that while PR partner PAS would from time to time object to Elton John and sexy Beyonce concerts in Malaysia, all three component members agreed on the need for basic and freedoms. He added that his position as a Muslim acted as a lynchpin for the disparate pact: “If it was some non-Muslim, they’d think that I was a bit wishy-washy and easy, but, no, I’m a Muslim. People ask, ‘Do you believe in the Quran?’ and I can say ‘Yes’.” But Anwar was reluctant to state his stand on enforcing hudud, the controversial Islamic law that advocate corporal punishment and which has persistently been a bone of contention between the secular DAP and the Islamist PAS. Anwar admitted to FT that it was “one of the more difficult issues I have to deal with” but refused to rule out its introduction in multiracial, multireligious Malaysia. “We must reach a consensus, which is not possible in the foreseeable future, but what if you’re given a situation where all Malaysians agree? Who am I to say no?” he told the paper. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Ustaz Azhar Idrus (UAI) Live at Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah MSSAS

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:38:00 +0000

Kuliah maghrib khas bertempat di Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah MSSAS secara langsung di webcast TVSelangor

Program : Kuliah Maghrib Khas Ustaz Azhar Idrus (UAI)
Tarikh: 29 Januari 2012
Tempat : Dewan Solat Utama
Masa : Selepas Solat Maghrib (7.45 p.m)

Ceramah Anwar Ibrahim at Kinarut, Sabah

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:29:00 +0000

part 1

part 2

Anwar Ibrahim was supposed to be in jail right now. The leader of Malaysia’s opposition would be convicted of having sex with a male aide, everyone here expected, and jailed long enough to ensure he posed no threat in the country’s coming elections. But after his surprise acquittal earlier this month, Mr. Anwar suddenly has a very different residence in mind. “The next time we meet,” he says conspiratorially as we sit in his party’s headquarters on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur for his first interview with a Western newspaper since the verdict, “it will be in a different office.” A smile spreads above his greying goatee as he points up and beyond me. He means Putrajaya, the suburb of Kuala Lumpur that’s home to the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Southeast Asia begins 2012 as a region in upheaval. Myanmar’s generals have begun unexpectedly tearing down their authoritarian system, and neighbouring Thailand’s coup-prone army stood aside last year and let the opposition it had previously confronted in the streets take power via the ballot box. Mr. Anwar is convinced that Malaysia, a nominally democratic nation that has been dominated by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) since the country gained independence from Britain in 1957, will be the next to see sweeping change. “There’s definitely a Southeast Asian Spring taking place. No question about it. … We are between the ancien régime and the rebellion of the masses,” says the man sometimes portrayed as the Nelson Mandela of this Muslim majority state. Mr. Anwar says the opposition would win a fairly held vote – and he warns that Malaysia could see scenes like those in Cairo’s Tahrir Square if it is somehow prevented from taking power.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians have already shown their willingness to demonstrate, marching through the streets of Kuala Lumpur last July to call for reforms to the country’s electoral system, which is seen as having been gerrymandered in the ruling party’s favour. “We want free and fair elections,” Mr. Anwar says. And if not? “Then we will fight. The people will not take it. No civilized country would accept the rape of the nation.” Having managed to maintain and build support through 14 years of sodomy charges and other smears – no small feat in a conservative country that bleeps out words like “bang” from reruns of How I Met Your Mother – there’s suddenly a sense in Malaysia that Mr. Anwar might just end up in Putrajaya before the year is out.

Another jail term would likely have brought an end to the political career of the 64-year-old, who was deputy prime minister and UMNO’s heir apparent until he fell out with the autocratic Mahathir Mohammed in 1998 over the handling of that year’s Asian financial crisis. The relationship between the two men, long described as being similar to father and son, quickly dissolved into acrimony, mud-slinging and violence. Mr. Mahathir called for police to investigate allegations that Mr. Anwar was corrupt and gay. Mr. Anwar was duly arrested, beaten by police and sentenced to 14 years in prison, although that sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004. (Sodomy is illegal in Malaysia, though the colonial-era statute seems to be used almost exclusively against Mr. Anwar, a married father of six. Charges against Mr. Anwar – who has denied that he’s gay – and his associates account for four of seven recent uses of the law.)

The latest sodomy charges initially seemed to follow the old script, forcing Mr. Anwar to spend more time defending his reputation than building opposition to the government. The repeated allegations are scoffed at by many in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur but likely have damaged Mr. Anwar’s popularity in more conservative rural areas. In a sign of how dimly gay rights are viewed in Malaysia, Mr. Anwar came under fire this week by the government-controlled press after he called the sodomy law “archaic.” He was forced to repeat a previous statement that he does “not promote homosexuality in public sphere and domain.” Since his acquittal, friends and allies say Mr. Anwar – always a workaholic – is more seized than ever with his Mandela-inspired vision of opening his country’s political system and ending the institutionalized political bias toward ethnic Malays (who are favoured for civil service and military posts ahead of the country’s Chinese and Indian minorities). He crams in as many meetings and campaign rallies as the day can fit, to the point where Some wonder whether his wiry frame, already besieged by arthritis and back pains caused by a 1998 police beating that was followed by six years in jail, is up to the task.

“I can say for a fact – because I’ve seen his medical records – that he suffers from facet joint arthritis, and [his] left sciatic nerve is damaged. He’s limited in his movements. The whole thing was exacerbated by the beatings, but it’s age as well,” said Sankara Nair, a lawyer who represented Mr. Anwar in the 1998 and 2011 trials known here as Sodomy I and Sodomy II. But Mr. Nair says his friend and client will only be slowed, not stopped, by his ailments. “I think Anwar is being looked upon as the saviour of the opposition, the salvation of the country. Is he up to it? Yes he is. … He’s even prepared for further allegations, but it’s full speed ahead to the elections. There’s no stopping this man.” The personal attacks – and the allegations of marital infidelity and homosexuality – have also taken their toll, especially on Mr. Anwar’s family. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a long journey, personally,” said his 31-year-old daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar.

But 14 years of watching her father battle persecution also transformed Ms. Nurul Izzah from a self-described “rather apathetic teenager” into a firebrand opposition MP, one who inherited her father’s flashing brown eyes and natural political skills. “This whole journey convinced me that this fight is not about Anwar,” she says. “It’s an attempt to move Malaysia forward.” (One of the main criticisms of Mr. Anwar is that he has turned his People’s Justice Party into something of a family dynasty, with his wife Wan Azizah serving as interim leader while he was in jail and his daughter now emerging as heir apparent.) Mr. Anwar heads an improbable coalition of Islamists, liberals and ethnic parties, an alliance that has already proven itself a threat to UMNO’s dominance, having won control of five of the country’s 13 state parliaments. It’s a coalition very much held together by his own chameleon-like character – the Islamists trust him because of his background as a leader of a Muslim student group, the liberals and middle class because of his successful tenure as the country’s finance minister, while ethnic groups look to his mixed Indian-Malay background and his long record as a defender of human rights.

Whether Malaysia really is changing as fast as the opposition believes arguably depends on why Mr. Anwar was acquitted on Jan. 9. Some believe Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah – who throughout the trial had seemed openly biased toward the prosecution – was making a stand for judicial independence when he curtly delivered his not-guilty verdict. Others believe Judge Diah simply received new orders from the top as the lurid trial became an international embarrassment to the Malaysian government. The former version got a boost Friday when the prosecution announced it would appeal the not-guilty verdict, once more putting Mr. Anwar’s political future in a court’s hands. Behind that question of Judge Diah’s intentions is a wider debate about how serious Prime Minister Najib Razak is when he says he intends to transform Malaysia – a country that has lagged behind neighbouring Indonesia in embracing political change – into what he calls a “mature, progressive democracy.” The government has in recent months announced a series of major changes, trying to seize the mantle of reform as its own.

Last fall, Mr. Najib announced he would repeal the country’s hated Internal Security Act – a colonial-era law that allowed for “preventative detention” – and loosen restrictions on the country’s media, which is currently under tight government supervision. “I think that when Anwar tries to present himself as a reformer, he will find that ground is already occupied by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak,” the government’s Information Minister, Rais Yatim, said in an interview. But government critics see only rhetoric so far. Mr. Najib plans to replace the ISA, which is currently still in place, with another act that will still allow preventative detention, albeit with more judicial oversight. The new law will also ban protest marches, a move seemingly targeted at giving police the power to crack down on any election-related protests. Few other promised reforms have materialized yet: with an election perhaps just months away, pro-government newspapers are still the only ones with permission to print, and promises to review election laws that currently favour the ruling party have gone unfilled. Mr. Anwar scoffs at the idea that Mr. Najib and UMNO are capable of substantive reform. “This government is not changing. It is the people who are going to change Malaysia.” By MARK MACKINNON From Saturday’s Globe and Mail

Anwar Ibrahim at Kapar

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:52:00 +0000

Anwar Ibrahim was supposed to be in jail right now. The leader of Malaysia’s opposition would be convicted of having sex with a male aide, everyone here expected, and jailed long enough to ensure he posed no threat in the country’s coming elections. But after his surprise acquittal earlier this month, Mr. Anwar suddenly has a very different residence in mind. “The next time we meet,” he says conspiratorially as we sit in his party’s headquarters on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur for his first interview with a Western newspaper since the verdict, “it will be in a different office.” A smile spreads above his greying goatee as he points up and beyond me. He means Putrajaya, the suburb of Kuala Lumpur that’s home to the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Southeast Asia begins 2012 as a region in upheaval. Myanmar’s generals have begun unexpectedly tearing down their authoritarian system, and neighbouring Thailand’s coup-prone army stood aside last year and let the opposition it had previously confronted in the streets take power via the ballot box. Mr. Anwar is convinced that Malaysia, a nominally democratic nation that has been dominated by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) since the country gained independence from Britain in 1957, will be the next to see sweeping change. “There’s definitely a Southeast Asian Spring taking place. No question about it. … We are between the ancien régime and the rebellion of the masses,” says the man sometimes portrayed as the Nelson Mandela of this Muslim majority state. Mr. Anwar says the opposition would win a fairly held vote – and he warns that Malaysia could see scenes like those in Cairo’s Tahrir Square if it is somehow prevented from taking power.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians have already shown their willingness to demonstrate, marching through the streets of Kuala Lumpur last July to call for reforms to the country’s electoral system, which is seen as having been gerrymandered in the ruling party’s favour. “We want free and fair elections,” Mr. Anwar says. And if not? “Then we will fight. The people will not take it. No civilized country would accept the rape of the nation.” Having managed to maintain and build support through 14 years of sodomy charges and other smears – no small feat in a conservative country that bleeps out words like “bang” from reruns of How I Met Your Mother – there’s suddenly a sense in Malaysia that Mr. Anwar might just end up in Putrajaya before the year is out.

Another jail term would likely have brought an end to the political career of the 64-year-old, who was deputy prime minister and UMNO’s heir apparent until he fell out with the autocratic Mahathir Mohammed in 1998 over the handling of that year’s Asian financial crisis. The relationship between the two men, long described as being similar to father and son, quickly dissolved into acrimony, mud-slinging and violence. Mr. Mahathir called for police to investigate allegations that Mr. Anwar was corrupt and gay. Mr. Anwar was duly arrested, beaten by police and sentenced to 14 years in prison, although that sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004. (Sodomy is illegal in Malaysia, though the colonial-era statute seems to be used almost exclusively against Mr. Anwar, a married father of six. Charges against Mr. Anwar – who has denied that he’s gay – and his associates account for four of seven recent uses of the law.)

The latest sodomy charges initially seemed to follow the old script, forcing Mr. Anwar to spend more time defending his reputation than building opposition to the government. The repeated allegations are scoffed at by many in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur but likely have damaged Mr. Anwar’s popularity in more conservative rural areas. In a sign of how dimly gay rights are viewed in Malaysia, Mr. Anwar came under fire this week by the government-controlled press after he called the sodomy law “archaic.” He was forced to repeat a previous statement that he does “not promote homosexuality in public sphere and domain.” Since his acquittal, friends and allies say Mr. Anwar – always a workaholic – is more seized than ever with his Mandela-inspired vision of opening his country’s political system and ending the institutionalized political bias toward ethnic Malays (who are favoured for civil service and military posts ahead of the country’s Chinese and Indian minorities). He crams in as many meetings and campaign rallies as the day can fit, to the point where Some wonder whether his wiry frame, already besieged by arthritis and back pains caused by a 1998 police beating that was followed by six years in jail, is up to the task.

“I can say for a fact – because I’ve seen his medical records – that he suffers from facet joint arthritis, and [his] left sciatic nerve is damaged. He’s limited in his movements. The whole thing was exacerbated by the beatings, but it’s age as well,” said Sankara Nair, a lawyer who represented Mr. Anwar in the 1998 and 2011 trials known here as Sodomy I and Sodomy II. But Mr. Nair says his friend and client will only be slowed, not stopped, by his ailments. “I think Anwar is being looked upon as the saviour of the opposition, the salvation of the country. Is he up to it? Yes he is. … He’s even prepared for further allegations, but it’s full speed ahead to the elections. There’s no stopping this man.” The personal attacks – and the allegations of marital infidelity and homosexuality – have also taken their toll, especially on Mr. Anwar’s family. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a long journey, personally,” said his 31-year-old daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar.

But 14 years of watching her father battle persecution also transformed Ms. Nurul Izzah from a self-described “rather apathetic teenager” into a firebrand opposition MP, one who inherited her father’s flashing brown eyes and natural political skills. “This whole journey convinced me that this fight is not about Anwar,” she says. “It’s an attempt to move Malaysia forward.” (One of the main criticisms of Mr. Anwar is that he has turned his People’s Justice Party into something of a family dynasty, with his wife Wan Azizah serving as interim leader while he was in jail and his daughter now emerging as heir apparent.) Mr. Anwar heads an improbable coalition of Islamists, liberals and ethnic parties, an alliance that has already proven itself a threat to UMNO’s dominance, having won control of five of the country’s 13 state parliaments. It’s a coalition very much held together by his own chameleon-like character – the Islamists trust him because of his background as a leader of a Muslim student group, the liberals and middle class because of his successful tenure as the country’s finance minister, while ethnic groups look to his mixed Indian-Malay background and his long record as a defender of human rights.

Whether Malaysia really is changing as fast as the opposition believes arguably depends on why Mr. Anwar was acquitted on Jan. 9. Some believe Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah – who throughout the trial had seemed openly biased toward the prosecution – was making a stand for judicial independence when he curtly delivered his not-guilty verdict. Others believe Judge Diah simply received new orders from the top as the lurid trial became an international embarrassment to the Malaysian government. The former version got a boost Friday when the prosecution announced it would appeal the not-guilty verdict, once more putting Mr. Anwar’s political future in a court’s hands. Behind that question of Judge Diah’s intentions is a wider debate about how serious Prime Minister Najib Razak is when he says he intends to transform Malaysia – a country that has lagged behind neighbouring Indonesia in embracing political change – into what he calls a “mature, progressive democracy.” The government has in recent months announced a series of major changes, trying to seize the mantle of reform as its own.

Last fall, Mr. Najib announced he would repeal the country’s hated Internal Security Act – a colonial-era law that allowed for “preventative detention” – and loosen restrictions on the country’s media, which is currently under tight government supervision. “I think that when Anwar tries to present himself as a reformer, he will find that ground is already occupied by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak,” the government’s Information Minister, Rais Yatim, said in an interview. But government critics see only rhetoric so far. Mr. Najib plans to replace the ISA, which is currently still in place, with another act that will still allow preventative detention, albeit with more judicial oversight. The new law will also ban protest marches, a move seemingly targeted at giving police the power to crack down on any election-related protests. Few other promised reforms have materialized yet: with an election perhaps just months away, pro-government newspapers are still the only ones with permission to print, and promises to review election laws that currently favour the ruling party have gone unfilled. Mr. Anwar scoffs at the idea that Mr. Najib and UMNO are capable of substantive reform. “This government is not changing. It is the people who are going to change Malaysia.” By MARK MACKINNON From Saturday’s Globe and Mail

Anwar demands RM50m from Utusan over BBC report

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is demanding RM50 million in damages from Utusan Malaysia for allegedly tarnishing his reputation in an article accusing him of being a gay rights proponent. In a letter of demand issued today by Edwin Lim Suren & Soh Advocates & Solicitors to the Umno-owned daily’s editor and managing editor, Anwar (picture) also demanded the newspaper retract the article, publish an apology to him on its front page and refrain from printing similarly defamatory articles in the future. The firm offered Utusan Malaysia a 48-hour deadline to respond, failing which it said legal action would be taken.

“The Umno-linked Utusan Malaysia newspaper has consistently published false, mischievous and scurrilous reports against the political opposition. “Indeed, politically motivated and dishonest media reporting has become the norm among many mainstream media organisations such as Utusan Malaysia. “This dismal state of affairs has been created, fostered and encouraged by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government,” lawyer and PKR vice-president N. Surendran said in a press statement. On Sunday, just days after Anwar was acquitted of sodomy, Utusan Malaysia front-paged a story titled “Anwar ulas isu gay” (Anwar discusses gay rights), claiming the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader had told a BBC interview that laws on homosexuality in Malaysia were considered “archaic” and “not relevant”.

In the said interview, the BBC reporter had reportedly asked Anwar whether he was prepared to push for the idea of anti-discrimination as far as gay rights were concerned, to which he had allegedly said “we will have to review some of our archaic laws.” “We Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia generally believe and are committed to support the sanctity of marriage between men and women, but we should not be seen to be punitive and consider the archaic law as relevant,” Anwar had told BBC. According to Anwar’s letter of demand, Utusan Malaysia’s article on the issue had inspired former PAS leader Datuk Dr Hasan Ali to comment on the issue. The latter’s comments were subsequently published in two articles in Utusan Malaysia today, titled: “Tolak Anwar – Hasan” (Reject Anwar – Hasan) and “Parasit ancam Pas, Anwar mesti ditolak” (Parasites threatening Pas, Anwar must be rejected).

In the articles, Hasan had reportedly referred to the interview when slamming Anwar for allegedly calling for homosexuality to be made legal in the country. “At no point did Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim state that ‘homosexuality should be legalised’, or utter any words whatsoever to that effect. “These allegations, and the article taken as a whole, are completely false, malicious and defamatory of our clients. “Further, these allegations are calculated to injure our client’s credit and reputation as a public figure, and bring him into public scandal, odium and contempt,” the letter of demand said. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

901 demonstration video

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:51:00 +0000

Hundreds of people are still walking past a tight cordon of policemen at the Jalan Duta court complex this morning to join thousands of supporters gathering ahead of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II verdict, expected to be delivered shortly after 9am. Supporters had begun thronging the courthouse from as early as 5am, some huddling under umbrellas as the skies poured down a steady drizzle upon them. Many were seen wearing Anwar Ibrahim face masks, while others donned black T-shirts with a variety of messages scribbled on them. Some carried plastic bags filled with light snacks and mineral water bottles. Scores of blue-uniformed police officers are keeping watch nearby but the supporters are steering clear of them, doing well to ensure the rally remains peaceful, which PKR has promised the authorities.

Occasional shouts of “Reformasi” lift from the crowd as new pockets of supporters trudge up the small incline leading towards the parking lot where the group has gathered. At one point, the group broke into the verses of “Negaraku” before breaking into more shouts of “Reformasi” and loud cheers. According to Kedah PKR assemblyman Lim Soo Nee, the party’s state chapter has mobilised 1,500 supporters while his colleague from Perak, Kuala Sapetang assemblyman Tai Sing Ng, said the party amassed a crowd of 3,000 people from the northern state. While the mood appears optimistic, whispers from among the crowd, however, indicate most are expecting their opposition leader to be slapped with a jail sentence today.

PKR leader William Leong told The Malaysian Insider that a conviction was most likely despite the likely backlash against the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration. “They (government) wouldn’t do all this for nothing,” he said, gesturing to the heavy police presence around the court complex. Speaking through a loud hailer later, PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang urged the crowd into cheers as he vowed that “Malaysians will rise to free Anwar Ibrahim... if the court disappoints the people today”. “As Malaysians, we will rise and we will free him, free ourselves... we will not rely on the judiciary, we will not wait for a corrupt system to give us justice,” he said as those surrounding him erupted in loud hoots.

The Batu MP added that today’s gathering was not merely a struggle to seek justice for one man but for Malaysians in general. He claimed the crowd of some 3,000 gathered at the court complex represents the remaining over 28 million Malaysians “who could not gather today”. “We gather to send a message to the leaders of our country — look around this world, there is no dictator who can rule forever. “You can bully one man but the people will not remain blind. The people will determine this country’s fate — not any judge or civil servant, not the BN leaders... only Malaysians can determine our fate,” he thundered.

Anwar, 64, is charged with sodomising former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium in upscale Damansara Heights here in June 2008, a few months before returning from a decade in the political wilderness and winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat. This represents the second time he has been prosecuted for sodomy. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

901: Anwar Ibrahim is free (International Media)

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:06:00 +0000

Al-Jazeera

CNN

The High Court today acquitted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of a charge of sodomising his former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled that the prosecution had not done enough to prove Anwar had committed sodomy against Saiful. “The court could not rule 100 per cent that the DNA samples were not compromised. Without that, the court is reluctant to convict the accused based on the evidence of SP1. SP1, which stands for prosecution witness one, refers to Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. “Therefore the accused is acquitted,” he ruled to shouts of joy from Anwar’s supporters and family.

Anwar’s family wept with joy as they all rushed to him. The public gallery inside the packed courtroom bursts into shouts of “Allahuakbar!” Anwar, 64, had been similarly indicted of sodomy over a decade ago and was found guilty. He spent six years in jail before being exonerated. The High Court’s decision this time, ahead of the 13th general election, will likely give a boost to Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact’s plans to take over Putrajaya. “Thank God! I was surprised with the verdict,” he told reporters above the noise, saying he is vindicated by the verdict and that justice has been done.

“The only thing now is to focus on the elections,” he said. The PKR adviser later added, “This was not just the freedom of one man... our duty now is to free the people. Our final stand will be in Putrajaya.” However, Anwar said he did not discount that the prosecution might appeal the High Court’s decision. Phil Robertson, an observer with New York-based Human Rights Watch, said: “Anwar was acquitted on charges that never should have been brought in the first place. “Hopefully, this verdict sends a verdict to the government to put this matter to rest.”

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua echoed the observation. “This proves the entire exercise was a political setup. This is the second time they are attempting to stop Anwar from contesting and leading,” he said. “We are grateful for the result and hope the federal government will not choose to appeal the case and let the country move on without being tainted by this entire imbroglio,” he added. Outside the Jalan Duta court complex, the Free Anwar rally demonstrators went wild as word of the opposition leader’s acquittal spread.

They screamed and clapped as PR leaders started to stream out. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim were among those spotted. Just as quickly, one group detached itself from the throng and started marching to the Federal Territory mosque directly opposite the court complex. The remainder, numbering in the thousands, quickly formed a line outside the gates to the courthouse. Many shouted for Saiful, and called for the youth to be jailed for falsely accusing Anwar of sodomy. Some jeered at him and threatened to beat him up if they saw him outside the courtroom. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

901 LIVE

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:07:00 +0000

BREAKING NEWS In a surprising twist, Anwar Ibrahim was today acquitted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court of sodomising his former 23-year-old aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

In discharging the 64-year-old PKR de-facto leader, Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah cast doubt on the DNA evidence provided by the prosecution.

"After going through the evidence, I cannot be 100 percent certain that the evidence could have been compromised.

"Hence, the court is reluctant to convict on such corrobaration of evidence from SP1 Saiful."

On hearing the surprise verdict, the courtroom exploded in jubilation.

Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail cried and hugged her elated husband.

In an immediate reaction, Anwar thanked his lawyers.

"I'm finally vindicated after the smearing of my character. I'm thankful to Wan Azizah and the team of lawyers led by Karpal Singh.

He also thanked the support of Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

"We want to continue on the reform agenda, fighting corruption, and freedom of the press."

Anwar was represented by a team of lawyers led by Bukit Gelugor MP and DAP chairperson Karpal. Outgoing solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden led the prosecution.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister was charged with sodomising Saiful at the Desa Damansara condominium between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.~malaysiakini~

Anwar's last supper: Thousands throng KL (Anwar Ibrahim, Mat Sabu, Tian Chua, Nurul Izzah)

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 01:18:00 +0000

Anwar Ibrahim

Tian Chua

Mat Sabu

Nurul Izzah

Tan Seng Giaw and Husam Musa

Thousands flooded Kampung Baru in the capital city tonight to listen to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's 'final message' before tomorrow's sodomy trial verdict at Duta Court. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim raced across the capital city last night, spending his potential last hours as a free man making his final appeal to supporters to continue fighting for political reform before today’s verdict in his sodomy trial. The de facto PKR leader pledged to a crowd of close to 5,000 at the final stop in Kampung Pandan here that “Umno leaders may cage my body but not my spirit.” It was his biggest crowd in his whirlwind meet with supporters in the capital city.

Leaping about a stage under the eye of dozens of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders such as DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, he called on supporters to “work hard as a team to save Malaysia.” “Save Malaysia from the rot. Save Malaysia from endemic corruption. “We are nearly there. Umno tried to convince PAS to join. Then DAP. No chance. This shows they are scared,” he said in his last public appearance before the Kuala Lumpur High Court decides his fate in the morning. He seemed a grim figure when he turned up a half hour earlier at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru, the birthplace of Malay nationalism.

Before a crowd of about 2,000 people, Anwar maintained his innocence of the offence, and his swagger. “I am not guilty. I should be freed tomorrow,” he announced shortly after his arrival, drawing cheers and the usual sloganeering cry “Reformasi”. Anwar, 64, is charged with sodomising former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium in upscale Damansara Heights here in June 2008, a few months before returning from a decade in the political wilderness and winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

This is the second time he has been prosecuted for sodomy after being convicted in 1998 soon after then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked him from his post as deputy prime minister. The Federal Court overturned the conviction in 2004, paving the way for him to lead a loose opposition pact to deny Barisan Nasional (BN) its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament and five state governments in the landmark 2008 election. If found guilty, he could spend up to 20 years behind bars and effectively spell the end of his political career and his chance to be prime minister.

Earlier at home where Anwar and his family played host to some 300 supporters, they said: “We’re all optimistic.” His eldest daughter Nurul Izzah, who has followed in her father’s footsteps, said: “It’s not easy. I can give you one thousand and one answers. “But for me, at least we are comforted by the fact that the struggle goes beyond one man; it is about the principles he holds deeply and believes deeply in and it’s about the independence of our judiciary.” Anwar’s PAS ally from Kelantan, Datuk Husam Musa, however, summed up the sentiment of the crowd best at the Dewan Sultan Sulaiman when he told what they knew in their hearts. “The rakyat’s sentiment will be decided in the next polls,” said the Kelantan state executive councillor.~themalaysianinsider.com~

Ceramah Anwar Ibrahim at Seremban 04/01/2012

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:07:00 +0000

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part 2

part 3

part 4

part 5

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said that a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal government would be satisfied with a simple majority in Parliament, citing concerns that a two-thirds majority victory will make the coalition complacent. The PKR de facto leader said that a simple majority would ensure a strong federal government as well as opposition, as well as allow a proper-check-and balance system so that PR does not end up mirroring the current Barisan Nasional government.

“Why do you need to win and have two-thirds majority, for what? Simply majority cukup (is enough). Two-thirds will make (us) complacent... two-thirds if you are too strong, you don’t and won’t have a strong, formidable opposition,”. The opposition leader said he was confident of PR’s chances of taking over Putrajaya and forming a new federal government, and that he wanted “Umno to perform well as an opposition party.” Election 2008 saw PKR become the largest opposition party in Parliament with a total of 31 MPs as BN suffered its worst performance at the polls ever, ceding five state governments and 82 parliamentary seats.

But it failed to defend Hulu Selangor in a by-election and lost a further six MPs who decided to become independent, allowing the DAP to become the biggest opposition party in Parliament with 28 MPs. PAS, despite being the largest PR party in terms of membership, had the smallest representation in Parliament with only 23 MPs after the polls. Asked about PR’s plans for Sabah and Sarawak, Anwar replied by saying that it was focusing on increasing the current number of state and parliamentary seats for the two states. “It will not be worse than 2008. We do not need to win Sabah and Sarawak. We need a substantial number of seats, and we are there,” the Permatang Pauh MP told The Malaysian Insider.

Since the 2008 general election, 57 of the 60 state assembly seats in Sabah are represented by BN, while the remaining three are represented by the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) (two seats) and the DAP (one seat.) The Sarawak state election last year saw PR make significant inroads by winning 15 of the 71 state assembly seats. PR previously had seven seats in the state. ~themalaysianinsider~

Anwar Ibrahim Nationwide Tour at Ledang, Johor 03/01/2012

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:36:00 +0000

part 1

part 2

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Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said that a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal government would be satisfied with a simple majority in Parliament, citing concerns that a two-thirds majority victory will make the coalition complacent. The PKR de facto leader said that a simple majority would ensure a strong federal government as well as opposition, as well as allow a proper-check-and balance system so that PR does not end up mirroring the current Barisan Nasional government.

“Why do you need to win and have two-thirds majority, for what? Simply majority cukup (is enough). Two-thirds will make (us) complacent... two-thirds if you are too strong, you don’t and won’t have a strong, formidable opposition,”. The opposition leader said he was confident of PR’s chances of taking over Putrajaya and forming a new federal government, and that he wanted “Umno to perform well as an opposition party.” Election 2008 saw PKR become the largest opposition party in Parliament with a total of 31 MPs as BN suffered its worst performance at the polls ever, ceding five state governments and 82 parliamentary seats.

But it failed to defend Hulu Selangor in a by-election and lost a further six MPs who decided to become independent, allowing the DAP to become the biggest opposition party in Parliament with 28 MPs. PAS, despite being the largest PR party in terms of membership, had the smallest representation in Parliament with only 23 MPs after the polls. Asked about PR’s plans for Sabah and Sarawak, Anwar replied by saying that it was focusing on increasing the current number of state and parliamentary seats for the two states. “It will not be worse than 2008. We do not need to win Sabah and Sarawak. We need a substantial number of seats, and we are there,” the Permatang Pauh MP told The Malaysian Insider.

Since the 2008 general election, 57 of the 60 state assembly seats in Sabah are represented by BN, while the remaining three are represented by the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) (two seats) and the DAP (one seat.) The Sarawak state election last year saw PR make significant inroads by winning 15 of the 71 state assembly seats. PR previously had seven seats in the state. ~themalaysianinsider~

PR prepared to face Anwar's jailing

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership is prepared if its defacto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty of sodomy on January 9, saying contingency plans are in place. “The Pakatan leadership, not only me and (Datuk Seri Dr Wan) Azizah (Wan Ismail) but Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Lim Kit Siang have discussed scenarios…If I am jailed, involved in accident or shot, we are prepared, discussed various possibilities, scenario one, two, three,” he told reporters here. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said the scenarios referred to three possibilities — that the high court acquits, convicts him with bail or without bail.

But PR leaders refused to comment on whether Anwar will be replaced if he goes to jail. “Don’t worry about it…we know what to do. Why are you worried?” said a smiling Anwar to a reporter. Anwar will find out on Monday whether he will be convicted for a charge of sodomising a former aide, something which he has vehemently denied, saying it was a ploy to destroy his political career. The PKR defacto leader dismissed claims that his nationwide tours were aimed at garnering support and sympathy ahead of his Sodomy II verdict.

“It won’t be just about January 9, it will be about the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal, rising costs of living,” he said. Anwar also confirmed The Malaysian Insider’s previous reports that the PR convention would be held from January 13 to 14 in Alor Setar, Kedah and that it would focus on the federal opposition’s manifesto. He said the theme for the convention is titled “Bersihkan Malaysia” (Clean Malaysia), and that it would focus on issues affecting the civil service, federalism, and also issues concerning undergraduates and youths.

“Pakatan Rakyat condemns the behaviour of the BN government towards undergraduates fighting for the repeal of the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA),” said Anwar, referring to 17 students arrested by police during a peaceful demonstration in Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI) on Sunday morning. He also announced that PR’s suggestion to the Election Commission (EC) that an independent television channel be created to air “fair and truthful” reports during the general election. Anwar said the channel should be managed by the EC, and that it should allow equal television coverage between PR and Barisan Nasional leaders. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Anwar Ibrahim, Mat Sabu at Tasek Gelugor Pulau Pinang

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Anwar Ibrahim

Mat Sabu

PKR insisted that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had asked for World Bank loans, as the then prime minister had chaired the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) that made the requests. The former prime minister said yesterday Malaysia had taken World Bank loans from 1958 to 1999, but that he never personally asked for such funds. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli made available documents purportedly from the World Bank, and pointed out that funds were disbursed for the July 1998 National Economic Recovery Plan (NERP), which was drawn up by the NEAC. “It is clearly proven the request for financial aid from the World Bank was made by the NEAC, on behalf of the Malaysian government, to pay for the NERP that was launched in July 1998. The NEAC was fully controlled by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” he said in an attached statement.

He added the documents showed the negotiation process began in February 1, 1999, “after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was jailed” on charges of corruption. Anwar was found guilty and sentenced to six years’ jail on April 14, 1999, seven months after being sacked from the government by Dr Mahathir. Rafizi also claimed that loans worth US$404 million (or RM1.5 billion at the exchange rate then) in total were requested under Dr Mahathir’s orders. Dr Mahathir has been locked in a verbal war over the past week with his then deputy Anwar and PKR leaders over their respective roles and actions during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The former Umno president, who is still influential in the party, issued a challenge last week to Opposition Leader Anwar over allegations of a purported letter that the former had written to the World Bank to appeal for funds during the financial crisis.

PKR has since produced World Bank records showing that Dr Mahathir’s administration had accepted financial aid numerous times from May 18, 1982 to Malaysia’s post-financial crisis period of March 30, 1999. This includes three loans for projects inked six months after Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister in September 1998. Previously, Dr Mahathir said the last negotiation for loans was in 1997, but the funds were not disbursed until 1999. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia - The Widening Income Gap

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:30:00 +0000

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part 2

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Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sounded warning bells today, saying the government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) will worsen income disparity and force some 1.7 million Malaysians into poverty by 2020. On the flip side, he said, corporate giants and government cronies would be enjoying a larger slice of the economic pie even as the common Malaysian struggle with hardship. The former finance minister poured doubt over the projections in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s ETP introduced last year, claiming that instead of reducing the number of low-income workers and increasing the number of high-paying jobs, the initiative would only see the number of urban poor climb.

By 2020, he said, there will be between seven and 8.3 million urban poor in Malaysia, with monthly earnings of RM1,500 and below. The average Malaysian’s stake in the economy, he added, would also deplete significantly under the programme. “In the final analysis, [the] ETP is a continuation of a flawed economic model mired with corruption and rent-seeking culture that rewards the ruling echelons at the expense of the majority,” he told a dinner talk tonight in his keynote address entitled, “Debunking ETP: Widening income gap” at The Westin. Anwar noted that the ETP projects a salary distribution for 2020 that will see an additional 2.8 million people earning more than RM4,000 per month.

But, he said, the trend of slow growth in real wages here would only turn this projection into a “falsehood”. He noted that statistics from the Human Resources Ministry revealed that wages growth in Malaysia recorded an average increase of 2.6 per cent annually for the past decade while “cost of living has outpaced the wages growth”. “This is further verified by the National Employment Return Study of 2009, involving a sample of 24,000 employers and 1.3 million workers which found that 33.8 per cent of the workers were paid below RM700 per month.

“If this were to be extrapolated nationally, it suggests that up to 34 per cent of our workforce earn below the national poverty line,” he said. Another flaw in the assumption used for the ETP, said Anwar, is the 2.8 per cent average inflation for the period up to 2020 which contributes to the programme’s GNI (gross national income) per capita target of RM48,000 by 2020. If inflation grows higher than 2.8 per cent in the next few years, he said, real wages will be lower and the GNI per capita target is nothing more than “a number on a fancy ETP brochure”. “The consequence that these flawed economic assumptions has on ETP is great. The premise that ETP can guarantee higher wages and deliver Malaysia to the path of high-income nation collapses instantly if we were to use more realistic assumptions detached from political spins and propaganda,” he said. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Ceramah Anwar Ibrahim di Beruas, Perak

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:44:00 +0000

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Shortly after the prosecution filed its closing arguments Tuesday and declared that it had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, was guilty of sodomy, Mr. Anwar emerged from the Kuala Lumpur High Court to cries of “Reform!” from his supporters. “I still hope that sanity and justice will prevail and the judge will have to decide based on the facts and the law,” said Mr. Anwar, who faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, said as he left the courtroom.

The trial, which has extended over nearly two years, is expected to end on Thursday with a reply from the defense. Mr. Anwar will then face an anxious wait for a verdict that could prevent him from running in elections widely expected to be held next year and realizing his long-held ambition to become prime minister. Sodomy, even between consenting adults, remains a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and any prison sentence would bar Mr. Anwar, 64, from contesting elections for five years from the date of his release. Some analysts, however, predict that a guilty verdict could enhance support for the political opposition and bolster its contention that the trial was politically motivated. The government has denied such assertions.

More than a decade has passed since Mr. Anwar, who served as deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998, was convicted of earlier charges of abuse of power and sodomy. Released from prison in 2004 after the Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction, Mr. Anwar now leads an opposition alliance that holds more parliamentary seats than ever after the governing coalition, which has dominated Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 2008 elections. Mr. Anwar has not backed down from his assertion that he is the victim of a conspiracy and the government his persecutor. And he does not believe that the verdict in the new trial, in which he is charged with forcing a male aide to have sex, will be any different from the first.

A guilty verdict, he says, is a “foregone conclusion.” “Am I prepared?” he said Thursday in an interview at his party’s headquarters. “Yes, I don’t have a choice.” But he added, “Whether I am in jail or convicted or otherwise, reform and change must take place.” Several months after the 2008 elections, Mr. Anwar was charged with sodomizing his former political aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in a Kuala Lumpur apartment. Mr. Anwar has described the allegation as a “blatant and vicious lie.” In final submissions to the court on Tuesday, the prosecution disputed the defense’s claims that DNA evidence considered crucial in the trial could have been tainted. The prosecution said Mr. Anwar had failed to refute key elements of Mr. Saiful’s testimony when he delivered a statement from the dock. Because he did not give evidence under oath, Mr. Anwar was not subject to cross-examination.

Mr. Anwar’s lawyers, who have complained that the trial has not been conducted fairly, had sought to paint his accuser as a “consummate liar.” Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have criticized the trial. Condemnation has also come from Al Gore, the former U.S. vice president who, with Paul D. Wolfowitz, the former U.S. deputy secretary of defense, wrote in the Wall Street Journal last year that the trial “threatens not just Mr. Anwar but all those in Malaysia who have struggled for a freer and more democratic nation.” But for all his pessimism about his chances of acquittal, Mr. Anwar voices equal optimism about the opposition’s prospects in the next election: “Not if — when,” he said.

James Chin, a political scientist and director of the School of Arts and Social Sciences at Monash University Malaysia, said that a guilty verdict would lend credence to the opposition’s assertions that the trial was a government conspiracy. “If he gets a guilty verdict and a very harsh sentence, this will be a very good thing for the opposition,” Mr. Chin said. Bridget Welsh, an associate professor at Singapore Management University who specializes in Malaysian politics, said a guilty verdict would support the view that the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak “is so insecure that it has to use the judiciary against the opposition leader.”

While the opposition has often been beset by claims of disunity in its ranks, Mr. Anwar said the parties had been working to come up with a “clear platform” on key policies ahead of the election. “Our target is to win the elections,” Mr. Anwar said. “I’m very optimistic.” He said the opposition must present a coherent, united voice and emphasize its commitment to democratic reforms, and communicate its message to the public — something Mr. Anwar complained was difficult because of the government dominance of television and newspapers. Calls for greater protection of civil liberties have grown louder in Malaysia this year, and Mr. Najib has announced that he will undertake a series of legislative changes. But his actions have failed to satisfy the Malaysian Bar Council and other rights advocates, with many criticizing the government’s new Peaceful Assembly Act. Although the act would eliminate the need to obtain a police permit for protests, it would ban street demonstrations and require protesters to notify the police in advance.

Mr. Anwar, who said he would allow street protests if elected, said Malaysia has the ingredients for its own “Arab spring” if changes are not made. He said Malaysia was not comparable to Libya under Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s regime or Syria under President Bashar al-Assad. But, he said, “all the ingredients of a repressive regime, an authoritarian regime, are there.” As Mr. Anwar awaits the verdict, he said he would be traveling around the country, meeting members of the public to garner support for the opposition. He said that, if he is jailed, he believes the government “will just try and erase me as they did before in 1998, because they thought by just jailing me that Anwar’s role and future is erased for good.” But he left no doubt that he would not go quietly if convicted. In a courtroom speech delivered during the trial, he vowed that the “truth will eventually prevail.” “Come what come may,” he said, “I shall never surrender.” ~New York Times~

Anwar Ibrahim: Saya Wajar, Wajib Dibebaskan

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Dec 13 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today predicted that the general election would be held soon after his sodomy trial ends, saying that it was part of an elaborate plan to end his political career. The Opposition leader told reporters that he was “prepared for the best, but expected the worst” when asked what he thought the judge’s verdict would be on his case. “This is not coincidental, that the end of the case is going to coincide with (general) elections,” he said.

Responding to the prosecution’s closing submissions attacking his decision to testify via a statement from the dock, Anwar said he was using his trial to address the country’s flawed legal system. “The system is flawed. It is why I issued a statement from the dock. “It is not true that I have not adduced evidence to argue my case. I took a position through competent witnesses ... their only attempt is to demolish internationally-renowned doctors,” said Anwar, referring to foreign experts brought in by defence lawyers as witnesses for the case.

Complainant and star prosecution witness Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan has accused Anwar of sodomising him at the upmarket Desa Damansara Condominium in Damansara Heights here on June 26, 2008. But the PKR de facto leader has repeatedly denied this, and opened his defence case by calling the sodomy charge a trumped-up allegation masterminded by Najib. The former deputy prime minister said Najib wanted to end his political career and scupper Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) bid to take over federal government. The trial resumes on December 15 with the defence replying to the prosecution’s submissions. Trial judge Datuk Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah will then decide a date to deliver his decision on the case ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Hasan Ali: I'm still willing to cooperate with Pakatan

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:50:00 +0000

Datuk Hasan Ali refused today to state if his loyalties lie with PAS and Pakatan Rakyat (PR), stating instead he was only loyal to Allah and would cooperate with anyone championing Islam. The former Selangor PAS chief was removed from his post earlier this year after continued infighting which has continued, most recently with reports that the Gombak Setia assemblyman may be dropped from contesting the next general elections. The state executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs said he was committed to uphold Islam, Malays and the institution of Malay monarchs.

“I am loyal to Allah. To mankind, in this context, I don’t like to use the term loyal, but cooperate. Closely cooperating to help them and they help me,” he told a press conference when asked if he would remain loyal to his party and coalition if they upheld the same principles. Hasan (picture) also said he would let “time and circumstance and my Islamic thinking” determine his course of action if PAS did not select him as an election candidate. “Anyone that brings Islam forward, I will support. It is not easy for anyone to leave any organisation based on Islam except if these three things are not defended,” he added.

He said it did not matter whether he was a candidate or not as “these obstacles will only make me more determined” in the fight to defend Islam. “I don’t need Selangor PAS to recognise me or even the PAS president to recognise me. I don’t need DAP or PKR to like me. What I need is Allah likes me,” he added. PAS denied yesterday Utusan Malaysia’s report that Hasan and former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa will be dropped as candidates as discussions on candidates have not begun. Quoting unnamed sources, the Malay daily said he will be “removed” by Selangor PAS, with blessings from the PAS central committee.

The report follows Selangor PAS information chief Shaari Sungib’s remarks, published in several blogs, that Hassan did not garner enough nominations from PAS branches in the state. Hasan also said today he will be “loyal to any organisation and willing to work together on these three messages” when asked about PAS-Umno merger efforts in the name of Islamic and Malay unity. Widely seen as a religious conservative, Hasan has been at odds with the ruling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government’s seemingly liberal policies on several occasions, most notably his push for a beer sale ban in the country’s most developed state earlier this year.

Utusan Malaysia last week sought to paint Hasan as the maker of an elusive match between Umno and PAS, claiming he was seen as a unifying factor for the Malay community in Selangor. The Umno-owned newspaper said the award of the “Datuk Paduka” title to Hasan over the weekend will play a role in “marrying” Umno and PAS. Since Election 2008, Umno has made repeated overtures to the Islamic party, claiming that a unification would guarantee the Malay community’s hold on political power. But PAS has repeatedly snubbed the efforts and expressed its commitment towards PR and their common aim to oust Umno and Barisan Nasional from Putrajaya. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

'Hasan's royal award a recognition for PAS'

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:06:00 +0000

The award to Selangor exco member Datuk Dr Hasan Ali by the Sultan of Selangor is in recognition of PAS, the party said today. Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Khalid Samad said the Sultan of Selangor had previously given awards to one leader each from Pakatan Rakyat component parties PKR and the DAP. He said the Sultan had given the “Datuk Seri” title to Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim representing PKR, and the “Datukship” to Teng Chang Khim of the DAP. “This year, the ‘Datuk Mahkota’ title went to Datuk Dr Hasan Ali as the former PAS state commissioner is the highest-ranking PAS executive councillor,” he said.

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia said yesterday that Hasan’s award in conjunction with the Sultan Selangor’s birthday will play a role in “unifying” Umno and PAS. Assistant chief editor Datuk Zaini Hassan, writing in his weekly column, said he was informed the Sultan recognises Hasan’s role and saw him as a unifying factor for the Malays in Selangor. “Whatever said in Utusan Malaysia by the assistant chief editor regarding Datuk Dr Hasan Ali as the only Malay who can unite Malays, that is his own views and for PAS, we want Malays to unite but we want them to unite based on clear policies (such as Islam, justice and truth) not on Malay nationalism,” said Khalid.

Hasan, who is in charge of the state’s Islamic affairs portfolio, previously defended a raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church in August, claiming there was proselytisation of Muslims on the premises. Widely seen as a religious conservative, Hasan has been at odds with the ruling PR state government’s seemingly liberal policies on several occasions, most notably his push for a beer sale ban in the country’s most developed state earlier this year. Hasan had lost badly in the recent PAS election as the Islamist party moved to embrace leaders like Khalid, who is also the Shah Alam MP, who is seen to represent a more progressive and inclusive brand of Islam.

Since Election 2008, Umno has continued to make advances towards the Islamist party on claims that a unification of the two would guarantee the Malay community’s hold on political power. However, PAS has repeatedly snubbed the efforts and expressed its commitment towards PR and their common aim to oust Umno and Barisan Nasional from Putrajaya. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Wacana Perdana 8 PRU13, BN atau PR

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 04:43:00 +0000

BN mendahului Pakatan Rakyat sekurang-kurangnnya tiga peratus dalam persaingan untuk mendapatkan sokongan anak muda dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang, demikian menurut institut kajian Zentrum Future Studies. Pengasas institut kajian itu, Prof Madya Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah, berkata sebahagian besar sokongan itu diraih dari kalangan anak muda golongan Cina. "Jumlah kaum muda dalam demografi SPR adalah sehingga 68 peratus, bermakna kaum muda Cina secara total daripada 88 hingga 92 peratus menyokong Pakatan," katanya dalam wacana perdana pilihan raya umum ke-13 di Kota Bharu malam tadi.

Katanya lagi, sokongan di kalangan masyarakat Cina terhadap Pakatan, tanpa mengikut gender dan umur dianggarkan pada kadar 82 hingga 88 peratus. Bagi pengundi Melayu pula, ia kekal pada kadar 22 hingga 28 peratus, untuk memberi kelebihan sokongan 3 hingga 5 peratus kepada BN. Bagaimanapun, ia mungkin berubah pada saat-saat terakhir pilihan raya kerana golongan muda itu disifatkannya lebih berhati-hati dan lebih cakna kepada isu. "Bermaksud, Pakatan mampu memecut dan bentuk keseimbangan akibat sokongan kaum Melayu," katanya lagi. Menjelaskan bacaannya itu, Abu Hassan (tengah) berkata kaum muda Melayu lebih dekat dengan budaya popular manakala masyarakat Cina lebih dekat dengan isu-su ekonomi.

Oleh itu isu rasuah dan penyelewengan seperti yang dikaitkan dengan National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) juga akan memberi impak yang besar kepada komuniti Melayu, tambahnya. Ditemui selepas program anjuran kerajaan negeri Kelantan itu berakhir lewat malam tadi, Abu Hassan bagaimanapun enggan mendedahkan butiran kajian berkenaan kerana ia masih belum diterbitkan. Moderator program berkenaan, Profesor Madya Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff turut memberikan pandangannya bahawa 60 peratus daripada kira-kira seramai tujuh juta pengundi muda hanya akan membentuk sikap terhadap kepada isu-isu tersebut dalam undian mereka pada saat terakhir. Perkara yang ditimbang oleh golongan ini melibatkan isu kebajikan – keadaan ekonomi, kos sara hidup dan peluang pekerjaan.

Sementara itu, wakil BN di wacana berkenaan, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah pula tetap yakin bahawa parti itu akan meraih sokongan daripada pengundi atas pagar. Katanya, BN telah berjaya memujuk pengundi yang memberikan undi protes dalam pilihan raya 2008 dan parti itu juga telah menyedari "realiti politik baru" yang perlu diharungi dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang. Timbalan menteri pengajian tinggi itu turut menyenaraikan usaha-usaha yang dijalankan parti pimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak untuk menunjukkan bahawa BN telahpun sedar, termasuk kempen 1Malaysia dan juga program transformasi yang dicanang.

Beliau turut mengulangi pandangan bahawa mood pengundi dalam 18 pilihan raya kecil juga telah berubah pada saat akhir. Mengulas data yang dikemukakan Zentrum, seorang lagi ahli panel, setiausaha agung PKR Saifuddin Nasution pula berkata parti itu terbuka dalam menerima apa juga kajian dan akan menggunakannya dalam menghadapi pilihan raya. "Kita tidak amalkan sindrom penafian," katanya yang mengambil data berkenaan sebagai cabaran kepada parti untuk memperbaiki peluangnya.

Beliau juga menerima bacaan daripada pelbagai sumber lain, namun apa yang lebih penting bagi PKR adalah sistem audit dalam parti. Audit berkenaan akan memberi gambaran sebenar kepada kekuatan parti dan masalah yang dihadapinya, katanya lagi ketika ditemui selepas program di Balai Islam, Lundang itu berakhir lewat malam semalam. Seorang lagi ahli panel yang turut mengambil bahagian dalam wacana yang disiarkan secara langsung melalui saluran web mykelantan.tv itu ialah pensyarah Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Prof Madya Dr Samsul Adabi Mamat. ~malaysiakini.com~

Ceramah at Shah Alam (Anwar Ibrahim, Nik Aziz, Hadi Awang dan Lim Kit Siang)

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Anwar Ibrahim

Nik Aziz

Hadi Awang

Lim Kit Siang

Under attack from Umno at its annual congress, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) last night fell back on its administrative track record in four states to hammer home its claim that the ruling party has failed to improve the lot of Malaysians. Making full use of the alleged financial irregularities in a national cattle farming scheme and this year’s dip in Malaysia’s corruption score, PR leaders hit back at Umno in a concerted show of force after enduring five days of attacks during last week’s Umno general assembly.

Pulling no punches, a fiery Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pointed out that Umno has doubly wronged the people by first misusing public funds meant for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) and then defending Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil. The Wanita Umno chief, who is also the women, family and community minister, has been dogged by controversy over her family’s role in the NFC ever since the Auditor-General labelled the project in November as a “mess” for failing to meet production targets. PKR has alleged that Shahrizat’s husband, Datuk Mohamed Salleh Ismail, who runs the NFC, used a multi-million ringgit federal loan to pursue unrelated ventures — including a RM13.8 million condominium buy — as well as to fund personal expenses.

“Only those with no morals can hurl abuse (at Pakatan), can steal RM250 million... and then defend themselves. “Their first wrong was to misuse funds, and their second was to defend their actions,” Anwar told over 2,000 supporters who had gathered in the car park next to Malawati Stadium here despite the drizzle. The PKR de facto leader was joined by other top opposition leaders, including Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Lim Kit Siang, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Azmin Ali. Also present was national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who emerged as a fierce critic of the Najib administration earlier this year during the Bersih 2.0 rally for electoral reform.

PAS president Abdul Hadi similarly made reference to the NFC scandal in refuting Umno’s charge that the Islamist party was the DAP’s stooge and the MCA’s claim that the DAP was under the thumb of PAS. “PAS diperkudakan oleh DAP. DAP diperkudakan oleh PAS... Umno diperlembukan (PAS is being ridden like a horse by DAP. DAP is being ridden by PAS... Umno is made to look the cow),” he said to raucous laughter from the partisan crowd. “Lebih baik diperkuda daripada diperlembukan kerana kuda untuk perjuangan, lembu untuk disembelih (It’s better to be ridden like a horse than to be made to look the cow as horses are for fighting, cows are for slaughter).”

PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz had earlier turned Barisan Nasional’s (BN) accusations on its head, claiming instead that Umno had abandoned true Islamic principles on the MCA’s account. “Umno is forced to reject Islam because it wants to please MCA,” he said. Taking a different tack, Lim focused on Malaysia’s worsening score in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), noting that the country had fallen 13 places to 60th place since Datuk Seri Najib Razak took over as prime minister in 2009.

“Can Umno change? Can Umno change? We need to a change Umno. And to make change, we need to ensure that Datuk Seri Najib becomes the opposition leader after the 13th general election. “We can start a new... chapter (in the nation’s history) where there will be justice, freedom and prosperity for all Malaysians.” ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Ceramah Perdana Anwar Ibrahim dan Mat Sabu di Air Hitam, Johor

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:56:00 +0000

Anwar Ibrahim: Ceramah Perdana Air Hitam, Johor
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Part 2

Part 3

Mat Sabu: Ceramah Perdana Air Hitam, Johor
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Pakatan Rakyat was now ready to form the federal government after helming five states following the landmark 2008 election. He said that if the electoral pact had taken Putrajaya three years ago “we may have been careless” but governing the states it won three years ago provided a “training ground” for the fledgling coalition. “The party has struggled and suffered not one or two years, but over 10 years. If in 1999 we had won, we were not ready,” the PKR de facto leader (picture) said of the election that followed immediately after his sacking as deputy prime minister.

“In 2008, it was our first test to form state government. If we had formed federal government, we may have been careless. It is a training ground. “We cleaned out the defectors, the dirty things from the party,” he added, referring to the six MPs and five assemblymen who have left PKR since the 12th General Elections. Two assemblymen who left PKR in February 2009 had caused the fall of PR’s Perak administration. Anwar said that three years ago, the party had “no strength in Sarawak... Sabah was a mess.”

The Permatang Pauh MP said gains made in April’s Sarawak state election, where it increased its representation from one to three assemblymen, showed the party is “now twice as strong as in 2008.” “This is the best opportunity since 1957. This is the best opportunity for the people to rise up and change the system. “If it is really clean and democratic before the election, it is certain Barisan Nasional will lose easily,” he said of polls that the opposition has insisted must only come after electoral reforms currently being discussed by a parliamentary select committee.

Anwar said this when closing PKR’s national congress here, likely to be its last before a crucial election expected soon. He led an electoral pact with DAP and PAS in 2008 which made record gains, denying Barisan Nasional (BN) its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament after a record 82 opposition MPs were elected. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Ceramah at Kongres PKR 2011 Johor Baru

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:01:00 +0000

Anwar Ibrahim

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

Azmin Ali

part 1

part 2

Khalid Ibrahim

part 1

part 2

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that Pakatan Rakyat was now ready to form the federal government after helming five states following the landmark 2008 election. He said that if the electoral pact had taken Putrajaya three years ago “we may have been careless” but governing the states it won three years ago provided a “training ground” for the fledgling coalition. “The party has struggled and suffered not one or two years, but over 10 years. If in 1999 we had won, we were not ready,” the PKR de facto leader (picture) said of the election that followed immediately after his sacking as deputy prime minister.

“In 2008, it was our first test to form state government. If we had formed federal government, we may have been careless. It is a training ground. “We cleaned out the defectors, the dirty things from the party,” he added, referring to the six MPs and five assemblymen who have left PKR since the 12th General Elections. Two assemblymen who left PKR in February 2009 had caused the fall of PR’s Perak administration. Anwar said that three years ago, the party had “no strength in Sarawak... Sabah was a mess.”

The Permatang Pauh MP said gains made in April’s Sarawak state election, where it increased its representation from one to three assemblymen, showed the party is “now twice as strong as in 2008.” “This is the best opportunity since 1957. This is the best opportunity for the people to rise up and change the system. “If it is really clean and democratic before the election, it is certain Barisan Nasional will lose easily,” he said of polls that the opposition has insisted must only come after electoral reforms currently being discussed by a parliamentary select committee.

Anwar said this when closing PKR’s national congress here, likely to be its last before a crucial election expected soon. He led an electoral pact with DAP and PAS in 2008 which made record gains, denying Barisan Nasional (BN) its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament after a record 82 opposition MPs were elected. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Video perhimpunan "kill the bill"

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:15:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — The Bar Council warned the Najib administration today it will “continue knocking on the doors of Parliament” if the Peaceful Assembly Bill is passed without public consultation. Malaysian Bar President Lim Chee Wee urged the government to consider the council’s proposed alternative to the government’s original Bill, which he described as an “unjust law made in haste ... which will impose unreasonable and disproportionate fetters on freedom of assembly”.

“The Bar will continue knocking on the doors of Parliament if the Bill makes it to the statute books in its current form. We will not give up hope,” he vowed during a brief press conference in Parliament here. Lim was addressing reporters just moments after he led hundreds of lawyers in the council’s “Walk for Freedom” march to Parliament as a sign of their open defiance of a law they claim infringes on Malaysians’ constitutional rights. When asked if the council would continue holding more protests if today’s Bill is approved, Lim declined to comment, saying, “Let me finish today first and let’s see how things turn out.”

He acknowledged that any marches held after the Bill is gazetted into law would be against the law but added, “History is full of civil disobedience and events, which have led to changes for the better in the country.” “But I am a cautious and eternal optimist in that our 222 MPs will uphold the rule of law and the Constitution (when they vote today).” The prominent lawyer, along with nine other representatives from the council, were earlier allowed through Parliament gates and into the lobby to hand over a copy of its alternative Bill to deputy minister Datuk V. K. Liew and a letter of appeal urging MPs to vote wisely. “We are not anti-government or pro-opposition. We are anti-injustice and anti-unconstitutionality ... We are pro-justice and pro-rule of law. We have always worked closely with the government,” Lim told Liew when handing over the documents.

“We, the members of the Bar are hopeful and will certainly pray that the wakil rakyat will read what we have to say, deliberate, and vote according to conscience and not according to party whip. “We urge the prime minister, who has made good announcements on Malaysia Day, not to be influenced by others, but to return to the path of transformation that he had promised the rakyat,” he added. Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a raft of reforms during his Malaysia Day message in September, including the repeal of the Internal Security Act and amendments to other security laws, and promised to increase civil liberties. Lim also told reporters today that “our country was founded on procession”, pointing to the historic 15,000-strong pre-Merdeka procession led by Datuk Onn Jaafar to protest the formation of the Malayan Union by the British on February 27, 1946.

“Processions or assemblies in motion are very much deep in the history of Malaysia ... which is why we urge the government — do not, with the stroke of the pen, strike back against the very foundation of this nation,” he said. Liew accepted the council’s alternative Bill from Lim and promised to go through the document. “I will do the best I can,” he promised Lim. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

PKR challenges Umno to guarantee Malay PM

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:17:00 +0000

PKR Youth dared Umno today to amend the federal constitution to state that the prime minister must be Malay. Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin said in his policy speech at the wing’s national congress here that this was because “history shows Umno is willing to sell out everything.” “To ensure that the last Malay stronghold, that is political power, is not traded away by Umno, we challenge Umno to amend the federal constitution to insert conditions and guarantees that the prime minister must be Malay. “The excuse that the post is held by a Malay because Umno is in power cannot be accepted. To cover up their evil, those who question them are accused of betraying Malays,” he told over 800 delegates.

He accused Umno of “endangering the interests and position of Malays... for their own gains.” Umno has repeatedly accused Pakatan Rakyat (PR) of selling out the Malays to Chinese and foreign interests, insisting that the Malays can only be protected if Barisan Nasional (BN) remains in power. Since the landmark Election 2008 where PR denied BN its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament and five state governments, the Malays have swung back towards the ruling coalition even as Chinese support for the federal opposition has increased. Racial tension has also heightened over the past few years especially with repeated allegations that Muslims are being proselytised.

Umno’s Utusan Malaysia accused the DAP earlier this year of conspiring with the church to turn Malaysia into a Christian state and install a Christian prime minister. A coalition of Muslim NGOs known as Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Gathering of a Million Faithful) has also organised several gatherings around the country to “rise up to the challenge of Christianisation.” Article 153 of the constitution grants the Agong di-Pertuan Agong responsibility to “safeguard the special position of the Malays” and has been interpreted by Malay rights groups to justify special privileges in the economy, religion and education.

~themalaysianinsider.com~

Rakaman TV PAS 2009 latest

noreply@blogger.com (faizul hadi) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:26:00 +0000

Rakaman TVPAS09

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party or the Islamic Party of Malaysia (Malay: Parti Islam Se-Malaysia), commonly known as PAS or Pas, is an Islamist political party in Malaysia and is currently headed by Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. PAS positions itself as a political party that aims to establish Malaysia as a country based on Islamic legal theory derived from the primary sources of Islam, the Quran, Sunnah as well as Hadiths, as opposed to Barisan Nasional's Islam Hadhari, which PAS sees as based on a watered-down understanding of Islam.

The party enjoys strong support from the northern rural and conservative states such as Kelantan and Terengganu. It is also the first opposition party in independent Malaysia's history to defeat the Barisan Nasional coalition in a Malay dominated state. PAS, together with Parti KeADILan Rakyat (known as PKR), and Democratic Action Party (known as DAP) formed part of a coalition called Pakatan Rakyat following the 2008 election. Together, Pakatan Rakyat now controls five states in Malaysia which is Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor, Perak and Penang.