THE EVIL THAT COEXISTS WITHIN NAJIB THE GHOST OF MAHATHIR NAJIB THREATENS TO UNLEASH RELA

by The Economist–Print Version

THE house of Ambiga Sreenevasan in a leafy neighbourhood of Kuala Lumpur looks ordinary enough. Getting into it, though, betrays a different reality. A security guard greets visitors, who are then scrutinised by newly installed surveillance cameras. A bodyguard hovers somewhere inside the house.

The precautions are revealing. Ms Ambiga has become the target of what she describes as “relentless attacks”, including death threats. They have thrust a middle-class lawyer (she is a former President of the Malaysian Bar Council) into the centre of politics in the run-up to what could be a pivotal general election.

Ms Ambiga is co-leader of the BERSIH movement, a coalition of NGOs campaigning for free and fair elections. To her supporters, BERSIH, which means “clean” in Malay, is dedicated to strengthening democracy in Malaysia, where the system is heavily skewed in favour of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

The party has been in power continuously since independence in 1957; it governs in a coalition known as the Barisan Nasional (BN) mainly with two minority parties, one ethnic Chinese and the other Indian, reflecting the racial composition of the country. To many within UMNO, Ms Ambiga is a grave threat, the more so because Najib Razak, the prime minister, has to go to the polls by the second quarter of next year, but appears to be reluctant to call the election. Though his personal support rating is high, the coalition is less popular.

A mass rally called by Bersih in the capital in April (protesters are pictured above) attracted tens of thousands of people, including many opposition leaders. The event ended in riots and violence. Ever since, UMNO and its underlings have been demonising the leaders of BERSIH, which may have cheered some from the majority Malay population but could also backfire against the government.

When it started in May, the harassment of Ms Ambiga was almost farcical. A posse of traders turned up outside her door frying burgers to protest about their lost earnings on the day of the rally; silly stuff, though still offensive to a Hindu vegetarian. Sillier still, a group of ex-soldiers marched on her house and shook their buttocks at it, calling her a subversive.

Then things turned nasty. Several hundred men handed over a petition saying that she was anti-Islamic (in a Muslim-majority country) and should leave Malaysia. Ms Ambiga says that these protests were “either sanctioned or supported by the state”. Finally, on June 26th, a veteran UMNO politician, Mohamad Aziz, said in parliament: “Can we not consider Ambiga a traitor…and sentence her to hang”.

This has caused a storm. Quite apart from the overt threat, the MP lit the touchpaper of Malaysia’s highly flammable racial politics; this was a Malay MP insulting a prominent member of the Indian community.

The country’s 2 million Indians are normally a divided lot, but they quickly rallied behind Ms Ambiga. Even the leaders of the BN-aligned Malaysian Indian Congress party denounced the MP, ostensibly their political ally. Mr Mohamad issued a limited apology to Indians in general, but not to Ms Ambiga personally.

Ms Ambiga believes the attacks on her, all by Malay men, are racist. She points out that her Malay co-leader of BERSIH a famous writer called A. Samad Said, has never been targeted.

It is as yet unclear whether the souring climate could turn Malaysia’s Indians against the BN. They make up only 8% of the population. Traditionally they have mostly voted for the BN, but some may now change their minds, especially in urban areas where Ms Ambiga is respected. After the BN’s Indian vote fell at the last election in 2008, Mr Najib worked hard to court Indians. Now, that may have been to little avail.

Mr Najib may also be personally tarnished. He portrays himself as a liberally minded champion of multiracial politics, yet critics say he has done little to rein in the racist attacks. When under pressure, the “warlords” of UMNO who constitute its nationalist backbone have often drawn on racial politics, playing up to Malay voters the supposed threats that Chinese and Indians pose to their institutionalised privileges in jobs and education.

Under Mr Najib people had hoped for something better. Ms Ambiga accuses him of being “wet” for failing to take a stronger stand. His belated rebuttal to Mr Mohamad merely urged MPs not to say things that might “hurt the feelings of other races”.

Meanwhile, Ms Ambiga and other BERSIH co-leaders (not the Malay one) have been issued with a bewildering demand for compensation from the Kuala Lumpur city council for costs incurred during the April rally. This includes a claim for “damage to trees” ($5,246) and “food and drink” for staff.

The government has also brought charges against Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition, and several of his colleagues for a variety of offences arising from their participation in the April rally. Their cases go to court in the next few months; if they are convicted, they could be banned from standing in the election.

Political analysts argue that such tactics are a sign of nervousness—though the BN is very unlikely to lose the election. Since May, surveys suggest his (Najib’s) support among Chinese and Indian voters has fallen, though that of Malays has increased a bit. It is all likely to make for a more acrimonious election when one is at last called.

CE13WILL DETERMINE NAJIB’S POLITICAL FUTURE. ANYTHING LESS THAN 80  SEATS IN A STATE WHERE NAJIB HAS INVESTED SO MUCH PERSONAL AND MONEY POLITICAL CAPITAL COULD DISRUPT THE CAREFULLY CHOREOGRAPHED DYNASTIC SUCCESSION IN THE UMNO . THE PARTY’S CYNICAL VACILLATION OVER COW 

Soiled Dick Lek’s decision to campaign for Najib show how seriously the  UMNO takes the  G13 elections.

Part of a plan of Evil

The King maker in Selangor is the Malay vote. When Najib Razak said he would wrest back Selangor by ‘all ways and means’, he was confident because he knew that all he had to do was work on the Malay vote. And this is why it was so vital to get Hasan to sing Umno song to PAS members. The Malay community remains split down the line between these two giant parties, with relative newbie PKR also garnering a sizeable share. PAS and PKR are able to at any time command a combined 45 to 55 percent of the Malay vote. Umno needs to whittle this down by by at least 5 to 10 percent to be sure of victory.

Predicting electoral outcomes in Malaysiais a risky businessnow; god knows how many psephologists have had to eat dirt as the electorate proved to be more volatile than the the share market. But the voterspatterns are tracked by the media, many a times, they are not.

As Najib hits the campaign trail, there is a lot of speculation over how the voting ‘pattern’ in Malaysia would shape up. After years of investing time and energy as the prime minister, will the Najib scion’s developmental agenda work? Or will Pakatan’s social engineering get the numbers again? Or is it going to be a three way contest with the RPK’s  third face making a comeback?

Can a country have a split personality? Can a nation be a Dr Jekyll and a Mr Hyde, as in R L Stevenson’s classic tale about the good and the evil that coexists within the individual?
How low can one go when one has to launch a campaign to get others to love Najib. Since the surveys already show that many Chinese and Indians “love” Najib, what more do the 2 sycophant MCA funded associations want to campaign for?
ANDRE Malraux, the French writer and statesman, once said that “the first duty of a leader is to make himself be loved, without courting love. To be loved without ‘playing up’ to anyone, even to himself”.
My interpretation is that a good leader is one who doesn’t sit around trying to find ways for people to love him or her but does the right thing for his country and people and hope they will see the justification for it, and eventually love him or her.
That may not take place in his or her lifetime. But, as they say, history will be the judge.
When Najib cannot do much to change his party and those racists within UMNO, just how do you “love” him and, by extension, accept UMNO? what the government policies and what is actually being done are opposite to each other . so which one that needs explaining ? the policies or actions ?
Najib’s real love is to remain in power ( else why do you think he wants to win the election by hook or by crook? Or is it his desire to only serve the people and country without any ulterior motives? Which cannot be true. ); and UMNO’s love is to have access to the wealth and positions which give them a free hand to further abuse the system and further their selfish interests.
The two groups, the Teoh Kong Seng Kuan Deity Disciples Association and the 1 Malaysia Youth Graduates Club (KBG1M), said the Klang Valley-based movement will attempt to break through to a non-Malay audience.
Please save the cheap publicities, for you have only proven your desperations

Even the subsidy given to “avert and control” the hikes of prices of essential goods like sugar has been abused to enrich cronies and those connected to UMNO.

Just how do you give support to manipulators and abusers of the system, and the power and position crazy?

Think twice, thrice and again and again, friends…before you commit yourselves. A good leader does not need all those cheap publicity stunts. Period

Do you know the purpose of your life and are you actively contributing to it?

What is the most worthwhile thing in your life? How do you feel about the way you spend each day? What tangible or intangible difference do you make to people and the world? Do you feel worthy and important to those around you?

These are crucial questions that a lot of people are beginning to ask themselves.

Time was when leading a normal life in an honest and upright manner, imparting good values to your children and generally being a good human being was enough. Not anymore.  Today people realize the importance of leading a worthwhile life that rises above the mundane concerns of living, eating, working and procreating.

Recently I was surprised when a newly-formed acquaintance asked me, “Do you follow any spiritual practice? Any guru? Do you at least practice yoga?”  It was an eye-opener to have someone I had just met and who barely knew me ask these questions.

Adopting a spiritual practice or following a guru has become almost a calling card. It is one of the ways in which people seek to establish their own worth.  And it’s not just a quiet religion either; people make a big show of their commitment, even obsessive attachment, to the guru or sect they follow. To an extent the ‘I am Anna” phenomenon falls in the same category. Belonging to a sect or a cause seems to boil down to a search for self-worth, a need we all have to lead a worthwhile life and so avoid falling into the category of an “also was!”

So, if you have participated in a discourse on philosophical or spiritual issues in the day, had a heated discussion on the state of the nation, or stood vigil in the sun while Anna fasted, you feel you have done your bit and are a worthwhile cog in the wheel of life. Some others may get the same feeling after reading a good book or watching a movie that leaves them with some worthwhile thoughts and questions. Still others find solace in helping others — be it with words of advice, food, money, education, work or shelter. Yet others find their worth in attempting to influence social, political, economic or environmental changes.

The choices are many and dictated by the personal urges and aspirations of different people. But if each of us were to locate our personal trigger for feeling worthy, it would have a positive impact on not just our own lives but that of communities and the countries as well. How can you figure out what is worthwhile to you in particular?

When entrepreneur and author Chip Conley was invited to speak at the TED conference in 2010, he echoed the thought being raised by some world leaders that measuring a country’s growth rate by measuring its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is not a relevant benchmark. He reiterated the words of Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk that why don’t people talk of a country’s ‘Gross National Happiness’ rather than GDP? Chip Conley left an appreciative audience with the question, “What is the intangible difference you make rather than the tangible work you do?”

Happiness, all would agree, seems to be the key of a life well-lived. A fair measure of what makes life worthwhile for us would then be what makes us really happy! But even more important than that is to believe that there is a reason and a purpose to life and you can contribute something to that purpose. If you did not believe that, you probably wouldn’t be reading this column.

The purpose and what we can contribute to it is what makes life worthwhile. Some of us just seem to know the purpose of our lives and stride confidently towards it, while others dither on the edge. A colleague asked Aruna Roy what made her resign from the IAS at an early age and follow her dream. She replied that once she was sure of what she really wanted to do, she just followed her heart and has never regretted it to this day. To find the purpose, we have to be able to trust our hearts, our instinct and allow it to lead us.

If you get a general feeling of well-being and happiness most of the time when you think of your day, you have found your purpose and are leading a worthwhile life. A friend suggests that each of us write down five things that make us happy and try to follow at least three daily. After a while, he says, we would realize what really matters. It doesn’t matter what the purpose is so long as it translates into making our lives and those of others worthwhile and happy.. As Albert Einstein said, “Not everything that can be counted counts. And not everything that counts can be counted.”

So, what is the one thing for you that would make your life worthwhile? Think about it and let’s discuss

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s Speech: A Must Read

I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is: She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Allow me to come back with vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country?

I have three visions for India. In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards. The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.

My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self-reliant and self-assured. Isn’t this incorrect?
I have a THIRD vision. India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military power but also as an economic power. Both must go hand-in-hand. My good fortune was to have worked with three great minds. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept. of space, Professor Satish Dhawan, who succeeded him and Dr. Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider this the great opportunity of my life.
I see four milestones in my career: ONE: Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be the project director for India’s first satellite launch vehicle, SLV3. The one that launched Rohini. These years played a very important role in my life of Scientist.
TWO: After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the part of India’s missile program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission requirements in 1994.
THREE: The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss. The joy of participating with my team in these nuclear tests and proving to the world that India can make it, that we are no longer a developing nation but one of them. It made me feel very proud as an Indian. The fact that we have now developed for Agni a re-entry structure, for which we have developed this new material. A Very light material called carbon-carbon.
FOUR: One day an orthopedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences visited my laboratory. He lifted the material and found it so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients. There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic calipers weighing over three kg. each, dragging their feet around. He said to me: Please remove the pain of my patients. In three weeks, we made these Floor reaction Orthosis 300 gram calipers and took them to the orthopedic centre. The children didn’t believe their eyes. From dragging around a three kg. load on their legs, they could now move around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. That was my fourth bliss!
Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice. Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert land into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance?
I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is: She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Allow me to come back with vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country?
YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don’t work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination. YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say.
What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name – YOURS. Give him a face – YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don’t throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM.
YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you don’t say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn’t dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs. 650) a month to, “see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.” YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 kph) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, “Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so’s son. Take your two bucks and get lost.” YOU wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why don’t YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don’t YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country why cannot you be the same here in India. Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay Mr.Tinaikar had a point to make. “Rich people’s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,” he said. “And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?” He’s right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? “It’s the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons’ rights to a dowry.” So who’s going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand. Or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one’s conscience too….I am echoing J.F. Kennedy’s words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
“ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY”
Lets do what India needs from us.

CE13will determine Najib’s political future. Anything less than 80  seats in a state where najib has invested so much personal and money political capital could disrupt the carefully choreographed dynastic succession in the UMNO . The party’s cynical vacillation over COW 
Soiled Dick Lek’s decision to campaign for Najib show how seriously the Congress takes the UP elections.

Malay “kebodohan (stupidity)” had resulted in a major ethnic group bowing down to demands of minority groups, which includes the government recognition of certificates by TARC (Tunku Abdul Rahman College), said former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

He said that the recognition is to get votes from the Chinese – indirectly hinting at Najib Abdul Razak, the PM (prime minister) whose popularity is sagging. What is MCA’s or Gerakan’s stand on this statement when UMNO expects these two parties to deliver Chinese votes for BN (Barisan Nasional)?

Does Mahathir who represents UMNO care about the thousands of poor students studying at TARC? These are students who could not get into any of the public higher institutions in the country.

Mahathir’s statement has not only hurt the Chinese but also has placed Najib in a political quandary. Najib pretty well knows that Mahathir is capable of crippling him politically.

Furore over recognition of TARC certificates

With Mahathir’s crude statement and Najib’s silence, it will be just a short-lived euphoria for MCA. TARC graduates should not be too confident that their certificates will now be recognised without dissent from UMNO obsessives. It was in fact an election gimmick by Najib to announce the “good news” to TARC, which has now turned into “bad news” for MCA.

To recognise TARC certificates will take a long time and way into the post-election periods. It may not even materialise when all kinds of excuses can be concocted later on to deny this recognition.

Unfortunately, recognition and de-recognition of colleges are UMNO’s way of denying the minority opportunities in education and job opportunities with the government.  In 2005, the Malaysian government de-recognised the CSMU ((Crimea State Medical University) medical degree.

At the time there were about 1,118 Malaysian students pursuing courses at various levels at the university and they were mostly non-Malays.

CSMU is known for its quality education and has thus far produced over 50 000 medical graduates who have found jobs throughout the world. They have met the standards of a medical school with the ratio of one lecturer to 10 students and with first-class faculties and facilities.

There was not even a grace period given by the Malaysian government to CSMU then, when Universiti Malaya was given five years notice before the de-recognition of its medical degrees by the United Kingdom General Medical Council in the early 80’s.

The de-recognition of CSMU did not reflect well on the Malaysian government, as it affected thousands of Malaysians – mostly non-Malays – studying at this well-established medical university.

The present furore over the recognition of TARC certificates is a political publicity stunt for the election. MCA hopes to win Chinese votes by the “endorsement” by Najib. But the Grand Old Man has already come forward to censure the move by him (calling the Malays stupid) to consider recognising TARC certificates.

He is none other the former (PM) Prime Minister, Mahathir who was reported to have said that it is Malay “stupidity” to recognise TARC certificates. The statement smacks of xenophobia and racialism, and is a real kick in the teeth to Najib and the MCA.

Is he intellectually challenged?

It’s downright unfitting for a man who reined the country for 22 years as PM to utter such a despicable and ridiculous racist statement. But this is his typical political scheme to get the Malays behind UMNO and in this case to deny TARC of what they should have long deserved. Would his despicable statement by Mahathir change Najib’s stand on this issue? It’s most likely.

Najib is perceived as a weak PM and is also famous for his flip-flop policies. He fears that Mahathir may turn the tables on him just like how the latter did to Abdullah Badawi, the 5^th PM of the country. The odds are that Najib will cave in to Mahathir’s weight on him. After all, the “de facto” PM now is Mahathir and not Najib!

Mahathir is all along pulling the strap on Najib with the latter keeping mute. The TARC recognition saga has indeed become a political charade and MCA will just have to sit and watch as the drama unfolds.

“This kind of immature and totally irrational statement coming from a person who was prime minister of this country for 22 years has made the people look down on him,” said a Chinese voter. “He is cerebrally unapt to speak on behalf of any community at his age,” he added.

But the Chinese are not stupid either. The Chinese know well that the government's plan to recognise TARC certificates is nothing more than a vote-buying ploy. Once the election is over the whole matter will be swept under the carpet.

Not been a sincere leader

All these sagas only prove that under BN (Barisan Nasional) rule education policies have always been tinkered by UMNO politics. This has worsened since 1981 when Mahathir took over as PM.

The Malays have not been “stupid” but their leaders have made them to think that they are “stupid”.  The Malays of today have wised up. There are Malays who feel that after 55 years of independence no colleges or schools in the country should be meant for only a single race.

They want to compete not within their own race but with students of other races in education.

The present generation Malays are out of the old cocoon encapsulated by UMNO leaders. They are now out of the nutshell put on them by UMNO. They are clever, smart and have definitely made tremendous progress since Independence.

Mahathir’s abhorrent and jarring racist rhetoric strongly indicates that he had not been a sincere leader. It is all hypocrisy all throughout during tenure as PM and until now.

It for this reason that currently besides UMNO there are at least two other political parties representing them – PAS and PKR. They desire changes that UMNO cannot provide them.

The Chinese are paying income tax

(TARC) was established on 24 February 1969 with the support of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). The College operates with a 50 percent subsidy from the Malaysian Government for its recurrent and capital expenditure; the other 50 percent is borne by the Trustees. The government has the right to subsidise the College as the Chinese are paying income tax.

The College was named after the late Tunku Abdul Rahman – Mahathir’s political nemesis at one time.

TARC has no admission quotas and there are students from many ethnic backgrounds – the relatively poor Chinese, Malays, Indians and the Orang Asal – studying at this College. It’s not a bumi-only institution like UiTM (Universiti Technology Mara or formerly known as Mara Institute of Technology). Chinese, Malay and Indian tycoons do not send their children to TARC.

Only the poor will go to this institution because of the cheap tuition fees. Why must Mahathir then be so against the recognition of TARC certificates?

Mahathir must be anti-Chinese as he has the notion that by recognising TARC certificates this would give advantage to the Chinese students when it comes to seeking jobs in the government sector.

Is there any difference between certificates issued by public universities and TARC? Why must only graduates from public universities get jobs with the government? This smacks of racism and discrimination.  However, does he realise that TARC graduates are more interested working in the private sectors than hoping for a job with the government?

Mahathir can rest assured that most Chinese could not be bothered about applying for jobs in the country's public sector, as there is very slim chance for them to succeed.

The poor among the non-Malays

Does Mahathir not care for the poor among the non-Malays?  Those poor but qualified Chinese who are deprived of places in public universities and colleges are given chances to pursue their studies in TARC. The same goes with the Malays who find themselves enrolled in UiTM.

And does he know that TARC diploma holders are the most sought after by the private sectors compared to diploma students from other Malaysian colleges?

TARC has its reputation, as most of their graduates are sought-after in the private sector. Most companies employ TAR College graduates because of their excellent job performance. They are proven to have good work culture, speak Malay, English and Chinese.

In fact, the demand for these graduates is so high that many are recruited by companies even before the final exam results were released. Many have gone to complete their advanced degrees and are now working in established private sectors locally and overseas.

TARC’s Advanced Diploma in Science, Advanced Diploma in Business Studies and Advanced Diploma in Commerce are recognised as suitable for progression to a Sheffield Hallam University UK Honours Degree with prior credit. The UK universities in partnership with TARC include Sheffield Hallam University, Liverpool John Moores University and Birmingham City.

Warped thinking

Irrefutably, there is quality in TARC graduates. The poor students who could not afford education elsewhere have made it in education in TARC with the help of some rich Chinese and also the government. But again Mahathir has this unnecessary phobia that the Malays cannot compete with the Chinese in education.

What was he doing then as prime minister of the country for 22 years to bring up the Malays? He was practically a damp squib to the Malays and it was his warped thinking that has mutilated the education system in the country.

His policy of cocooning the Malays in Malay-only institutions had brought to so many Malays who have graduated without being able to compete with other races and they end up looking for jobs in the civil service. Many Malay graduates are handicapped when it comes to mastering languages other than Malay.

It is still a present-day Malay dilemma all caused by UMNO leaders, including Mahathir. If UMNO leaders have done enough for the Malays they do not have to worry that the minority will surpass the capability of the majority in education.

“It is UMNO’s failed education policies that have desolately trapped the Malays,” said a local educationist.

Mahathir, however, does not have to denigrate the present Malays. The present Malay community does not have to exploit its majority to consolidate power for selfish reasons. Many Malays are actually against UMNO when they see corruption and lack of financial accountability that have weakened the nation’s competitiveness.

It is no longer Malay versus Chinese kind of politics to these enlightened Malay groups. It would be apposite for Mahathir to discourse on endemic corruption that is crippling UMNO rather than wasting his time chattering about education.

It was during Mahathir’s time that skulduggery and corruption reached unprecedented levels. He has actually damaged UMNO beyond repair.

Could not go to public universities

The present Malays also see the atrocious standards of education these days. It’s all the flip-flop policies of UMNO that have spoiled the quality of education, as some politicians are more interested in their own personal agenda than the future of the country.  Mahathir regrettably still belongs to the long gone days when the Malays were still left behind in education.

With the majority holding on to power does not mean that they must discriminate against the minorities. If Mahathir still thinks that the Malay race can only survive through discriminatory education policies, then he must have failed the Malays during his 22 years of leadership.

Mahathir is just devoid of compassion. Thousands of poor but bright Malaysian students who could not go to public universities and colleges owned by the government because of the “race factor” have found places in TARC and some other private colleges.

Mahathir does not have to worry. The Chinese are not going to take jobs meant for the Malays in the civil service. They are resilient enough to survive. They just need education to be able to stand on their feet.

Thorn in the flesh

With a single swipe, Mahathir has called Malays “stupid”. But he is the man who has weakened the Malay race by tolerating the perverted education policy of cocooning them in Malay-only institutions. Mahathir cannot claim to be so exceptional in the political arena of this country. He created UMNO Baru and that caused the Malays to be split.

The curiosity among most Malays is still whether Mahathir is a real Malay having the interests of the latter at his heart.

It was widely reported that when he entered medical school at Raffles Institution, Singapore he identified himself in his application form as an “Indian”. A chameleon, he later morphed into a Malay for his political usefulness and now pretends to be more Malay than a real Malay is.

When he took over the reins of government in 1981, he wanted to make Malaysia more efficacious than Singapore but he lacked intellectual wisdom and the real-world acumen to do so. He even failed to change the mind-set of the Malays.

Mahathir has become a thorn in the flesh not only to the Chinese but all the people in the country. His racist statement on the TARC certificate issue has hurt the Chinese most. He has not pleased the Malays either.

Posted by muslimmalaysia786

Allahyarham Baharuddin Ahmad – Malaysia’s 1st. Martyr

 59-year-old taxi driver

An inquest into the cause of death of 59-year-old taxi driver Baharudin Ahmad who died at the Bersih 2.0 rally last year, will commence tomorrow.

 Datuk Seri Najib Razak today issued an open warning to would-be demonstrators, saying that the paramilitary People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) was ready to defend the country from turmoil. 

Speaking in front of an estimated 20,000 Rela members here, the prime minister pledged his administration’s commitment to look after the interests and welfare of the corps.

“When the chips are down, Rela will be with this government to defend the country.

“Do not cause havoc in this country because the 2.8 million Rela members will not stand idly by and watch the country descend into chaos,” he said to a chorus of approval from the audience.

Najib pointed out that the government allowed peaceful demonstration in accordance with the recently-passed Peaceful Assembly Act, but maintained that the country’s peace and security was his administration’s utmost priority.

He acknowledged Rela’s past contributions to the country and said that the time had come to escalate its role and function in society.

“We are looking at the current Act, and a new Act will be tabled to Parliament soon,” said the PM.

“We want to see a cleaning up of Rela’s organisational structure, a new image…Rela has to become more professional, its image can be upgraded,” said Najib.

He told Rela members here that the country faced “new threats” like drugs and human trafficking, and that the corps will play a pivotal part in tackling these threats.

“Peace, national security, has to go back to the will of the people… the will of the people is seen through the chosen government, why it is chosen by the people, legitimate,” he added.

Najib’s administration came under widespread condemnation for its clampdown on the Bersih 2.0 rally for electoral reform in July last year, which saw nearly 2,000 arrested leading up to and during the march.

But authorities allowed opposition supporters to gather at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on January 9 in support of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ahead of the verdict for his sodomy charge.

Today, Najib also announced an additional allowance of RM2 per hour for Rela officers, and said that the government’s goal was to “strengthen” Rela as an organisation.

Klang Valley taxi drivers want the authorities to abolish the coupon system put in place in several city landmarks, saying today it burdens the driver with less revenue and the consumer with higher charges.

Two hundred taxi drivers gathered today and asked the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to meet them and resolve issues, including abolishing the coupons which was instituted to prevent rampant over-charging.

“(We) strongly feel the coupon system on metered taxis has led to two systems — a premise charge for the taxis, and also a counter charge,” taxi driver Amran Jan told a press conference here today.

“Additionally, only members are allowed to queue up for passengers. This clearly points to monopoly,” he added.

Amran said under the coupon system, taxi drivers are required to pay a monthly membership fee of RM100 to operate in designated areas which includes tourist hot spots like the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), Sunway Pyramid and KL Sentral.

“The system profit is 10 per cent from the coupon price, but zero per cent is given to the taxi drivers. The coupon price is also not fixed,” he said, citing KL Sentral to LCCT as an example.

“From KL Sentral to LCCT, the price is fixed at RM90, but from LCCT to KL Sentral, it is fixed at RM75. Why the double standard?” he asked.

“Moreover, the time spent queueing up for passengers (at least 45 minute a trip) leads to profit loss in the long run,” he added.

Cab driver Zaki Bashir said the system would lead to haggling of fares and concentration of drivers following loss of operating areas.

“(We drivers) have to earn a living too. We have families to feed. Right now, there is no protection for us. All the negative perception is put upon us,” he said.

“SPAD’s coupon system, which they say was implemented “to increase service quality”, is only rhetoric. They do not care for the taxi drivers.”

The group was accompanied by Batu MP Chua Tian Chang and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar. There are nearly 40,000 taxis in the Malay peninsula with some 32,000 operating in the Klang Valley.

Apart from taxis, SPAD is charge of public transport such as buses and commuter trains. The city bus system has also received complaints from operators who say they have incurred losses due to controls over ticket prices. SPAD has allocated RM400 million to help bus operators overcome their problems

CNN REPORTS THE DEATH OF BAHARUDDIN, HISHAMMUDDIN AND PRIME MINISTER DATUK SERI NAJIB RAZAK IS BLAME FOR LOST OF LIFE

Posted by fawas on 09/07/2011 · Leave a Comment (Edit)

 watch Malaysian brutalpolice  Malaysia cracks down on protesters – Asia-Pacific – Al Jazeera English

Malaysia cracks down on protesters – Asia-Pacific – Al Jazeera English

(CNN) — More than 1,600 demonstrators have been arrested in Malaysia, Police say, after clashing with riot police Saturday as they marched in the capital Kuala Lumpur to demand electoral reforms.

Police fired tear gas as several thousand people gathered near a sports stadium where the demonstrators had planned to rally.

Some 1,667 people had been arrested as of early evening local time, according to the Royal Malaysia Police, with 16 children among them. Protest organizers said at a news conference earlier in the day that about 400 had been detained.

The protest, which the government says is illegal, was organized by a loose coalition of opposition groups known as Bersih 2.0.

The government has previously declared Bersih an illegal organization. Police said that anyone found with Bersih-related materials, such as yellow T-shirts, could be arrested.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was among hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur before heading toward the Sentral Station. There the protesters breached police lines to march through the rail station, before being met by riot Police with tear gas on the other side.

Ibrahim posted on his Twitter account that he had sustained a minor injury during the demonstration and that a staff member had been badly hurt. He also said his youngest daughter had been arrested.

Writing on his blog ahead of the protest, Ibrahim said the “intended peaceful gathering” was to bring Malaysians together “as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections.”

He went on: “Our reason for gathering is pure and simple — to demand that the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped.”

The protesters planned to rally at the Merdeka sports stadium in the city, Ibrahim said. Opposition groups have been seeking to put pressure on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government, which has been in power for decades, ahead of elections expected to be called next year.

The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that the prime minister had attended an event Saturday at which he described the protest as “an illegal rally organised by a section of our community.”

“If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan to hold the illegal gathering,” he is quoted as saying.

There was a strong police presence around the city and many roads had been closed off, local media reports said.

A similar demonstration called by the Bersih coalition in 2007 was broken up by Police using water cannon and tear gas, local reports say.

 The “success” of the Bersih 2.0 rally for electoral reform today was soured by the death of Baharuddin Ahmad, the husband of the Setiawangsa PKR Wanita division chief.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Baharuddin, who was marching along with the thousands who turned up today in support of Bersih 2.0, died when he fell during a scuffle with police at KLCC this afternoon.

Police confirmed earlier today that 1,401 of the estimated 6,000 protestors were detained during the gathering, which lasted for over four hours.

Scuffles reportedly broke out between protestors and the armed riot police when the march, which was originally intended to be peaceful, descended into chaos.

Tear gas canisters and water cannons were also fired at various points across the city as the police attempted to force protestors to disperse.

This is Bersih 2.0’s second such rally since 2007 calling for free and fair elections. Its leaders attempted to march to Istana Negara today to hand a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong but were held back by the police about 200m away.

At a press conference after the crowd slowly began to disperse, Bersih 2.0 declared that the rally had been a success, claiming it had drawn a crowd of over 50,000 supporters despite efforts by the police over the past few weeks to restrict the turnout.

CNN’s Eve Bower contributed to this report

More than 20,000 people demonstrated for electoral reforms across Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, on Saturday in a rare protest that was declared illegal by police. The protest was called for by opposition groups, including the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Bersih (Clean). Police fired tear-gas and water cannons at demonstrators and arrested more than 1,400 people, including top opposition leaders, according to protest organisers. The activists’ demands include an overhaul of voter registration lists, tougher measures to curb fraud and fairer opportunities for opposition politicians to campaign in government-linked media. Malaysia’s next general election is planned due in 2013.

1) With Kuala Lumpur under police lockdown since the morning, protesters tried to gather and seek refuge inside a railway station before being led outside by police where many were detained and put into police vans. [Saeed Khan/AFP]

2) Protesters display the yellow shirts of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, or Bersih (Clean}, during a rally calling for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur [Ahmad Yusni/EPA]

3) Riot police stand making a cordon in front of Malaysia’s iconic twin towers before demonstrators gather [Saeed Khan/AFP]

4) A Bersih supporter shouts at police during clashes in downtown Kuala Lumpur [Shahir Omar/Reuters]

5) Police use a water cannon to spray Bersih supporters in downtown Kuala Lumpur [Samsul Said/Reuters]

6) A Bersih supporter throws a water bottle at a police water-cannon truck [Mohd Rasfan/AFP]

7) Police face off against thousands of Bersih supporters [Saeed Khan/AFP]

8) A Bersih supporter holds the Malaysian flag in front of a police water cannon [Damir Sagolj/Reuters])

9) Police in riot gear march under heavy rain toward protesters calling for electoral reforms [Saeed Khan/AFP

10) Police face off against thousands of protesters in a scene shrouded by tear gas [Saeed Khan/AFP]

11) A Bersih supporter is detained by police during protests in downtown Kuala Lumpur [Damir Sagolj/Reuters]

12) A Bersih supporter is detained by police during protests in downtown Kuala Lumpur [Saedd Khan/AFP]

13) Bersih supporters are detained by police during protests in downtown Kuala Lumpur [Damir Sagolj/Reuters]

14) Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (C) is surrounded by supporters, one of whom is injured, after a protest in Kuala Lumpur calling for electoral reforms [AFP]

15) Bersih supporters chant slogans during a protest calling for electoral reforms in downtown