MCA and Gerakan continues their irresponsible, dishonest and untruthful attacks on DAP’s support for PAS hudud laws and establishing an Islamic state as well as launch personal attacks that shows their desperation to revive lost popular support. Both MCA and Gerakan is like a “culprit hurling the accusation first” by trying to hide their failure to demand action against UMNO leaders’ support for hudud to be imposed even on non-Muslims.
Let me reiterate that DAP does not support the implementation of an Islamic state in Malaysia and imposition of hudud law by PAS.
This consistent position of DAP has never changed. Despite these differences, both DAP and PAS have a common stand in fighting corruption and abuse of power as well as establishing integrity in leadership focusing on competency, accountability and transparency. We agree on a welfare state to protect the poor, destitute, sick and those who neeed help.
DAP and PAS can and should co-operate for the future of Malaysians on common principles that unites us as compared to continue to benefit BN by allowing these differences to divide us. For this reason both DAP and PAS have signed a ‘common policy’ that sets out the framework of what unites us and the nation-building policy of a future PR federal government. Clearly the ‘common policy’ makes no mention of implementing an Islamic state or hudud laws in any future PR federal government.
This is unlike UMNO Penang which is willing to go one step further by calling for the implementation of hudud in Penang and throughout the country. Even Johor Umno’s Kemelah state assemblyman Ayub Rahmat called for Johor to become the first state to implement “true hudud law”, which would differ from PAS’s version because UMNO’s “true hudud law” would be non-discriminatory as it would be imposed on non-Muslims. Not only did Penang State Opposition Leader Dato Azhar Ibrahim but the Kepala Batas Wanita UMNO Division also passed a resolution supporting hudud for all.
In other words, UMNO in wanting to implement hudud on non-Muslims too is more extreme than PAS who wants to see hudud implemented only on Muslims. I do not see top Gerakan leaders attacking UMNO leaders nor MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek using the same remarks of “political eunuchs” on UMNO. Why has MCA nor Gerakan not left BN because of UMNO leaders open support for hudud for all? DAP will not stoop so low to dirty tactics or smear campaigns employed by MCA and Gerakan against DAP leaders.
DAP has never misused parliamentary immunity to highlight Chua Soi Lek’s famous sex tapes. Nor have we attacked Chua as an immoral person leading an immoral party. Neither have we conducted a smear campaign like Gerakan against my family and me. Unfortunately such courage is never displayed by Gerakan leaders against UMNO whom Gerakan fully supports even though UMNO has shown utter contempt for Gerakan by tearing up Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s picture.
Lest we forget, it is UMNO that bans the use of the word “Allah” on Malay language Christian bibles, widely used in Sabah and Sarawak. In contrast, PAS takes the moderate approach allowing Christians to use the word “Allah” as being practiced these hundred years in the Middle-East and Indonesia.
Clearly there is a difference between DAP co-operating with PAS and either MCA or Gerakan co-operating with UMNO, when both PAS and UMNO supports the hudud and the Islamic state. PAS is open about their support but not wanting to impose on non-Muslims whilst UMNO only expresses their support for hudud or all in Malay but not Chinese/ English papers. DAP co-operates with PAS on common principles of justice, freedom and democracy with our eyes open unlike MCA, MIC and Gerakan whom submits to UMNO with both eyes closed.
Potential Republican vice presidential pick Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) attempted to walk a fine line this week in an interview with theHill, when he tried to tout his hawkishness on the deficit while explaining his work as budget director in the heavy-spending Bush administration.
Portman worked for President George W. Bush as U.S. Trade Representative from 2005 to 2006 and then as director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2006 to 2007.
In that short-lived role, he said he clashed with unnamed fellow officials who were less concerned with cutting spending.
"I was frustrated when I was there about some spending issues -- specifically, as you know, I wanted to offer a balanced budget over five years, and a lot of people didn't," he told theHill. "I prevailed. The president sent his budget -- not my budget, his budget -- a five-year balanced budget. But it was a fight, internally."
He said he eventually left to spend more time with his family and did not expect Democrats in Congress to work with the administration on other reforms.
He remained careful not to speak ill of Bush, according to the Hill, but conservative anti-tax activist Grover Norquist said there might be benefits to criticizing the former president more openly.
Norquist, president of the Americans for Tax Reform, told the newspaper Portman should make it known that he had major conflicts with spending in the Bush administration. "It is my understanding that Portman quit because of the spending," he said. "If they're willing to tell that story, that makes Portman more viable."
House Speaker John Boehner said last week that he is "partial" to his fellow Ohioan for the vice presidential pick. For his part, Portman has said he doesn't want the job -- a common refrain from those speculated to be on the shortlist. He said July 18 that he is happy in the job he has.
"I was elected in 2010 because of my interest in trying to move our country forward and our state forward here in the U.S. Senate, so that's where I intend to stay," he told Ohio's WTVN.
The world is certainly going through terrible times. Greece is bankrupt and Spain, Portugal and Italy are doing badly in their finances. Britain is also going through a depressed economy with scandals plaguing their most respected banks.
Everywhere in Europe there are demonstrations by unemployed people. A lot of blame is directed at the capitalist system and the income gap between rich and poor. The latest trend is to “occupy” the main centers of capitalistic activities such as Wall Street in New York and HSBC bank in Hong Kong. This also happened in Australia.
America claims it has turned around and its economy is doing well. I do not believe this is the truth. There is a great deal of unemployment and real business is not coming back. Certainly we don’t see American products in the market.
Much of the money is created by their Central banks (Federal Reserve Banks) which are privately owned. When they lose money they decide to regain it through “quantitative easing” i.e to print money. More correctly they only wrote cheques or transfer the money electronically into the books of the commercial banks and other institutions. Or they use this quantitative easing to bail out companies and banks.
Europe & America slump
It is obvious that Europe and America are not going to be able to restore their financial and economic health any time soon.
The rest of the world is affected in one way or another by the collapse of the economies of Europe and America. Even China is feeling the effect. Europe and America are big markets for the products of the world.
Electricity supply was also cut in many parts of America, Europe and Asia leaving millions in darkness and stopping work in industrial plants.
In the Arab countries the people have risen against the Government. There is civil war in Syria. The Rohingyas in Myanmar are being attacked and killed. The people in Iraq and Afghanistan are being killed by suicide bombers. In America a gunman sprayed bullets on a cinema audience killing 9 people and many others. In Norway a gunman went on a shooting spree in a youth camp killing 70 people.
Natural disasters and starvation
Then there are the natural disasters. Floods swept through parts of Kyushu Islands in Japan recently leaving more than a score of people dead. Not long ago a tsunami and a massive earthquake hit Fukushima in northern Japan. This was followed by damage to a nuclear power plant exposing a great part of the area to radiation. Then there followed a severe flood.
Elsewhere in the world volcanic eruptions, earthquakes devastated towns and cities. Floods hit New York City and Bangkok and many parts of China again destroying buildings and cutting off water and electricity supplies. Whirlwinds hit the US repeatedly. In Africa people are starving to death.
Winter came early, was very severe and lasted longer, disrupting work and killing old people. And heat waves raised temperatures to above 40ºC, again killing the old and the weak. Global warming has resulted in the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic melting, threatening to raise sea levels and inundate low lying land. Some island nations may disappear into the sea.
Opposition will bankrupt Malaysia
In the face of all these disasters Malaysians can consider themselves fortunate. We do have mild floods, slightly raised temperatures and haze, but they are nothing compared to the disasters affecting so many parts of the world.
Crime rate has increased somewhat.
Even financially and economically we are not too badly off. The cost of living has gone up a little but people are not starving the way the Africans and some Asians are starving. A generous Government is ever ready to extend help.
Business is good even though we think it can be better. Our exports are high and still growing. Unemployment rate is low. Economic growth is still possible. At 4 – 5% it may not be as good as in Indonesia and the Philippines but it is far better than Europe or America or the countries of West Asia and North Africa.
Admittedly the cost of living has gone up. For the poor this is a burden. Of course on this issue, comparing ourself with most of the rest of the world where inflation is even higher will not be acceptable. But the fact is that in many countries not only is the inflation higher but there are food shortages also. In addition they have to accept reduced income amidst widespread unemployment we are living in troubled times. Like it or not we will feel the effects and we have to endure.
There will be people who would like us to ignore the fact that we are much better off than most people in the world. They would like to exploit every little misfortune that we may experience. They would even promise that they can bring about sudden prosperity, give free education, and all kinds of goodies. But observe the contradictions.
They promise the oil-producing states to increase the royalty from 5% to 20%. Obviously this will result in the Federal Government losing 15% of revenue from oil; and that is a big sum. The states gets their royalty based on gross income.
They will do away with road tolls, increase subsidies on fuel and reduce rates and taxes.
Their proposals will reduce Government revenue and at the same time increase Government expenditure. This is exactly what the Greek Government did, and the whole country went bankrupt.
Beware of Greeks, Obama and politicians
Promises are deep. Barrack Obama promise “change”. Four years into his term, not a single change has been made.
To be in power for 56 years is a long time. But look at the progress. No other developing country has made such progress.
Change is not always for the better. Change can make things worse.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
Beware of politicians who make promises.
In what Amnesty International describes as “a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia,” Alexander Aan has been imprisoned for 30 months for posting “God doesn’t exist” on Facebook, along with some “offensive” cartoons. Again with the cartoons! He was also fined an amount exceeding double Indonesia’s average annual salary.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has held that the arrest and detention of political cartoonist Zunar in 2011 was lawful, but that the continued confiscation of his books and artwork is unwarranted.
As such, Justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera today ordered that the cartoonist’s works be returned. He also ordered the court registrar to determine the quantum of damages payable to Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque. No order was made as to costs.
The judge said arresting officer Arikrishna Apparau and investigating officer Marina Hashim had the power to arrest Zunar under Section 20 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and to seize his works under Section 11 of the Sedition Act.
He said the officers had shown that they had reasonable grounds to suspect that the contents of the book ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’ were seditious. Therefore, the two laws allowed the Police to effect the arrest and seizure of the materials without a warrant.
The judge took note of the fact some the cartoons imply that the Judiciary is under the control of the Executive. “(The cartoons) may be considered as political satire by some, but others might regard them as being seditious. (Arikrishna) belongs to the second category – a reasonable conclusion by a reasonable man,” he said.
However, he also said it would have only required a “simple determination” to arrive at a decision on whether the confiscated materials are seditious or not. Hence, continued retention of the materials is unwarranted.
“The arrest and seizure was for a reason. That reason was to carry out investigations to ascertain whether the plaintiff (Zunar) had committed an offence under the Sedition Act, or the Printing Presses and Publications Act… Surely it would not take two years to make that determination,” said the judge.
The prolonged retention of the works without further action is tantamount to infringement of Zunar’s right’s to life under Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution, as selling the cartoons contributes to his livelihood. The items seized include 66 copies of the book and a A2-size collage featuring the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.
Justice Vazeer Alam also ruled that it was sufficient for the police officer to have informed Zunar of the grounds of arrest in layperson’s language, instead of citing the specific legislation used.
‘False democrat’
Speaking to reporters later, Zunar’s lawyer N Surendran hailed the decision as a partial victory, but said he would consider appealing the legality of his client’s detention.
Zunar urged the government to return 408 copies of his book ‘Gedung Kartoon’ seized in 2009, and to lift the ban on his other books ‘1Funny Malaysia’, ‘Perak Darul Kartoon’ and three editions of ‘Isu Dalam Kartoon’.
“These books are all banned under the PPPA. The prime minister said some time ago that he would revamp or reform the PPPA. So I would like to say to Najib, please ‘tepati janji’ (deliver your promise) and don’t be a false democrat,” he said.
He pointed out that, under Najib’s Administration, cartoonists have been subjected to the most pressure from the government.
“I was detained. This never happened under the previous Prime Ministers,” he said.
Zunar was arrested on September 24, 2010 during a raid at his office in Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur, just hours before he was supposed to launch ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’.
He was taken to six Police stations before being held overnight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Police lock-up, and was released on the following day. Zunar thensued Arikrishna, Marina, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar, the Home Ministry and the government for unlawful detention.The PAS Islamic stand is not as extremist as that of UMNO. UMNO will use it to benefit themselves, but PAS do it for justice. So PAS idea of Islamic state is completely different from that of UMNO, so I hope PAS will not think of joining UMNO to implement hudud, because both have different ideologies about hudud.but sadly I wonder if those waggings dogs of the UMNOputras have the intelligence to understand your points.
But it’s alright – by and large the rakyat has seen through the deceit of the MCA & Gerakan leaders with respects this hudud issue in particular!!
MAHATHIR’S ISLAMIC MALAYSIA A CASE OF INCOMPETENCE, NEGLIGENCE AND POLITICS
In what Amnesty International describes as “a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia,” Alexander Aan has been imprisoned for 30 months for posting “God doesn’t exist” on Facebook, along with some “offensive” cartoons. Again with the cartoons! He was also fined an amount exceeding double Indonesia’s average annual salary.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has held that the arrest and detention of political cartoonist Zunar in 2011 was lawful, but that the continued confiscation of his books and artwork is unwarranted.
As such, Justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera today ordered that the cartoonist’s works be returned. He also ordered the court registrar to determine the quantum of damages payable to Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque. No order was made as to costs.
The judge said arresting officer Arikrishna Apparau and investigating officer Marina Hashim had the power to arrest Zunar under Section 20 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and to seize his works under Section 11 of the Sedition Act.
He said the officers had shown that they had reasonable grounds to suspect that the contents of the book ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’ were seditious. Therefore, the two laws allowed the Police to effect the arrest and seizure of the materials without a warrant.
The judge took note of the fact some the cartoons imply that the Judiciary is under the control of the Executive. “(The cartoons) may be considered as political satire by some, but others might regard them as being seditious. (Arikrishna) belongs to the second category – a reasonable conclusion by a reasonable man,” he said.
However, he also said it would have only required a “simple determination” to arrive at a decision on whether the confiscated materials are seditious or not. Hence, continued retention of the materials is unwarranted.
“The arrest and seizure was for a reason. That reason was to carry out investigations to ascertain whether the plaintiff (Zunar) had committed an offence under the Sedition Act, or the Printing Presses and Publications Act… Surely it would not take two years to make that determination,” said the judge.
The prolonged retention of the works without further action is tantamount to infringement of Zunar’s right’s to life under Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution, as selling the cartoons contributes to his livelihood. The items seized include 66 copies of the book and a A2-size collage featuring the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.
Justice Vazeer Alam also ruled that it was sufficient for the police officer to have informed Zunar of the grounds of arrest in layperson’s language, instead of citing the specific legislation used.
‘False democrat’
Speaking to reporters later, Zunar’s lawyer N Surendran hailed the decision as a partial victory, but said he would consider appealing the legality of his client’s detention.
Zunar urged the government to return 408 copies of his book ‘Gedung Kartoon’ seized in 2009, and to lift the ban on his other books ‘1Funny Malaysia’, ‘Perak Darul Kartoon’ and three editions of ‘Isu Dalam Kartoon’.
“These books are all banned under the PPPA. The prime minister said some time ago that he would revamp or reform the PPPA. So I would like to say to Najib, please ‘tepati janji’ (deliver your promise) and don’t be a false democrat,” he said.
He pointed out that, under Najib’s Administration, cartoonists have been subjected to the most pressure from the government.
“I was detained. This never happened under the previous Prime Ministers,” he said.
Zunar was arrested on September 24, 2010 during a raid at his office in Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur, just hours before he was supposed to launch ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’.
He was taken to six Police stations before being held overnight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Police lock-up, and was released on the following day. Zunar thensued Arikrishna, Marina, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar, the Home Ministry and the government for unlawful detention.The PAS Islamic stand is not as extremist as that of UMNO. UMNO will use it to benefit themselves, but PAS do it for justice. So PAS idea of Islamic state is completely different from that of UMNO, so I hope PAS will not think of joining UMNO to implement hudud, because both have different ideologies about hudud.but sadly I wonder if those waggings dogs of the UMNOputras have the intelligence to understand your points.
But it’s alright – by and large the rakyat has seen through the deceit of the MCA & Gerakan leaders with respects this hudud issue in particular!!
MCA and Gerakan continues their irresponsible, dishonest and untruthful attacks on DAP’s support for PAS hudud laws and establishing an Islamic state as well as launch personal attacks that shows their desperation to revive lost popular support. Both MCA and Gerakan is like a “culprit hurling the accusation first” by trying to hide their failure to demand action against UMNO leaders’ support for hudud to be imposed even on non-Muslims.
Let me reiterate that DAP does not support the implementation of an Islamic state in Malaysia and imposition of hudud law by PAS.
This consistent position of DAP has never changed. Despite these differences, both DAP and PAS have a common stand in fighting corruption and abuse of power as well as establishing integrity in leadership focusing on competency, accountability and transparency. We agree on a welfare state to protect the poor, destitute, sick and those who neeed help.
DAP and PAS can and should co-operate for the future of Malaysians on common principles that unites us as compared to continue to benefit BN by allowing these differences to divide us. For this reason both DAP and PAS have signed a ‘common policy’ that sets out the framework of what unites us and the nation-building policy of a future PR federal government. Clearly the ‘common policy’ makes no mention of implementing an Islamic state or hudud laws in any future PR federal government.
This is unlike UMNO Penang which is willing to go one step further by calling for the implementation of hudud in Penang and throughout the country. Even Johor Umno’s Kemelah state assemblyman Ayub Rahmat called for Johor to become the first state to implement “true hudud law”, which would differ from PAS’s version because UMNO’s “true hudud law” would be non-discriminatory as it would be imposed on non-Muslims. Not only did Penang State Opposition Leader Dato Azhar Ibrahim but the Kepala Batas Wanita UMNO Division also passed a resolution supporting hudud for all.
In other words, UMNO in wanting to implement hudud on non-Muslims too is more extreme than PAS who wants to see hudud implemented only on Muslims. I do not see top Gerakan leaders attacking UMNO leaders nor MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek using the same remarks of “political eunuchs” on UMNO. Why has MCA nor Gerakan not left BN because of UMNO leaders open support for hudud for all? DAP will not stoop so low to dirty tactics or smear campaigns employed by MCA and Gerakan against DAP leaders.
DAP has never misused parliamentary immunity to highlight Chua Soi Lek’s famous sex tapes. Nor have we attacked Chua as an immoral person leading an immoral party. Neither have we conducted a smear campaign like Gerakan against my family and me. Unfortunately such courage is never displayed by Gerakan leaders against UMNO whom Gerakan fully supports even though UMNO has shown utter contempt for Gerakan by tearing up Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s picture.
Lest we forget, it is UMNO that bans the use of the word “Allah” on Malay language Christian bibles, widely used in Sabah and Sarawak. In contrast, PAS takes the moderate approach allowing Christians to use the word “Allah” as being practiced these hundred years in the Middle-East and Indonesia.
MCA and Gerakan continues their irresponsible, dishonest and untruthful attacks on DAP’s support for PAS hudud laws and establishing an Islamic state as well as launch personal attacks that shows their desperation to revive lost popular support. Both MCA and Gerakan is like a “culprit hurling the accusation first” by trying to hide their failure to demand action against UMNO leaders’ support for hudud to be imposed even on non-Muslims.
Let me reiterate that DAP does not support the implementation of an Islamic state in Malaysia and imposition of hudud law by PAS.
This consistent position of DAP has never changed. Despite these differences, both DAP and PAS have a common stand in fighting corruption and abuse of power as well as establishing integrity in leadership focusing on competency, accountability and transparency. We agree on a welfare state to protect the poor, destitute, sick and those who neeed help.
DAP and PAS can and should co-operate for the future of Malaysians on common principles that unites us as compared to continue to benefit BN by allowing these differences to divide us. For this reason both DAP and PAS have signed a ‘common policy’ that sets out the framework of what unites us and the nation-building policy of a future PR federal government. Clearly the ‘common policy’ makes no mention of implementing an Islamic state or hudud laws in any future PR federal government.
This is unlike UMNO Penang which is willing to go one step further by calling for the implementation of hudud in Penang and throughout the country. Even Johor Umno’s Kemelah state assemblyman Ayub Rahmat called for Johor to become the first state to implement “true hudud law”, which would differ from PAS’s version because UMNO’s “true hudud law” would be non-discriminatory as it would be imposed on non-Muslims. Not only did Penang State Opposition Leader Dato Azhar Ibrahim but the Kepala Batas Wanita UMNO Division also passed a resolution supporting hudud for all.
In other words, UMNO in wanting to implement hudud on non-Muslims too is more extreme than PAS who wants to see hudud implemented only on Muslims. I do not see top Gerakan leaders attacking UMNO leaders nor MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek using the same remarks of “political eunuchs” on UMNO. Why has MCA nor Gerakan not left BN because of UMNO leaders open support for hudud for all? DAP will not stoop so low to dirty tactics or smear campaigns employed by MCA and Gerakan against DAP leaders.
DAP has never misused parliamentary immunity to highlight Chua Soi Lek’s famous sex tapes. Nor have we attacked Chua as an immoral person leading an immoral party. Neither have we conducted a smear campaign like Gerakan against my family and me. Unfortunately such courage is never displayed by Gerakan leaders against UMNO whom Gerakan fully supports even though UMNO has shown utter contempt for Gerakan by tearing up Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s picture.
Lest we forget, it is UMNO that bans the use of the word “Allah” on Malay language Christian bibles, widely used in Sabah and Sarawak. In contrast, PAS takes the moderate approach allowing Christians to use the word “Allah” as being practiced these hundred years in the Middle-East and Indonesia.
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