malaysiakini: Anwar: Arrest of Jeyakumar an insult to Parliament

Anwar: Arrest of Jeyakumar an insult to Parliament

Jul 3, 2011 2:56pm

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has condemned the police's arrest of Sungai Siput member of parliament Dr Michael D Jeyakumar as an insult to “democracy and the institution of Parliament in this country”.

“As an elected member of parliament, he has the right to voice the aspirations of the rakyat who want free and fair elections,” said Anwar in a statement today.

The PKR de facto leader was responding to the placement yesterday of Jeyakumar and five others in detention under sections 3(1) and 4(1) of the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969.

The Emergency Ordinance (EO) is similar to the Internal Security Act, which allows police to detain suspects for up to 60 days.

Section 3(1) provides for the arrest and detention of any person without warrant or trial under grounds contained in 4(1) that the person is acting in a manner prejudicial to public order, to suppress violence, or prevent other crimes for any period not exceeding two years.

PM Najib Abdul Razak today said the EO detentions were due tosuspicions that the six were involved with subversive elements and to prevent more serious incidents from taking place.

Apart from Jeyakumar (far left, in photo), 56, the other members are PSM deputy chairperson M Saraswathy, 58, central committee members Choo Chon Kai, 33, M Sukumaran, 50, Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan, 49, and Youth leader Sarat Babu, 25.

Anwar, who is Permatang Pauh parliamentarian, also condemned the authorities for slandering the Bersih 2.0 coalition advocating free and fair elections as a subversive movement and its planned rally on July 9 as contributing towards a threat to public security.

“It has been said many times, the Bersih secretariat has stressed that the rally to be held on July 9 will be a peaceful assembly.

“The Bersih secretariat had even sought to negotiate with the authorities so that its demands over elections (reform) can be implemented. 

“But these demands and urgings have been rejected with the utmost arrogance.

“The authorities need not fear with the demands, which it is hoped will bring good to the people and nation of Malaysia,” he added.

Anwar called for Jeyakumar's release and that of other five from detention under the EO and that the government respect rule of law and constitution.

No fear

Meanwhile, Perak PAS condemned the arrests in Kuala Kangsar under Section 27 of the Police Act for illegal assembly when they were found with T-shirts promoting the Bersih rally.

Aged between 19 and 40, they were picked up in a raid at a shophouse in Kuala Kangsar, about 45km from Ipoh yesterday.

State criminal investigation department chief Dzuraidi Ibrahim had said today the suspects were stamping logos on t-shirts, pertaining to the illegal rally, when the police raided the premises at about 10am.

The five had their statements were recorded at the Kuala Kangsar police headquarters before they were released on bail.

The police, said Perak PAS information chief Ahmad Nuri Al-Amin in a statement, looks as if they are looking for evidence to detain people under Section 27, while acting against a basic principle that an act cannot be deemed illegal before it has been committed. 

“The police are actually trying to associate wearing the Bersih yellow T-shirts with sedition, provocation and prejudice against Bersih's peaceful assembly,” said Ahmad.

He called for the release of all persons detained over the Bersih fiasco, while urging the people not to be fearful of exercising their right to peaceful assembly as provided for in the federal constitution. 

Ahmad also asked whether it is not the police's actions that will turn Bersih chaotic.

TMI: Polls - Opposition wins Thai election by a landslide

Polls: Opposition wins Thai election by a landslide

July 03, 2011

BANGKOK, July 3 — The opposition won Thailand’s general election by a landslide today, exit polls showed, paving the way for Yingluck Shinawatra to become the country’s first female prime minister in a victory for a red-shirted political movement.

Supporters of Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, celebrate at her party’s headquarters. — Reuters pic

Television showed Yingluck, younger sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, swarmed by flashing cameras and journalists after exit polls showed her Puea Thai (For Thais) party winning a clear majority of the 500 seats in parliament.

“Let’s wait for the official results. I will tell you how I feel tonight,” she told cheering supporters.

An exit poll by Bangkok’s Suan Dusit University, considered the most historically reliable, showed Puea Thai winning 313 seats, with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s Democrat Party taking just 152. Bangkok’s Assumption University (ABAC) put the number of seats won by the opposition at 299.

The red shirts have rallied around Yingluck and accuse Abhisit of colluding with the army with impunity — grievances that have simmered since a 2006 military coup overthrew her brother.

Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, scored landslide election wins in 2001 and 2005 by appealing to the poor with populist policies, from cheap credit to universal healthcare. Yingluck hopes to tap his supporters.

Abhisit, 46, an urbane economist born in Britain and educated at Oxford, has warned of instability ahead if Yingluck wins. He blames the red shirts for last year’s violence and casts Thaksin as an authoritarian crony capitalist.

His backers — the royalist establishment and urban middle class — want Thaksin to serve a two-year prison term for conflict of interest offences. They say Yingluck is a proxy for her brother and would clear the way for Thaksin’s return.

Abhisit had hoped to win a mandate from the people after coming to power in a controversial 2008 parliamentary vote when a pro-Thaksin ruling party was dissolved by the courts. His Democrats have not won an election in nearly 20 years.

Throughout the six-week campaign, the two sides have presented similar populist campaigns of subsidies for the poor, improved healthcare benefits and infrastructure investment including high-speed rail systems across the country.

The election is Thailand’s 26th since it became a democracy in 1932, ending seven centuries of absolute monarchy. It has since been governed by 17 constitutions and has experienced 18 military coups, either actual or attempted.

Recent opinion polls had suggested Puea Thai would win at least 240 seats, a threshold that is no guarantee it could govern. Most had doubted if either side would secure an outright majority, predicting back-room talks with smaller parties would prove crucial for forming a coalition.

Investors are watching. Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy and a base for vehicle makers including General Motors Co, has struggled to execute long-term planning — from major infrastructure to much-needed economic reforms.

The vote is also a test for Thailand’s courts, which have handed down rulings that have removed two prime ministers, disbanded six parties, jailed three election commissioners and banned more than 250 politicians since the 2006 coup.

Analysts and legal experts say those precedents suggest the courts could ultimately dictate who holds political power in the months after the election.

According to some reports, the Puea Thai camp had been in talks with the generals to find some way of working together should it emerge victorious. Puea Thai would be allowed to govern and the military top brass would remain in place, with early reshuffles limited to middle ranks. — Reuters

malaysiakini: Hisham declares Bersih an outlaw organisation

Hisham declares Bersih an outlaw organisation

Jul 2, 2011 6:22pm

 

 

The Coalition for Clean & Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) has been declared an unlawful organisation effective yesterday, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) said today.

In a statement, ROS director-general Abdul Rahman Othman said the declaration was made by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein under section 5 of the Societies Act 1966.

Investigations showed that Bersih 2.0 was not a registered organisation, he said.

The statement said Bersih 2.0 had been moving actively, creating unease among the people.

It said the coalition had also been spreading pamphlets containing propaganda with the aim of toppling the government.

Its activities had brought about negative impact on the country's image and threatened public order, security, economic prosperity and the country's sovereignty, and undermined harmony among the people, it said. 

 

 

'Bersih create unease among races'

According to a statement by the Home Ministry, the Bersih 2.0 coalition is not a registered society.

“However, Bersih 2.0 has fulfilled the definitions of a registered body under Schedule 1 of Societies Act 1966.”

But it found that Bersih has:

• Moved actively and incited an environment of unease and worry by the peoples of all races in the country.

• Spread seditious propaganda to the people with the purpose of toppling the government through distribution of certain literature.

• Through its activities, have given a bad effect to the image of the country, and can threaten public order, safety, economy and sovereignty of the country, thus affecting the harmony of a multicultural society.

“Henceforth, the home minister has declared the Bersih 2.0 society to be an illegal society under Section 5 of the Societies Act effective July 1.”

Hindraf outlawed in 2008

Bersih 2.0 plans to organise rallies in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak on July 9 to call for clean and fair elections.

In October 2008, the Hindu Rights Actions Force (Hindraf) was declared an illegal organisation.

Then home minister Syed Hamid Albar said the decision to outlaw Hindraf was made after facts and evidence that showed the organisationwas being used for unlawful purposes and posed a threat to public order and morality.

Hindraf organised a massive rally calling for a better deal for Indian Malaysians on Nov 10, 2007 - two weeks after 40,000 turned out for the first Bersih rally.

Registrar of Society Act 1966

5. Power of the Minister to declare a society unlawful

(1) It shall be lawful for the Minister in his absolute discretion
by order to declare unlawful any society or branch or class or
description of any societies which in his opinion, is or is being
used for purposes prejudicial to or incompatible with the interest
of the security of Malaysia or any part thereof, public order or
morality.

(2) An order made under this section shall be published in the
Gazette and shall operate to cancel immediately the registration
of any such society or societies, if already registered under this
Act; and no society against which an order made under this section
applies shall be so registered.

(3) The provisions of section 17 shall apply in respect of a local
society affected by the order made under this section.

FMT: Crackdown on Bersih sets alarm bells ringing abroad... by Stephanie Sta Maria

Crackdown on Bersih sets alarm bells ringing abroad

fmt, Stephanie Sta Maria | July 2, 2011

The international community is taken aback by Malaysia's insistence on stopping the Bersih rally.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian government’s vehement opposition to the Bersih 2.0 rally has the international community reeling in alarm and bewilderment over the “uncharacteristic behaviour” of a “moderate, progressive country”.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that Malaysia has always been perceived as a reasonable country that welcomes dialogue and negotiation.

But the government’s severe crackdown on rally organisers and supporters have now run contrary to this sentiment and is likely to tarnish Malaysia’s reputation within the United Nations Human Rights Council.

HRW’s deputy director for Asia, Phil Robertson, said that none of Bersih’s demands has warranted the spate of arrests, threats of Internal Security Act (ISA) or bringing out the army on July 9.

“For some reason the Malaysian government has decided to make this rally a test of its power,”

Robertson told FMT. “It almost seems like it has a screw loose. It’s very clear that this is a campaign of intimidation.”

“I have heard that a number of foreign diplomats have attempted to pacify the Malaysian government, but the exact details of those talks have been kept confidential.”

“Malaysia is in fact bound by Article 21 of the United Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) to allow this rally. Bersih is asserting its right under Article 21 and that right should be respected.”

Article 21 states that “the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of the government: this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures”.

Robertson also dismissed accusations that Bersih is politically motivated due to the support by opposition parties. He stressed that even a member of a political party still has the rights of a citizen.

“The issue here is freedom of peaceful assembly,” he said. “If a NGO and a political party decide to walk hand-in-hand, that is their right. The government is just churning out excuse after excuse to stop the rally in the hope that the people will believe at least one of them.”

Thailand is not the bogeyman
The Bangkok-based Robertson also defended Thailand against the Election Commission’s (EC) portrayal of the country as one that is mired in chaos because “people are campaigning for one rejected leader”.

EC deputy chairman, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, had made this earlier remark to draw parallels between Thai support for ousted prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and Bersih’s alleged support for opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

Thailand goes to the polls tomorrow in its 26th general election but Robertson assured that no chaos or violence is expected.

“Malaysia is fond of painting Thailand as the bogeyman which isn’t credible at all,” he said. “The reality is that Thais broadly believe that the country’s electoral procedures are actually good.”

“They believe that when their names are at their polling booths, the confidentiality of their votes will be maintained; they are able to complain if their names are missing and there won’t be any electoral violations like the stuffing of ballot boxes at the eleventh hour.”

He added that Thailand has since invited international observers to monitor its elections. Among these observers are the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and EC chairman, Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

Aziz revealed last night that the EC too is looking into the possibility of inviting international observers for the 13th general election. His statement has been met with both support and opposition but the international community is inclined to applaud it.

“It isn’t unusual for international election monitoring to take place,” Robertson said. “Confidence in the electoral process is fundamental to any functioning democracy. If people believe the election process is unfair, then that perception will pemeate every other aspect of the country.”

malaysiakini: M Jeyakumar should be lauded, not arrested... by Dr Francis HH Ngu

M Jeyakumar should be lauded, not arrested

Dr Francis HH Ngu
Malaysiakini, Jul 1, 2011
1:16pm

I came to know Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj when he was posted as a junior medical officer at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), where I was acting medical superintendent from 1983 to 1987.

Even then, he was most outstanding as a government officer of uncommon social responsibility, providing patient service unflinchingly regardless of heavy workloads. Indeed, Jeyakumar showed his concern for patients well beyond his immediate patient care responsibilities at SGH. 

I recall that as a junior medical officer at SGH, he actively canvassed for:

1. The safety and comfort of patients on long boat journeys, while on referral from Kapit district hospital to Sibu Hospital;

2. Injured workers timely entitlements under the Workers Compensation Scheme; especially timely and more just awards by Medical Boards to injured workers;

3. The legislatively prescribed responsibilities of Socso in the rehabilitation of permanently disabled workers, and the weakness of Socso thereof; and

4. The occupational safety of the mostly Dayak logging workers in Sarawak, or rather, its lack thereof.

This is all the more remarkable as he comes from a comfortable upper middle class family in Penang.

I was disappointed in myself for having failed in my effort to recommend him for 'Perkhidmatan Cemerlang' award.

Nonetheless, he was a personal inspiration to me, and he will always be such.

I have no doubt that it is the highest level of humanity that made him not just a physician, but an uncommon one. 

He has dedicated the last three to four decades of his life as much to his Dayak patients in Sarawak as to the Indian plantation workers, both groups being the marginalised of the marginalised in Malaysian society.

His humanity finds expression in his leadership of Malaysian socialists.

While I may not agree with all the elements of his socialist programmes, my heart is with him as he earns political political persecution upon himself, instead of recognition from the powers that be.

Bersih rally: Najib can find solution acceptable to all,,, by Ramon Navaratnam

Bersih rally: Najib can find solution acceptable to all

Ramon Navaratnam
Jun 30, 2011
4:13pm

 

 

As a Malaysian and a senior citizen, I have, like most Malaysians, become gravely concerned with the escalating unhealthy developments and rising public anxiety over the impeding demonstrations on July 2.

What is at stake are our basic human rights and the need to uphold our constitution, with regard to our essential freedom of assembly and speech.

Malaysians now keep asking why it is so difficult for the powers that be, to agree to give permits for peaceful marches from any quarter, to ask for free and fair elections.

While it is true that we enjoy higher standards of democracy and electoral practices than many less mature democracies, we have to honestly admit that our electoral system is not the best and actually leaves much to be desired and improved.

After all why can't we seek to transform the electoral system to become more efficient and to serve the rayaat better, with the concept of People First and Performance Now?

How can we move more purposefully to achieve our Vision 2020 goals, to become a developed country, with all its wider prerequisites, if we cannot have even peaceful marches to protest against any abuses in our electoral system ?

Even if the police cannot change their mindsets and provide permits to have the peaceful assemblies and marches.

I ask whether they could give the public some fraternal and friendly assurances that they could allow demonstrators to walk peacefully, if the demonstrators undertake to help the police maintain law and Order and even cooperate to apprehend any trouble makers ?

I don't think it's beyond our innovative capacity and our ingenuity, nor is it too late, for the police and the leaders of the demonstrations to work out some acceptable modus operandi ?

Together and in the spirit of national unity we can have a Malaysian consensus, to ensure that the demonstrations can be allowed, but with the full agreement for all to exercise restraint, moderation and patience on all sides?

In any case the electoral demands are fair and reasonable.

I don't think the Government can be against the requests for instance for - clean electoral roles, the reform of postal votes, the use of Indelible Ink, minimum 21 days for campaigning, free and fair access to the media, strengthening the enforcement of electoral rule, the eradication of vote buying and the rejection of "dirty politics".

In fact the rising tensions are quite unnecessary. We are making a mountain of a mole hill. There is too much over-reaction which can lead to ugly outcomes.

Indeed we cannot risk mismanagement of this sensitive situation.

Hence I would humbly appeal to our Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step into this breach and impasse immediately.

He can meet with the leaders of all three groups that plan to demonstrate, to dialogue and negotiate some consensus that could allow the freedom of assembly, with peace and goodwill on all sides.

The prime minister could also address some of the serious grievances raised by the three groups, immediately and/or on a planned basis, within a reasonable time frame.

We appeal to the prime minister to use his good offices and all parties concerned to show the Malaysian spirit to resolve the differences with peace and goodwill, in the public and national interests, please.

Ramon Navaratnam is of Chairman Asli Center of Public Policy Studies.

Bankruptcy now firmly in sight: Are political games being played to hide this?... by Maclean Patrick

Bankruptcy now firmly in sight: Are political games being played to hide this?
Written by  Maclean Patrick
Tuesday, 07 June 2011 15:39

Amidst all the racial and religious rhetoric served up by the politicians of the day, Malaysia is facing a far greater problem. The various political entities in Malaysia can throw all the mud they want at each other, and fight over who should be the next this and that, but if left unchecked; there may not be much of a country to govern within the next two to three years.

Bank Negara have just released the 1st Quarter economic and financial data for Malaysia on the 3rd of June and it paints a grim picture.

For the 1st quarter of 2011, the central government debt sits at RM430,151 million compared to RM407,101 million for the same period in 2010, i.e up RM23 billion. Of the RM430,151 million, RM425,831 million is medium and long term debt.

Domestic debt sits at RM414,217 million whereas in the same period in 2010 it sat at RM390,356 million. Again the medium and long term debt is the bigger bulk of the debt at RM409,897 million.

Plainly stated, the Government of Malaysia owes the central bank and funds like the Employee Providence Fund monies that run into the billions. Such debts are a mystery when you take into account that the central government operational expenditure has actually decreased. For April of 2011, the figure stands at RM13,769 million; a reduction compared to RM19,416 million for the same period last year.

Bear in mind the figures above are for the first quarter of 2011, there are still eight more months to go for 2011, and this figure would surely be on the rise if we take into consideration the pending General Elections and various other government initiatives.

Does GOM even know what it is doing?

The next key thing to note is that while the GOM has reduced its expenditure, yet it has increased its debt.

And unless the debt is managed well, we are on the verge of seeing the GOM going the way of the Greece government. A government broken under the weight of its own debt.

And if the GOM goes bankrupt than the people of Malaysia would in turn suffer since the money the GOM owes is taken from public funds that belongs to everyday Malaysians.

Can the GOM repay its monetary debt to the people of Malaysia?

Adding to the grim picture, figures released by BNM for April 2011 show a country where inflation is on the rise. Headline inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased to 3.2% on an annual basis. Higher prices for food and non alcoholic beverages along with higher cost in the transport categories are contributing to the ever-rising inflation rate.

An increase in RON97 from RM2.50/litre to RM2.70/litre accelerated the upward adjustment in the transport category. The impact would be greater as the Najib administration toys with the idea of reducing subsidies in an effort cut down on governmental expenditures.

While the idea to raise prices for RON95 has been shelved for the time being, Putrajaya announced a 7.1% hike in electricity tariffs in an effort to trim a subsidy bill that would otherwise double to RM21 billion this year, promising that the hike would not affect three-quarters of domestic users. A move some say would anger voters in the coming elections.

What should a PM do?

In a critical report published by the Singapore Strait Times, economists raised the question whether resource-rich Malaysia had fallen out of step with the global environment.

The Straits Times reported the arguments by economists that decades of state intervention that sought to meld free market practices with an ambitious social agenda to restructure the country’s multi-ethnic society in favour of politically dominant Malays had sapped Malaysia of its competitive edge as a destination for foreign investment.

Malaysia is slowly losing out on the global stage while the GOM is floundering within its own debt.

This is a problem far removed from the smoke-screen of sex tapes, sodomy trials, and mud-slinging so prevalently broadcast to the Malaysian public. Yet, it is this grim reality, that Malaysia is headed towards bankruptcy, that has drawn so little effort to remedy from the Najib administration.

Should not Malaysians demand a Prime Minister, whoever he or she may be, spends more time governing the country and the economy rather than politicking and creating political and economic trouble for himself, his party and worse of all, the innocent people who were foolish enough to have voted for him.

As they say, once bitten, twice shy.

BERSIH Rally - Letter to International Organisations to make representations to Malaysian Government

 by P. Waytha Moorthy, Chair, HINDRAF

 

 

William J.Burns

The Under Secretary for Political Affairs

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

 

Rt.Hon.  William Hague MP

Foreign Secretary

Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street,
London.
SW1A 2AH

 

Ms Heidi Hautala

Chair of the Human Rights Sub Committee

European Parliament

Rue Wiertz
Wiertzstraat
B-1047 Brussels

 

Richard Ottaway MP

House of Commons

Foreign Affairs Committee

4 Millbank
City of London SW1P 3JA

 

 

Ms Navanethem Pillay

High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland

+41 22 917 9656

civilsociety@ohchr.org

 

Mr. Githu Muigai
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: racism@ohchr.org

 

Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: urgent-action@ohchr.org

 

Gay McDougall

Independent Expert on Minority Issues

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland 

Fax: + 41 22 917 9006

 

Mr. Frank La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: freedex@ohchr.org 

 

 

Gabriella Habtom
Human Rights Officer and Secretary of the Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Human Rights Treaties Division
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Tel. +41.22.917.9193 - Fax +41.22.917.90.08
e-mail: ghabtom@ohchr.org / tb-petitions@ohchr.org
Palais Wilson - 52, rue des Pâquis, CH-1201,

Geneva, Switzerland

 

Frank William La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

UNOG-OHCHR 
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 917 93 32 
Fax: +41 22 917 90 22

 

 

 Amnesty International

1 Easton Street
London
WC1X 0DW, UK

Telephone: +44-20-74135500

Fax number: +44-20-79561157

Email: activism@amnesty.org.uk

 

Human Rights Watch

Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Tel: +1-212-290-4700
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
email: spiegem@hrw.org

 

Minority Rights Group International
54 Commercial Street
London E1 6LT, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7422 4200
Fax: +44 (0)20 7422 4201

Email: minority.rights@mrgmail.org

 

Front Line –

The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Head Office, Second Floor, Grattan House
Temple Road, Blackrock
Co Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 212 3750 
Fax: +353 (0)1 212 1001
E-mail: info@frontlinedefenders.org

 

OSCE Secretariat
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 1 514 36 6000
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6996
E-mail: info@osce.org

 

 

NAACP

Washington Bureau
1156 15th Street, NW Suite 915
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 463-2940
Fax: (202) 463-2953
Email: washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org

 

European Union External Action Service

Menara Tan & Tan, Suite 10.01 
207 Jalan Tun Razak 
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel.: +6 03 2723 7373
Fax: +6 03 2723 7337

 E-mail: delegation-malaysia@ec.europa.eu

 

US Embassy Malaysia

Mr Brian D. McFeeters - Political Counselor

376 Jalan Tun Razak

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  

Tel No:   (03) 2168-4946,

Fax  No : (03) 2168-5165,

Email : mcfeetersbd@state.gov

 

 

Rainbow Push Coalition

National Headquarters

930 East 50th Street

Chicago, IL 60615

Phone: 773-373-3366

Fax: 773-373-3571

Email : info@rainbowpush.org

 

National Action Network

House of Justice

106 West, 145^th Street,

Harlem ,NY 10039

Tel No: (212) 690 3070

Fax No ( 877)-  626  4651

Email : rachel@noerdlingermedia.com

 

23rd June 2011.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Re:      Urgent Request to make Representations to the Government of Malaysia on the possible violence by PERKASA, UMNO sponsored NGO on Human Rights Advocates and the general public on the BERSIH 2.0 public rally for free and fair election in Malaysia on 9^th July 2011.

  

I write to you with the utmost urgency for your attention on the above matter. 

 

BERSIH is a coalition of NGOs’  that  advocate   free and fair elections  and intend to march peacefully  with the public in Malaysia on July 9, 2011 in line with the fundamental rights  contained in the  Malaysian Federal constitution under Article  10.The purpose of the march is to express the collective desire of the malaysian people for a free and fair election in the forthcoming General Election.

 

PERKASA is a Malaysian NGO and is a tool used by the UMNO led Malaysian government in extending its ugly hands into politically extreme policies topped up by fear inducing methods to ensure that whatever is sacred in the Federal Constitution for the good of the multi-ethnic polity is  compromised through this fear and state sanctioned threats from a seemingly independent organisation -PERKASA..

 

Malaysiakini, one of the few independent online news  portals reported on June 19^th 2011 quoting  PERKASA as saying,  “Imagine, ladies and gentlemen, if the Bersih rally is not called off and they go ahead with it - if they don't cancel it on July 8 or 9 - I believe the Chinese community, many of them, will have to stock up on food at home."Anything can happen on that day”

 

On 13^th of June 2011 Malaysiakini  quoted PERKASA chief as saying said they are ready to "fight to the end" (lawan habis-habisan) to stop the rally if the organisers insist on taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur on July 9. "(If they proceed) there will be a clash (pertembungan). If that happens, it is for the better," he told a press conference in the Parliament lobby.”

 

The insinuations above falls short of an orchestrated attempt to riot or to promote some form of violent action by UMNO sponsored PERKASA against the public for their participating in this peaceful march on July 9, 2011 just for free and fair elections.   

 

The fear of the Malaysian community is real and should not be underestimated or downplayed at this crucial moment as state sponsored gangsters PERKASA and its allies PEKIDA (another organization of ex-police and army personnel) & 3 Line ( a known large street gang) blatantly come forward in this aggressive and belligerent manner against what is a natural and legitimate grievance of the people. This march is nothing other than an expression of a collective voice of Malaysians.  

 

The international community whilst accepting Malaysia as a member of the United Nations cannot sit in silence when such threats and fear mongering methods are pursued by fascist elements in the ruling party with the implicit sanction of the UMNO led government.

 

Your public statement in opposing this tendency of state sponsored violence against its people is of paramount significance as it is a fundamental human rights issue and not just political theatre. The minorities, marginalized and discriminated face these kind of human rights abuse daily through the racist and fascist agenda of the Malaysian government..    

 

I write to urge you to make urgent representations to the Malaysian government that the BERSIH rally should be allowed to proceed unhindered and the peaceful protesters be provided protection from any untoward violent reactions by the state sponsored PERKASA, PEKIDA and other fringe elements.. 

 

by P. Waytha Moorthy

Chair

HINDRAF

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malaysiakini: Power is duty, not a prize.... by Razaleigh Hamzah

Power is duty, not a prize

Razaleigh Hamzah
Jun 19, 2011, 10:29am

 

Malaysia's post-colonial history began with optimism and a grand hope in 1957. When Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first prime minister of Malaysia, proclaimed our Independence at the Merdeka Stadium in the unforgettable words that "Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy with an independent judiciary," he had a vision of a happy people in spite of the formidable economic problems we needed to solve.

After that dawn of independence, there was a search of how we could achieve this happy society, fulfilling the needs and aspirations of all Malaysians which was to continue for the generations to come. He symbolised the concept and conviction of generational responsibility in his vision.

Tunku Abdul Rahman and his generation were dedicated leaders, not for power but a sense of duty to the present and the future. They were not in politics for the money or for themselves. Indeed, even after they had assumed power, they never used their position to benefit themselves or their families, nor did they build loyal cronies who would act as their financiers or hold any wealth unlawfully earned at the expense of the people.

The guiding philosophy was responsibility of public office. Public office was seen as a duty, not as an opportunity. The public office was also part of their sense of political commitment to create a Malaysia that was fair, just, cohesive, and balanced. This was combined by a deep conviction of generational responsibility for those who would come after them.

Our three lost decades

One of the greatest losses in public life and in politics today in Malaysia is that loss of generational responsibility. Everything seems to be surrounded by greed and the desire to be billionaires.

This had led to a pyramid of cronies within the incumbent political parties and their associates in business. It is this combination of the hierarchy of political cronies and business cronies that led to the centralisation of power in the incumbent political leadership and in the Office of the Prime Minister.

This power in one individual allowed the manipulation of the political system; I mean by this the institutions of power including the media. In exchange for the centralisation of power, greed and self-interest were encouraged by example and in the guise of racial loyalty deserving rewards.

This is the case in all the parties within the power structure. This state of affairs is one of the most dangerous and difficult to dismantle because there has been three decades of centralised power.

The political style that has dominated in these lost three decades has been "double-think" and "double-talk". One of the features which is alarming in this plan to maintain status quo is the encouragement covertly of racial and religious obscurantism.

The underlying theme was a policy of using a balance of racialism and religion on the one hand and talks of unity on the other hand in order to make the people hostage to the status quo of power.

As a result, racialism and racial concerns seem to have a grip on all aspects of our lives, in politics, economics, education and employment, irrespective of the present reality which has got nothing to do with race or religion. We are deliberately made to feel that we are hostage to these forces.

Freedom of speech and expression of our political concerns to change the atmosphere are restrained by how it will be interpreted by those who want to deny us the right to differ.

Article 10 of the Constitution which guarantees this freedom is almost non-existence or subject to fear of retaliation or defamation. Legal suits intended to silence legitimate concerns of public responsibility are increasingly used.

Unfortunately, our judicial system has forgotten the fundamental importance of Article 10 to the democratic life of Malaysia. Common sense seems to have been taken out of the law.

Obscene income inequality gap

On the economic front, income inequality in Malaysia has widened. Some studies suggest that Malaysia's inequality is wider than Thailand's or Indonesia's.

Historically, the concern was about ownership and control of the economy. It was the view of some that if ownership was de-racialised or balanced at the top, economic justice would follow. It is no longer a valid premise for the future.

Income inequality is no longer a problem between races; it crosses the racial divide and it is a problem of the majority of Malaysians who feel the pressure of inflation in almost every essential aspects of their lives, challenging their well-being of themselves, their families, and their future.

Today and in the near future, this is the most serious challenge we face. It is not an easy challenge to overcome. It is a time when Malaysia needs leadership of the highest quality and of those who have the moral courage to change and re-think our economic policies.

It is in these circumstances that we face the serious problem of rising food prices, inflation in price of houses compounded by shortage in housing for the vast majority of young Malaysians.

Lack of economic expansion to give all levels an opportunity to use their talents to seek work that is commensurate with their contribution, their needs of daily life, and to narrow the inequality gap, is the threat of the future.

Therefore, we should be concerned about the justification of the removal of subsidies that affects the low income because that will further widen the inequality and open the society to social disorder and disintegration, and increase social incohesion.

It is in this context that I raise the issue about independent power production companies (IPPs). The privatisation contracts are today protected by the Official Secrets Act, and therefore we are unable to really know whether or not the public and Petronas, as trustees of the public, are directly or indirectly subsidising these companies and the tycoons who are benefitting at the expense of the public.

Related to the question of the withdrawal of subsidies is the deficit that the government suffers from in managing the economy. This question cannot be separated from the way that the government has managed the nation's finances.

If the deficit is as a result of wastage, corruption and extravagance in the use of public funds, then the solution to the problem should not be passed on to the public. What is needed is a reexamination of the management of the country's finances before taking any drastic steps that would affect the well-being of the people.

We need to know the reality behind the apparent subsidies that are given to the public and its relationship in the totality of the management of the public finance. Only after we know the truth - and the whole truth - should any change in the policy of subsidies be implemented, as the consequences would have life-changing impact on the livelihood of the people.

In the circumstances of rising inflation in food, stagnation of the economy and income, we should not do anything that would widen the disparity of income which would cause social instability.

Rule of law, not of men

The challenge today is for the return to generational responsibility in politics and public office. This can only be achieved if we have democracy and parliamentary power which is responsible.

Democracy was the basis of the founding of the state of Malaysia by the Constitution in 1957. When it was briefly suspended in 1969, the leaders of that generation were uneasy, and they restored democracy as soon as possible.

That is because they realised that democracy has an intrinsic value in creating a citizenship that is not made up of sheep but of responsible citizens. Only responsible citizenship that understands democracy can bring about stability, cohesion and economic prosperity.

During those days, it was ingrained in that generation of leaders that democracy was not only a form but a value system that respected the essential institutions of democracy like the independence of judiciary, the supremacy of parliament subject to the Constitution, the respect for fundamental rights, and free speech.

They also understood the meaning and primacy of the rule of law and not of men. They also knew that democracy is the common heritage of humanity that we inherited and have a duty to continue. The law that they understood was also from the common heritage of all civilised nations.

And one of our inheritances is the common law system of the rule of law which is enshrined in our constitution. They knew that the phrase "common law" meant the wisdom that is passed to us in the progress of law and the values that are encapsulated in the law governing public office and responsibility to society. That laws are meant to enhance democracy and freedom but not to maintain and continue political power that is inconsistent with the rule of law and the constitution.

Independence did not come with peace but with very difficult problems, particularly the management of the economy and transforming it to bring about a balance between all the racial groups.

They realise that some of their problems had roots in the history of Malaysia. There was a serious imbalance between the countryside and the urban sector with racial dimensions which were too sharp. Indeed, poverty was also quite prevalent. There were open discussions and experiments.

Some of you may remember that one of the highlights of public debate was organised at the University of Malaya under the title, 'The Great Economic Debate' every year. That disappeared with the changes in the Universities and University Colleges Act and the decline of universities' autonomy.

The search was to eradicate a sense of inequality between the various peoples of Malaysia, whether because of one's identity and social origins, or for other reasons. It was as part of this search that during Tun Abdul Razak's time, the Second Malaysia Plan was launched in 1971.

We need to be reminded of the objective of that plan:

"National unity is the over-riding objective of the country. A stage has been reached in the nation's economic and social development where greater emphasis must be placed on social integration and more equitable distribution of income and opportunities for national unity."

Erosion of the Malaysian Dream

That dream was slowly eroded from the mid-1980. The hope that we had at that time is now challenged in the most serious way.

Recently, Petronas announced that it had made a RM90.5 billion pre-tax profit. If we accumulate the profit of Petronas over the years, it would come to a mind-boggling figure of billions and billions.

Yet, the greatest poverty is found in the petroleum producing states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Sarawak, and Sabah. This moral inconsistency in a way exemplifies how the nation's economy is mismanaged and how the institutions set up in the 1970s have lost their objective and commitment to solving the immediate and pressing problems of the nation.

Petronas was set up with the objective of serving the nation's interest as a priority. It was never intended to give Petronas a life of its own as an incorporated company for selected individuals to profit at the expense of the national interest, nor was it the objective to allow Petronas a cooperate existence independent of national interest.

What is needed is for institutions like Petronas is to have a national focus rather than maintain a multinational status. The aim of making Petronas a multinational cooperation at the expense of national interest is contrary to the Petroleum Development Act.

Petronas should have a Petroleum Advisory Council to advise the prime minister on the operation of the law as well as the management and utilisation of its resources as spelt out in the Petroleum Development Act.

Another example of the abuse of power is the privatisation of certain government institutions which were set up as a public service to serve the people.

Bernas is one example of a privatisation of an essential commodity as a monopoly for a group of people and owned partially by two companies in Hong Kong. An essential commodity such as rice should not have been privatised for business purposes. We are the only rice producing country that has privatised and given as a monopoly to one company the importation and distribution of all rice products.

The reality today is Thailand and Indonesia are self sufficient in rice and we are dependant on 30 percent of imported rice. But because it is a monopoly, imported rice is cheaper in Singapore than Malaysia.

Privatisation for the benefit of private individuals to profit from such an essential commodity is a clear abuse of power. It would not have happened in those days. But with the centralisation of power in the office of the prime Minister who had the party under his absolute control, anything was possible!

I will suggest to you that there was a deliberate plan to centralise power in the leadership in a surreptitious manner. Unfortunately the nature of racial politics blinded us of the reality behind certain policies and conduct of leaders at that time.

RM880 bil in capital flight

The decline of democracy, the abuse of power, and the mismanagement of our economy and the nation's finances, the economic waste, the lack of national cohesion in our economic policies led to the flight of capital in the region of RM880 billion over the years from the 1980s.

That was the beginning the lost decades and the full impact of the consequences of the economic policies which has continued since then, is yet to have its full impact on our national lives. And when it does the consequences are unpredictable.

The centralisation of power in the Office of the Prime Minister and the attorney-general had a major role in this state of affairs. The challenge today is to reverse the centralisation of power and restore the check and balance of a genuine democracy.

We need to reclaim as citizens of Malaysia our rights in a democracy; that power and authority are positions of trust and responsibility, not to serve personal interest or as an opportunity for personal enrichment. We need to reassert as politically active and responsible citizens the concept of social obligation and public service in those who seek political office. Power is duty, not a prize.

We need to rethink our economic policies. Particularly in the focusing on the national objectives that are urgent; economic policies is not only about wealth creation but needs to have a moral dimension which takes into account the well-being of all citizens as the ultimate priority over profits.

I have given you a broad sweep of the past and a bird's eye view of the looming problems of managing our economy as it is today. I hope this will open a dialogue which benefits all of us.

TENGKU RAZALEIGH HAMZAH is former finance minister and Gua Musang MP. The above speech was part of the Perak Lectures, organised by Perak Academy on June 18 in Taiping.