Malaysian opposition rallies for change - Asia Times Online

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR - A mammoth opposition rally planned for next week threatens to expose examples of vote-buying, gerrymandering, fraudulent electoral rolls and blatant use of public resources to win votes in Malaysian elections, unless the government is able to stop it.

Organized by BERSIH, a coalition of four main opposition political parties and 67 civil rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the rally is the first concerted effort to change the election rules ahead of the country's 12th general election, widely expected to be held by March.

The government is dead set on stopping the rally, which could be the biggest since Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi came to power in 2003. The premier rode a wave of popular adulation that has since soured by his failure to fight corruption and promote the rule of law.

The police have issued a warning, citing a pre-colonial era law that bars gatherings of more than five people that the rally is banned and anybody who turns up at independence square in the capital risks being arrested.

"Despite the concerted threats we expect over 10,000 people to turn up," said Sivarasah Rasiah, a key organizer and vice president of the opposition National Peoples Party. "The threats are not going to force us to back down," he said. "It is our democratic right to gather peacefully to show our unhappiness with the tainted system."

[More at http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IK08Ae01.html]

Hishammuddin: Keris protects all, not just Malays - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The keris is a protector of not just Malays but everyone as the Government will protect Malaysians of all races, said Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

With this assurance, he hoped to lay to rest concerns about the keris which had been a bone of contention among non-Malays.

He said that the keris had been misinterpreted last year by some quarters, who questioned why he had unsheathed and kissed at the Youth assembly.

"They said the keris is a symbol of fighting. It looks like 50 years after independence, there are still some of our people who do not understand the culture of our people and country," he said in his speech at the Umno Youth assembly on Tuesday.

Saying that the keris is a symbol of strength and for centuries a part of Malay heritage, he said it signifies sovereignty, power, dignity, and responsibility.

He added that the keris is unique in the way it is made, sheathed, worn and used, and it carried with it specific dos and don’ts.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/6/nation/20071106153801&sec=nation]

Sparks fly even before start of Umno assembly - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno general assembly begins today but the sparks have started to fly with one politician hitting out at the English media for carrying opposition reports.

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said some media were being used by the opposition to highlight their causes now that there was greater press freedom and transparency.

“Since it has been free, there are some mainstream papers which favour those who do not support the Government.

“Some are done in an indirect manner and some directly, especially in English papers,” he said when speaking to student leaders at the Overseas Umno Club leadership course here yesterday.

Citing the judiciary issue as an example, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said the media had its own agenda.

“For example, (the Sultan of Perak) Sultan Azlan Shah’s speech talked about various issues but what was only highlighted was the teguran (warning) on the judiciary,” he said.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/5/nation/19381403&sec=nation]

Khairy: I want to use ‘protection’ to change things - The Star

PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin says that being the Prime Minister’s son-in-law has provided him “protection” which he wants to use to change things for the better.

The Umno Youth deputy chief said he was able to “push the envelope now” partly because of that relationship with the prime minister.

“There’s a certain extent (to which) these people in Umno will not go after me. So it gives me ‘protection’ to change things.

“If I don’t use this ‘protection’ to change things for the better, then I’m just wasting time and marking my time to go up the ladder of politics. That’s not what I am about.

“I want to use this time that I have while I have this ‘protection’ to change things, to change Umno for the better,” he said yesterday during a question-and-answer session at the Kancil Awards Festival Speakers series.

Khairy, who is married to Nori, the daughter of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said it was true that this relationship meant he knew which buttons to push and which leaders to pull in to make a particular programme a success.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/2/nation/19355673&sec=nation]

Keris tradition to continue - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth will continue to use the keris as its symbol at the coming party general assembly and believes that with time the non-Malays will become de-sensitised to it.

Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said there was no need for the movement to be apologetic or defensive about it.

He believed there was “nothing sensitive with carrying on” the tradition started by the movement two years ago.

“I feel it is important we continue to do it so that the issue becomes de-sensitised over time.

“We will explain our position without any fear and with time, God willing, people will understand that there is no personal, sensitive and ulterior motives for doing it,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing the Umno Youth executive council meeting.

Hishammuddin said that he would touch on the keris and explain what it means to Umno Youth and the Barisan Nasional Youth in his policy speech at the party assembly next Tuesday.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/30/nation/19317957&sec=nation]

ACA to act against those implicated in A-G’s report - The Star

By Lourdes Charles

PUTRAJAYA: The Anti-Corruption Agency is wrapping up its investigations into questionable dealings involving several senior officials highlighted in the Auditor-General’s (A-G) report recently.

The officials, believed to be from at least two ministries, were said to have bought equipment that were “overly priced”, causing the Government losses of millions of ringgit.

The ACA is believed to have questioned several officials before the Hari Raya holidays and is expected to either charge them in court or recommend serious disciplinary action.

ACA director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan confirmed that investigations were nearing completion and that action would be taken against several people.

He declined to elaborate further.

Sources familiar with the investigations said they were centred on three aspects.

One was on whether government officers had received bribes from parties in the private sector.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/20/agreport2006/19227855&sec=AGReport2006]

Action against those implicated in AG’s report - The Star

By Devid Rajah

PUTRAJAYA: Government officers and staff investigated for corruption and mismanagement of public funds under the 2006 Auditor-General’s (AG) report will either be charged in court soon or face disciplinary action.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, told a media briefing yesterday that the Government would use a three-pronged approach to rectify problems highlighted under the AG’s report.

“If it involves corruption and there is clear evidence, the ACA will charge those responsible, and you can expect this to happen very soon.

“If there are clear abuses but the case lacks evidence, disciplinary action will be taken against them,” he said.

The disciplinary action could be in the form of demotions and dismissals.

Mohd Sidek said the Government would also make public the type of disciplinary action taken against civil servants for various offences, other than the impending action against those implicated over the AG’s report.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/12/agreport2006/19154220&sec=AGReport2006]

Highlights from the AG’s reports - The Star

EVERY year, when a new Auditor-General's report is published, the mismanagement of funds and irregularities highlighted in previous reports are forgotten amid fresh outcry for accountability of public funds. Sunday Star looks at some of the “old” cases that made news.

2005

1. Extra expenses: Selangor incurred an additional RM21mil in expenses for the delay in constructing two slaughterhouses. The original cost to build the two slaughterhouses was RM8mil.

2. More repairs needed: Despite RM65.51mil spent on construction costs and a delay of two years, the Gelami Lemi Fresh Water Fishery Research Centre in Jelebu, Negri Sembilan, had to undergo further repairs. The contractor, did not follow specifications, resulting in poor construction.

2004

3. Deals Gone Bad: Three water privatisation deals caused the Sabah state government to be saddled with debts of RM888.08mil.

4. Out of order: The RMAF said it was unable to repair flight simulators for the Hawk and F/A-18 jet fighters in Butterworth because of a lack of funds. This was despite it signing a RM50.3mil contract covering training, hardware and maintenance with a private company in 1988 and extended to April 2005.

5. Complex under-utilised: The RM25mil International Sea Sports Complex in Labuan was left unutilised for nearly two years since it started operations in June 2001. In 2003 and 2004, only 51 activities including the Labuan International Sea Challenge, Labuan Arts Festival, Aidilfitri Open House, and government-department and private functions were conducted at the complex.

6. Delays increase cost: Delays in building four district police headquarters (IPD) plus quarters in Raub, Gua Musang, Kerian and Perak Tengah caused the Government to suffer at least RM5.85mil in losses.

2003

7. Way above market price: The Government paid up to 36% above the market price for certain medicines used in public hospitals and clinics despite sourcing them through open tenders. Although 140 contracts worth RM425mil were awarded through open tenders between 2001 and 2003, 83 contracts worth RM283mil went to one supplier while the rest were distributed among 11 others.

2002

8. Below par pool: The so-called international-sized pool at the RM45.5 million Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre fell short of the required measurements set by the swimming world's governing body, Fina. The length of the aquatic centre's pool is less than 50m, the standard for an Olympic-sized pool.

1999

9. Expensive tailoring: A total of RM3.02mil was paid to alter uniforms at the Armed Forces between 1997 and June 1999. The alteration fees for the 11th Royal Malay Regiment at Semenggo Camp, Sarawak, was RM31 per uniform while for the 15th Royal Malay Regiment Sri Miri Camp, it was RM68. At the Sungei Besi air force base, it was only 70 sen.

1998

10. Expensive Door: Yayasan Melaka, a foundation fully-owned by the state government to provide scholarship for poor students, purchased a door for RM25,000, toilet and floor mats worth RM11,000 and 25 designer briefcases worth RM38,750 among many others without calling for tenders or supporting quotations. Altogether, the foundation was found to have breached financial procedures in spending a total of RM639,423.

11. No letter for RM1.6bil in loans: Two loans totalling RM1.6bil were given to Perwaja Terengganu Sdn Bhd in 1997 and 1998 in which no letter of agreement was signed between the company and the Government.

12. Failure to check account: The Defence Ministry failed to monitor an account which paid for the purchase of military equipment from the United States, resulting in a discrepancy amounting to US$32mil (RM121.6mil). As there was no monitoring done, about US$66.7mil (RM253.5mil) was withdrawn from the account although the equipment supplied was worth only US$34.7mil (RM131.9mil).

1997

13. Poor revenue management: The Immigration Department in Damansara Town Centre did not bank in 4,680 bank drafts worth RM32mil in 1997. They were not cashed within the bank draft's validity period of three to six months. Of the amount, only 1,757 bank drafts worth RM14.97mil were recovered from those who issued the drafts.

14. Medical tools lying idle: Audit checks found 55 pieces of medical equipment worth RM1.41mil lying idle in government hospitals and dental clinics. The equipment included two operating microscopes each worth RM49,950 in Muar and Kangar Hospital, both unused for more than 19 months.

1995

15. Fund for disaster victims abused: The Malacca state used money from an emergency fund meant for flood and fire victims for the purchase of five Mercedes Benz cars for state executive councillors, a RM279,250 on an official car for the Malacca governor's wife, a RM271,500 car for the Chief Minister and a Proton Perdana costing RM60,644. Other purchases included RM13,160 for a computer table and RM13,300 for two chairs. Altogether RM10.18 million for 29 expenses was drawn from the emergency fund in 1995.

1993

16. Exorbitant seminar: The Melaka state government paid RM194,204 for a political party seminar. The Chief Minister's Office paid for the purchase of fountain pens as souvenirs for the delegates and organisation costs totalling RM168,394. Another RM25,810 was for a dinner for seminar delegates. The government also undertook three purchases involving RM216,084 without calling for tenders in 1993. They include the purchase of 1,434 food packets costing RM81,594. – Compiled by RASHVINJEET S.BEDI

[From http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/30/agreport2006/18962785&sec=agreport2006]

M'sia rises a rank in Corruption Perception Index - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has risen a rank up on Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

It was ranked 43rd this year but the score of 5.1 was a minimal improvement from the 5.0 that Malaysia recorded last year.

However, the slight positive change in how people perceived corruption in the country's public sector stopped a five-year downward trend in the rankings, which was 33rd in 2002, 37th in 2003, 39th in 2004, 39th in 2005 and 44th in 2006.

The annual survey was carried out in 180 countries and is a composite index that draws on 14 expert opinion surveys. It was released Tuesday.

There were 16 new countries including Afghanistan, Maldives and Somalia.

The highest Asian country was Singapore which was ranked fourth and is the only non-Western economy to break the Top 10 list, led by Denmark. Somalia and Myanmar shared the last spot.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/26/nation/20070926191634&sec=nation]

No record of purchases - The Star

KUCHING: The Sarawak State Sports Council spent RM2.67mil on sports equipment from 2004 to 2006 but did not keep track of the purchases to prevent wastage or abuse.

The Auditor-General’s report noted that two bicycles worth RM19,800 could not be traced as there were no written records authorising their use elsewhere.

A RM5,300 lane rope for swimming also went missing while 24 types of equipment for silat, athletics and boxing worth RM47,911 meant for various training centres had not been used.

It added that 25 javelins worth RM3,570 were kept unused at the Miri Stadium because they were oversupplied by the council’s headquarters.

In addition, archery equipment worth RM30,859 was supplied too late to be used for training for the 11th Malaysia Games in 2006 and was not distributed to other training centres which needed them.

The report said the council did not maintain an asset register to record its purchases or appoint store officials to acknowledge the receipt of equipment.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/21/agreport2006/18923402&sec=AGReport2006]

Malaysia: Elections without representation - Asia Times Online

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR - Political tension is rising in the run-up to Malaysia's next general election as demands for free and fair polls made by a coalition of opposition political parties and civil-society groups are increasingly being met with violence by the ruling 13-party Barisan Nasional (BN, or National Front) coalition.

This month, police fired tear gas and shot at protesters, injuring two opposition supporters in the chest, while breaking up a massive opposition rally in Terengganu state, one of the few areas of Malaysia where the opposition and government are matched roughly equally in electoral strength.

The rally, organized on September 8 by BERSIH, an acronym for a coalition of five opposition political parties and 26 civil-society groups that means "clean" in the Malay language, was the biggest gathering held so far to demand reforms to the electoral system. The United Malays National Organization (UMNO), Malaysia's largest political party and the leader of the BN coalition, has won all 11 general elections held since the country achieved independence in 1957.

BERSIH has been touring the country mobilizing public support for its reform cause ahead of next polls, which are widely expected to be called in November. Police responded with what demonstrators contend is excessive use of force, adding a new and violent dimension to Malaysia's electoral politics.

"The use of such hard force and firing weapons, injuring opposition supporters, is unprecedented in recent history," said parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang.

Police said the assembly did not have a proper permit and was therefore illegal, but opposition leaders have insisted on their right to peaceful assembly.

[More at http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/II20Ae02.html]

Pak Lah: ACA must probe those named in A-G’s report - The Star

By Shahanaaz Habib

KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) should step in and investigate any suspicion of corruption in ministries and government agencies implicated in the Auditor- General’s (A-G) Report 2006 for mismanagement of funds, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Prime Minister said the report was open to be read and scrutinised by all, including the ACA.

“And where the information causes suspicion, then of course the ACA should go in and investigate. We will not hinder the ACA from carrying out investigations,” he said yesterday after the seventh National Small and Medium Enterprise Council meeting at Bank Negara here.

It was reported that the ACA was scrutinising the AG's report to see if any of the transactions or projects involved corruption.

Since Budget Day on Sept 7, when the A-G's report was released, newspapers have been highlighting the detailed findings of financial irregularities.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/14/agreport2006/18884646&sec=AGReport2006]

Paying through the nose for tools - The Star

By Royce Cheah, Elizabeth Looi and Manjit Kaur

PETALING JAYA: Would you pay RM224 for a set of four screwdrivers?

Probably not, but that was what the Government paid to supply tools for students at the eight National Youth Skills Institutes (IKBN) around the country, according to the Auditor-General’s (AG) report.

The AG said the screwdrivers had a market price of RM40 and according to pictures in the report, resembled the average Philips screwdrivers you could buy in any hardware shop.

And it does not stop there – the AG went a step further by examining the prices paid for 12 other tools and equipment bought for the IKBN project, comparing it with market prices when the procurement was done in late 2002.

Among these were technical books consisting 10 titles that had a price tag of RM10,700 and a 3.1 megapixel digital camera that was bought for RM8,254.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/9/agreport2006/18832193&sec=AGReport2006]

Malaysia considers switch to Islamic law - The Daily Telegraph

By Thomas Bell in Kuala Lumpur

Hardline Islamic law could be introduced across Malaysia under reforms proposed by the country's chief justice.

As the nation in south-east Asia celebrated 50 years of independence from Britain yesterday, its government was preparing to discuss a plan that would revolutionise the legal system put in place by its former colonial administrators.

As Kuala Lumpur witnessed celebrations that included parades, fireworks and a fighter-jet fly-by attended by the Duke of York, the proposal pointed to the deep differences which locals say are poisoning social relations beyond the glitter and skyscrapers of Malaysia's modern capital city.

Ahmad Fairuz, the chief justice, told an Islamic conference in Kuala Lumpur that 50 years of independence had failed to free Malaysia from the "clutches of colonialism". Sharia law should be "infused" into the gaps created by abolishing common law, he said.

Malaysia's non-Muslim Chinese and Indian communities, who form 40 per cent of the population, are alarmed at creeping Islamisation.

[More at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1561896/Malaysia-considers-switch-to-Islamic-law.html]

PKFZ, Johor Crimes Among Issues Raised At Dialogue With Rafidah - Bernama

SINGAPORE, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- The annual seminar on business opportunities in Malaysia took place in Singapore today, attended by some 1,000 members of the Singapore business community as well as representatives of state governments and agencies in Malaysia.

As was the case in the past, the participants took full advantage of the opportunity to shoot questions at International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz in a no-holds barred style.

A participant, for instance, spoke of the backlog of pending cases in courts which he said could affect confidence among investors who want speedy settlement in the event of commercial disputes, citing his bad experience in Penang involving a piece of land for development.

Rafidah said the government is equally concerned of matters that could affect investor confidence, hence the decision to set up Pemudah, a special task force to find ways to facilitate business in Malaysia.

"But this is not the norm, but if you are the aggrieved party, you don't care whether this is a norm or not, you just want your problem settled," she said, adding that she would raise the matter with the Cabinet.

She also pointed out that land matters are under the jurisdiction of state governments but assured the business community that they too are committed to ensuring that bureaucratic processes are minimised.

Another participant questioned Malaysia's concern over pollution since the matter was not mentioned in Rafidah's keynote address earlier, but she assured that Malaysia is indeed concerned about the environment, saying:

"Environment is very important to Malaysia. We want to make sure that we have enough forest cover to make sure the environment is not spoilt, but cultural habits also contribute to pollution."

There was also a question about "problems" relating to Port Klang but Rafidah said she was not aware of it.

"I don't think you are talking about Port Klang but about the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)," she said.

"The problem is not with the port. It's the development of a free zone. These are all commercial ventures and the government is now looking at it ... there was some financial escalation."

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=281788]

I’m not with the Opposition, says Dr M - The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has refuted claims that he is on the “Opposition’s side”, stressing his love and loyalty remained strongly with Umno, the country, and his religion and race.

“I have never taken sides with the Opposition. I love my party dearly but this does not mean that I support the party leadership,” he said at a dialogue session with the Malaysian Concerned Citizens Council ad-hoc committee (Prihatin) at the Perdana Leadership Foundation yesterday.

The former prime minister said that when he quarrelled with the late first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, it was because he loved the party and wanted to save Umno.

He said that while loyalty to the party should remain steadfast, members must be brave enough to point out leaders' mistakes so they would not be repeated and “bring about destruction and downfall, and weaken the party”.

“Leaders on the other hand, must not have this misconception that support for Umno means support for them too. When there is victory, leaders think it is because the people support them when the support may just have been for the party.”

Unlike other races, particularly the Chinese, who would use their votes to send a message or make a point, the Malays, he claimed, would blindly support political parties, whether Umno or PAS.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/16/nation/18604951&sec=nation]

Cabinet rejects apology from Negaraku rapper - The Star

By Loh Foon Fong

KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has not accepted student Wee Meng Chee’s apology for the furore caused by his Negaraku rap videoclip on video-sharing web portal YouTube.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Cabinet had decided yesterday that they were not in the position to forgive him and that “the law would have to take its course”.

“The offence was not against the Prime Minister or ministers concerned but against the nation,” Nazri told reporters after the launch of the International Conference on Media and Information Warfare: A Global Challenge of the 21st Century here.

“If he had committed an offence, which I think was an offence, then we must allow the Attorney General to investigate and decide whether to take him to court,” he said.

Wee had on Tuesday apologised for the parody and agreed to remove the videoclip from his blog.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/16/nation/20070816152355&sec=nation]

Student rapper apologises - The Star

PETALING JAYA: Student Wee Meng Chee, 24, who caused a furore here with his Negaraku rap video clip on YouTube, has apologised for the parody and will remove the video clip from his blog.

“It has taught me a lesson about the spirit of nationalism and race relations. As a Malaysian, I did not intend to shame the country or ridicule any religion.

“To end the controversy, I will remove the video clip from my blog and I hope other bloggers will stop distributing the video clip,” said the mass communications student at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan.

Meng Chee said he also did not have any intention of creating anti-government sentiments or fan racism by writing the song as he was loyal to the King and the country where he was raised, gained knowledge and given the freedom to develop his talent.

He said he wanted to return and contribute to the country.

“I am proud to be a Malaysian and my loyalty to my country has not wavered even though I’m now studying in Taiwan,” he said.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/15/nation/18592215&sec=nation]

Thousands gather in Putrajaya demanding end to marginalisation of Indians - Malaysiakini.tv

The overcast and gloomy weather in Putrajaya reflected the mood of the thousands of Indian Malaysians who had gathered at the administrative capital this morning.

There was a reason for this crowd to be in Putrajaya on a wet Sunday. They wanted to tell Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that they should not be further marginalised as Malaysians.

University student comes under fire for video clip - The Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian student Wee Meng Chee has frequently courted controversy with his numerous postings on video search engine YouTube, but his latest parody of the national anthem has been severely criticised by politicians.

Wee has come under fire for mocking the national anthem and making statements many found offensive because they contained racial slurs.

His six-minute video clip, which used Negaraku in a Mandarin rap, has been viewed more than 400,000 times since the middle of last month.

Wee, a 24-year-old mass communications student at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan, has insisted that he is patriotic.

“I wrote the song in conjunction with the country’s 50th anniversary of independence and it is my gift to the country,” the Johorean said.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum said police would investigate the rap video while MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said Wee had insulted the national anthem.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/9/nation/18538504&sec=nation]