Whose Citizenship Will Be Revoked If Syed Ali Alhabshee Was In Power?

DOES THIS MONKEY LOOK LIKE A MALAY?

From today's TheStar:

The Government should revoke the citizenship of Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Cheras Umno division chairman Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshee said. His activities could affect peace in Malaysia. Citizens who are not patriotic should not be given a place here.

Thus spoke one of the most brilliant criminals among the dozens who are currently infesting the Umno sewers. You can count on this Ethiopian-Arab slave descendant who morphed into an UMNO-MALAY to be in the thick of any issue involving the racist party. After all he knows which side his bread is buttered on. It is significant that the Ministry of Finance extended for two years the contract of this a**hole to continue his tenure as The Chairman of Composites Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd effective from 1st June 2008. So the chairmanship is up for renewal in two days time and this dog is barking at his loudest to be heard by Najib. Renewing his contract means another couple of hundred thousands in his bank account. He is also Chairman of Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation which too is controlled by the Ministry of Finance and is the Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Tanjung Offshore Berhad (Tanjung). He also holds directorships in IIUM Holdings Sdn Bhd and C.I. Holdings Berhad.

Can you imagine the chaos which would ensue if this brainsick maniac pulled the levers of power in Malaysia? There would be literally hundreds of Malaysians who would lose their citizenship, mostly for being against Umno's corrupt and racist rule, for being fair and trustworthy, for being courageous in defending human rights and for being overachieving, successful non-Malays.

Apart from the usual 'unpatriotic' opposition leaders like Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Tok Guru and Zaid Ibrahim the list will also include flavor of the month pro-government supporters like Samy Vellu and his son.

Among the first to go will be that 'traitor to the Malay race', High Court (Appellate and Special Powers Division) judge Datuk Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim who ruled that Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is the rightful menteri besar of Perak.

High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan’s controversial ‘Allah’ ruling will guarantee her a place in the top ten hate list.

Another Malay 'traitor' is National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) Chairman Senator Tan Sri Amirsham Abdul Aziz for espousing the New Economic Model (NEM), betraying the 'social contract' and having 'forgotten' his roots.

Squash player Nicol David may be stripped of her citizenship for not knowing her place as a woman. Going around the world and winning titles while wearing revealing skirts may be a little too much for the likes of Alhabshee. A woman's place is at home!

Malaysian Idol Jaclyn Victor is another candidate who our lunkhead has never forgiven especially since she bested a genuine Malay darling - Faradina Mohd. Nadzir (Dina)- in the Idol finals.

However Alex Yoong, race car driver would narrowly escape the net because of his less than spectacular F1 performance. If only he had climbed up the podium even once he would have lost his citizenship.

Marina Mahathir would be right on the top of his list but the very thought of the Tun's ire will send shivers up and down his spine and he'll quickly bury the thought, lest any rash act buries him.

Lee Chong Wei would be booted out. How dare he 'deprive' a Malay juara of his rightful place as champion and agree to a datukship as well!

Jimmy Choo and Michelle Yeoh will be on the hit list for spending too much time overseas (and for being highly successful).

Of course this list can run into thousands of pages. If you'd like to suggest some names, please do in the comments section.

Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong Has Quit PKR

So it has come to pass. The Wangsa Maju MP has finally crossed the Rubicon. There had been speculation for quite some time now that Wee Choo Keong was going to take a walk to the 'other side'. And keeping to current 'fashion' he joins that fastest growing grouping in Malaysian politics -- 'independent' elected representative.

When the chips are down for Najib and Umno they can be assured of Pakatan reps saving the day by declaring themselves independent. It happened prior to the Hulu Selangor by-election and is again occurring with the Sibu by-election less than a week away. To be sure, there will be a mini exodus in the next few days when rank and file Pakatan members, lower echelon office holders and maybe one or two more prized catches will be paraded for photo-ops and speeches to run down the Pakatan leadership.

Don't be surprised if the Umno pet dog, MACC even arrests a couple of Pakatan leaders on corruption charges over the weekend. Then Umno can go to town in Sibu and tarnish Pakatan as the corrupt party!! To such levels has descended the state of politics in Malaysia today.

What hope is there when Najib can go to Sibu, 'donate' RM15 million to Chinese schools and brazenly say that he is helping them, therefore they should help him too and they should know what 'help' he is talking about. This is out and out bribery. But to Najib it is merely aiding 'development' there.

But through all this I have the feeling that the electorate in Sibu is not as gullible as Najib thinks. They may have all these decades been rubber stamp voters for Barisan, but the mechanics has changed in the past two years and even they in the East have been profoundly affected by the many issues and controversies, the race baiting, the religious chest thumping and the monumental corruption. The country is psychologically ready for a paradigm shift in national leadership. Umno is merely attempting to slow down the inevitable. Wee Choo Keong's 'declaration of independence' is merely another futile attempt at retarding the pace of reform and change.

Another PKR Turncoat, Bagan Serai MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri Defects

Bagan Serai member of parliament Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri today became the third legislator to quit Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

The 65-year-old said he had been 'disappointed' with recent events in the party. (No means to cari makan?)

Among the reasons he cited were party infighting and the party's stance on the usage of the "Allah" term by non-Muslims. “In the name of Allah, I would like to announce my resignation from PKR. I hereby quit PKR and resign from all posts to become an independent member of parliament," said Mohsin.

Mohsin didn't take any questions from reporters but asked PKR's former secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim to answer questions on his behalf.

I suppose at the ripe old age of 65 years there is not much time or avenue to make a tidy fortune. What better way than to throw morals and principles to the ground and stomach a few months of shame and ignominy? It's worth it. After all Najib's millions will more than compensate for the 'hardship'. But using the name of Allah to justify his greed and betrayal is the height of hypocrisy and should be condemned. It is also pretty obvious that Salehuddin Hashim is the bapa ayam for all these political whores.

I wonder how the fence sitters among the public feel about Umno now? Do they truly approve this 'purchasing' strategy? Will they vote for such dishonest politicians again? Only time will tell.

This Is Umno's Malaysia

With the way that Umno is misusing the police, MACC, the Attorney General's chambers, the judiciary and other government institutions on a daily basis, the above cartoon may well describe the situation in Malaysia today. Very sad.

3 Women Caned For Syariah Offences In Malaysia. Oh How Proud We Are!!

Welcome to the club Malaysia. You have truly shown us the spirit of "Malaysia Boleh!"

According to The Star -- Three Muslim women became the first in the country to be caned for committing various syariah offences.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the sentence was carried out on Feb 9 at 10am.

Two of the women were given six strokes of the rotan while the third was whipped four times.

One of them was released on Feb 14 after spending a month in prison, Hishammuddin said.

He added one woman would be released over the next few days while the third would be released in June.

All three were found guilty for committing illicit sex.

Hishamuddin must be deliriously happy, now that he has burnished his Islamic credentials for all to view at home and abroad. A real caning bradder and three females at that! Such good news must go down well in brotherly Afghanistan and Pakistan. Not to forget our Muslim compatriots in Sudan and other such nations which are trying their level best to emulate the golden age of Islam of yore.

Congratulations Umno, congratulations Malaysia, for you have finally achieved the recognition which you have yearned all this while from your Islamic brothers and in the process created a record of sorts -- dishing out syariah prescribed caning of women in a constitutionally secular country.

Nizar-Zambry Trial. Did You Expect An Impartial Verdict From This Federal Court?

The long awaited judgement of the Federal Court on the rightful Mentri Besar of Perak — Umno’s Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir or PAS’s Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is in.

The five 'learned' judges, Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria, Justices Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Datuk Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff, and Datuk Abdul Hamid Embong have given their unanimous verdict that the Court of Appeal was justified to reverse the High Court decision declaring Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin the rightful mentri besar of Perak.

But who dictated this 'verdict' which Arifin Zakaria read at the 'Palace of Justice'? Why is it that the same judges are being allotted all the important cases involving the Umno led government? Is the Chief Justice afraid that allowing a truly well read and impartial judge like Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram to be included in the panel of judges in this and other 'crucial' cases would skew well laid plans which have their inspiration elsewhere in Putrajaya? Is it for this same reason that the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Tan Sri Richard Malanjum has been sidelined too by avoiding the constituting of a full bench?

How do these judges live with themselves after such a patently unfair decision? How do they face their colleagues, families and close friends? How does it feel to have cheated not only oneself but the citizens of this country by such egregious judicial behaviour which is unparalleled in the justice system of real democratic nations by making such duplicitous and fraudulent interpretations of our constitution?

The legal experts will no doubt, over the next few days dissect and tear apart the dubious premise of this 'unanimous' decision. Not one of the five judges had the guts to rule against the Umno nominee Zambry. But then again aren't these very judges Umno nominees themselves? Shame on these cowards inhabiting the Federal Court who seem to have placed their future well-being and the welfare of their families over that of the nation.

The Sad State Of English In Malaysia

Please read the letter below which is self explanatory.

Subject: Letter by a director in Universiti Teknologi Mara - A Classic

4th UiTM INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FIESTA
19 – 23 November 2009 FUTSAL-RUGBY 7- TENPIN BOWLING-BADMINTON


Dear Sport Friends,

Regarding about the global issue H1N1 happens around the world, sadly to be informing that our UiTM International Sports Fiesta will be postponing to 19-23 November 2009.

For all teams which have been confirm to participate in our events, we have to say sorry for this announcements and our Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Health also advise to us to change the date for this current situation.

By the date have been confirm incoming this November hopefully your teams still can participate in our event and don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.

And again, we would like to say sorry about the date change for the sake of our health among us.

See you in this November at UiTM Malaysia !!

Regards,
Mr. Mustaza Ahmad
Director
Sports Centre
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Malaysia

Disclaimer: The above was received by e-mail and I cannot vouch for its authenticity.

Perak State Assembly Chaos: Najib's Reputation, Credibility & 1Malaysia Flushed Down The Toilet

It didn't take long for the vicious beast to reveal its true colours. A leopard, they say, does not change his spots. Neither will a dictator very easily change his evil ways. What better illustration of that theory than the disgraceful goings on over the past few days, culminating in the numerous arrests and disproportionate show of force by the totally discredited Umno-owned 'Loyal' Malaysia Police, in the run up to the controversial Perak State Assembly proceedings.

This whole episode leading to the fall of the legally elected state government was masterminded from day one by the present PM. A few days prior to the palace assisted coup, Najib took over the position of Perak Umno state chairman from Tajol Rosli. The only reason for such a maneuver was that Tajol was too small a guy to discuss and clinch a quid pro quo deal with the Perak palace. Najib on the other hand had the requisite political stature to negotiate a 'mutually satisfying and rewarding' arrangement with the sultan. The consequence of that royal kau tim was a succession of unconstitutional and blatantly illegal steps taken by Najib and his minions in government, judiciary, police and others.

A majority of the nation is still shell-shocked over all that has occurred. The ease with which the state and federal Constitutions have been defiled, national institutions laid waste by the wayside and lofty principles, plain morality and decency trampled upon by ruling party savages, has left the populace stunned and distressed. And history will blame one man for all that has happened and is happening - Umno president Najib Razak. All the other characters in this sordid drama - the palace, Zambry, the defecting assemblymen, the genuflecting senior and junior judges, the servile police and kowtowing civil servants are but minor players in a political chess game set up by the PM.

Najib is the puppet master who behind the scenes is actively directing the continued assault on the democratic fabric of the nation or what little is left of it after fifty years of wear and tear. He should certainly make Dr Mahathir proud. But alas the end of this story may not be to Najib's liking. Yes he could get away with grabbing Perak with a veneer of legality by way of the current state assembly proceedings and resolutions. However the people are watching with understandable awe, fear and more importantly, anger. And most of them are not fools or blind to the Machiavellian machinations being inspired from Putrajaya and its head honcho.

Among the biggest losers in the current debacle is the reputation, credibility and the nonsensically opportunistic 1Malaysia policy of Najib. The above are rapidly heading their way to Indah Water's sewers where they rightfully belong.

MAS CEO Idris Jala Named Orient Aviation Person 2008

Datuk Seri Idris Jala, managing director and chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), has been named Orient Aviation Person 2008 for being the driving force behind the national carrier’s amazing comeback.

While many wrote off the airline when it made its biggest losses ever of RM1.3 billion in nine months in 2005, Idris joined the airline and turned MAS’ record losses into record profits and rebuilt confidence and morale among its 20,000 employees, all within two years.

“MAS recorded RM851 million in the financial year 2007, its highest profit in 60 years of operations, and is only one of the six airlines in the world recognised as a “5-star airline” by Skytrax, United Kingdom, an accolade it has won for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008,” said MAS in a statement.

Idris said he was pleased and honoured to accept the award as he and his team worked hard to turnaround MAS. Now, they are embarking on a business transformation journey in pursuit of their vision to become the World’s Five Star Value carrier. Idris said he is blessed with a great team of people who are passionate about the airline.

Orient Aviation chief executive Barry Grindrod said Idris acted speedily and decisively. In the last three years, he has slashed US$500 million costs at MAS.

Idris is on target for additional cuts of US$280 million in operational costs this year. Significantly, he has also restored morale in the carrier which was rock bottom when he joined the airline, Grindrod said.

He has quickly become one of the most highly respected chief executive officers in the industry worldwide, he said.

Previous winners of the award, which was established in 1999, include Chew Choong Seng from Singapore Airlines; Geoff Dixon, Qantas Airways; Jaime Bautista, Philippine Airlines; Kanok Abhiradee, Thai Airways International and David Turnbull, Cathay Pacific Airways. (Bernama)

***** Our congratulations to Datuk Seri Idris Jala. It is hoped that the government has learnt valuable lessons from the earlier debacle and will in future not treat the airlines as the personal property of Umno.
Image - Source

Muhyiddin's Bangsa, Agama Dan Negara Recipe For Our Varsities

Universities in Malaysia have been urged to create a new co-curriculum to explain issues regarding the social contract which has often drawn the attention of various parties of late.

Umno vice president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said explaining the issues to the younger generation especially university students was important so as to avoid confusion.

"The important thing is not to question the social contract but to give an explanation so that they understand what the social contract is all about especially among the younger generation, because not all of them understand the social contract.

"Therefore, giving the explanation with proper methods and linking it with the country's history are important," he told reporters after delivering a lecture on "Malay-Muslim Politics - Crisis and Solution" at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) here today.

The lecture, organised by the Centre of Islamic Development Management Studies and Nurul Yaqeen Foundation, was attended USM students and lecturers.

Besides, he said, university lecturers should play a crucial role in giving the explanation.

"An effective explanation is important because when the students leave and mix around with the community, it will be easy for them to understand the concept of democracy and the constitution that we have," said Muhyiddin who is International Trade and Industry Minister.

He said the social contract issues had been solved long ago and all parties should accept it. (Bernama)

***** As with other government attempts to 'explain' inter-communal issues, you can bet that this social 'contract' co-curriculum hoopla will be another exercise in tilting to one side and the adding of more fiction than fact. If past experience is any guide, as usual some fanatic wingnuts with rabid pro-Malay leanings will be selected and fully expect them to mess up the whole idea by including unsubstantiated 'facts' and unnecessary Umno propaganda into the syllabus.

You can safely dismiss this proposal as just another bangsa, agama dan negara hype. Consider it as a stillborn Muhyiddin idea.

Parliament: Cops Scared Of Crooks, So Police Beat Base Closed! Malaysia Boleh!

A police beat base in the Chow Kit area of downtown Kuala Lumpur was closed down because it was in a location that was considered unsafe, said Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

In a written reply to Dr Lo’ Lo’ Mohamad Ghazali (PAS-Titiwangsa), Syed Hamid said the beat base was located in a dirty area where there was a possibility of being exposed to contagious diseases.

The presence of criminals also posed a threat to the safety of police officers, he said.

Lo’ Lo’ had asked why the beat base on Jalan Haji Taib was closed considering the high number of vice-related activities in the area, as well as what kind action had been taken by the police to curb such activities.

Syed Hamid said that the police were looking for a new location to build a police beat base that would be able to give “guaranteed and continued service to the public.”

Lo’ Lo’s was the 30th question in the Order Paper and hence did not get a mention in the House during the daily one-hour Question Time. However, Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli (PAS-Kuala Krai) managed to raise it when he interjected during Azmin Ali’s (PKR-Gombak) speech during the debate on Budget 2009.

Dr Mohd Hatta said that if the police themselves felt unsafe in a beat base, then it would be even worse for the public.

“The minister has to resign if he is worried about the safety of police in that area. Maybe it would be better to put the beat base in army barracks,” he said.

Dr Mohd Hatta then managed to raise the issue again during his own debate on Budget 2009 saying that Syed Ali’s response was not rational.

“The police are there to make a place safe. If they themselves are scared and run away, then how can we hope for others to want to be there?

“It is embarassing and that is why the criminals will always be there,” he said.

Dr Mohd Hatta said if the place is dirty, then it is up to the police to organise gotong-royong activities to clean it up or if they did not want to then they should move to Putrajaya or Parliament.

“And what is this about contagious diseases on Jalan Haji Taib? The only kind of contagious diseases that are present there are sexually-transmitted ones.

“Is the minister scared that his charges will contract such diseases? That kind of thing is a matter of choice. In any case, if this is what he is worried about then we are worried that the police are not above this.”

Dr Mohd Hatta added that the police had to be brave people and that they were a different breed altogether when facing demonstrators. He said he hoped that the minister would clarify his written answer in the House as this is not the kind of police that the people want. (The Star Online)

***** A totally idiotic explanation by Syed Hamid. I wonder if he's been smoking anything strong lately. Will the cops agree with his findings? Or are they too busy trying to demonize Hindraf? Or perhaps they simply don't care what the public think of them anymore. Pathetic.

Anwar Ibrahim Sets New December Deadline To Seize Power. End Of Umno?

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has said that the country's beleaguered Barisan Nasional government could fall by December, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Anwar has insisted he had won over enough defectors from the government to form a new administration. But an earlier self-imposed deadline of September 16 passed and his calls to recall parliament for a confidence vote were denied.

The former deputy premier's move to set a new deadline by the Eid al-Adha festival, which falls on December 8, comes after Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi announced this week he will not stand in a party election next year, effectively handing over to his deputy Najib Razak.

"We have built our base to go forward, if it (taking power) does not happen this week or next week, it can possibly happen before Eid al-Adha festival," Anwar said late on Friday in comments reported by the mass-selling Berita Harian newspaper

"On the way it will be done, I can't say. We will choose the peaceful way," Anwar, who was touring the northeastern state of Kelantan, said.

Eid al-Adha is Islam's most important feast at the end of the annual Haj pilgrimage. In mainly-Muslim Malaysia, the holiday coincides with the last few days parliament will be in session for the year.

Anwar has to get 30 government MPs to walk over in order to have a majority in the 222-seat parliament. At present the opposition coalition, made of Anwar's Keadilan party, the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia and the Democratic Action party, has 82 seats.

"A momentum for a no-confidence vote could build up when parliament starts next week and this may happen during the debating of the budget or any bill for that matter," said Ginie Lim, spokesperson for Keadilan party.

One of Malaysia's best-known political figures, Anwar made world headlines when he was dismissed in the late 1990s by then premier Mahathir Mohamad and later imprisoned on what he says were trumped up sodomy and corruption charges.

He was in court again this week on new sodomy charges which he says is another ploy to stymie his challenge against the government that has ruled the Southeast Asian nation for more than 50 years. (Reuters)

***** Better late than never.

Reject People Who Don't Respect Country's Leaders:Najib. We Too Must Reject Leaders Who Don't Respect The Country

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today called on the people to reject any form of unruly behaviour towards the country's leaders.

The deputy prime minister said the government did not want such behaviour to become a norm because it could undermine unity and security of the country.

Citing as example the unruly incident at the Hari Raya open house of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and other Muslim cabinet ministers in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday, he said such action could cause losses to the country.

"If there are parties with other motives, who don't understand the culture of courtesy, are rude and don't respect the leaders, the people must reject them.

This kind of action cannot become a norm," he said when launching the countdown for the Fei-World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2008 in Gong Badak near here.

Last Wednesday, a group of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters caused a disturbance at the cabinet open house at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) when they cut queue to get into the hall to present Abdullah with a bear and a Hari Raya card bearing 300 signatures calling for the release of Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Najib said the government held the open house to enable the people to meet and greet the national leaders without having to observe protocol.

It was a unique culture which was not practised anywhere else in the world and it showed the peace that the people in this country enjoyed.

"Never in other countries can the the people meet their leaders so easily. (But) this value of peace will be destroyed if certain parties have other motives. This value of peace cannot be ignored," he said.

He said that if such actions persisted, it might not be possible to practise the open house concept in future and that would be a loss. (Bernama)

***** Najib should be reminded that his advice cuts both ways and that there will be no more free passes for our so-called pemimpin to do as they please. They will get the respect if they deserve it. No more kowtowing just for the heck of it and our pemimpin should stop expecting mindless public obedience as their birthright.

Next Malaysia PM Seen Trapped By Race, Economy

Malaysia's prime minister is likely to announce on Wednesday that he will step aside for his deputy, but the man picked as the new leader is unlikely to be able stop either the political or economic rot.

Najib Razak, 55, has deep roots in the main ruling party. He joined in 1978, is the son of one prime minister and the nephew of another and is a staunch defender of ethnic Malay rights and an affirmative action programme that critics say has failed.

He has held the post of deputy to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi since 2004, but will not take power until March 2009 when leadership elections for the main ruling party are held.

That will create a power vacuum at a time when racial tensions in this country of 27 million people are on the rise, the ruling coalition is fracturing under pressure from the opposition and economic growth is set to slow sharply.

Malaysia's export-oriented economy will be hard hit by the coming global economic slowdown caused by the financial crisis that originated in the U.S. mortgage market.

Leading domestic investment bank CIMB on Wednesday cut its 2009 growth forecast for Malaysia to 3.0 percent from 5.0 percent due to an expected slowdown in demand for its exports.

"He (Najib) is seen as a hardliner and Malay chauvinist. His base is from a political party that is in crisis and seriously discredited," said Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert at Johns Hopkins University.

PARTY IN CRISIS

The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) that Najib will head has dominated politics for the 51 years since independence from Britain, but it has been in crisis since the opposition recorded its best ever result in elections in March.

It represents the near 60 percent of the population that is ethnic Malay and is backed in a 13-party coalition called Barisan Nasional by a host of ethnic parties representing the Chinese, Indian and indigenous population.

Those smaller parties were hammered in elections in March and need to reinvent themselves. Their voters feel they have been betrayed by leaders who have chosen power over their interests.

"This is what I called the Najib's dilemma. He has to democratise, open up, but if he does that he's going to allow for the opening of the Pandora's box," said Terence Gomez, professor at the University of Malaya.

Ethnic Malay voters, who are among the poorest Malaysians, have been hit hard by rising food and fuel prices that have pushed inflation to a near-27 year high. They have also watched well-connected Malays get richer, while they have seen few gains.

Abdullah's promises to end rampant corruption have not been borne out and Malaysia has sunk in Transparency International rankings to 43rd place from 37th when he took power.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy PM who was imprisoned on corruption and sodomy charges, has tapped into that discontent and says he has won over enough government legislators to win power, although he hasn't named names.

His predicted Sept. 16 date for winning power has gone -- along with some of his credibility, analysts say -- and short of an outright surrender by the prime minister, he has few levers to open the path to government.

There has also been renewed squabbling in the leadership of Anwar's Islamist allies, some of whom feel they would be better served by joining the government rather staying in the opposition "rainbow" coalition which includes reformers and ethnic Chinese.

STALWART OF HIS RACE

Even though Najib is seen as a stalwart of his race -- who warned in November 2007 that Malay patience "has limits" after criticism of their rights and has called for an extension of Malay ownership of companies -- he does not score significantly better than Abdullah among core voters.

According to the Merdeka poll, he was just one percentage point more popular than the incumbent among ethnic Malays.

Among other races Najib is even less popular, scoring three points less than Abdullah among ethnic Chinese voters and 20 percentage points less among Indian voters.

As UMNO cannot govern alone, he needs to rebuild the shattered allied parties and the credibility of their leaders.

Najib has been tainted by allegations he has denied that he was involved in the death of a Mongolian model in a case that has scandalised the nation. He was also investigated and cleared in an investigation into corruption in a submarine purchase in 2003.

With leadership beckoning, discontent over the handling of the economy has emerged as the top concern of voters and Najib, who was recently appointed finance minister, is tarred with the same brush of failing to grasp economic opportunities as Abdullah.

"The economy proved to be Abdullah's ultimate weakness, and it will likely be Najib's as well," Welsh said. (Reuters)

***** "He (Najib) is seen as a hardliner and Malay chauvinist. His base is from a political party that is in crisis and seriously discredited." How true. Najib is really bad news for the nation's future. Can't we have a better alternative instead of the same old warlords like Najib and that other discredited fellow Muhyiddin? Is a party infested with vermin like Khir Toyol the answer to the problems that ail our country?

What about changing direction with Anwar Ibrahim at the helm?

There's Nothing Easy About Pluralism And No Simple Answers

By Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun

Pluralism is difficult and few are more acutely aware of that this week than Jordan Smith, whose jaw was wired shut this week following an unprovoked attack on Davie Street where he was walking hand-in-hand with his boyfriend.

Nirmal Singh Gill's family knows how hard it is as well. Gill was beaten to death a decade ago in Surrey by five neo-Nazi skinheads.

Hate-based crimes are rarely reported in Canada. But fear of difference cuts many ways and people who are attacked often won't report.

Pluralism is something Canadians chose. Canada is a multicultural, multi-ethnic and religiously diverse country and has been since the merging of French, English and aboriginal people.

But Canada is not unique. There's scarcely a country that is homogeneous. What sets countries apart is how they deal with pluralism.

Malaysia, where I spent most of the past month, also boasts that it is a multicultural country. Unlike Canada, the 51-year-old country suffered both race riots and internal guerrilla warfare in the 1960s.

It has an official policy of separation and segregation in dealing with its four major ethnic groups, which are also differentiated by religion in the officially Islamic country. The majority of Malays are Muslim. Chinese and indigenous people are mostly Christian and the Indians are mainly Hindu.

The Muslim Malays (bumiputras, as they are called) are favoured when it comes to jobs, university enrolment and government contracts. The government requires publicly traded companies to have a minimum of 30-per-cent "bumiputra equity." There are separate schools for different races and race-based political parties.

But these policies now appear to be threatening not only the viability of the current government, but Malaysia's peace and stability. And so far, the government's response has not been to amend its policies. Rather, in its desperation, it is jailing its critics.

In mid-September, Ahmad Ismail (a Malay politician from the ruling UMNO coalition) described Chinese-Malays as power-hungry immigrants and "squatters."

Ismail completely ignored the fact that many Chinese-Malays' ancestors arrived several hundred years ago.

Even though Ismail's comments put the fragile government coalition of Malay, Chinese and Indian parties at risk, he refused to apologize. His only punishment was to have his party membership suspended for three years.

But within days of his comments, two journalists -- one from a Chinese-language daily and another from the influential online Malaysia Today -- were jailed under the draconian Internal Security Act, which allows for 60 days detention without trial. Also arrested on the same day was a Chinese-Malay(sian) member of parliament whose alleged offence was supporting some constituents' request that a local mosque lower the volume on the daily calls to prayer.

All three were accused of inciting racial tensions.

Read the whole report HERE

Umno General Assembly Postponed To March, Says PM. Will Decide By October 9 On Defending His Post

The Umno general assembly has been postponed to March next year, party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

Abdullah, who chaired a special Umno supreme council meeting here Friday morning, however, said that the Umno divisional elections would go an as scheduled from Oct 9 to Nov 9.

The Umno division general assembly was earlier slated for Dec 16 to 20.

Pak Lah also added that the 2010 handover deadline is no longer firm and that he will decide before October 9 if he will defend the Umno president's post.

The meeting at the PWTC centred on the issue of the transition of power between party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib.

It was speculated that the meeting would discuss an early transition plan and the the possibility of party polls being postponed to June.

It's obvious that some sort of compromise has been achieved and the details of what exactly transpired at the meeting would be out soon. But the initial feeling is that Pak Lah is being clearly shown the door and elbowed out of office

Singapore Still Least Corrupt Country In Asia. Malaysia Mediocre As Usual

Just like last year, Singapore has been ranked the fourth least corrupt country in a global corruption survey.

It also retains its status as Asia's least corrupt country on the Corruption Perceptions Index, released yesterday by Transparency International (TI).

Conducted annually by the Berlin-based non-governmental corruption watchdog, the index studies the level of public sector corruption in 180 countries and ranks them according to scores. A score of 10 indicates highly clean and 0 means highly corrupt.

It defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain and measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.

In this year's index, Singapore scores 9.2, behind joint-leaders Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand, all of which obtained a 9.3 score. At the other end are Somalia (1.0), Iraq and Myanmar (1.3) and Haiti (1.4).

Asian economies which placed significantly are Hong Kong (12th), Japan (18th), Taiwan (39th), South Korea (40th) and Malaysia (47th).

Last year, Singapore was ranked joint-fourth with Sweden, behind Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. It came in fifth from 2003 to 2006.

Dr Johann Graf Lambsdorff of the University of Passau in Germany, who draws up the index, said Singapore's long tradition of strong oversight is an example for best practices in Asia.

Mr Liao Ran, TI's senior programme coordinator for East and South Asia, said factors contributing to Singapore's ranking included a strong commitment from political leaders; education, which has bred a culture of integrity among citizens; a sound and comprehensive legal framework; and an effective anti-corruption agency.

TI said the index continues to show there is a link between corruption and poverty. It also underlines the benefits of fighting corruption.

'Evidence suggests that an improvement in the index by one point increases capital inflows by 0.5 per cent of a country's gross domestic product and average incomes by as much as 4 per cent,' Dr Lambsdorff said.

TI also said the index shows that wealthy countries such as France and the United Kingdom, whose scores have slipped, need to step up their anti-corruption mechanisms.

Professor Neo Boon Siong, director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said Singapore's fourth position was a significant achievement.

A good ranking helps attract investments as it makes doing business here more predictable and cheaper, he said.

As to whether Singapore can reach the top of the index, he said: 'The real difference among the top leaders is not very wide. The actual ranking itself is not the main issue, because being ranked among the top few is a clear recognition the country is corruption-free.'

The index is computed with data from 13 corruption-related polls and surveys carried out this and last year by institutions like the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report. (Straits Times, Singapore)

***** Statements like 'strong commitment from political leaders, culture of integrity and an effective anti-corruption agency' are alien concepts to the ketuanan-obsessed mutton heads who rule Malaysia. No wonder the score is Singapore - 4, Malaysia - 47. Malaysia Boleh!

SAPP Finally Leaves BN

The Sabah Progressive Party has just announced the decision by the SAPP Supreme Council to pull out of the Barisan Nasional, two months after declaring no confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. For the time being it will remain as an independent party, probably to see in which direction the wind blows.

SAPP deputy chief Raymond Tan, disagreeing with the party's decision, said that he will resign as deputy chief minister and state minister within the next 24 hours. However he will remain in the party for the time being. He also said that Elopura assemblyman Au Kam Wah has quit the party.

SAPP has two MPs and four assemblymen in the coalition. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan who is the Tanjong Papat assemblyman, Elopura assemblyman Au Kam Wah, assistant state Finance Minister Melanie Chia (Luyang) and Datuk Liew Teck Chan (Likas). SAPP’s two MPs are Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun and Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui.

Interesting times lie ahead. Watch the roller coaster action as the exodus out of BN gains momentum. Adios Umno.

Hishammuddin Says ISA Use Not Justified Against Reporter But Evasive On The Other Arrests

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he personally felt that the Internal Security Act (ISA) should not have been used against Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, and would be raising the matter at the next Cabinet meeting.

He said although he agreed to the use of the ISA to protect national security, it should not be invoked to save or protect any individual, which was given as the reason for Tan’s detention.

“For the other two cases (the ISA arrests of Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin and Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok), I feel the authorities are better in the know of the risks they posed, but I do not have the information to comment if the arrests were justified.

“But in the context of the reporter, the minister concerned (Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar) has stated the reasons but I personally feel the ISA should not have been used for the reasons he mentioned,” he told reporters after the launching the book Malaysia: From Traditional to Smart Schools - The Malaysian Education Odyssey, here on Monday.

Hishammuddin said in a multi-racial country like Malaysia, threats to the nation’s security and racial harmony must also be considered.

He also said the decision by the government to use the ISA should not be disputed by its members openly, but instead at the Cabinet.

He differed in this from de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who opposed the use of the ISA against civilians, and who has tendered his resignation over the issue. -- Bernama

***** Hishammuddin's statement is ambiguous at best and does him no favour.

Barisan Nasional In Crisis

As the magic date of September 16 approaches, the rumour mill is churning overtime with all kinds of wild speculations of defections and party hopping among politicians in Sarawak and Sabah.

The landslide victory of the PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Permatang Pauh by-election on August 26 has given credence to his claim that he is now on the way to Putrajaya with the help of massive defections from the Barisan Nasional to his Pakatan Rakyat on September16, or two days from now.

There is something hugely ironic in this turn of event. For decades now, there have been persistent calls from various quarters in Sabah and Sarawak for the federal government to give some sort of official recognition to this date, which for us was the day when our East Malaysian states achieved independence from British colonial rule.

Political leaders from the other side of the South China Sea have always expressed sympathy, but the calls were largely ignored, much to the frustration of Sarawakians and Sabahans. Many will simply regard this slight as just yet another symbolic disregard of the feelings of East Malaysians so typical of Kuala Lumpur.

This year though, the number 916 has struck headlines in the national media for weeks on end, thanks to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s preposterous claim about massive defections from the BN. Most people, including his allies in the Pakatan Rakyat, take this proclamation with a giant grain of salt.

We all know a little about our politicians, more or less. We even know about their occasional expressions of unhappiness about the regional divide in socio-economic development when we get to corner them on the quiet. But I just do not see too many of our Sarawak politicians jumping ship to change a whole government at the federal level. There are simply too many variables in the exercise, and too many uncertainties in the future for such a drastic political manoeuvre to bear fruition.

But politics is the art of the possible. If you know the art well, and if all favourable conditions are present, then indeed anything is possible. A few decades ago, who would have thought that an African American can become a serious contender in the US presidential race? History does have a convoluted torturous and unexpected way of working itself out.

We ordinary citizens can do little in this historical drama unfolding before our eyes every day. Whether Anwar’s plan for a regime change at the federal level will materialise, or prove to be just another strategic move to destabilise the Barisan Nasional, time will tell. One thing is certain though. It is obvious to impartial observers that the Barisan Nasional coalition at the federal level has now arrived at a critical point, a crisis of identity and credibility that threatens its survival in the future.

Formally launched in 1974 by the then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, it was meant as a response to the problem of ethnic tension that exploded on May 13, 1969. The intention was to make the ruling coalition as inclusive as possible, and so many former opposition parties were recruited into its rank.

The idea then was to reduce the acrimonious race based politics in the open, and national problems can then be discussed and solved behind the closed door of the BN conference room. As the late Tun Razak was never tired of saying, when politics was reduced, the country could then concentrate on socio-economic development.

This concept worked very well for a while, and Malaysia has taken off in all aspects of national development since the 1970s. Today, Malaysia is the 29th largest economy and the 17th largest trading nation in the world, while incidents of poverty have been slashed dramatically over the last 35 years.

But in the world of political reality, any solution to every political problem will create its own legion of problems.

Tun Razak had envisaged the two prongs of the NEP as a way of distributing wealth among the races, thereby ensuring national unity. He thought that by restructuring society and eradicating poverty on the basis of an expanding economic cake, every race will come out a winner.

Over the last few decades though, the balance of power within the BN coalition has shifted radically towards Umno supreme control, not only of the ruling coalition, but of the entire nation as well. The component parties of BN, especially those in Peninsular Malaysia, see their leverage for negotiation with BN being whittled away, while their constituents grow increasingly restless.

This problem is compounded by Umno having to go through very acrimonious party election every decade or so. One crucial way for Umno leaders to consolidate their leadership positions within the party, or to win the votes from Umno delegates in the process of climbing up in party hierarchy, is to make radical statement about the primacy of the Malay race.

More often than not, these highly provocative statements and gestures have aroused profound disquiet among Malaysians of other ethnic persuasions. Their confidence in the other component parties representing them has been eroded by leaps and bounds.

Finally, this feeling of alienation exploded, and on March 8, 2008, with the congruence of all necessary factors, the voters of all ethnic communities in Peninsular Malaysia decided to teach the BN a lesson. The BN’s two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat disappeared overnight, and five state governments fell to the opposition coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat.

Read the whole story HERE