Why The Umno Inspired 'May 13, Melayu Bangkit' Rally Will Be A Damp Squib

10,000 members from 45 Malay non-governmental organisations with the purported aim of 'uniting' the Malays, are scheduled to meet in Kuala Terengganu tomorrow. They will gather to 'commemorate' the 41st anniversary of Malaysia's second most tragic event, eclipsed only by that greatest Malaysian horror of horrors - the ascension of Dr Mahathir to power as prime minister.

While the facade will be that of Malay NGOs, independently and with the future of the Malay race (whatever that may be) uppermost in their thoughts, 'berjuanging' and raising to hysterical proportions the spectre of the great Chinese threat to their immediate existence, behind the green screen will be the devious, puppeteering Umno hand -- the very hand that feeds contracts, plum positions, goodies, freebies and cold cash to this avaricious bunch of greed merchants populating these NGOs. Why do you think that there are hundreds and hundreds of Malay NGOs ostensibly 'berjuanging' for the same cause? Why the numerous duplication of Malay badan2 for the same cause cé·lè·bre? It's all about the money. Period.

These fake 'strugglers' for Malay rights couldn't give two hoots for the average Malay on skid row as long as their bank accounts, wives and brand new luxury cars are well cared for. They are frauds who without a second thought place expediency above principle, opulence above mundane matters of standards of right or good conduct. And in the process they lead the illiterate, the blind and the plain uninformed among otherwise well meaning Malays to the poisoned well of racism and urge them to drink from it, demi bangsa, agama dan negara.

These are the genuine traitors to the Malay race. These are the real enemies who have over the past decades slowly and steadily pushed to the abyss, in Tanah Melayu, successive generations of unsuspecting, blissfully ignorant Malays. And up there, standing at the very pinnacle of the tower of duplicity and trickery is the high priest of intentional perversion of truth, the purveyor of expediency, deceit and cunning, the Machiavellian manipulator and symbol of everything that is wrong with Malaysia, racist par excellence, then, now and forever, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. (Taxonomically it is very difficult to determine and classify the species from which he originates, but the world's most venomous snake comes to mind)

There was a time when this 'Melayu Bangkit' chicanery would have worked wonders. That was during the dictatorial rule of our very own Robert Mugabe, Dr M. And it would have had the intended effect of rousing Malay passions unnecessarily. But alas those were the days my friend and Mahathir thought it would never end. But his era of total domination is gone for good, never to return, thank God. But his worldview apparently hasn't changed even a teeny weeny bit and he is poised to head the blood chants tomorrow, leading 10,000 greedsters and buffoons whose days of basking in the limelight have long gone past the expiry date. These extreme right wing egomaniacs and assorted nutcases would be a sorry spectacle to observe come tomorrow.

Of course we can expect the ultra racist Utusan Malaysia to trumpet the great 'success' of this rally of 'super patriots'. Can one honestly expect Utusan to say that celebrating the bloody riots which killed so many Malaysians is a sign of mental illness and all those gathering in KT are perverted sickos? What else can Utusan do except continue bullshitting to its subscribers in the same vein as in the past? Utusan does not know anything else. It's main reason for still being around is to cheat and connive along with Umno and continue defrauding the more gullible among the Malays.

And lurking in the shadows will be Najib, awaiting any political dividend from this unholy rally of the walking dead. Oh yes, he will at the same time be preaching 1Malaysia in Sibu, attending functions at some Chinese tokong or school, spreading muhibbah around like so much confetti, pretending that he does not have a clue about what is going on in KT. He would of course be aware that many well informed Malaysians know full well about his machinations. But he could not bothered. The end justifies the means. He'll do anything and everything to achieve his ambition. And if he has to lie, cheat and manipulate, so be it. He has been there, done it. It's in his very nature, it's in his blood.

Fortunately this time around such acts of inanity would not be left unanswered. The age of the Internet would assure such rallies would be condemned for what they really are - politically provocative sandiwara. PAS for example has strongly taken to task Umno for their hand in this basically silly venture and that puts paid to Umno wingnut plans to 'unite' the Malays. Malay voices of reason across the political spectrum too have done their part in exposing the true reasons for this misadventure.

Of course there will be those, who despite every evidence to the contrary, will continue to see a grave Chinese threat to the Malays and would wholeheartedly support the wingnuts. That is their privilege. But most of us would more or less opine - "Thanks, but no thanks. Keep your racist agenda to yourselves."

**** Update 5.30pm: May 13 rally called off (According to one of the organisers, “we had decided to postpone it after we were instructed by the country's top leadership, who are worried about the security situation." So these 'super patriots' DID take instructions from the top Umno gestapos. I'm sure that the Sibu by-election must have loomed large when they made the decision to stand down. 'Nuff said)

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.

Malaysia Muslims Urged To Shun U.S. Goods Over Gaza. Colgate, Starbucks, Coke Targets

A Malaysian Muslim group began a boycott of top U.S. products on Friday as protesters demanded a halt to the Gaza conflict amid growing anger in the Muslim world over Israel's 14-day offensive.

The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia said Muslims in the Southeast Asian country would not buy goods produced by U.S. toothpaste manufacturer Colgate-Palmolive Co, soft drink maker Coca-Cola and coffee chain Starbucks to protest U.S. inaction against the attacks.

"We urge Muslim consumers internationally to unite so that we can teach a lesson to Israel and its allies," Ma'amor Osman, an official with the association, told reporters in the compound of the national mosque after Friday Muslim prayers.

"This is to object to the arrogance and cruelty of Israel and its allies towards the Palestinians."

He urged the Malaysian government to end all its contracts with U.S.-owned firms.

The United States is among Malaysia's single largest export markets, absorbing more than a tenth of its total shipments.
Read the whole story HERE.

***** What about the employees of the above companies, both Muslims and non-Muslims? Aren't they the ones who would be really affected by the boycott move if it ever succeeds? Why should this consumer group try to flex muscles it does not have? After all our government has already pressed the UN as well as the OIC for action over the Gaza issue. We can however be sure that the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia's protests would not have even the remotest of response from the Israeli aggressors. So why announce boycotts which won't work and have the end effect of hurting our own people? Perhaps the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia could not be bothered with such consequences as long as their religio-political agenda gets its fifteen minutes of fame.

As it is many of our workers are being laid off due to the economic downturn in the US. Why stupidly invite more trouble for ourselves?

IJN Collected RM3 Million In 2008 From Private Donors. How Much Has Sime Darby Given?

The National Heart Institute (IJN) Foundation has collected RM3 million this year from charitable organisations, private companies and the society to help fund heart treatment for the poor.

IJN Foundation manager Alawiyah Yussof said six private companies had been making regular contributions annually while organisations and individuals contributed from time to time.

Contributors to the IJN foundation include Pfizer Malaysia, AirAsia and the Tenaga Nasional Foundation.

"The contributions were not only in monetary form but also as partners in our programmes," Alawiyah told Bernama recently.

Formed in 1995, the IJN Foundation collects funds to treat poor heart patients and to fund IJN's research programmes.

She said the foundation was never short on funds when called upon to help and last year funded 85 patients costing over RM2 million.

"Sometimes, we also help to buy additional equipments for patients."

IJN treats three categories of patients namely government staff or retirees, patients who could afford to pay and those who could not afford like farmers and fishermen.

She the foundation did not receive any complaints on lack of equipments or poor service from patients or their family members.

On the deferred plan to privatise IJN, Alawiyah said the privatisation of IJN would drive away donors.

"This is because the society regards private companies as profit-driven and wholly dependent on capital expenditure," she added.

Sime Darby Bhd was recently reported as planning to buy a 51 percent stake in IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd, the operator of IJN.

IJN, the leading medical heart centre in the region is 99.99 percent owned by the Ministry of Finance.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said on Dec 19 the privatisation of IJN had been postponed pending an indepth review by the relevant ministries. (Bernama)

***** If the greed merchants in Sime Darby genuinely have the best interests of IJN and its patients at heart (pun intended), then instead of trying to 'help' by taking over the heart institute, they should donate generously as other private groups have done. Najib too should lean on the Sime Darby corporate vultures to part with more cash for the needy instead of attempting to assist his brother Nazir Razak and reward cronies by engineering a backdoor economic coup.

IJN Doctors Prefer Status Quo. So Why Are Najib And Sime Darby Lying?

National Heart Institute (IJN) doctors are happy to serve the institute in its present form and do not want to be made a scapegoat in the proposed privatisation of the institute.

In a statement signed by 33 of the 35 medical consultants working for IJN, they stressed that the proposed privatisation was not a response towards their demands for better pay.

“We would like to reiterate our commitment to serve IJN in its current form and want to stress that the move must not be seen as a response to our demands for better pay,” it said.

The doctors added that the medical personnel were not at all involved in the negotiations for the proposed takeover. (The Star Online)

***** Yesterday Najib said that the proposal would have some advantages for IJN as funding would not be a problem for Sime Darby and doctors would also receive better remuneration and that Sime Darby must pledge its commitment that the poor would not be marginalised if IJN is to be transferred to it. That statement was meant to allay fears about the poor being ignored while throwing a sop to the doctors there.

It is abundantly clear that the IJN doctors themselves smell a huge rat in the whole deal which in reality is meant to enrich a few Umno cronies as is customary in this once fair land of ours.

With Najib holding the finance portfolio and his impending rise to the PM's post, this particular episode does not boost our confidence in him. On the contrary, with all the political baggage and scandals he has already amassed, this highly suspicious proposal merely adds to our worry about the slippery slope this country will be on under his leadership.

Let us not forget that it was this same Najib in cahoots with former sports minister Azalina who was hell-bent on splurging hundreds of millions of taxpayer money under the pretext of building a sports center in the UK despite near unanimous public objections. That crooked scheme fortunately came to a screeching halt when the local authority there gave Najib and Azalina the 'up yours'.

Makes one almost regret why we allowed Pak Lah to be hounded out of office.

IJN To Be Sold To Sime Darby. Who Will Suffer And Who Will Make Millions?

The government has no objection in principle for Sime Darby Bhd to acquire a stake in IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd but the conglomerate must ensure high priority for the poor, said the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today.

"We are in the process of finalising the matter with the Ministry of Health although in principle we have no objection to the proposal," he said after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on AIDS in Parliament, Thursday.

Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said Sime Darby must pledge its commitment that the poor would not be marginalised if IJN is to be transferred to it.

"Whatever the position of IJN, it is important for the social programme to be given high priority," he added.

It was reported that Sime Darby had written to the government proposing to acquire a stake in IJN Holdings as the operator of the national heart institute.

IJN is currently the leading medical heart centre in the region and is 99.99 percent owned by the Ministry of Finance.

When asked if there were other parties interested in acquiring a stake in IJN, he said: "Not, as far as I know,".

Najib said the proposal would have some advantages for IJN as funding would not be a problem for Sime Darby and doctors would also receive better remuneration.

"Given the need for better treatment of heart diseases and the competition from new hospitals coming up, it is possible to pinch doctors from IJN," he said.

It was reported that Sime Darby is expected to pay a premium price above the typical hospital valuation of 16 times the price to earnings (PE) ratio as IJN is a reputable heart specialist centre in the region. (Bernama)

***** I can't think of a single logical reason for Sime Darby's interest in acquiring IJN other than profit, profit, profit. You can be sure that altruism is not a motivating factor. Having plundered everything in sight, the umnoputeras' avaricious hunger for easy money has not spared even the IJN.

Do you for a minute think that charges would go down after these buggers take control of IJN? The rich and middle class will have to cough out much more while the poor will slowly die at home, unable to afford even a fraction of the fees that will inevitably and surreptitiously be increased skywards. 'There's tons of money to be made in people's suffering' should be Sime Darby's working motto from now on.

Greed merchants laughing all the way to the Swiss Banks.

DBP To Get More Powers Under New Legislation To 'Enforce' Use Of Bahasa Malaysia

The Education Ministry is studying the best way to give more powers to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) in enforcing the use of Bahasa Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat was told Thursday.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong said the DBP Act 1959 would be amended to realise the plan but the draft was still at the ministry's legal adviser.

"It will involve many parties and has something to do with several matters including the appointment of DBP director-general and provisions to strengthen DBP's administration," he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2009 on the ministry's behalf.

He said the Bill was expected to be tabled in Parliament soon.

On the appointment of new DBP director-general, Wee said the candidate had been identified and the appointment would be made soon. The ministry was also paying attention to solving several matters affecting DBP, he added.

Wee said the supposed crisis in DBP was due to opinion differences in selecting a suitable candidate to bear the big responsibility of dealing with issues regarding the national language and DBP's role.

"Maybe, the board and the administrator have different views. It is important that we pick the right candidate who can bring them together and reach a consensus for common benefits in dignifying the national language.

"When we have made the final decision on the matter after looking at the candidate's suitability to carry out the responsibility, I am sure the candidate appointed can honour the responsibility and understands DBP's functions to explain particular concepts," he said.

On a suggestion for the setting up of a National Language Implementation Commission, he said the ministry did not have plans for it but was committed to putting DBP, presently under the Education Ministry, on a platform where it could dignify Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.

Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali (Independent-Pasir Mas) had earlier suggested that DBP be placed under the Prime Minister's Department to enable it monitor language issues more effectively.

On the closure of Sri Inai private school, Wee said the school must first ensure the students had completed their examinations and arrange the students' transfer to other schools systematically. (Bernama)

***** Bahasa Malaysia is the medium of instruction in national schools, the language of Parliament and the courts, the sole language of official government communication, is given prominence on banners and signboards, dominates the government television and radio networks and has without doubt evolved into the undisputed lingua franca of Malaysia. One cannot pass a government school exam without a pass in BM and a credit in the language is essential for entry into our varsities and the civil service.

What more can they expect to achieve by empowering DBP to 'dignify the national language'? As it is the national school and tertiary education system in the country is at a dismally low level after the government, pandering to 'nationalists' and Malay language fanatics, downgraded English at great expense to our competitiveness. What more 'enforcing' is being conceived? Compelling every citizen to publicly and privately speak BM? Systematically reducing vernacular content in advertisements, entertainment programmes and events? Abolishing Chinese and Tamil medium schools?

More importantly can any language truly attain a 'dignified' status by the legislative fiat of Parliament?

How Wise Is This Felda Investment?

Felda Group Chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusoff Noor on Saturday said that Felda had acquired three floors in a 20-storey hotel in Mecca for the convenience of Malaysians while performing the haj or umrah in the Holy Land.

He said the acquisition of the three floors was made after much considerations on the group's financial capacity.

"We have bought the rooms in the hotel according to our capability. What matters is the customer's satisfaction. We cannot afford to follow the other industrial players," he told reporters at the launch of the Felda Residence Hot Springs Hotel and Spa in Sungai Klah.

Mohd Yusoff said although the acquisition involved only three floors of the hotel, the returns from the investment was higher than what Felda had imagined.

He said the investment would also enable various Felda products to be promoted in Mecca through a display area which could be set up on one of the three floors.

Prior to this, Felda was reported to have invested RM200 million in the construction of a hotel and a restaurant in Mecca for the convenience of Malaysians while performing the haj or umrah.

A board member, Datuk Dr Ahmad Shukri Ismail was also reported as saying that the project was managed by Felda Global Venture, a subsidiary of the Felda Group, with the cooperation of the Pilgrims Management Board (Tabung Haji) and the Saudi government.

Both the hotel and restaurant, to be located in Bab Al Aziz, Mecca, was among Felda's biggest projects.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff said about RM9 million had been spent to upgrade the facilities at the Felda Residence Hot Springs in Sungai Klah, comprising the construction of a 64-room hotel, a restaurant and a spa centre which was officiated today.

Since it was opened in December 2003, Felda Residence Hot Springs had received overwhelming response from all quarters with over one million tourist arrivals recorded so far. (Bernama)

***** Congratulations to Felda. With credit drying up for even mega businesses worldwide, Felda apparently is bucking the trend and daringly investing in the already visibly nervous, profit-challenged hotel industry. Holy cash cow Batman!

Illegals Gain Citizenship; Sabahans Lose Theirs'

The United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) on Friday demanded that the National Registration Department (NRD) undo its mistake of turning a Sabahan Bumiputra into a Permanent Resident.

Its Deputy President Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing said what had happened to 78-year-old Yong Lee Hua @ Piang Lin, a Sino-Kadazan, was simply outrageous and warrants Upko seriously reviewing its position in the Barisan Nasional if found to be not just an isolated case.

"How can this happen to a Malaysian citizen who was born here and holding a Native Certificate to prove her citizenship," he said.

He said that if the NRD had committed a genuine mistake, it should have reverted Yong's new status back to a Malaysian citizen right away.

"If the department had purposely committed the atrocious act, they must undo its gross mistake," he said, adding it is sending a bad signal across the nation, particularly to genuine citizens.

"Illegal immigrants can easily acquire MyKads that subsequently enable them to purchase Native Title (NT) lands.

"What is happening with the NRD? This is totally unacceptable. And if this is the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid we cannot guarantee protection to the genuine citizens," he said.

He said if the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government is not willing to look into this matter as well as into how illegal immigrants could mysteriously acquire Malaysian Identity Cards, Upko will take up the matter and fight for the people.

"If the NRD or government has no satisfactory answer, I strongly urge Upko to seriously review its position in the BN because an identification document is a very important matter as it shows their sense of belonging."

Bumburing said if the NRD is unable to handle Yong's case, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar must intervene.

Yong's life had been turned upside down as a result of the NRD oversight and incompetence. Her nightmare began when she lost her IC at a Supermarket at Penampang Baru on Feb. 12. On the same day, she lodged a police report and subsequently on Feb 26, applied for a replacement IC at the NRD office in Donggongon.

After several months, she went and collected her replacement IC at the NRD office and was given a red IC. She asked the officer why it was red and the lady officer said for senior citizens who lost their IC, the department normally replaced them with red ICs. She didn't find anything amiss with the officer's explanation until she reached home when her children said red ICs were issued to people with Permanent Resident status.

With the help of her children, they brought the matter up with the NRD together with supporting documents such as her Native Certificate that was issued by the Native Court on Sept 24, 1963, bank books and passport.

The NRD officer admitted there could have been an error but instead of rectifying it, Yong was asked to "apply for Malaysian citizenship" which she duly complied by submitting an application form to the office on July 2, last year.

Her problem did not end there because soon after, her bank accounts at Amanah Saham Nasional and Alliance Bank were frozen making her unable to withdraw money for her daily expenses.

Fluent in Kadazan and Chinese, the mother of seven sons and one daughter can no longer travel outside the country as she could not renew her expired passport.

Strangely, she was allowed to cast her vote at Peak Nam Thong Kindergarten during the recent Mar 8 general elections using her driving licence as identity document since her record in the polling list was still intact.

But her identification records at the Immigration Department, however, had completely "disappeared".

Everywhere Yong goes now, she only uses her driving licence as proof of identity because she is too embarrassed with her predicament. She now feared that her "new status" would have serious repercussion on her sons and daughter.

Resource Development and Information Technology Assistant Minister, Donald Peter Mojuntin who helped highlight Yong's case, said if it could happen to her, the children's citizenship could also be withdrawn.

"There has never been a case like this before when genuine Malaysians had their citizenship cancelled. If this can happen to her, it can happen to anybody (Malaysians)," he said.

As Upko Bureau Chief for Citizenship and Security, the Moyog Assemblyman said he would be pursuing the matter with Sabah NRD Director and also with the Home Minister.

He said that for the NRD to admit their mistake and then asking Yong to reapply for citizenship is simply illogical. (Daily Express, Malaysia)

***** Only in Malaysia. And our civil service blokes get upset if they don't get a big enough bonus! There is not only an element of incompetence here, you can be sure that there's a whole load of racism behind the debacle.

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.

Malaysia: Secret Plans Revealed To Submerge Penan Villages

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
A secret document accidentally posted on the internet reveals plans to build a series of massive hydroelectric dams in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, submerging the homes of at least a thousand Penan, Kelabit and Kenyah tribal people.

The document is a presentation by the managing director of the company Sarawak Energy Berhad, and gives the location of twelve proposed hydroelectric power projects to be constructed between now and 2020. Sarawak Energy Berhad controls the production and distribution of electricity within the state.

The dams would submerge several Penan, Kelabit and Kenyah villages, displacing at least a thousand people. One dam would also submerge part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Mulu National Park.

The dams are projected to produce far more electricity than Sarawak uses.

The Penan have been fighting for twenty years to prevent logging companies, including the Malaysian timber giant Samling, from cutting down their forests. But the companies, with the backing of the Malaysian government, have devastated much of the tribe’s land.

The Penan are nomadic hunter-gatherers. Many have now been settled, but continue to rely very much on the forest for their existence. About 300 still live a completely nomadic life.

The Sarawak Energy Berhad presentation was posted on a Chinese website and has now been removed.

To download the presentation and a map of the proposed dam sites from Survival’s website, click HERE

***** Long-term, careful planning for the future by the government or total disregard for the lives of fellow human beings and the handiwork of pure greed to enrich some umnoputeras? The choice is yours.

Treat Anwar With Respect, Says Najib

Police must treat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with the degree of decorum and respect that he deserves so that the people are assured that the police are acting appropriately, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

When asked if the police's manner of handling Anwar's arrest reflected badly on Malaysia in the eyes of the world, Najib said: "As long as the police follow the procedures. They must be very particular about following the procedure and necessary protocol. And we should be transparent so that there will be no apprehension about what the police are doing."

Asked if it was necessary for the Special Ops Units to wear balaclavas when arresting Anwar on Wednesday, he said the Government did not give any instruction to the police on how they should conduct the arrest.

On why Anwar was arrested an hour before he was to report himself to the police, Najib said the police had already explained this. "Does it make so much difference, another half an hour, 45 minutes?", he asked. (The Star Online)

***** One can infer by his statement that the DPM is distancing himself from the unfortunate way in which Anwar was arrested. It is highly probable he didn't have a hand in that decision. In fact I wonder if the top political leadership actually gave the approval for such a hurried police action which logically could have waited another hour for Anwar to turn himself in.

It was a public relations disaster to say the least and our nation had its image further tarnished worldwide yesterday. I doubt if Pak Lah or Syed Hamid were party to the police move. No sane minister could have made such a decision. Only an unthinking nitwit of a politician could have allowed it. Nazri would have permitted such an action if he had a say but he's too embroiled in parliamentary wheeling and dealing and doesn't have the required authority to compel the thugs in blue.

It looks more like the handiwork of the top goons in the police force who want to flex their muscles. After all they have a big stake in keeping Anwar on the defensive and prevent his rise to power. Many police heads would role if the PKR adviser were to assume the PM's post and the top cops know it.

Raja Petra Arrested

From The Star Online

Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin was arrested Thursday morning under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation, and is now on the way to the Jalan Duta Courts to be charged.

The charge was being made over his June 18 statutory declaration on the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.

In the declaration, Raja Petra claimed to have knowledge that two lieutenant-colonels and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were present when Altantuya's body was blown up on Oct 19, 2006.

***** News has just come in that Raja Petra has been charged in the KL High Court and he has refused to enter a plea, claiming that the charge was mala fide. Deputy public prosecutor Anselm Charles Fernandis appeared for the prosecution before magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham while Raja Petra was represented by counsel J.Chandra.

Yesterday Anwar, today Raja Petra. I wonder whose turn it will be tomorrow?

"I'm Not A Politician So I Will Not Sue Raja Petra," Says Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor!

"I will not sue Raja Petra as I am not a politician," said Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak this morning, in connection with the statutory declaration made by Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin.

That is an incredulous explanation and way of looking at things. Here a maverick on the blogosphere has just rubbished her good name and called her an accessory to murder and yet she will not sue because she's not a politician!!

What does it matter if you're not a politician? Aren't you a human being with normal feelings and emotions? When someone calls you a murderer, the first response after denying the accusation would be to resort to legal action to clear your name. Especially since you are the wife of the nation's Deputy Prime Minister and probably the future first lady.

To those of us on the outside, we cannot be faulted for concluding that the real reluctance to sue could be the fear of some 'uncomfortable' evidence surfacing during a trial. Datin Seri Rosmah should not give any space for such doubts to linger. If she truly feels that she is innocent and Raja Petra has knowingly character assassinated her, then she as a public figure has an obligation to take him to court and sue the crap out of him and make him pay for his misdeeds.

Hiding behind nebulous arguments of 'not being a politician' merely invites more doubt and she indeed will be solely responsible for fanning more suspicion towards her. This issue has already been internationalised and it is in her interest to put a full stop to further needless innuendo which is damaging to her, Datuk Seri Najib and the nation. That finality can only come from a legal suit to clear her reputation. But will she? And more importantly, can she?

It's 'No Hair, No Passport' In UK!

If you are bald and in Britain, beware. Chances are you might be refused a passport.

It happened to Ian Down, a bald father of three who also happens to be the photo editor of the Daily Mirror.

He got the pictures taken at a photo kiosk and submitted them along with the application form at the passport office.

The clerk looked at the flash reflecting off Ian's bald head and asked: "What's this mark?"

Ian tried to explain in vain that he could not be made accountable for losing his fight with his hair.

"I was shocked. I told them what it was but they said some countries might not let me in if they saw it."

Ultimately he had to go back to the kiosk and return with fresh photographs. The shine off his pate was less glaring than last time. The clerk reluctantly accepted the form.

New rules have been introduced for the electronic reading of passports, but shining pates are a no-no.

Ian's tale might come as a shock to over seven million men in Britain, who surveys say are losing hair. About 40 percent of men suffer hair loss by the age of 35. (DNA)

***** Luckily our pegawai2 are more relaxed than the Brits. In fact here we are so lenient about what there should be on our head that even serbans are allowed in lieu of helmets in places like Kelantan. Never mind the fact that in the event of a serious accident, God won't be around to save the pious serban user from getting his head and brains bashed in.

Price Of Paper, Stationery, Printing & Packaging Go Up By 10% - 40%! The Greed Merchants Have Started Their Plunder

The price of paper, stationery, printing and packaging products will go up by 10% to 40% starting Sunday, and possibly by 50% by the end of the year.

The Malaysia Paper Merchants Association, Selangor & Federal Territory Chinese Printing Presses' Association, Malaysia Printers Association and the Selangor & Kuala Lumpur Stationers & Booksellers Association jointly announced the increase on Saturday.

Selangor & Federal Territory Chinese Printing Presses' Association secretary Alexander Lee told reporters at a press conference that the price hike was inevitable.

"There has been a tremendous increase in the global price of raw materials, especially pulp.

"The industry has tried to absorb the global raw material price surge without increasing product prices, but it cannot sustain this anymore," he said. (The Star)

***** These buggers had been waiting for an opportune time to screw the nation and now with the fuel price hike and with the government more concerned about trying to stay in power than worry about rising prices, these greed merchants have struck this weekend. This is just the beginning. Let us await the thousands of other avaricious bastards who feed off our economy and are now eagerly standing in line to take their turn at right royally pillaging us. I wonder what Shahrir Samad has to say about this?
Image - Source

Federal Government's Cheap Kick in The Balls At Yong Teck Lee

In a very rapid and brutal response to 'Judas' Yong Teck Lee's breaking from the ranks of the BN by way of an unprecedented threat to table a no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister, the federal government today unleashed one of the prime hatchet job accessories in its vast arsenal of dirty tricks, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), to take a large bite of Yong's considerably dirtied political flesh.

The totally discredited ACA, distinguished as nothing more than an errand boy of the government, proudly announced today that in pursuance of an allegation made by a witness, former director of Briskmark Enterprise Sdn Bhd Datuk Wasli Mohd Said, at the Kota Kinabalu High Court yesterday, they will question Judas Yong over the payment of RM5 million in proceeds from the sale of shares of a state-owned company given to his agents. Waah! What super efficiency bradder! I'm sure more charges will follow pretty quickly.

This is nothing but direct intimidation and threat of massive, dirty and underhanded retaliation should any BN leader or official get another bright idea like Yong to bail out on the ruling party. A forewarning of the dangers which await other mavericks who dare to stir the already rough political waters.

Will the government go the whole hog and make a sorry example of Yong? Who knows? But the essence of the message is clear - The PM will fight this and other attempts vigorously, without any regret whatsoever and without regard to political niceties and the law. Potential traitors have been warned.

No doubt, the Inland Revenue Department's enforcement and vigilance staff too must have already been put on a war footing to berkhidmat untuk negara at a second's notice.

Umno Seeks To Ride Out Fuel Protests

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's party was meeting on Friday hoping to weather a storm over unpopular fuel price hikes that come on top of a poor showing in elections earlier this year.

The two-day meeting of the supreme council of United Malays National Organisation was meant to set out a blueprint to revitalise the party following the election in March.

But Abdullah has come under renewed pressure from the opposition over the 41 percent rise in petrol prices and the 63 percent increase for diesel.

UMNO is the backbone of the National Front coalition which has led Malaysia since independence in 1957. Supreme council members planned to "chart the party's future and formulate strategies to regain support", Bernama said.

But analysts said this week's price rises could trigger an early exit for Abdullah. State media said he was expected to attend the meeting's closing session on Friday.

"The fuel price hike makes it more difficult for the prime minister to conduct a smooth transition of power," said Hussin Mutalib, a political scientist who tracks Southeast Asian issues at the National University of Singapore. "There could be a push forward for him to leave fast."

The fuel rise is expected to lift average inflation to a 10-year high of 4.2 percent in 2008, central bank chief Zeti Akhtar Aziz said on Thursday, compared to last year's 2 percent.

The hike comes two months after the ruling coalition recorded its worst-ever performance in a general election during its 50-year rule.

Angered by the rising cost of living and growing racial and religious conflict, Malaysians voted to hand control of five of the country's 13 states to the opposition in the poll.

There was a small protest against the fuel hike in the capital on Thursday and the opposition plans a bigger protest after Muslim prayers on Friday.

Mustapa Mansor, chairman of Ikrar, a non-governmental organisation that is made up of opposition front members, said between 100 and 200 people were expected to take part in the protest ahead of a likely bigger demonstration next month.

***** Pak Lah finds himself in a lose-lose, damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I don't envy him. Let's wait and see how Umno extricates itself from this mess.

Government Over-Reacting To Global Oil Market, Says Mukhriz Mahathir

Being a net oil exporter, Malaysia should not have overly reacted to the artificially inflated global fuel price, Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said.

Instead of restructuring the country’s subsidy package according to the volatile global market price, the authorities concerned should have formulated strategies to cushion the impact, he said.

He described the petrol price increase by 78 sen per litre and diesel by RM1 per litre as too drastic.

“The rakyat is already burdened by the rising cost of living. We cannot justify the increase by saying that our fuel price is still lower than Singapore. “We cannot compare with Singapore, as their per capita income is three times higher than us,” he said, adding that the people were not prepared for the additional burden.

He appealed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to look into the possibility of imposing the fuel increase on staggered basis.

“If Pak Lah is not up to it, please make way for someone who is willing to do it (impose measures that would ease public burden),” he said.

Abdullah had not taken into consideration the feelings of the rakyat when he made such a drastic decision, which had a spiralling effect on consumer goods and food.

“Although we read in papers that the economy is thriving, men on the street are not feeling it. They also do not have the means to absorb the sudden increase in fuel price,” he said.

He called on the authorities to formulate a workable solution to avert a crisis. “We can look into unconventional methods to address the problem. For example, during the Asian financial crisis, Malaysia pegged the ringgit to shield currency onslaught. During that time, we were criticised for ignoring the principles of economy. But such unconventional measure proved to have worked in our favour,” he said.

Mukhriz also criticised an article that highlighted Singaporeans expressing relief that the Malaysian government would not imposed a ban on sales of fuel to foreign-registered vehicles at petrol stations located within 50km from the border.

“It sounds ironic, as if we are doing this for the Singaporeans, not for us (locals),” he said. (The Star)

Protesters Target Malaysian Fuel Price Hike

Malaysia's government faced demonstrations and public outrage Thursday over its decision to hike petrol prices 40 percent overnight, in a bid to curb its massive subsidies bill.

Opposition groups said they would hold protests in Kuala Lumpur at 11.30am (0330 GMT) and in the northern city of Ipoh at 11.00am over the "unconscionable" increase.

"The fuel increase is both economically inefficient and socially unjust," said Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party which is part of the opposition alliance.

"So long as rich companies continue to enjoy such fuel subsidies, especially the independent power producers, the fuel increase will be seen as both pro-rich and punishing the poor," he said in a statement.

The new pump price for petrol will be 2.70 ringgit (0.84 dollars) and 2.58 ringgit for diesel. Petrol previously cost 1.92 ringgit, among the cheapest in Asia.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's announcement on Wednesday evening triggered chaos across the country as motorists swamped fuel stations to fill up before the measure took effect at midnight.

Traffic snarls brought streets to a standstill in the capital Kuala Lumpur as up to 100 cars queued at each petrol station which still had fuel to sell, while many others said they had sold out and turned angry customers away.

Abdullah indicated that further increases were in the pipeline as Malaysia moves to completely abandon fuel price controls that would have cost 17.4 billion dollars this year -- about a third of the national budget.

"God willing I hope Malaysians will not demonstrate over this," he said, referring to fury over earlier hikes in a country where public transport is poor and most people are reliant on their cars.

Motorists who turned up at petrol stations Thursday to pay sharply higher prices to fill their tanks were uniformly furious over the decision.

"We can do nothing about this government increase -- we have to buy fuel, otherwise how can we go to work?" said 56-year-old engineer K. Letchumanan. "For my family it's not so bad as we have two incomes, but the poor people will suffer."

Aminah Rahmat, a 46-year-old streetside vendor who had set up her food stall outside a petrol station, said she could already barely manage on her monthly income of less than 1,000 ringgit (300 dollars). "The government does not care for our welfare, that is why they have made such a huge fuel increase," she said. "How can I afford to pay so much to transport my cooked food to my customers? I will go out of business."

Bus operators said that a third of companies may have to close down and lorry firm said their rates would have to rise, in a move that will trickle down to higher prices for goods and services.

Abdullah is taking a major political risk in removing price controls as he attempts to recover from disastrous March elections that dealt the ruling coalition its worst results in half a century. Rising prices of food and fuel were a major factor in the ballot, which has triggered repeated calls for the premier to stand down.

"It is not an attempt to be popular, we have to think in the best interests of the people," Abdullah said Wednesday.

Under a revamped subsidy system, drivers of smaller vehicles will receive a cash payment of 625 ringgit to offset the rising cost, equating to subsidising some 800 litres of fuel.

But economists said the subsidy cut was deeper than anticipated, and that the cash payment was not large enough to compensate for average use.

Abdullah said the price hike could suppress economic growth and drive up inflation as high as 5.0 percent this year, from current levels of 3.0 percent in April.

As part of the subsidy reform, industry and power producers will be charged higher prices for gas from July. Electricity tariffs will rise 18 percent for householders, and 26 percent for commercial and industrial users.

But there was good news for Thais and Singaporeans who will now be allowed to buy fuel at border petrol stations after a recent ban was lifted in view of the subsidy cut.