Gov’t pledged no abuse of 114A, says Gan
Did you say the government won’t be that stupid to prosecute the innocent?The 114A act MUSTbe specific,otherwise, it is 101% open to abuse as there several incidences…due AG misuse of his discretionary power.In other words,UMNO cannot never be trusted when it has absolute power…even malays and muslims fear them. Hey, don’t you know it is guilty of selective prosecution? You lost your marbles after meeting the DPM amd Nazri. No balls . A bad law is a bad law however much you can assure us. You just lost more votes.Saifuddin,the fox promised not to eat the chickens. Let him in. you are asking us to believe your GANG members especially the fella named Nazri, HisapPuting and MooHeeDin..Heck, even you guys honestly cannot trust them, right.???..So Don’t Play Play with them…Just resign from this GANG of Crooks and join Pakatan..Jangan Main main dengan manusia yang langsung tak ikhlas. just like there was ‘no abuse’ of the ISA under UMNO (especially Mahathir), and ‘no abuse’ of the Emergency Ordinance to illegally detain YB Michael Jeyakumar and the Parti Sosialis Malaysia activists, and ‘no abuse’ of the Sedition Act all these years. Do you seriously expect Malaysians to be so gullible as to trust UMNO-BN? A bad law is a bad law. No two ways about it.The law is as good as the language in which it is written. If it is meant for countering terrorists, make the act specific for that purpose. The ISA was being abused by the government to suppress dissent and it took the rakyat many years to rid the country of this cruel law. It may Gan, your statement is very very amusing. Either you have been sleeping in Parliament all your life or you are from another planet. If that Mark guy can see the abuses being done in Malusia why can’t you? Please stop acting, we have enough loyar buruks in BN already.take an uprising to get rid of 114A. If that happens, can we put all that blame on you two?
noted that law enforcement agencies would not be so “stupid” to prosecute the innocent. Is that so? Last year, police raided the home of blogger Chan Lilian in Penang and cart away her 27-inch iMac and a modem as part of their investigations into a private contentious tweet promoting Bersih2.0 which she sent out to her followers – after a complaint from Blog House Malaysia secretary Tony Yew, her twit ‘friend’. He lodged the police report against Lilian as he was against his religion being “used by some to garner popularity”. I am not sure but believe that until now she has not got her day in court. Saifuddin! You must be dumb, deaf and blind to the tons of unfulfilled pledges by the leaders of UMNO-BN. Since Cabinet Decision is unanimous and as practiced in Westminster Parliamentary democracy, if you do not agree, then you have to resign to prove your points. Mere lame excuses as stated above are not worth your salts. May be you are scared to jeopardise your political future to press the issue of resignation. Still, if you are still with UMNO-BN, there are no political future for you already, as UMNO-BN goons will hound you out to get your seatStrange. The only reason why the dissenters asked for a review of the new law is precisely because it is open to possible abuse. To take the word of the de facto law minister now that no abuse will happen, is simply naive. Back-tracking on their concerns do not reflect well on their purported modernist credentials either. Besides, we only have to look at the Peaceful Assemblies Act to know that the BN government is prone, if not downright addicted, to abuse those provisions against dissenters, namely the opposition parties. It’s just an easy solution, an opportunity too easy to pass. So, no, I don’t buy a word Nazri says. There is real risk of abuse of this provision, and no Malaysians should suffer fools for thinking otherwise.
noted that law enforcement agencies would not be so “stupid” to prosecute the innocent. Is that so? Last year, police raided the home of blogger Chan Lilian in Penang and cart away her 27-inch iMac and a modem as part of their investigations into a private contentious tweet promoting Bersih2.0 which she sent out to her followers – after a complaint from Blog House Malaysia secretary Tony Yew, her twit ‘friend’. He lodged the police report against Lilian as he was against his religion being “used by some to garner popularity”. I am not sure but believe that until now she has not got her day in court. Saifuddin! You must be dumb, deaf and blind to the tons of unfulfilled pledges by the leaders of UMNO-BN. Since Cabinet Decision is unanimous and as practiced in Westminster Parliamentary democracy, if you do not agree, then you have to resign to prove your points. Mere lame excuses as stated above are not worth your salts. May be you are scared to jeopardise your political future to press the issue of resignation. Still, if you are still with UMNO-BN, there are no political future for you already, as UMNO-BN goons will hound you out to get your seatStrange. The only reason why the dissenters asked for a review of the new law is precisely because it is open to possible abuse. To take the word of the de facto law minister now that no abuse will happen, is simply naive. Back-tracking on their concerns do not reflect well on their purported modernist credentials either. Besides, we only have to look at the Peaceful Assemblies Act to know that the BN government is prone, if not downright addicted, to abuse those provisions against dissenters, namely the opposition parties. It’s just an easy solution, an opportunity too easy to pass. So, no, I don’t buy a word Nazri says. There is real risk of abuse of this provision, and no Malaysians should suffer fools for thinking otherwise.
Time to speed date reforms
For two decades now, UMNO-BARISAN has sold us the same lie. Vote for us, they said, and we will dismantle the corrupt edifice of the Licence murderers that had outlawed our spirit of enterprise under the pretence of banishing social iniquity. We will give you a fair chance to create wealth for India and for yourself, they said. Yet funnily, whoever came to power did just the opposite. They conspired to make the rich, richer. They made it tougher for you and me to break into the system, seek financial empowerment. Everyone spoke of economic reforms. But we still require 50 licences to start a small restaurant in KUALA LUMPUR and 80 permits to hold a Lady Gaga concert.What we need today are simpler, easier, more coherent laws. We need fewer taxes, lower rates of taxation. Knock off subsidies. Cut down on State payrolls. Make the bureaucracy smaller, more efficient, more accountable. Punish the corrupt in an exemplary manner. You will see change. Better business practices will fall into place, the economy will grow much faster and the whole world will be at our doorstep ready to invest in every idea, every dream you and I have. We will be a nation of bright, young, bushy-tailed talent, instead of being a nation of sycophants and favour seekers.
The question Malaysians are asking is what will come next. Most are saturated with stories of scandal and intrigue, but ultimately the longer the delay, the greater the possibility of further revelations and civil society mobilisation.The tactic of targeting Anwar Ibrahim – using ruffians to throw stones and bottles at pro-Pakatan Rakyat supporters – is a definite sign of reckless behaviour by the ruling coalition.
That’s not all. If you think these licences allow you to do business, think again. At every stage, a gaggle of Government officers (often working at the behest of their political masters) will make your life hell. The entire system connives to destroy every enterprise unless its owner is (as they say) well connected. The ordinary guy has no option but to spend most of his time in Government offices, greasing palms and sucking up to a bunch of rogues. Small towns are worse. Everything is run by the local mafia which uses the system to terrorise everyone.
The poor kill themselves not out of poverty but frustration. After a while, people just give up.
That’s not all. If you think these licences allow you to do business, think again. At every stage, a gaggle of Government officers (often working at the behest of their political masters) will make your life hell. The entire system connives to destroy every enterprise unless its owner is (as they say) well connected. The ordinary guy has no option but to spend most of his time in Government offices, greasing palms and sucking up to a bunch of rogues. Small towns are worse. Everything is run by the local mafia which uses the system to terrorise everyone.
The poor kill themselves not out of poverty but frustration. After a while, people just give up.
That such a system still exists is bad enough. But what’s worse, 65 years after Independence, no one wants to dismantle it. Every year it gets worse. New laws are devised to further curb our freedoms. The last few years have been bad. Retrospective taxes have been introduced, some going back to three decades, to teach a lesson to those tax payers who had the temerity to challenge unjust tax claims in the courts and win. The Vodafone case is an example. After failing to make its tax demands stick in any court, including the Supreme Court, the ministry decided to change the law with retrospective effect. Now it’s anybody’s guess what the Government will do. GAAR is another aberration. Between retro taxes and GAAR, the Government has successfully scared off all foreign investors. Worse, even Indians have stopped investing in India. They are putting their money into overseas ventures.
This, coupled with the holding of ceramah next to the Pakatan rallies, is an indication of the bankruptcy of Barisan National.
The events at Pantai Dalam some months ago where Umno thugs disturbed, under the nose of the authorities, the rally organised by PKR is not only shameful but also further tarnished the image of BN and its leaders.
After Perkasa, which attacked the opposition in its ceramah and rallies, it is now Umi Hafilda Ali and Tibai (Tolak Individu Bernama Anwar Ibrahim) doing the same shameful acts.
The disturbance created by the hooligans wearing the “Patriot” T-shirt – who did not garner support during Bersih 2.0 – is something of grave concern. It shows that BN is growing desperate.
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s constant accusation that Pakatan will turn violent if it loses the next general election is another indication of the panicky state of affairs in BN.
Despite the supposed success of Umno’s 66th anniversary rally in August, BN is facing bad times. Its problem is that Pakatan is winning the battle.
BN has been waging a psychological war against Pakatan and Anwar since the latter won the Permatang Pauh by-election.
BN and Umno are doing everything to divide Pakatan, from the secret talks with PAS to the poaching of opposition members. But they did not make any headway.
Since 2008 in the aftermath of the worst electoral debacle for BN, we have seen numerous examples of the psychological warfare waged by the BN machinery.
These include the Perak takeover, the Sodomy II affair, the Bersih 2.0 and 3.0 rallies, the Apco issue and many others.
Anwar more upbeat
There have been many accusations against Anwar but no one from the BN side dared sue the opposition leader. On the contrary, Anwar has sued most of his accusers albeit the courts rejected the cases, at times on flimsy grounds.
BN thought the “court defeats” would destroy Anwar’s political career, but they had the opposite effect: Anwar is more upbeat now.
The Perak takeover will come back to haunt the BN come the 13th general election. It will be seen as a mistake, which was proven when the former menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin won a by-election by a large margin.
Following his victory, the state has not really recovered from the shock of the overthrowing of the Pakatan-led government. The BN is saying it has the edge in Perak but on the ground it says otherwise.
The fact that it took the courts years to deal with the Sodomy II case is an indication that the Pakatan de facto leader is a tough nut to crack. The Sodomy II case is a landmark defeat for those who plotted the case against him.
The case came to light before the massive “Arab Spring” in the Middle East and, at first, it looked as if the opposition leader was doomed to a jail term. But the turn of events – not that these were the reasons why Anwar was proclaimed innocent – in the Middle East with the fall of several Arab regimes, made it virtually impossible to put the leader behind bars.
From the beginning of the Sodomy II trial, it was evident to many observers in the country that Anwar was not guilty. The appearance of medical reports denying there was sodomy was sufficient for the public to come to that conclusion.
BN is today in a state of shock following the Bersih rally which created waves while the Bukit Jalil gathering was an obvious “flop”. The repeated delays in the announcement of the 13th general election date is not playing into the hands of BN as well.
The hesitation is leaving fissures in the ruling coalition and this is being shown by the violence organised by thugs at Pakatan rallies.
A most formidable ooponent
If Mahathir is right about Pakatan’s possible conduct if it loses the election, then the statesman should also be asked to comment on the bankruptcy of BN.
His ruling party is a constant pain in the neck for Pakatan supporters and leaders, creating disturbances at Pakatan rallies or blocking the passage for Anwar and other Pakatan leaders.
Is this a sign that BN is not willing to let go of its political power with ease? It is up to Mahathir to give a proper and responsible answer.
On the other hand, Anwar has shown extreme political survival skills. It has to be said that Anwar has probably grown immune to the system to the point that the system is crashing under his weight.
Pakatan is proving to be a most formidable opponent to BN. And if the Bersih 3.0 rally with its massive crowd in the streets of Kuala Lumpur is not sufficient to show that Pakatan is such a formidable rival, then what else will do?
This is what BN must admit and then it has to plan a better electoral strategy to counter the rising popularity of Pakatan.
Bersih 3.0 will be remembered for two major reasons: the peaceful, joyous assembly and the rough police action. The assembly is a plus point for Pakatan while the rough police action will be a stigma for BN.
Malaysia is far off from the days of 1999 when the printed media, under government control, published pictures of the Reformasi crowd attacking police cars and so on. This tactic will not work this time around.
The events at Pantai Dalam some months ago where Umno thugs disturbed, under the nose of the authorities, the rally organised by PKR is not only shameful but also further tarnished the image of BN and its leaders.
After Perkasa, which attacked the opposition in its ceramah and rallies, it is now Umi Hafilda Ali and Tibai (Tolak Individu Bernama Anwar Ibrahim) doing the same shameful acts.
The disturbance created by the hooligans wearing the “Patriot” T-shirt – who did not garner support during Bersih 2.0 – is something of grave concern. It shows that BN is growing desperate.
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s constant accusation that Pakatan will turn violent if it loses the next general election is another indication of the panicky state of affairs in BN.
Despite the supposed success of Umno’s 66th anniversary rally in August, BN is facing bad times. Its problem is that Pakatan is winning the battle.
BN has been waging a psychological war against Pakatan and Anwar since the latter won the Permatang Pauh by-election.
BN and Umno are doing everything to divide Pakatan, from the secret talks with PAS to the poaching of opposition members. But they did not make any headway.
Since 2008 in the aftermath of the worst electoral debacle for BN, we have seen numerous examples of the psychological warfare waged by the BN machinery.
These include the Perak takeover, the Sodomy II affair, the Bersih 2.0 and 3.0 rallies, the Apco issue and many others.
Anwar more upbeat
There have been many accusations against Anwar but no one from the BN side dared sue the opposition leader. On the contrary, Anwar has sued most of his accusers albeit the courts rejected the cases, at times on flimsy grounds.
BN thought the “court defeats” would destroy Anwar’s political career, but they had the opposite effect: Anwar is more upbeat now.
The Perak takeover will come back to haunt the BN come the 13th general election. It will be seen as a mistake, which was proven when the former menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin won a by-election by a large margin.
Following his victory, the state has not really recovered from the shock of the overthrowing of the Pakatan-led government. The BN is saying it has the edge in Perak but on the ground it says otherwise.
The fact that it took the courts years to deal with the Sodomy II case is an indication that the Pakatan de facto leader is a tough nut to crack. The Sodomy II case is a landmark defeat for those who plotted the case against him.
The case came to light before the massive “Arab Spring” in the Middle East and, at first, it looked as if the opposition leader was doomed to a jail term. But the turn of events – not that these were the reasons why Anwar was proclaimed innocent – in the Middle East with the fall of several Arab regimes, made it virtually impossible to put the leader behind bars.
From the beginning of the Sodomy II trial, it was evident to many observers in the country that Anwar was not guilty. The appearance of medical reports denying there was sodomy was sufficient for the public to come to that conclusion.
BN is today in a state of shock following the Bersih rally which created waves while the Bukit Jalil gathering was an obvious “flop”. The repeated delays in the announcement of the 13th general election date is not playing into the hands of BN as well.
The hesitation is leaving fissures in the ruling coalition and this is being shown by the violence organised by thugs at Pakatan rallies.
A most formidable ooponent
If Mahathir is right about Pakatan’s possible conduct if it loses the election, then the statesman should also be asked to comment on the bankruptcy of BN.
His ruling party is a constant pain in the neck for Pakatan supporters and leaders, creating disturbances at Pakatan rallies or blocking the passage for Anwar and other Pakatan leaders.
Is this a sign that BN is not willing to let go of its political power with ease? It is up to Mahathir to give a proper and responsible answer.
On the other hand, Anwar has shown extreme political survival skills. It has to be said that Anwar has probably grown immune to the system to the point that the system is crashing under his weight.
Pakatan is proving to be a most formidable opponent to BN. And if the Bersih 3.0 rally with its massive crowd in the streets of Kuala Lumpur is not sufficient to show that Pakatan is such a formidable rival, then what else will do?
This is what BN must admit and then it has to plan a better electoral strategy to counter the rising popularity of Pakatan.
Bersih 3.0 will be remembered for two major reasons: the peaceful, joyous assembly and the rough police action. The assembly is a plus point for Pakatan while the rough police action will be a stigma for BN.
Malaysia is far off from the days of 1999 when the printed media, under government control, published pictures of the Reformasi crowd attacking police cars and so on. This tactic will not work this time around.
This was the pattern in 2007-2008 and it is already repeating itself, as illustrated by the recent protest against the controversial amendments to section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. The changes presume that a person is guilty for anything written on their websites and social media mediums.
Foreign investment spurs growth. So do local savings. Few nations can boast about so successfully alienating both. And yet, a brave new generation of young Indians, clever and talented, are striving to show the world that, despite all this, our spirit of enterprise is second to none. They have stayed back and fought the system. Some have even come back home, giving up successful overseas careers to build a new India for us. They fight every day with the rude, callous, unyielding and corrupt system. It’s not failure that defeats them. (In fact, most Indians do business with amazing dexterity.) What defeats us all is the system, the State and its octopus arms. Some arms reach out to strangle us. Others come with palms wide open. Even if one of those arms ever reached out to assist us, India would have created thousands of successful enterprises to take on the world.
STATE OF THE ECONOMY
The most serious unknowns Najib faces with his delaying tactics involve the economy.
Malaysia has performed well in terms of growth under his watch — an average of 5.8 per cent growth in the three years. Yet the economy is closely tied to global trends.
Slowing growth in China, recession threats in Europe and a lacklustre economic recovery in the United States, cast real shadows on Najib’s political fortunes.
A slowdown is already evident, with third-quarter growth figures dropping to 5.4 per cent.
Najib’s government has also been unable to stave off the impact of global inflation. In the first six months of this year, stealthily but steadily prices for fuel have risen, with a 10-sen rise in the month before Hari Raya Puasa alone.
The attention to the economy calls into question Najib’s main strategy of using financial handouts to win support. Billions of ringgit have been doled out to constituents in a variety of forms, from vouchers to disadvantaged families to salary bonuses. More are expected in the upcoming Budget this month, the second year in a row the Budget will have been used as an apparent election primer.
While the influx of public sector cash in the economy has boosted consumption, little attention has centred on the long-term implications of short-term allocations and deficit spending.
When comedian Stephen Colbert launched his show, The Colbert Report (2005), he introduced the word “truthiness” to the U.S. public. Speaking in character as a bloviating right-wing pundit, Colbert explained that truthiness was thinking from the gut, ignoring facts, and holding beliefs with no basis in reality.
At the time, his main target was George W. Bush, who had repeatedly told the U.S. public during his presidency that things he felt were necessarily true. The word also emerged in response to claims by the administration that the War in Iraq was about finding Weapons of Mass Destruction. You can watch the segment where he calls the WMD justification a flat out lie here: READMORE http://suarakeadilanmalaysia.blogspot.com/2012/09/truthiness-is-not-joke-lying-and-loving.html
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