UMNO is using Racism to gain Malay support


Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the president of PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) said that the largest component party of BN (Barisan Nasional), Umno no longer represent the aspirations of the people and is no longer relevant which is why they are using racism to keep the loyalty of the Malay community. She said “After March 2008, Umno realised the multi-racial party model which we bring is wanted by the public. Umno has rejected the importance of a multi-racial party for nearly a decade and said that it was would not be accepted by the people especially the Malay community.”

Speaking at the PKR’s National Congress, she added that “However, they themselves have lost touch and are separated from the real aspirations of the Malays because they are preoccupied with the riches from fraud. The 2008 general election has sent a clear signal that the political future of this country is multi-racial political parties. Umno’s failure to address Malay issues has forced it to attack PKR. After March 2008, the party’s (Umno) attack is focused to destroy our credibility with Malay voters. They falsely accuse us as being anti-Malay and many other allegations to tarnish our name in the eyes of the Malay community. The future of Malaysia is multi-racialism which builds on the unique strengths of each race, so do not be shy to convince the rakyat that we are the party of the future! Umno’s racial polarisation is dangerous to the country. Malaysia urgently needs a political movement to value the contribution and involvement of all races. Unfortunately, Umno’s answer to this new political culture is to make seditious and racist sentiments to continue to divide the people and increase racial polarisation. In fact, the concept of 1 Malaysia or concept related to it is hypocrisy,”

She also said “Umno was using the New Economic Policy (NEP) to instil fear in the Malay community. Umno is telling the people that we are allegedly willing to forfeit the interests of the Malays when we said that the NEP should be abolished. We are confident that NEP has failed to achieve its objectives because many of the implementations have deviated from the policy and spirit of the NEP. NEP is just used by Umno to conceal their corruption. The Malays and the Bumiputeras have long been deceived by Umno. They want the Malays to rely solely on the government alone because Umno is aware that when the Malays begin to believe in their capabilities then they will no longer require the support of Umno politicians,”

Perkasa declared that the NEM a threat to the Malays


The MPM (Malay Advisory Council) has declared that the NEM (New Economic Model) as proposed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak a threat to the Malay community. They passed a resolution to protest against the NEM at its first congress yesterday. The MPM is made up of 76 Malay NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations) and is headed by Perkasa, whose president is Datuk Ibrahim Ali. Proceedings in the congress had many hit out at the NEAC (National Economic Advisory Council) for having ‘betrayed the social contract’ which recognizes that the Malays have special economic rights.

According to some of their resolutions, “The congress regretfully concedes that the government have failed to help increase Bumiputra participation, ownership and control in strategic sectors,” and “The affirmative economic and distribution policy that Bumiputra participation in various economic sectors must be maintained,”

MIC Crisis Widening Further - Samy Vellu to fight all the way


SEREMBAN: MIC president S Samy Vellu, who is facing mounting pressure to relinquish his post, has described the crisis as a battle.

“We are at war,” he told the delegates attending the Negri Sembilan MIC annual general meeting in Seremban this morning.

Training his guns on rebel secretary-general S Murugesan, who was seated on the stage as well, Samy Vellu said: “When the general tells you to shoot, you shoot.”

The 74-year-old politician said that while he did not harbour any resentment towards Murugesan, the latter, however, had erred in not defending MIC.

Unable to contain his disappointment with the man he had appointed as secretary-general, Samy Vellu said: “I had expected him to protect MIC against those who are bent on destroying it.”

Samy Vellu also clarified that it was former MIC president S Manickavasagam, and not him, who had urged (another former president) VT Sambanthan to step down.

He was referring to Murugesan's statement yesterday criticising Samy Vellu for invoking his presidential powers to expel four party members.

Murugesan had said that he was forced to make a stand as he owed it to the party and delegates who voted him into the MIC central working committee.

Saying that the laws of karma were at work, Murugesan had claimed that Samy Vellu asked Sambanthan to step down and history was now repeating itself.

'I would step down earlier if...'

Meanwhile, Samy Vellu told the MIC delegates that he would step down earlier if he is given other responsibilities.

“I have already said that I will hand over (the leadership) to (deputy president G) Palanivel in September 2011. What more do they want?” he asked.

The MIC president did not specify what the other responsibilities were but there has been speculation that he might be appointed as the roving ambassador to South Asia.

Samy Vellu, who has been president for three decades, said he was not perturbed by the ongoing campaign to oust him.

Referring to the “Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu” (GAS) rally slated for tomorrow, he said: “They can gather 30,000 people and it will not affect MIC or me.”

GAS was initiated by former MIC Youth deputy chief V Mugilan after the president expelled him from the party last week.

In a related development, Murugesan defended his action to publicly voice his opinion on the sackings.

Responding to the criticism from MIC's three vice-presidents, he said: “I have noted their points and thank them for expressing their views. This is healthy democracy.”

“It is exactly for this right – for elected representatives to be able to voice their views without fear or favour – that I had stood up for,” he added in a statement.
-------------------------------------
UPDATED PETALING JAYA: MIC secretary-general S Murugesan has become the latest, and most prominent, figure to join the chorus of dissatisfaction towards party president S Samy Vellu.

Once seen as a strong supporter of Samy Vellu, Murugesan said he has to answer to his conscience and the party delegates who voted him into the Central Working Committee, and not just one man.

Speaking at a press conference in Petaling Jaya, the lawyer-turned-politician thanked the MIC president for appointing him as the secretary-general.

Murugesan also made it clear that he was not questioning the president's retirement plan, but rather Samy Vellu's decision to sack four party members based on his presidential powers.

“I owe heavier responsibility and loyalty to MIC above any one individual, even if that individual is me or the president. I cannot forsake my conscience and the interest of the party to safeguard my position in the party,” he said.

“I have always felt that at some point in life an individual must stand up and be counted and be willing to face the consequences. I believe that the time has come,” he added.

Murugesan's unprecedented stand was the result of the president's decision to sack party Youth deputy chief V Mugilan, CWC members KP Samy and Petaling Jaya division leader V Subramaniam, better known as Barat Maniam.

Subsequently, Mugilan went on to form the Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) campaign, which is slated for an official launch this Sunday.

Presidential powers – last resort

Murugesan said the presidential powers of expulsion should only be used as a last resort and not as the first option.

“They (those sacked) should be given the chance to defend themselves at the disciplinary committee,” he added.

The srecretary-general also stressed that MIC is a democratic institution and therefore dissenting voices must be tolerated.

“The Indian community is watching us. The nation is watching us. We are sending the wrong signals to Indian youths who might be interested in joining the party.

“How are we to unite the Indian community with its diverse views if we don’t respect dissenting opinions?” he asked.

'You can call it karma'

Meanwhile, Murugesan said he does not agree with the expulsion of members just because they had asked the president to step down earlier than stipulated.

He added that counter arguments and not expulsion should be used to tackle differing opinions.

However, he pointed out that it was Samy Vellu who had set the precedent.

"It was this president who set a precedent some 40 years ago by asking the past president VT Sambathan to step down. And history is repeating itself, you can call it 'karma'," he said.

Asked if he was supporting Mugilan, he replied: "I am aware of the consequences. My actions are my own."

On whether he would join GAS, Murugesan said:"I have not formed an opinion on that.”

Responding to another question, Murugesan said while discontent is brewing in the party, he was, however, unsure if more CWC members would step forward to express their unhappiness.

“As for me, it was a very difficult decision but I had to make this decision. I have great faith in MIC and its ability to lead the Indian community. I love this party,” he added.

New venue for GAS rally

In a related development, the GAS gathering will now be held at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Seri Kembangan.

According to Mugilan, he booked the venue yesterday.

Mugilan said the reason for the venue change was because of Samy Vellu's interference in pressuring the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) management.

However, PWTC's chief operations officer Maxson Abdullah told FMT yesterday that it was Mugilan who cancelled the booking.

Quizzed on this today, he replied: "Not me, they (PWTC) were the ones who called me, and after negotiations, I agreed (to cancel the booking)."

Mugilan expects 15,000 people to show up for the Sunday gathering.

He also challenged Samy Vellu to set up a booth at the event where he can check the identity of those who attend.

"They will bring their identity cards, and more than 80% will be MIC members," he said.
By Teoh El Sen

Anwar Calls Najib A Weakling


Anwar flays ‘submissive’ Najib in Singapore deal
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim slammed today Malaysia’s deal with Singapore in settling the longstanding dispute over KTM Berhad’s Tanjong Pagar railway station in the island state.

Anwar said that the terms of agreement between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong were questionable as it was “shrouded in secrecy” and Malaysians were not aware of the real arrangement.

“But some of the terms are questionable and we feel Malaysian interests should be protected. This is as usual, most of Najib’s agreements are shrouded in secrecy.

“It’s (the agreements) not open. You always hide behind Khazanah but we dont know what’s the real arrangement,” Anwar told The Malaysian Insider in an interview today.

The Pakatan Rakyat defacto leader said that the agreement which was announced yesterday raised concerns that Malaysia is seen to be too “submissive” in catering to Singapore’s demands.

“There is a tendency that in the policy of Najib, like in the case of Barack Obama, he seems to be too submissive, agreeing, and there is a lot of concern.

“Why is it we have now a Prime Minister that surrenders too easily?” asked Anwar.

Following his meeting with Obama in April, the Najib administration had sided with Washington in its nuclear dispute with Iran.

After receiving domestic criticisms, Najib was also forced to deny cutting gasoline supplies to Teheran.

Najib and Lee agreed yesterday to relocate the 78-year-old Tanjong Pagar railway station operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to Woodlands.

The relocation, to take place on July 1 next year, marks a major step in resolving a number of outstanding bilateral issues between the two countries, as first reported by The Malaysian Insider last September 29.

The two governments will also form a company to jointly develop parcels of land now owned by KTMB.

Malaysia will soon will co-locate its railway and Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex to the Woodlands train checkpoint.

Both countries also announced that a company, known as MS Pte Ltd, will be established no later than Dec 31 this year to jointly develop the parcels of land.

Malaysia is to hold a 60 per cent stake in this company under Khazanah Nasional Berhad, while Singapore will have a 40 per cent share held by Temasek Holdings.

The three parcels of land in Tanjong Pagar, Kranji and Woodlands, along with another three pieces of land in Bukit Timah, will be vested by MS Pte Ltd for joint development, which in turn could be swapped on the basis of equivalent value for pieces of land in Marina South and/or Ophir-Rochor.

The land swap has been contentious since the Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement (POA) was signed in 1990 over the issue of the future of the railway land. The POA was signed between former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and former Malaysian Finance Minister Tun Daim Zanuddin.

Under the agreement, KTM was to vacate its historic station at Tanjong Pagar and move to Bukit Timah while all of KTM’s land between Bukit Timah and Tanjong Pagar would revert to Singapore.

The land at Tanjong Pagar would be handed over to a private limited company for joint development — of which its equity would be split 60 per cent to Malaysia and 40 per cent to Singapore — as it is in the latest agreement.

But the key contention was the interpretation of the agreement as Singapore insisted the agreement meant KTM had to move its terminal from Tanjong Pagar to Bukit Timah within five years of its construction, when the republic moved its railway immigration in August 1998.

But Putrajaya said it would only be effective once it decided to move the station.

The railway land was acquired under a 1918 colonial ordinance specifically for use by Malayan Railway (Keretapi Tanah Melayu or KTM) for a period of 999 years. That same ordinance limits the use of this land. The land, which the main railway station is situated on, is considered prime land.

But Anwar stopped short of slamming Najib’s move in its entirety, and cautiously pointed out that he believed that bilateral ties with Singapore were of utmost importance.

“I am for and support strong bilateral relations with Singapore... I must again stress I represent the view (that) the relations with Singapore is of paramount importance to us as a country and also economic terms,” said the former Deputy and Finance Minister.

He explained that during his time as Finance Minister in the 1990s he had gone to Singapore to talk to then PM Goh Chok Tong about the terms of agreement, as it had not been cleared by the Cabinet or Attoney-General.

“I am [currently] working on my statement but basically [the] point of agreement was between Mahathir and Kuan Yew. At the time [when][ I was Minister of Finance, Tun Mahathir asked me to check [the terms of agreement]. I checked it was never cleared by the Cabinet or A-G so there was a problem .

“We had to go and explain to Goh Chok Tong that we will work [on the agreement].

“Although it is encouraging that we have major progress with negotiations with Singapore, [at the same time] these are prime economic and national interests and I think he [Najib] has to come out clean and explain details of the agreement,” said Anwar.

In a press statement issued a few hours later, Anwar reiterated his points and claimed that the newly-inked agreement woukd not be able to “generate domestic economic activity.”

“How many developers, contractors or Malaysian suppliers would be involved in the development of the M-S Pte Ltd?” Anwar said.

The Permatang Pauh MP also demanded that Najib present a report of the Points of Agreement (POA) along with the new terms in the upcoming Parliamentary session in June.

“We also want an explanation whether Najib had used the 1990 POA outlined by Tun Daim Zainuddin who was Finance Minister at the time, when it (the agreement) was not agreed by the Cabinet.

The government should also explain the real situation on the issue of water and to reassess the prices of raw water supply to Singapore.

“We urge Datuk Seri Najib to present a report in the next Parliamentary session in June,” said Anwar.

Najib Surrenders Railway Land to Singapore


SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore today announced a plan to jointly redevelop prime chunks of real estate in the city-state as part of efforts to settle issues dating back to their separation.

In a statement, visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong said Malaysia had agreed to relocate a railway station from downtown Singapore to the border with Malaysia by 2011.

The station could finally be relocated within Malaysian territory by 2018 after the establishment of a rapid transit system, according to the statement.

Singapore was ejected from the Malaysian federation in 1965, but Malaysia still occupies railway land all the way up to Malaysian territory, including the station on the fringes of the Singapore banking district.

Under the plan, Malaysia's state railway -- KTM -- will move its Singapore terminal to Woodlands, an industrial zone located just across a narrow strait from Johor, by July 1, 2011.

A company known as M-S Pte Ltd will then be established to take ownership of the vacated area and other parcels of land, with 60% equity held by Malaysia's investment agency Khazanah Nasional Bhd and 40% by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings.

Both sides will conduct valuations of the land and Lee will visit Kuala Lumpur within a month with a proposal for a land swap, the statement said.

The railway land could be swapped for real estate in two of Singapore's most expensive districts, including the site of the multibillion-dollar Marina Bay Sands casino complex which opened in April.

Song Seng Wun, a regional economist with CIMB-GK Research in Singapore, said the railway land's worth "could be in the billions".

The issue was just one of the disputes that have periodically strained relations since Singapore and Malaysia separated -- an episode that still rankles on both sides.

Rows have also erupted over the price of the raw water that Malaysia supplies to resource-scarce Singapore, and Singapore's military access to Malaysian airspace.

Malay Tudung Girl Miss Intan leaked pics scandal


From: reborner
Subject: Malay Tudung Girl Miss Intan - leak sexpics Scandal

Looked like girls wearing tudung has a craze for s-e- x.
They do in xray room, cars, at home, and everywhere....

http://malaysian-scandals.blogspot.com/2010/05/intan-scandal.html

Wain: Dr M is the cause of Malaysia's problems


The author of a hot-selling political biography on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said many issues hampering Malaysia had come from the ex-prime minister’s tenure.

Former Asian Wall Street Journal editor, Barry Wain, whose book “Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in turbulent times”, sold 4,000 copies in just two weeks added that he does not see any broad changes being brought about by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“I argue that a lot of problems in Malaysia stem from Dr Mahathir’s rule,” said Wain in an interview yesterday, during a reception to celebrate the launch of the book. “Issues like corruption did stem from when he was in power. Lack of leadership, abuse of the NEP (New Economic Policy), problems that exist today.”

Wain, who was a Malaysia correspondent from 1977 to 1979 and has been in Asia for 38 years, said it was “quite obvious” that Malaysia has fallen behind other countries because of abuse of the controversial race-based NEP and that he was still waiting to see substantial reforms.

“I don’t see any broad changes at all,” said Wain of Najib, who is the country’s sixth prime minister and son of the second premier, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

Wain noted, however, that during the middle of Dr Mahathir’s tenure, Malaysia was one of the fastest-growing developing economies. And with 10 years of GDP growth above nine per cent, there was not a sense of concern at that time over where the country was heading under Dr Mahathir.

The reason why Malaysia was still lagging behind advanced Asian economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan even after all the rapid growth, according to Wain, was that the fast economic growth masked problems such as cronyism and the merging of politics with business.

“The great influx of cash hid that Malaysia was becoming uncompetitive,” he noted.

The book is a result of two-and-a-half years of research and interviews spread out over three years.

Wain also refuted reports that Dr Mahathir had seen a draft of the book before it went to print.

“That’s not the case,” said Wain. “I would never agree to an interview (with Dr Mahathir) if he imposed a condition to see the book before it goes to print.”

The book was launched in Asia in December last year but the Home Ministry only approved it for sale in Malaysia last month, which led to many Malaysians buying the book in Singapore or downloading pirated copies from the internet.

Due to the success of the book, another 5,000 copies are being printed for Malaysia and the book’s distributor, UBSD Distribution Sdn Bhd, expects sales to hit 10,000 by the end of the month, a high figure given the non-fiction nature of the book and its price.

“This is the first time that bookshops lined up at the warehouse to get the book,” said UBSD executive director Christopher Toh.

It is learnt that Malaysians had previously crossed the Causeway to Singapore to buy the book at bookshops in the island republic. – The Malaysian Insider

Samy Vellu - should get out now before being kicked out


KUALA LUMPUR: Sacked MIC Youth deputy chief V Mugilan today announced the formation of the Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) movement to topple the party president.

Addressing a packed press conference at a restaurant in Petaling Jaya, Mugilan said he will be the coordinator of the movement, which will launch a campaign to force Samy Vellu to quit.

He will launch the campaign -- known by its acronym as GAS -- on May 30 in Kuala Lumpur with several MIC top guns.

Mugilan expects more than 7,000 people to participate on the first day of the campaign, which will subsequently be held nationwide.

"GAS will not only be for the Indians but also the Malays and Chinese," he said.

Observers, however, were left disappointed as expectations were high that Mugilan will be announcing something more "explosive" as reported by the media.

"This looks like a bombshell which failed to explode," quipped one senior MIC leader.

'Work of Subra'

In an immediate reaction, MIC Youth adviser and Samy Vellu's son Vell Paari termed GAS as nothing more than "hot gas" from Mugilan and those aligned to him.

He also accused former MIC deputy president S Subramaniam of being the force behind this campaign, saying that GAS should stand for "Group Aligned to Subramaniam" instead.

"This is nothing new. Subramaniam has been trying to do this for 30 years, and now and then he finds someone to do the work for him. Now, Mugilan is the new puppet," he told FMT.

"Let me make one thing clear: my father will vacate his post, and others will succeed him. But Subramaniam will never become president of MIC and he has to live with this fact," he added.

Vell Paari also took a swipe at Mugilan, saying that it is in the latter's "genetic make-up" to do such things.

"When he was in Bell Club, he did the same to the president there, he then did the same to (MIC deputy president (G Palanivel) in Hulu Selangor and he was doing the same in MIC Youth by undermining the wing's chief T Mohan," he said.

Palani: Let Samy decide

In a related development, Palanivel said since the MIC president has set his retirement date, all quarters should work together to ensure a smooth transition.

"In the past, I have said that Samy Vellu has to be the one to decide when he wants to leave. Now that he has set the time, let us work together.

"As for me, I have said in the past that I am a leader in my own right and I will like to work with everyone," he added.

On the question as to whether he is ready to take over, the deputy president said: "The answer is simple. When the delegates voted for me in 2006 and 2009 as deputy president, I am sure they were voting for someone who is capable and experienced."

He added that Samy Vellu has always said that he has the capability of taking over the leadership reins.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAMMY VELLU THE TYRANT
Duo who asked Samy Vellu to step down sacked

KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC has sacked Central Working Committee members KP Samy and G. Kumar Aamaan for 'acting against party interests', party sources said.

The duo had asked party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to step down.

KP Samy and Kumar Aamaan confirmed receiving their expulsion letters Monday evening.

Both had backed former party youth deputy leader V. Mugilan, who was sacked last week, in demanding that Samy Vellu vacate his post as soon as possible.

KP Samy said his letter was similar to the one Mugilan received that quoted articles 14.2.1 and 58(2) of the party constitution.

He said he would be holding a press conference on his next course of action.

When contacted, Kumar Aamaan said the public would sympathise with him over his sacking.

“God will know what to do and the Prime Minister will decide what action to take,” he added.

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) lodged a police report against the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (GAS) fearing the movement's actions could spark outrage in the Indian community.

Kuala Lumpur Development Crime Prevention and Anti-Drugs Volunteer Force Organisation PREVENT) president Jeevan S. Ramamurthy said he fears the movement's claim that they would distribute a CD of Samy Vellu.

“We are worried that this video would be damaging and seditious in nature and as such cause serious unrest within the Indian community,” he said after lodging the report at the Brickfields police station on Monday.

He urged the police to investigate the contents of the video and act on it if the contents were deemed offensive.

Jeevan also urged the police to take action against the movement's organisers if they continued with their plan to organise a gathering without a permit scheduled to be held on May 30.

A group of disgruntled MIC grassroots leaders, including sacked deputy Youth leader V. Mugilan, had announced the plans to set up the movement on Saturday to push for the immediate resignation of the party president.

Mugilan said the movement, to be launched on May 30, would explain to party members and Malaysians in general, why Samy Vellu should resign as president.

Dr M is starting another May 13 soon by writing another hate letter

Najib and the Devil?

By FMT staff
UPDATED KUALA LUMPUR: Popular blogger Tulang Besi has reproduced Dr Mahathir Mohamad's scathing letter to first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman penned in the aftermath of the May 13, 1969 racial riots.

The letter, which was widely distributed back then, had led to Mahathir's expulsion from Umno.

Tulang Besi, who operates the Malaysia Waves blog, pointed out that the letter clearly blamed Tunku for the bloodletting.

“So I am perplexed as to why (Malay pressure group) Perkasa is blaming the Chinese,” he said.

Tulang Besi's posting comes in the wake of a Malay unity rally, slated for May 13, being postponed following instructions from the top.

It is learnt that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration had pulled the plug following strong objections from both sides of the political divide.

Sources claimed that the premier was worried that the event would provide fodder to the opposition to sway Chinese votes in the Sibu by-election, which saw the parliamentary constituency fall to DAP last night.

Barisan Nasional is said to be shell-shocked by its defeat in Sibu, which is incidentally a Chinese-majority seat.

The rally, themed “Melayu Bangkit” (Rise Malays), was supposed to be officiated by Mahathir, and its postponement is said to have irked the former premier and groups like Perkasa.

He told reporters later that the tragedy should not be forgotten, as it is an important history lesson to prevent such an incident from recurring.

Mahathir's advise to Najib

Following the April 25 Hulu Selangor by-election, which saw more than 80% of Chinese voters backing the opposition candidate, Mahathir had issued a stern warning to Najib.

The former premier told his protege that the Malays feel that Umno is now unable to protect them from the attacks launched by “extremist” Chinese groups.

He suggested that Najib forget about wooing the Chinese, who would never vote for BN, and focus on keeping Malay support instead.

Since assuming the reins of leadership in April last year, Najib has been causing discomfort among the more ultra-Malays with his all-inclusive policies. Talk is rife that a mutiny is brewing in Umno.

Najib's New Economic Model has also caused alarm among Malay groups, who fear that a more meritocratic approach would lead to them losing out to other races, especially the Chinese.

Observers also highlighted the “differences” which cropped up during the Malay entrepreneurs convention over the weekend, where Najib stressed on merit, and urged Malay businessmen to buck up.

The audience, noted the observers, was far from enthusiatic.

His deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, on the other hand, was greeted by fervent chants of “Hidup Melayu” (Long Live the Malays) from certain quarters when he took to the podium.

Mahathir, who also spoke at the convention, took a swipe at Najib's Economic Model, underscoring the importance of striking balanced economic development between the races.

Dismissing critics' claim that the previous New Economic Policy was a stumbling block to the nation's progress, the former premier called for Najib's model to be re-looked.

Will Dr M pen another letter?

These developments have left observers wondering if a realignment of forces is taking shape in Umno, and if Mahathir is on the verge of penning another letter similar to the one he had sent to Tunku.

In his letter to Tunku, Mahathir had said: “You have told me yourself that you had prevented riots by stopping the death sentence on 11 subversive Chinese. But it is this action of yours which led to the riots and resulted in scores of deaths since May 13.”

“You have always compromised, giving in to the Chinese's demands. The core of this compromise was revoking the abovementioned death sentence. This caused great anger among the Malays.

“The Chinese consider you and the Alliance government cowardly and weak and could be pushed around. This is why the Chinese are no longer afraid to reject the Alliance and the Malays also do not favour it.

“This is why the Chinese and Indians behaved rudely (membuat kurang ajar) towards the Malays...”

Unpublished evidence

Meanwhile in a related development, Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali responded to Tulang Besi by stating that he has evidence to support claims that it was the Chinese who sparked the May 13 tragedy.

"It was all caused by the procession on May 9 where they first shouted dirty words at the Malays. These was all recorded,” he told FMT today.

"I have the evidence of these in an unpublished book that is in my possession. I have also spoken to many ex-army, ex-policemen and residents of Kuala Lumpur from that time," said Ibrahim, who declined to name the author of the said book.

BN have no idea why they lost - blur as ever

WHAT is the biggest significance of the Sibu by-election outcome? I now believe it is not that Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won its first seat since the recent establishment of its Sarawak chapter or that Barisan Nasional (BN) remains five seats away from retaining its parliamentary two-thirds majority.

Najib glaring at Sarawak on map, Sarawak saying 'HAH!'

It is the outright rejection of clientelism in the face of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's infamous and indecent "you help me, I help you" proposal. Among other things, he offered Rejang Park residents RM5 million to mitigate floods in return for them supporting BN candidate Robert Lau Hui Yew in the by-election.

The outcome? A drop in support for the BN by nine percentage points, and an increase in DAP's margin by some 400 votes in the Chinese Malaysian-majority polling district.

Earlier, Najib had pledged RM18 million for 67 Chinese-language secondary and primary schools in Sibu and asked Chinese educationists to reciprocate favourably. Now, overall, in Sibu, Chinese Malaysian support for the BN is estimated to have dropped from 38% to 31%.

No one knows if the BN would have done better if they had not made those conditional offers. But many voters were probably angered by such cheapskate campaigning offers which made the prime minister sound more like a traffic police officer asking for bribes.

It is telling that Rejang Park — incidentally where DAP also held rallies almost every night — has registered the highest rise in support for DAP of all the polling districts in the Sibu parliamentary constituency.

This is not the first time that a by-election has backfired on the BN. Less than a month ago, Najib made another conditional offer of RM3 million to the Rasa community for an 81-year-old dilapidated Chinese-language primary school in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election.

The outcome? The Rasa polling district gave PR a support level of 82%, the highest for PR in the entire constituency. After a two-day delay, Najib eventually presented the cheque as BN did win the seat after all.

About a year ago, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin gave RM1 million to a Chinese-language school in Simpang during the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election.

Does the BN understand the Chinese Malaysian voters?

What did the BN get? Again, lower Chinese Malaysian support for the BN to the extent that Muhyiddin complained about Chinese Malaysians being ungrateful.

What did the Chinese Malaysian voters want in all these cases? This is an old question that probably started being asked as early as 1990 when 70% of Chinese Malaysian voters supported the opposition coalitions led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Umno's Chinese Malaysian dilemma?

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad implies that the recurrent phenomenon is Umno's Chinese Malaysian dilemma.

According to Mahathir, "In trying to win over Chinese [Malaysians] with allocations and abolishing New Economic Policy (NEP) provisions, the BN will lose Malay [Malaysian] support as indeed it did in 2008."

"On the other hand, no matter how the government tries to satisfy Chinese [Malaysian] demands, Chinese [Malaysians] have clearly rejected the BN," he said.

Now, I doubt that many Malay Malaysians would punish the BN if they could be assured that all poor Malay Malaysians will be taken care of alongside the poor of other races. Similarly, I doubt that Malay Malaysians would revolt if all competitive Malay Malaysians, alongside competitive non-Malay Malaysians, enjoyed adequate support to thrive in international and domestic competition.

Mahathir got it wrong in thinking the majority of Malay Malaysians who deserted the BN in 2008 did so in protest to keep the NEP. The fact is a significant number of Malay Malaysians supported Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PAS and DAP for a fairer deal for all.

Only uncompetitive Malay Malaysians wanting to continue enjoying protection stand to lose, should bumiputeraism be done away with and replaced by "market-friendly affirmative action" or some sort of pro-competition "welfare state".

In other words, if Umno has a problem transforming itself beyond its 1Malaysia campaign, the problem does not lie with the majority of Malay Malaysians, as Mahathir implied in the first part of his theory. Of course, Mahathir would have organisations such as Perkasa and Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat rallying behind him, a bit like Mao Zedong's Red Guards but in a different historical context.

I would agree, however, with the second part of Mahathir's Umno's Chinese Malaysian dilemma theory — Umno has no idea of how to win back Chinese Malaysian voters.

The majority of Chinese Malaysian voters will not enter into any short-term deal with Umno until Umno truly understands who they are now. They are neither grateful for Umno's offers nor are they afraid of Umno's threats.

More dilemmas

What's wrong with Chinese Malaysians? For starters, they are citizens now, no longer clientele of some modern feudal patrons.

Chinese Malaysian voters know that the government
should serve the peopleNeither the carrot nor the stick works for them now. For they know the carrot belongs to the nation and the stick cannot be effectively used against them without hurting Umno first. They know that the people are the boss, and governments their servants.

What needs to be stressed here is that the problem is not "Chinese" in character. The "declientelisation" process has happened to most urban Malaysians now. For example, most urban Malay Malaysians no longer buy into the notion that they need ketuanan Melayu to protect them.

Ten out of 11 parliamentary constituencies in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and 10 out of 13 state capital parliamentary constituencies, including Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu and Shah Alam, are represented by the opposition. Could this have happened without the support of Malay Malaysian voters?

After all, wasn't the NEP meant to help Malay Malaysians become urbanised? And so, why would Malay Malaysians abandon Umno after being urbanised? Is it that "Melayu mudah lupa" or "Melayu sudah sedar"?

To label it Umno's Chinese Malaysia dilemma would therefore be inaccurate — it is really an urban Dilemma. Umno could still refuse to transform itself and find a life beyond patronage politics. But in that case, it should be prepared to shrink into a rural party that reigns only where "instant noodle" projects and handouts can still buy votes because there is no wi-fi coverage to spread democratic values.

Yet, to be even more precise, this staunch ungratefulness and irresponsiveness to Umno is not even limited to urban areas. How much has Umno put in to buy Kelantanese voters over throughout the years? Why haven't they reciprocated?

And so, how would one ultimately explain Umno's disappearing clientele? One could attribute it to either the voters' own dignity or democracy. In either case, the citizens don't thank Umno for what they rightly deserve. Rather, they shun Umno for withholding their rights.

In Sibu, unfortunately, many rural voters are still trapped in clientelism because of poverty. But how long can the internal colonisation made possible by Umno's indirect rule via Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud last?

DAP wins "historic" by-election in Sibu


Photo shows downtrodden supporters of the losers, Malaysia's ruling National Front hold its flags as they shout slogan during a parliamentary by-election in Sibu, Sarawak, east Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's opposition on Sunday snatched a parliamentary seat in a ruling coalition stronghold with a surprise and "historic" by-election win.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) was expected to hold on to Sibu, in Sarawak state on Borneo island, but lost it by 398 votes to the Democratic Action Party (DAP), state media reported.

The DAP is a member of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

"This is a historic win for the Pakatan alliance," veteran opposition politician and DAP leader Lim Kit Siang told AFP.

"This is because the BN's loss in Sibu shows that its strongholds on Borneo island are no longer safe," he added.

The Sibu victory means the opposition has now won eight out of 11 by-elections since the BN was bruised in 2008 national polls.

Analysts say the latest opposition victory casts doubt on the government's sway in Sarawak, where the large share of parliamentary seats means the state could be decisive at general elections expected by 2013.

"The loss has big implications as it has now slowed down Najib's momentum after winning in the two previous by-elections," political analyst James Chin told AFP.

Over the last few days Premier Najib Razak campaigned in the state to get the Chinese vote, promising 20 million ringgit for infrastructure projects and the upgrading of Chinese-language schools in a constituency where ethnic Chinese form 67 percent of the population.

Although the BN last month won a by-election in Selangor state, seen as an endorsement of Najib's reformist policies, the ruling coalition saw a dramatic drop in Chinese support.

"The decline in Chinese support in Hulu Selangor and Sibu are consistent with the 2008 general elections as the Chinese ground has yet to recover for the BN," Chin said.

The BN lost its two-thirds majority in parliament and control of five states in the 2008 election.

Did Mahathir started May 13 riots?


Day by day, Dr M is revealing more and more of himself and what he did
in the past. We already know he squandered billions of ringgits, how
he betrayed his own nominated successors - anwar, razaleigh and pak
lah. Now he is beginning to show us his true racist self, and very
soon we will know the truth behind the May 13 massacre of Chinese by
the Malays and the police and the armed forces.
-------------------------------------
Dr M: We must not forget May 13
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
May 14, 2010

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, said Dr Mahathir (right). — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended his decision to participate in a controversial May 13 rally, saying Malaysians must not forget the 1969 race riots so that the country would not allow history to repeat itself.

The country’s longest-serving prime minister, who retired in 2003, was planning to attend the rally — themed “Melayu Bangkit (Malays Arise)” — organised by Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat (Gertak) and government agency, Terengganu Integrity Institute. It has now been postponed following public outcry.

“I feel that if we forget our history then we will repeat this history. There is a well-known saying that those who forget the lessons of history will be punished by repeating their mistakes over and over again. That is my belief,” Dr Mahathir told a press conference at Yayasan Al-Bukhary here.

“I am not going there to stir up feelings between the different races but I am going to remind them that if we do not take care of this problem of race, then we going to repeat our mistakes. If, of course, I go then I will be called a racist,” he added.

Political leaders from both Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN) have condemned the rally as racist and divisive in nature.

MCA publicity bureau deputy chairman Loh Seng Kok also criticised Dr Mahathir’s involvement, as his participation was tantamount to instigating a racist campaign.

MIC secretary-general S. Murugesan pointed out that if the rally was a historical reminder, it should not only include participants from one community.

The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang also said that the entire gathering should have been cancelled instead of just postponed, as it was an “offensive and unacceptable” idea.

Dr Mahathir reiterated that he did not believe that Malaysians should forget May 13.

“I went through this May 13 so I know the thing very deeply. I think I can help to orientate people so they don’t act in ways that can precipitate into another May 13.

“But this idea that we should forget May 13 is not a very good idea,” he said.

The rally was initially scheduled for yesterday at the Gong Badak indoor stadium and was expected to draw over 10,000 individuals from 45 Malay NGOs.

Gertak chief Razali Idris claimed that the rally was to unite the Malays by reminding them of the May 13 tragedy, and not to stir up racial sentiments.

It was, however, postponed following disapproval by the country’s leadership.

Singapore to hang Malaysian Yong Vui Kong


SINGAPORE : Convicted drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong's appeal against the death penalty was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Friday.

Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, Justice Andrew Phang and Justice V K Rajah ruled that Yong's lawyer had failed to prove that the mandatory death penalty for certain drug offences was unconstitutional.

The 21-year-old Malaysian had brought in 47 grammes of heroin in June 2008.

Yong can still appeal to the President for clemency.

Yong was sentenced to death in November and was to be hanged last December.

But days before the sentence was to be carried out, his lawyer successfully sought a stay of execution from the High Court.

Court of Appeal has rejected Yong Vui Kong’s appeal against his death sentence. Vui Kong’s lawyer, M. Ravi, is applying for time to present a clemency petition. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal has closed off further arguments and the Mandatory Death Penalty will stay.

Executions by hanging are carried out by the State usually at 6am on Fridays. The death sentence could be carried out next Friday, 21st May.

The Court of Appeal reserved its judgement on Mar 15, 2010. It delivered its judgement today at 11am. See here for a timeline of articles/posts/videos on Vui Kong’s case. Read also these two news articles from 2005: The precision of ritual in the gallows’ shadow and Singapore accused of hypocrisy on drug stance.

Accuser says Malaysia's Anwar sodomized him abroad


Accuser says Malaysia's Anwar sodomized him abroad
Eileen NG, Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur | Thu, 05/13/2010 1:23 PM | World

The man who accused Anwar Ibrahim of sodomizing him testified in court Thursday that the Malaysian opposition leader had sex with him in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

Anwar is charged with sodomizing his 24-year-old former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, at a Kuala Lumpur condominium in June 2008, but Saiful claimed he had been a victim of Anwar's sexual advances on other occasions after they met during campaigning for general elections earlier that year.

"I had been sodomized by Anwar several times, in and out of the country, in Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok," Saiful told the Kuala Lumpur High Court during cross-examination by Anwar's defense team.

Saiful did not elaborate, but Anwar made various trips abroad after March 2008 national polls, when he led a three-party opposition alliance to unprecedented electoral gains.

Anwar, a married 62-year-old with six children, denies the sodomy charge, saying it is a plot by Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration to cripple the opposition. Najib denies any conspiracy but has acknowledged meeting Saiful two days before he was allegedly sodomized for the final time.

Anwar's sodomy trial centers on a claim that Anwar and Saiful had sex on June 26, 2008. Anwar is charged under a law that punishes anal sex by up to 20 years in this Muslim-majority nation.

On Thursday, Saiful denied he fabricated the accusation against Anwar with the help of Najib and police.

Anwar's chief attorney, Karpal Singh, questioned why Saiful waited two days after being allegedly sodomized for the final time before making a police complaint.

Saiful said he wanted to obtain advice from other people, including political and religious figures, because "this affects my dignity and my future."

The judge agreed to a defense request for the remainder of Thursday's cross-examination to be held without public observers or the media because it would likely include graphic description by Saiful of the alleged sodomy.

Trial hearings, which began in February, are then scheduled to take a break until May 31.

It is the second time Anwar has been charged for sodomy. In 1998, Anwar lost his post as deputy prime minister and spent six years in jail after being convicted of sodomizing his family's former driver and abusing his power. He was freed in 2004 when a court overturned the sodomy conviction. Anwar denied all charges.

No case against Anwar


From: "truth"
Subject: No case against Anwar

truth comment: there is just no case against anwar. it is so clear. however
in the context of the corrupt malaysian political and judicial system,
anything goes. the end result is gross injustice and malaysia reputation
goes down deeper into the dark hole.

if the judge is a real judge, then he should immediately throw out the charge. if he fudge around to allow the case to continue then right minded malaysians should take to the streets in huge numbers and do what the thais did.
-----------------------------------
KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday challenged the basis of sodomy allegations against him, saying he was charged with a consensual act while his accuser claimed he was assaulted.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed on separate sex and corruption counts a decade ago, is accused of sodomising 25-year-old Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who was an aide in his office.

The 62-year-old father of six says the charges have been trumped-up in a political conspiracy aimed at ending his career after his opposition alliance made major strides in 2008 elections.

In court Tuesday Anwar's lawyers asked the judge for all statements that Saiful has made about the alleged incident, to show he had repeatedly said he was forced to have illicit sexual relations.

"It's the first time in a criminal case in this country that you have a statement to the police saying that the act was not consensual and yet the charge is consensual," Anwar told reporters.

"It is questioning the credibility of the prosecution. They looked at the evidence, they can't prove it so they changed (the charge)," he said.

"Saiful is not consistent, he is not telling the truth, so that's why we want the full statement."

Defence counsel Karpal Singh said that if they were able to prove the contradiction, the prosecution's case would collapse.

"Of course that's the end of it. It should be the end of the case," he told reporters.

In a brief hearing Tuesday before the judge called an adjournment to consider the defence request for the documents, Karpal asked Saiful if he had always stated that the sodomy was against his will and Saiful said he had.

Karpal then asked him if this had always been the case and Saiful said he was not sure.

Sodomy, even among consenting adults, is illegal in Malaysia -- a conservative and Muslim-majority country. If convicted, Anwar could face up to 20 years imprisonment.

Under the penal code, there are two alternatives for prosecutors to lay sodomy charges, for cases of either consensual or non-consensual acts.

The decision to charge Anwar with consensual sodomy had long raised questions marks among observers, given Saiful's repeated claims that he was forced into having sex with his boss.

Saiful himself has not been charged with any crime.

Human Rights Watch has urged Malaysia to drop the charges against Anwar, condemning the case as a "charade of justice" and saying his lawyers have also been blocked from preparing a thorough defence.

The trial opened briefly in February with explicit evidence from Saiful who said that Anwar propositioned him for sex shortly after he arrived at a Kuala Lumpur apartment on June 26, 2008 to deliver a document.

During cross-examination Monday when the trial resumed, Saiful confirmed he met with Prime Minister Najib Razak four days before lodging a police report over the allegedly incident.

Anwar has said that Najib, who at the time was the deputy prime minister, must now appear as a witness. The premier has repeatedly denied any involvement in the case.

Anwar spent six years in jail on the original sodomy and corruption allegations until the sex conviction was quashed in 2004.

Dr M tells Umno to counter the Chinese extremists against Malays


From: reborner
Subject: Dr M tells Umno to counter the Chinese extremists against Malays
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

Dr Mahathir (left) says entities like Perkasa were reactions to
Chinese “extremists”.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad articulated today a widely held sentiment in Umno — that going after the Chinese vote is risky and unproductive.

Instead, he appears to suggest in a posting on his blog today that
Umno should first ensure that Malay interests are taken care of,
especially in the face of what he called “attacks by the Chinese.”

“We hear a lot about demands by Chinese extremists questioning the
provision of Malay special rights in the constitution, demanding an
end to the NEP, [a] reduction of quotas for Malay students. They even
say the Malays are also ‘kaum pendatang’ or immigrants. An article
even claims that there is no such thing as a Malay race.

“Umno remained silent. In fact when an Umno member said that the
Chinese and Indians are descendants of immigrants, he was suspended by
Umno. It seems to many Malays that Umno is incapable of countering the
attacks by Chinese extremists against Malays,” wrote Dr Mahathir.

His latest remarks are expected to put more pressure on Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has been pushing his 1 Malaysia agenda to
unite the country.

But while Najib has had mixed results in reaching out to Indian
voters, the results of ten by-elections since Election 2008 showed
Chinese voters have now become a solid vote bank for Pakatan Rakyat
(PR).

Dr Mahathir warned today that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) risked
losing Malay support if they continued to introduce “Chinese-friendly”
policies and abolishing affirmative-action measures under the New
Economic Policy (NEP).

“The BN must remember that in the 2008 election it lost a lot of
seats. Where it won the margins are very small. If a few hundred
Malays decide not to vote BN, even the seats that it had won would be
lost in the 13th General Election.

“Umno and the Government are facing a dilemma. In trying to win over
the Chinese with allocations and abolishing New Economic Policy
provisions, the BN will lose Malay support as indeed it did in 2008.
On the other hand no matter how the Government try to satisfy Chinese
demands, the Chinese have clearly rejected the BN,” said Dr Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir also justified the existence of Perkasa as a reaction by
Malays to what he suggests were the increasingly strident demands of
Chinese voters.

“Perhaps it is because Perkasa appears to be racist that the Chinese
are against BN. But Perkasa is not BN. Also the Chinese parties in BN
are facing a crisis.

“What is happening now is that Malays are forming Non-Governmental
Organisations because of Chinese attacks against the Malays and Umno
seems unable to defend them.

He said that groups like Perkasa feel that they have to rebut “racist”
statements by the Chinese.

“And when they do they are labelled as racists.”

Malaysian Judiciary is on trial - Anwar


KUALA LUMPUR — Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who returns to court Monday to face sodomy charges, said Malaysia's reputation is on trial in a case aimed at destroying his political career.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed on separate sex and corruption counts a decade ago, said Malaysian justice had deteriorated under Prime Minister Najib Razak, who came to power a year ago.

"It is not Anwar's case. It is the institution of governance -- the police, the judiciary and certain media -- which have all got worse under Prime Minister Najib Razak. They are the real ones on trial," Anwar told AFP.

Anwar said he would not be cowed by the fact he could again end up behind bars if convicted of the charges that carry a penalty of 20 years imprisonment.

"I am committed to political and economic reforms. There is no turning back," he said.

"Of course I am a political threat. They have been trying for 12 years to kill my political career. I leave it to my supporters and Allah to believe in me."

Anwar, a 62-year-old father of six, is accused of having illicit sexual relations with a young man who worked in his office. Sodomy remains a crime in Malaysia, a conservative Muslim-majority nation.

The trial opened briefly in February with explicit evidence from his accuser, 24-year-old Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, but has been suspended since then as the defence pursued a number of unsuccessful legal manoeuvres.

They were knocked back in attempts to have the presiding judge disqualified, complaining he had refused to rein in biased media coverage, and also failed to win access to key prosecution evidence such as video footage and medical tests.

Anwar last week lost his final bid to strike out the sodomy charges, as the Federal Court rejected an appeal and paved the way for his trial to resume at the High Court on Monday.

His counsel Sankara Nair said the prosecution's refusal to release information such as its witness list and key documents on forensic and DNA evidence was problematic.

"Anwar is put in a very severely disadvantaged position. The defence faces an uphill task as vital documents in relation to Anwar's defence have not been given to us by the prosecution," he said.

Human Rights Watch has urged Malaysia to drop the charges against Anwar, condemning the case as a "charade of justice" and saying his lawyers had been blocked from preparing a thorough defence.

Sankara said the defence team would cross-examine Mohamad Saiful when the hearing opens Monday.

"We intend to grill this witness," Nair said. "The court has set four days for this hearing." Hearing dates have been set until August but Sankara said he did not know when the trial would end.

Anwar's earlier sexual misconduct conviction was quashed in 2004 and he was released from jail. After a period of recuperation he reinvented himself as the leader of an opposition alliance.

Against all expectations, it made huge strides in 2008 elections, depriving the ruling coalition of its crucial two-thirds majority and redrawing Malaysia's political landscape.

After suffering its worst polls results in half a century, the shell-shocked Barisan Nasional coalition ousted the serving prime minister and drafted in Najib, who has unveiled reforms aimed at winning back support.

More royal troubles for the Kelantan Sultanate


From: Politikus
Subject: Kelantan: Overthrowing a ruling monarch...
The police chief, UMNO politicians, and vested parties are trying to
install a new Sultan by working with a Prince? Example of Filial Piety
of a Malay Prince...? The rakyat is awaiting and seeing the saga
unfolds... :-(

Monday hearing in Kelantan Ruler’s freedom bid

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — The Special Court today fixed Monday to hear
Tuanku Ismail Petra Tuanku Yahya Petra’s bid to be released from
hospital confinement, two weeks before the Sultan of Kelantan may be
declared unfit to rule.

“Monday, nine o’clock,” Gobind confirmed in a phone call to The
Malaysian Insider this evening.

The Sultan had been warded at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
(HUSM) in Kubang Kerian since Tuesday.

A panel of lawyers, led by top constitutional expert Raja Aziz
Addruse, had filed a habeas corpus application at the Special Court in
Putrajaya this morning seeking to release the Sultan (picture), whom
they claim is being held against his will.

The writ, filed by JS Pillay & Mohd Haaziq at 11.45am, named Tuanku
Ismail Petra as the applicant, with an affidavit by the Tengku
Temenggong Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Ismail Petra, the Sultan’s
youngest son.

The writ named the Kelantan chief police officer, the Inspector-
General of Police, the director-general of HUSM, the director-general
of Health and the Government of Malaysia as the respondents.

Senior lawyer Datuk Param Cumaraswamy together with lawyers Gobind
Singh Deo, Datuk Mohd Haaziq Pillay, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Abdul
Rashid Ismail complete the legal team.

“This is the first time in the whole world a writ of habeas corpus has
been filed to release a Ruler of a state from detention by the
police,” Param said.

“We take the view that the Sultan is in hospital under restraint,”
said Raja Aziz, but declined to explain why.

The Sultan’s lawyers claim they have been barred by police and certain
parties from meeting their client since May 4.

Earlier today, the lawyers told reporters the Sultan was conscious and
mentally lucid, refuting claims the royal was incapacitated.

But The Malay Mail cited palace officials as saying the Sultan was
paralysed, unable to speak or eat and in no condition to issue orders.

“So, how could Tuanku have said he was being held against his will
when he can't even speak, cannot see, cannot eat,” the palace insider
was reported as saying.

BM - A language for the Cave Men

From: "heha"
Subject: WHY BM is reinstated
Firstly, let look at the problem

The BN gov'n has no choice actually having committed the biggest error any
government can made...

" INVENTING A LANGGUAGE FOR ITS PEOPLE, BM "

A LANGGUAGE EFFECTIVELY ISOLATING ITS PEOPLE FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD
while entering into the 21th century of globalizing which is racing ahead so
fast that malaysia is diming fast

Malaysia famous MSC with billions spent cannot even get started against an
India mountainous IT prosperity without any effective MSC..............but
with the English language alone

The same goes for FDI, the Malaysia population is getting more illiterate
but competition against the cheaper indonesian, china and indian

NOW WHY MALAYSIA HAS TO SWUTCH BACK TO BM

it is a choice.......to step back in time for 10 years while the english
language is being reinstated or to go forward slowly veering away from the
main stream of development into isolation

either way, malaysia lost........ALL BECAUSE OF THE STUPIDITY OF WANTING TO
INVENT A NEW LANGGUAGE CALLED BM

pehin rahman of brunei had warned tun razak when he was approach by the then
PM to invent BM together

pehin rahman said, " MALAY LANGGUAGE WILL NEVER BE LOST TO THE MALAY AS A
CULTURE BUT INVENTING BM WILL BE DIVERTING A RACE TO ISOLATION " do you
think that he is wrong

today brunei is doing well with english from primary 3 to universities for
malay student and full english course for others while MALAYSIA IS STUCK IN
ITS BULLSHIT OF BN INVENTION THE BM LANGGUAGE "

if ever a government which is full of shit is the BN GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA.
now it is stuck with a huge shit in its throat, trying to vomit it out or
swallow it........and bring all the UMNO Malay ego with it

hahahahahahahahhahaha........hhhahahahahahhahahahha....the greatest joke of
a government
--------------------------------------------

From: "oikia"
Subject: Re: WHY BM is reinstated
In order to keep the Malays under control and in full support of the current
malay government, it is absolutely neccessary to keep these Malay majority
unexposed to the influence of the much more civilised nations and of course
language is a media from which these controls can be effective.

Keep them
like mushrooms. No doubt they will grow well in the dark. Exposing them to a
universal language gives them an opening to other sources of advance
information and a knowledge of their rights.They will do well to continue
doing pantuns and dondang sayangs and leave the running of the government to
the hands of the elite who will make every attempt to stop the country
pumpkins from being expose to ideas of rights.

Backwards the country must
continue to march for the wellbeing of the priviledged few.

------------------------------------------
From: adrian chin
Subject: Re: WHY BM is reinstated

Well, the likelyhood that Malaysia will not be the Top 3 richest and
desirable nation to invest in for foreigners could happen in this decade
or some might argue, already happened, so the alternative is, to be the
Top 3 from the bottom up and our strategies are now geared to attain that
position, which is actually easier than than to be Top 3 from top down

More Police Killings of Innocent People

======
Did we kill Aminulrasyid?
April 30, 2010

APRIL 30 — Some friends of mine were once robbed at the cybercafe
which we frequent (yes, still addicted to Dota). The men came in with
parangs, threatened everyone, collected the goods and tried to make
their escape.

One man wasn’t able to start his getaway motorcycle quickly enough,
and this cost him dearly. Most of the cybercafe came out, descended on
him and, well, beat the crap out of him.

This, I understand, is not an entirely uncommon fate for robbers and
thieves who are caught by a mob.

Apparently, it is not an uncommon fate for those caught by the police
either.

When I first blogged about the death of Kugan, more than a few
commentators wrote and said things like: “He deserved it”, “Why should
you care about a car thief?” and so on. Oddly, this debate still takes
place on said blog post, well over a year after it was written.

Some of my loved ones have also expressed certain sentiments about how
justice for these petty criminals cannot be served within our sluggish
judicial system, and that sometimes what they really need is a good
box around the ears that no one else really needs to know about. Maybe
nothing too severe you know? Just rough him up a little?

Well, I posit that we have seen this last week just how and where this
line of thinking ends.

With the possible exception of Datuk Seri Sharizat Abdul Jalil, who
seems to think once again that this is all the parents fault, everyone
is disgusted at the shooting of Aminulrasyid Amzah.

John Lee and I have literally put together a whole book on the subject
of police brutality, and I think for me to continue such a critique
here would be to flog a near dead horse.

I hope today to discuss public attitudes instead.

Everyone hates crime. I hate crime. An attack by snatch thieves left
my mom immobile for days, and traumatised for much longer.

A lot of us want revenge. Inspired perhaps by movies like “Taken”,
where Liam Neeson “heroically” puts a bullet in the head of dozens of
men who stand between him and his daughter, we want to see an eye for
an eye type of justice.

It’s an understandable sentiment, it really is; but we have to go
beyond it.

The simple truth is the minute we start sliding down that slippery
slope of “it's OK to rough up the ‘real’ bad guys just a little bit”,
it won’t be long until we create the type of police force that shoots
and kills unarmed 14-year-olds.

Can we say the signs weren’t there?

I have this feeling the Hindraf gang will ask why no one kicked up a
fuss with the near hundreds of cases of Indians being victims of
extrajudicial killings — most of them shot in the same way
Aminulrasyid was?

No one likes racial thinking either, but the facts in such a
contention remain. No one can deny that our police force has a
reputation (among those who care and pay attention at least) for being
a little trigger happy.

As recently as in Hulu Selangor, a victim of police shooting — whose
experience is remarkably similar to Aminulrasyid’s and the other
person in the car with him — was trying to seek justice from BN
politicians too busy peddling promises and bribes.

Norizan Salleh — a slightly built single mother — said that in October
last year in Segambut, similar to Aminulrasyid and his companion, the
car she was in was shot at and pushed off the road. She was then
dragged out of the car, kicked and beaten, after already being hit
five times by gunfire. Unlike Aminulrasyid, she managed to escape with
her life.

Perhaps if we Malaysians made enough noise about Norizan’s case, it
may have given the cops who shot Aminulrasyid a little pause for
thought before they did a near re-enactment of Norizan’s scene in Shah
Alam, fired at will and took away that young boy's life.

I wish I could say for sure that had I been there that day, I might
have tried to stop those cybercafe patrons from beating that robber;
but I don't know if I would have had the guts.

If I had — if we had — that kind of guts, maybe we can save the lives
of the next few Aminulrasyids, Kugans and Teoh Beng Hocks.
------------------------------------------
Lagi kematian disebabkan ditembak polis
Suaram mengutuk keras tindakan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) yang giat menembak mati tidak kira warga Malaysia ataupun warga asing dengan lebih kerap. Terkini mangsa yang ditembak mati oleh polis termasuk R Logeswaran, 38, dan Satchithananthan, 25, pada 8 April; dan dua insiden yang melibatkan enam orang warga Indonesia di dalam dua kes yang berasingan – di Kuala Selangor pada 16 Mac 2010 dan di Temerloh, Pahang pada 5 April 2010.1

Suaram ingin mendapatkan maklum balas daripada PDRM tentang penggunaan senjata api dalam semua kejadian yang berlaku sebelum ini dan juga dalam kes-kes yang disebutkan di atas. Suaram menghormati hak pihak polis untuk melindungi diri dalam operasi-operasi yang dijalankan, namun hak dan nyawa suspek juga perlu diutamakan.

Suaram berpandangan kejadian kes-kes polis menembak mati suspek berlaku secara luas adalah kerana tiadanya mekanisme yang telus dan jelas tentang penggunaan senjata api oleh Polis. Malah apa yang lebih mengecewakan adalah dokumen panduan dalam menggunakan senjata api di Malaysia tidak dapat dirujuk oleh orang awam.2 Ini dengan jelas membuktikan bahawa penggunaan senjata api oleh polis tidak diimbangi oleh pemeriksaan awam dan sekaligus menyebabkan tahap akauntabiliti yang amat rendah di dalam institusi polis.

Tambahan pula, oleh kerana ketiadaan prosedur yang kukuh untuk memastikan setiap kes tembakan polis seperti ini dilaporkan dan disiasat secara bebas dan menyeluruh, timbul keraguan sama ada pihak polis sememangnya menggunakan senjata api untuk mempertahankan diri ataupun sengaja menggunakan terhadap suspek untuk memudahkan penyelesaian kes mereka.

Penyalahgunaan kuasa di kalangan PDRM dan penindasan terhadap hak asasi manusia adalah masalah serius yang jelas wujud dalam PDRM, seperti yang dinyatakan dalam Laporan Suruhanjaya Diraja Penambahbaikan Perjalanan dan Pengurusan Polis Diraja Malaysia.3

Memandangkan Kerajaan Malaysia berminat untuk bertanding untuk menjadi ahli Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia, Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) bagi 2010-2013, adalah wajib bagi kerajaan untuk mengambil langkah untuk memastikan masalah-masalah mengenai hak asasi manusia ditangani berdasarkan prinsip-prinsip dan undang-undang antarabangsa. Sebagai anggota PBB apalagi Negara yang berhasrat mengaggotai Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia, Kerajaan Malaysia harus mematuhi prinsip-prinsip antarabangsa mengenai penggunaan senjata api yang tertera di dalam dokumen PBB, “Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials”, bahawa “penggunaan senjata api hanya boleh digunakan dalam keadaan yang terdesak di samping untuk melindungi nyawa” dan “pihak berkuasa perlu memberi amaran yang jelas dengan masa yang mencukupi sebelum mereka menggunakan senjata api”.

Suaram menuntut agar pihak Kerajaan melaksanakan cadangan-cadangan yang dikemukakan oleh Suruhanjaya Diraja Penambahbaikan Perjalanan dan Pengurusan Polis Diraja Malaysia terutama menubuhkan Suruhanjaya Bebas Pengaduan dan Salah Laku Polis (IPCMC) secepat mungkin sekiranya kerajaan ingin merealisasikan slogan ‘’Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan.’’
---------------------------------------------
The arrogance of police power

A week after schoolboy Aminulrasyid Amzah's death by police shooting, Malaysians have been treated to the ghastly spectacle of a government withdrawing into itself in the face of public outrage, and seemingly intent only on finding grounds for justifying its actions.

Left in abeyance is the fact that governments exist in democratic nations to ensure the safety of all its citizens, and to ensure equal justice for all, no matter what their station in life.

Aminul is dead, at the age of 15, after a late-night caper. Under normal circumstances, he would have faced punishment from his parents. Instead he was, in effect, served the death penalty in appallingly suspicious circumstances.

The Malaysian public is justifiably angry and upset. Justice must be served in dealing with how Aminul died — not just for his sake, but also for the sake of all citizens who need reassurance, in no uncertain terms, that they are safe from their own guardians.

It is at times like these that a democratically-elected government rises to the occasion and acts in the larger interests of everyone.

Instead, for the past week, the image that emerged is of an uncaring police force intent on protecting its reputation and its manliless, aggresively demanding that its word is accepted at face value without question.

If that is not the image they sought to build, the Inspector-General of Police and the Selangor police chief only have themselves to blame.

Musa Hassan made a childish threat to keep the police force in barracks, aggresively showed he expected unquestioning acceptance of the policemen's own accounts, then tried to pin on a dead boy and his family any responsibility for the circumstances that led to his death, in between keeping up a plaintive pleading for the public to be fair to his men.

It is no wonder that many demanded that he leave immediately and not wait for his contract to expire.

Khalid Abu Bakar also insisted that the public should believe his policemen's story and showed a callous willingness to label a schoolboy a criminal on the unproven assertion that a parang was found in his car, and arrogantly threatened politicians who took up the issue and questioned police accounts.

It is no wonder that questions are asked whether he considers himself a policeman, an officer of the law, or is really a politician.

Politicians in the administration did not help matters much, either.

Hishammuddin Tun Hussein did himself no favours by acting tough, and demanding as the IGP did that the public must be fair to the police. His deputy, Abu Seman Yusop, leading a home ministry inquiry panel, has tried to pass it off as a "powerful" panel. But the panel is essentially conducting an internal inquiry, with no powers under law to investigate, hold public hearings or compel witnesses to testify. There is little public about what it does, save the public statements he makes and the way they are seen in public.

Even a loudly-proclaimed promise to make its findings public has now become conditional on the agreement of the home minister.

As for the prime minister, it was a week before he came out for a free, open and transparent inquiry and to warn against any cover-up. And that was while he was campaigning in Sibu. Why did it take him so long, after the IGP and the home minister had been cavorting with the facts in the face of increasing public anger?

Is anyone really in charge? Does anything matter except to win elections?

The home ministry panel has now begun its work with the late inclusion of Tun Hanif Omar, the former Inspector-General and probably the last to command any measure of wide public respect. The home ministry clearly hopes that public respect for Hanif will spill over into respect for the panel and its findings. That is very much doubtful, given that an internal investigation falls far short of a proper public inquiry that the people and the circumstances demand.

What is at stake is not merely a matter of sorting out standard operating procedures, or of training of policemen, or of adherence to standards, or of how teenagers should be brought up.

Aminul's death by shooting is only one incident in a whole string of events that leave the reputation and authority of the entire police force and its leadership under question.

What is really under scrutiny, what really needs to be questioned, is the basis of how the whole police force is managed, how it operates, how it is led, what it regards as its priorities, and how it regards its role in Malaysian society.

Musa Hassan and Khalid Abu Bakar's public statements, and their attitudes to the public and to politicians, leave little doubt that a strong streak of arrogance permeates the police force.

That arrogance led to the scuttling of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, sabotaged by police intransigence and fear of being exposed.

Twenty years ago, the IGP then, Rahim Noor, ruined a professional career by beating up deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in the dungeons of Bukit Aman; the prime minister at the time, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, staunchly defending his man, even suggested that the resulting black eye could have been self-inflicted by Anwar. Had it not been for unrelenting public pressure and public scorn of Mahathir's arrogant and facile explanations, that IGP might have almost got away with it.

For the sake of Malaysian society and the future of all our children, this IGP and his cohort must be called to account. They must not be allowed to get away.

Malays are racist - the rest are Not...


From: reborner

KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Mohd Khir Toyo is wondering why a Malay is swiftly
condemned as a racist while the rest are spared when they champion the
interests of their own race.

The former Selangor menteri besar also questioned MCA and Gerakan's
decision to pin the blame on Malay pressure group Perkasa for the loss
of Chinese support in the Hulu Selangor by-election.

He pointed out that just like the Chinese education movement Dong Jia
Zhong, Perkasa does not have any links with Barisan Nasional or Umno.

“Does this mean that Malay voters would not support a BN candidate
from MCA because of MCA and Gerakan's ties with this organisation
(Dong Jia Zhong)?” he asked.

According to him, MCA and Gerakan should have explained to the Chinese
voters in Hulu Selangor that Perkasa is a non-governmental
organisation which is not affliated to BN.

“Do MCA and Gerakan want to be parties that would balance the need of
the Chinese community with that of the other races by going to the
ground and providing rational explanations.

“Or are they only interested in gaining the support of the Chinese
community by being a champion of that race's interests just like DAP?”
he added in a blog posting.

The Umno leader also failed to understand why his attack on DAP had
led senior leaders in MCA and Gerakan to brand him a racist.

Khir was also perplexed as to how his statement - that the lack of
Chinese support for BN is a sign for the prime minister to review
certain policies - could be construed as racism.

The Sungai Buaya Umno division head had urged Prime Minister Najib Tun
Razak to re-look the '1Malaysia' concept and the New Economic Model.

“BN must find ways to pull in the votes. If existing polices are not
supported, then they must be reviewed. Is this being racist?” he
asked.

Chinese youths easily 'incited' by DAP

In an obvious referrence to Perkasa boss Ibrahim Ali, the former MB
said he had never asked for the Chinese voters to be punished.

“Nobody can be angry at them for not supporting BN. That is their
right,” he added.

Following the April 25 by-election, Ibrahim urged the government to
withhold its election promises for the Chinese community, since an
overwhelming majority voted for the opposition.

Khir explained that he had merely stated his view that the Chinese
support for PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahum was an attempt to strengthen
the Chinese-dominated DAP in Selangor.

“If MCA and Gerakan have a different viewpoint, they should disclose
it. What is odd is that my attack on DAP saw MCA and Gerakan (leaders)
getting riled up,” he said.

Khir said it is MCA and Gerakan's task to explain the BN concept of
power sharing among the various races to the younger generation of
Chinese.

“But is this being done today?” he asked. “How many Chinese youths
actually understand and appreciate this concept?

“I find that most of them are seperated from the historical roots with
regard to the formation of this country and are now easily 'incited'
by DAP,” he added.

Khir's comments come on the heels of Najib's advise to Umno leaders to
play a more significant role in roping in the non-Malay votes,
especially Chinese support.

Confirming this with a news portal today, Khir, who attended the Umno
retreat over the weekend, said the prime minister does not want BN
leaders to confine themselves along racial lines.

The prime minister, said Khir, even suggested that Umno leaders attend
Chinese functions instead of leaving the task to their Chinese
counterparts in BN.

Hishammuddin wants public to praise Police for shooting innocent boy


RAUB: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein wants the people to be fair and not have negative perception of the police force.

He said the death of Aminulrasyid Amzah,15, on Monday should not have been extensively discussed by the public and it had created prejudice towards the police.

"An independent panel to monitor police investigation will be formed. We symphatise with what happened and want justice to take its course," he said when opening the annual general meeting of Umno branches in Cameron Highlands division in Sungai Koyan today.

Hishamuddin urged all quarters to wait for the outcome of the investigation and to stop speculating or politicising the issue.

He criticised some quarters for never for once issued statements that sided with the police.

"People are angry when a member of public is shot but the same can't be said when police are shot. They have no sympathy at all. Is there a difference between the life of the public and policemen?

On the shooting of a Kelantan palace guard, Hishammuddin said police were still investigating the case.

"I have yet to receive a report. Police view the incident seriously," the minister said.

He declined comment when asked whether the shooting case was linked to the palace crisis in Kelantan.

Ramli Mohamad,50, was shot by unidentified assailants while riding his motorcycle at Kampung Sungai Nyior, Palekbang, Tumpat, at 12.25am yesterday.

Aminulrasyid Amzah killed by Malaysian Police for fun


Who will police our policemen?
Public outrage is rightfully getting louder and more visible after the 2am death in a police shooting this week of 15-year-old schoolboy Aminulrasyid Amzah.

The home minister has quickly made himself prominent by ordering an internal inquiry to be headed by his deputy, supposedly an "open and transparent inquiry without any cover-up or bias". That's what he says. We hope he holds to it.

The public are likely to remember that ministers and others in high places loudly insisting they did no wrong were later found to have lied, as in the royal commission into the VK Lingam videos.

And the public will also remember that the commission recommended action be taken to bring those held responsible to trial. And that where the royal commission proposed, the Attorney-General disposed.

Then there is the continuing high-visibility inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock at the offices of a law-enforcement agency.

Going by such past experiences, home minister Hishamuddin Tun Hussein's inquiry will please few except fellow politicians and those concerned merely with upholding a favourable public image of the police force. Unless, of course, it uncovers the truth and firm action results.

So, too, with the Selangor police chief's promise of a "thorough, fair and open" investigation. But it is conducted by the police themselves, behind closed doors.

Another minister, Noh Omar, as deputy Selangor Umno leader, intends to bring the matter up to the Cabinet.

Scepticism over the government's ability to control its own agencies stems from the government's own inadequacies, shown in a variety of events in the past year.

An open question of leadership

Among those that come to mind are the home minister's supine response to a visible threat to public order in the cow's-head demonstration at a mosque in 2009; his feeble responses to events arising from the Allah controversy which were a clear threat to public order; and his near total lack of response to police action against critical publications that pose absolutely no threat to public order.

The Selangor police chief himself has been notorious for finding no wrong in policemen who harrass the public and politicians trying to exercise their god-given right to express themselves freely.

Such government actions clearly smack of seeking political advantage for the ruling administration. They do not provide confidence that the Home Ministry or the police force will uphold as their foremost consideration the interests of the public at large or those of the ordinary citizen.

Will any of these actions quell public suspicions about laxity in the police force, or the administration's lack of will, ability or muscle to bring the police force firmly under civilian control and fully responsible to the task of upholding justice? It remains an open question.

The boy who died this week, Aminulrasyid, had gone out late in his sister's car without the family's knowledge. Depending on whose account you choose to believe, he was shot in the back of the head by police, or struck by a bullet aimed at the car's tyres.

Aminul is only the latest in a string of ordinary people who have died at the hands of the police in suspicious circumstances.

And that is not even taking into account others who died in suspicious circumstances during police action against suspected criminal activity, or while in police custody.

And that is not even taking into account deaths of illegal immigrants or foreign workers.

The death of A Kugan in police custody in January and the sordid and ugly episode of how the authorities handled the family's demands to see his body at the hospital mortuary, the subsequent dispute over post-mortem findings and the horrifying pictures of injuries he suffered are mortifyingly vivid in the public mind.

An open question of accountability

So, too, the accounts of single mother Norizan Salleh in October last year of how she was shot by police five times while travelling in a car with a male friend and another couple.

Two decades ago, another schoolboy, Elmi Tahir, died in a police shooting while out with his girlfriend on his birthday in 1986. Police gave vivid accounts of a wild late-night car chase through the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

They said he died after he was struck by a bullet during the chase. His father revealed that Elmi had been shot at close-range, in the forehead above the right eyebrow. His girlfriend said a policeman standing outside the driver's door had shot Elmi in cold blood.

Few have been brought to account for such deaths.

A decade after Elmi, one policeman faced trial and was later convicted for the death of government doctor Tai Eng Teck in Bandar Tasik Selatan. Tai, like Elmi, died from a police bullet, while in a car, and while out with a woman.

Police officials usually have pat responses. The dead were criminals. They behaved in a suspicious manner. They tried to evade arrest. They resisted arrest. They drove away dangerously. Weapons were later found. Police acted by the rules. The law allows them to defend themselves. And so on and so forth.

The continuing lack of convincing explanations and convincing action by the government will only harden public opinion of the government and its agencies and their motives.

The crux of the matter is whether those in government are willing or able to police themselves. When politicians always seem willing to turn a blind eye to bending the rules when it suits them, what remaining value is there in the word of politicians and officials who promise to uphold law and order?

A sceptical public will only ask: whose law, and on whose orders?