MPSP councillors 'misleading' on telco towers

MPSP councillors 'misleading' on telco towers

Are they ignorant ? misinformed ? or simply couldn't be bothered , ada kang tau

http://pgtelcotowers.blogspot.com/

Raja Petra on PKR's Chances in GE13

Raja Petra on PKR's Chances in GE13

Zaid ex-candidate for PKR No. 2 post says he's had enough

By SIRA HABIBU
sira@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has decided to quit PKR, saying he has had enough of recent turn of events in the party.

"I knew my days in the party were numbered because the leaders were relentlessly making personal attacks against me.

"I am quitting because I want to dissociate myself from liars and cheats. I do not want to be part of a group that propagates lies and does not have any qualms about cheating for as long as the end justifies the means,'' he told The Star.

Zaid, who joined the party in June 2009 after a fallout with Umno, said he would take a short break to "get away from all the attention".

"I am not sick of the party, I am sick of the sick leaders in the party,'' he said.

The former Cabinet member pulled out of the race for the PKR deputy presidency last week, citing the leadership's failure to address allegations of manipulation and fraud in the party election system.

He dropped a bombshell when he asked party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to quit, saying PKR would not be able to implement its reform agenda as long as Anwar and his "preferred" deputy presidency candidate Azmin Ali remained in power.

Zaid said he had been attacked for merely asking for a clean, free and fair party election.

He said that right from the start of polling when he was leading the pack in the race for the No. 2 post, he had been calling on party leaders to seriously look into irregularities in the balloting process.

"How can they blatantly lie that I only made noise after my opponent (Azmin) took the lead on the third day of polling?" he asked.

"They call me a troublemaker, that I am a Trojan horse out to destroy the party. They also accused me of being an Umno agent trying to destroy the party from within.

"I cannot accept all these lies.

"They (PKR leaders) do not take well to criticism. They ‘shoot' the messenger of truth, rather than address the complaints," he added.

According to political observers, Zaid is likely to go on and form his own party.

Ex-member: In truth, PKR does not have 400,000 members

PETALING JAYA: A former PKR leader has accused the party of inflating membership figures to demand "political equity" in Pakatan Rakyat.

Former Selangor PKR secretary Mohd Nazmi Rosli said that having a large pool of members was vital in the seat negotiation process with its allies, the DAP and PAS.

"If PKR's membership is lower than that of those parties, it cannot demand for many seats," he said, alleging that tell-tales signs emerging from the poor voter turnout during the divisional polls showed that the party does not have the 400,000 members that it claims to have.

For example, he said, the Sungai Petani PKR division had boasted 3,222 members but only 202 participated in the polls.

"Likewise, the voter turnout in many of the divisions was barely 5% of the number of members the divisions claim to have," said Mohd Nazmi, adding that the size of the membership was vital in the negotiations for seats.

He also claimed that PKR depended on the PAS machinery in the general and by- elections.

"This is also another sign that PKR does not really have the numbers,'' he said, adding that the party would find it difficult to win seats without the help of PAS.

Despite that, he said, PKR still acted like it was the "boss" in Pakatan.

In the 12th general election, PKR won 31 parliamentary seats, followed by DAP (28) and PAS (23).

PKR won 42 state seats, in contrast with the 83 won by PAS and 71 by the DAP.

Barisan Nasional won 140 out of the 222 parliamentary seats and 307 out of the 505 state seats contested.

'Stop cheating': PKR protesters want polls halted

'Stop cheating': PKR protesters want polls halted

By G Vinod

PETALING JAYA: About 80 people turned up at the PKR headquarters here today in a bid to pressure the party leadership to halt the ongoing party election allegedly marred by irregularities.

The crowd arrived at about 10.30am, led by former PKR deputy presidential aspirant P Jenapala and former Kota Raja division chief, KS Kotappan. They demanded that the controversial party polls be halted and restarted from the division level itself.

“We want the central election committee (CEC) to stop the party polls. If it continues, it will mean that the party is cheating the public,” said Kotappan.

Kotappan claimed there were discrepancies in the last electoral list, which proved the existence of phantom voters.

“The same phantom voters will be voting again for the central leadership election,” he said.

He added that it was unfair that the party was still going through with the polls as the CEC has suspended the results from several divisions.

“There may be others who are interested to run for central leadership positions. How are they going to nominate their candidates now?”he asked.

When asked whether he agreed with supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim's recent outbursts on party de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, and another deputy presidential hopeful, Azmin Ali, Kotappan said there might be some truth in it.

“Zaid is a smart man. I am sure there is truth in his claims,” he said.

On Nov 8, Zaid pulled out from the deputy presidential race in protest against the alleged electoral irregularities. He blamed Anwar and Azmin for the electoral melee and urged them to step down.

'No such position'



Kotappan's sentiments were echoed by Jenapala, who said Anwar had no right to interfere in the election process.

“There is no such position called a de facto leader in the party and he should not get involved in party affairs,” said Jenapala.

He also urged party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to step forward to end the electoral fiasco.

“However, if she wants to remain behind her husband's (Anwar) shadows, then she is not fit as well (to lead),” said Jenapala.

On Zaid's recent outbursts, he said he cannot blame the former law minister as he was also aware of the alleged manipulation in the party polls.

“So far, 162 complaints had been filed but none of them had been investigated,” claimed Jenapala.

Meanwhile, a group of youths claiming to be PKR members, said they did not know why they were brought to the party headquarters.

“All I know was that someone called Anand asked me to tag along with the crowd,” claimed R Logan, 19, who was joined by his friend, S Yuganathan 19.

Kamisah Ripin, 75, also said she has no idea what the protest was all about, and that she came just to show “support”.

“They told me to come show 'support'. So I came along,” said Kamisah.

When queried on the matter, Jenapala said while there might be some people “planted” in the crowd, almost everyone knew why they participated in the protest.

“Maybe they were not briefed earlier but they are all PKR members,” claimed Jenapala.

The crowd dispersed peacefully at about 12 noon.

Tombstone protest: PKR Wanita leaders threaten to quit

Sun, 14 Nove 2010 21:53

By Rahmah Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR was thrown into more turmoil when some Wanita leaders prostested and threatened to quit the party after they claimed they were barred from voting during the Lembah Pantai party polls today.

And they are willing to cross over and join former contender in the deputy presidential race Zaid Ibrahim should he decide to form a new party.

The protest also took a bizarre turn when the protesters carried a tombstone to symbolise the demise of the party if the problems are not solved soon.

PKR is already reeling from allegations of discrepancies and fraud in the conduct of the nationwide polls for the number two slot, and the latest episode is not helping the party regain credibility among its members.

Pantai Murni Wanita branch chief Fauziah Manap, who led the protest during the Lembah Pantai elections, claimed that they were not allowed to vote as disciplinary action has been taken against them for speaking to the press.

Angry and frustrated, she said she and some 200 members from the branch were willing to follow Zaid should he decide to set up a breakaway party.

“My name was first listed as a voter during the previous branch election, but today my name is no longer there. It says I have been suspended. If a new party is formed by Zaid, God willing, I will join ,” she told reporters.

Zaid recently announced his withdrawal from the deputy presidential contest, citing irregularities and discrepancies in the ongoing party polls. He has also resigned from all PKR posts.

He claimed that his rival and frontrunner Azmin Ali and de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had contributed to the electoral mess and demanded their resignation.

He also said he might form a new party if he was sacked.

Nurul Izzah under fire

The protesters added some drama when they carried the tombstone as a symbolic warning to the top leaders that the party would be buried if they fail to solve the crisis.

“This is a warning to Lembah Pantai PKR. If the matter is not resolved and if change fails to take place, we will bury the party with this tombstone,” said a member.

They also took a swipe at Nurul Izzah Anwar, the Lembah Pantai division chief and a contender for a vice-president's post.

Pantai Murni branch chief, Mohd Hassan Mohd Tahor, said Nurul has failed to meet the disgruntled members to untangle the knotty issue.

“She has not come to meet us. We are treated like enemies. Is it wrong for her to come and greet us? We work hard for her. We don’t want her money. We just want to be respected, that is all,” he said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact Nurul have been futile.

A total of 41 divisions have gone to the polls today, where all eyes are focused on on several “hot” divisions in the Federal Territories and Selangor.

Suu Kyi's release welcomed cautiously

Suu Kyi's release welcomed cautiously

YANGON - World leaders are welcoming Myanmar's release of democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi (ahng sahn soo chee) but are also calling it a reminder that the country's military government still has a long way to go in restoring human rights.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Suu Kyi for her "dignity and courage in the face of injustice." Calling her a hero, President Barack Obama said Suu Kyi represents a political opposition that "has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes."

Amnesty International estimates that more than 2,200 political prisoners remain jailed by the military junta.

British Prime Minister David Cameron calls Nobel Peace Prize laureate an inspiration for all "who believe in freedom of speech, democracy and human rights."

One exiled dissident says Suu Kyi's release could prove pivotal in revitalizing and reorganizing Myanmar's opposition.

Her international counsel is sounding a note of caution. He points out that she's been released three times before and nothing fundamentally changed in the country. - AP

Related Stories:

• Myanmar frees democracy icon Suu Kyi
• Suu Kyi's release welcomed cautiously

The rise of China and the downfall of Malaysia

The rise of China and the downfall of Malaysia

Sam Chee Kong

LETTER Now I know why all the Malaysian talents are no returning home to work. Even with the government’s Talent Corp, with the objective to reach out to those talents it will be a failure if there is no meritocracy in government decision making process. Forget about getting them home, you are just buying the person but not their heart and you cant keep them foe long… Learn your lesson from NBIS China and Stem Cell Research Singapore !!!

China is an inventing nation. China is the nation that invented printing,fork, drum, silk, gunpowder, paper,umbrellas ,rice cultivation, wheels and a whole lot of other things. China’s history is littered with war and famine, so you can expect the Chinese to be tough and been there and done that sort of thing. After thousands of years under the rule of dynasties and finally Communist China, chaos upon chaos and finally under Chairman Mao, China began its nation building.

Nation building is also refers to constructing the national identity using the power of the state. It involves the unification of its people so that the state is politically stable and sustainable in the future for development. China addresses this problem very well and it has built a patriotic , hard working and educated workforce. The key to developing a nation’s wealth is developing your human resources and at the same time educate them and built up your middle class while at the same time developing your science and technology base. So it is not surprising to see China takes the lead in this century. Whereas in Bolehland we are still searching for our very own identity through the launching of the 1Malaysia concept which nobody understands. On one side the government is promoting 1Malaysia and on the other side it reassures the Malays that its right will be preserved no matter what. China is also a living prove of what can be achieved when a Communist nation embraces capitalism. As a nation they have syncronised the chaos into a force to be reckoned with. Even the West has accepted the fact that the Chinese are smarter, more hardworking, obliging and its immense pride to collectively build a nation. Unlike our politicians who have lied and lied about our country with all the manipulated data and facts, instead of informing us about all these seismic changes around the world.

A few years ago there was a survey done by The Economist concerning car ownership in China, India, France and USA. As predicted USA has more than 1000 cars, France 762, China 11 and India 7 for every 1000 people. Just only last year China has became the biggest car market in the world!! According to China Daily in the first 10 months car sales were up 34% from last year…. BMW has already fulfilled its target of 112,000 cars for this year in September, Mercedes sold over 101,000 units and Rolls Royce sold more of its cars in China than the US and last month Jaguar/Landrover has just open a new dealership in China. Today’s Communist China isn’t the same as 1980s Communist Russia where you will have trouble getting your hands on a fur coat ! The demand for luxury goods in China is growing at an exponential pace. Luxury items makers such as LV, Prada, Gucci, Coach and etc reported more than 100% annual growth for the past few years. It has come to the point where Western products has to customize to suit the Chinese needs and taste like longer leg rooms at the back seat for Rolls Royce coz most of them are chaufered driven so the bosses need extra leg room !! Ha ha!

Another thing to be noted is the amount of research articles published by Chinese scientist. It is reported that China has jumped to number 2 – up from 14th in 1995, in the number of articles publish in the science and technology journals worldwide such as IEEE, Nanotech, Applied Physics and etc. It is an open secret that the majority of the PHD students in the hard sciences enrolled in elite US universities (Ivy League) are Chinese. It is these PHD graduates that will do most of the research. It should be noted that a lot of the Microsoft patents came from its Beijing Labs. By far China’s most successful research institution is the National Institute for Biological Sciences or NBIS which is responsible for half of China’s Scientific publication.. The Institute’s 23 main investigators, director and deputy director are all RETURNEES from the United States. Quote one of its principal investigators : “ If I stayed in America the chances of making a discovery is slimmer, here people take risk, they give you money and you can essentially do whatever you want ” For your information you can check on China’s worldwide patent application fillings on www.economywatch,com . Patents are actually a measure of technological prowness and innovation. Nations that file the largest number of patens are the home to innovatve corporations and Nobel Prize winners. It wont be long you will see Chinese Nobel prize winners. No wonder there are so many first coming out of China nowadays. The fastest Supercompter title belongs to the Chinese (Tianhe-1A) running at the speed of 2.5 petaflops which is equivalent to power of 175,000 high end laptops. The fastest bullet train belongs to the Chinese (CRH360) with a top speed of 262 miles leaving the japs and germans far behind. And these are indigenious technologies locally grown. What happen to our car industry? With all the money throwing into the national car industry after 20 over years we ended up being a ‘BETTER CAR ASSEMBLER’ than our neighbours. It is a case of throwing ‘GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD MONEY’. And with all our governments ridiculous project or so call wealth showing projects like building sky scrapers, NORTH-SOUTH-EAST-WEST corridors ended up in no DOORs how to improve? How can we catch up with others? I just came back from Vietnam last month and let me tell you guys the amount of FDI going into the country is incredible. These are not ‘hot money’ but real economy kind of investment – build factories, infrastructure and things that can create jobs.

The amount of development that is going on there is mind boggling. In HCMC there are no less than 30 high rise cranes working on new buildings and will have its 68 floor bitexco tower opened this month. And Hanoi is building a 104 storey tower reputed to be the second tallest after Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Another thing is that China hold the whole world at ransom in July this year by banning all its Rare Earth Materials. Rare earth materials are a collection of 17 minerals found at the bottom of the periodic table. China controls 95% of the world supply. These rare earth includes cerium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum and etc are used in our daily lives such as handphones, laptops,camera lenses, flat screen tv, x-ray machines , guided missiles systems, oil refineries and etc. By banning the exports of these materials China indirectly impede the growth and development of many things. Fortunately there are 2 other companies in the world that will have the capability to produce some to offset the Chinese ban. One is the Lynas Corp from Western Australia which have a mine in KUANTAN MALAYSIA and it will start production by end of next year, while the other is Molycorp from California. How their combine output added up to around 40-50,000 tons which is still way below the global demand of 250,000 tons. Unsurprisingly the shares of both of these companies jump multiple folds since the July ban. Lynas was trading at somewhere 38cents in July and the high of the year was $1.69 (ASX) and shares of Molycorp are more than double now.

It is also a wrong misconception that China’s success is due to its Cheap Labour, yes that was probably 15 years ago. However the next megatrend will be the growth of the Chinese Research & Development. The Chinese will be able to apply the same cost advantage in its manufacturing towards Research & Development in no time. If you notice currently the global telecoms equipment sector is now dominated by 2 chinese companies (about 65% of new installations) notably Huawei . Western countries are buying these Chinese equipment not because its cheap but also it is good !! In a recent electric car trade show in Shenzhen there is this Chinese R&D company that reinvented the battery. Their battery last twice longer, much more power , half the existing battery weight and 100% recycleable. This is going to change the face of the global automobile market. With its low cost R&D, product development and manufacturing, which country can match China? It will continue to dominate the world for decades to come !!! In the End it is the Communist China that won the battle of capitalism.!!

So when will China overtake US as the number one economy in the world? As predicted China will overtake Uncle Sam ‘s economy in two years in terms of PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) It wont be long as China’s opponent is embrace with an insolvent banking system, high unemployment rate , homeless population, high foreclosure rate and with 40 million people on food stamps and its Federal Reserve printing money out of thin air. Over here in China, its economy is growing at a 10% pace annually. Haha !!

And if you think its easy for you to access the Chinese Market. If your company owns certain patents they will demand access to it and furthermore train their people on how to use your technology so that they can reverse engineer it the moment you open shop. Just ask car manufacturer Peugeot on the difficulty and pain in working with the Chinese.

China is also quietly building up its military and I believe it is currently making use of the financial crisis to extend its geopolitical and economic sphere of influence in Asia and beyond.. China is already refurbishing an ex Russian aircraft carrier (Varyag) due to completed in 2012 and building 2 other 50,000 to 60,000 ton carriers due to complete in 2015. When completed China will have what they called a ‘BLUE WATER NAVY’ . This means Chinese navy are capable of operating across deep waters of the oceans and also able to launch a nuclear attack from anywhere in the world. Moreover recent developments in the Chinese missiles technology caught most western powers off guard. For example a few years back China conducted a successful anti satellite missile test. It use a modified DF-21 (Dong Feng) ballistic missile mounted with the kinetic kill vehicle to intercept the satellite.

Another recent development is the Chinese ASBM or anti ship ballistic missile the DF-21A which is designed to launch from land and can penetrate the most advance defence from any MOVING aircraft carriers. The carrier battle group used to be the ‘untouchables’ will no longer hold and it will make the US aircraft carrier battle fleets a sitting duck. When these multiple warhead ballistic missiles homing into these battle groups, there is nothing they can do to stop it. Even if it explode in mid air, imagine a nuclear warhead explode in the vicinity of the fleet, it will just vaporized the entire fleet.

So in the end what can we learn from China? Nation building and how can we harness the power of the people as one so that we can build a solid and sustainable economic development. So how to start nation building when our country’s political and its social is in a mess and biased? It will take many years before we can even talk about sustainable development without first implement a much fairer and equitable racial policies. Who wants to work full-heartedly when you know that the govt policies are biased to a certain group in terms of promotions and opportunities. We have to get our act together and implement meritocracy policies in all govt policies be it education, public procurement, jobs and etc. As for a better education system look no further than New Zealand. Their system is based on meritocracy and survival of the fittest.. Over there schools survived mostly on govt grants. How much grants the school gets depends on its academic performance. The better the school the higher the enrolment and hence more grants. No bloody Maoris, Aborigine, White only kind of bullshit as practice over here. If you are no good then enroll in a not so Ivy League school that require lower application points. The schools that are not doing too well had to manage with what they get from the grants and if enrolment keep droping then they have to lay off teachers. This is what I called ‘survival of the fittest’ as the NZ govt put it clearly that they will not bail out schools that are not performing and they will have to sort out their own mess !!! In Malaysia everybody seems to be spoon fed.. As for myself I have difficulty getting locals to work. Reasons are too long hours, too little money, too boring lah, not my type of work and etc.. With this type of attitude how can we progress? Don’t bloody talk to me about implementing minimum wages with this type of efficiency ..

I am amused at those politicians chanting bullish things about how well their economy is doing and stuff like that. They know nuts about what’s going on in the world economy. I believe now we are in the eye of a mega storm waiting to explode. If you are a student of economics you should heard about the Kondratieff 60 years cycle. It was invented by the Russian economist named Nikolai Kondratieff. It track the long waves of the boom and bust cycle of the world economy. By its calculation we are now already at the truning point of the bust cycle starting from 2008. A normal cycle can last up to 12 years so we still have another 10 years to endure before we see the better of things returning. The crisis we are facing now make the crisis of 2008 like a walk in the park. Bernanke thinks that he can get away by pump priming the economy with more money printing out of thin air through QE2. He belongs to the Keynesian school of economics whereby they believe in expansionary monetary policies to spend your way out of a recession. Bull Shit ! He ain’t going to solve any problems with QE2. QE2 will cause inflation, hot money and currency wars among nations. What is needed is more of a contractionary monetary policy whereby it need to spend less and save more to pay its awful $13 trillion debts. Instead he should pursue the more conservative policies from the Austrian School of Economics. Does this sounds familiar with what our government is doing right now? You cannot put out a fire by pouring more fuel into it !! FULL STOP !! You guys having seen anything yet until the crisis unleash its anger. What I am doing now is getting myself as low a gearing as possible, pay off as much debts as possible…

Now I know why all the Malaysian talents are no returning home to work. Even with the government’s Talent Corp, with the objective to reach out to those talents it will be a failure if there is no meritocracy in government decision making process. Forget about getting them home, you are just buying the person but not their heart and you can't keep them foe long… Learn your lesson from NBIS China and Stem Cell Research Singapore !!!

'Dictator' Chua – a general without soldiers

'Dictator' Chua – a general without soldiers

By FMT Staff

BATU PAHAT: Serious trouble is brewing down south with allegations of gangsterism and incompetency against PKR state chairman Chua Jui Meng.

In open defiance, 18 division leaders met with reporters here and spewed their angst over Chua's “dictatorial” and “destructive” rule.

"He is a dictator and has destroyed Johor PKR and Pakatan Rakyat," said Saiman Marjuki, spokesman for the group.

Brandishing banners bearing words chastising Chua's leadership style and judgment, the group, which represented 18 of the 26 divisions in the state, said they were fed up with the former health minister's arrogance and arbitrary selection of candidates for state posts.

Saiman said that two weeks ago Chua held a state PKR meeting and announced appointments to state posts without first discussing it with the divisional leaders.

“Those who know Chua got posts even without the divisional leaders meeting to discuss the appointments.

"He thinks he is right but in fact he is a general without soldiers," said Saiman, adding that gangsterism was also now rearing its ugly head in the party .

"I myself have received two threatening SMSes asking me to leave the party. For my own safety, I have reported these SMSes to the police," added Saiman.

'MCA mentality'

On the presidential polls, Saiman said Chua had further shown his “MCA mentality” when he asked the members to vote for Azmin Ali (for the deputy presidency).

“During the PKR elections, Chua called for a meeting and asked us to support Azmin. This is not right.

"As chairman he should not be taking sides in this tussle," said Saiman who also took offence to Chua's recent statement in the media equating PKR politics to that of MCA and BN.

"Recently, Chua issued a statement saying that the situation in PKR was the same as in MCA and Umno.

"He should not have said it. He should not have touched on MCA because it only shows that he has himself brought into PKR, the MCA and BN culture as if we don't have our own leadership styles," said Saiman, who is PKR Sembrong divisional chief.

Johor is the Barisan Nasional fortress that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition is aiming to bring down in the 13th general election.

In wrong company , heellooo Datuk , time for you to either call it a day or follow Zaid's footsteps .PKR is NOT the party for you , they are the same as DAP, ruled by the Father and Son . Even Karpal as Chairman has limited voice . Everything is dictated by Party Advicers .

Big Big Mistake you have made . I am aware that you know who is posting this message .

Self immolation of Puchong hindu devotee’s root cause is PKR, DAP and PAS denying state land to all hindu temples, cemeteries, Tamil schools and Indian villages.

Self immolation of Puchong hindu devotee’s root cause is PKR, DAP and PAS denying state land to all hindu temples, cemeteries, Tamil schools and Indian villages.

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241

Fax : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245

Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-Mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Date : 9/11/2010

YB. Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim,

Paramount Leader PKR,

Parti Keadilan Rakyat Fax No: 03 7885 0531

No. 11, Jalan Bukit Segambut Dalam

Kuala Lumpur

YAB Lim Guan Eng

Chief Minister of Penang

Secretary General DAP,

c/o Pejabat Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Fax No: 04- 2613003

Tingkat 28, KOMTAR 10503, Puala Pinang.

Dato Seri Hadi Awang

President PAS Fax: 03-26938399

318A, Jalan Raja Laut,

50350 Kuala Lumpur

Dear Sirs,

Re : Self immolation of Puchong hindu devotee’s root cause is PKR, DAP and PAS denying state land to all hindu temples, cemeteries, Tamil schools and Indian villages.

We refer to the above matter and our numerous letters to your goodselves on the aforesaid matter including our public protest outside the PKR Headquarters in Tropicana on 7/3/10 but regretfully to no avail.

Section 76 of the National Land Code in effect empowers (100%) especially the PKR, DAP and PAS State governments of Selangor, Penang and Kedah to alienate state land for public purposes.

The B.N government in the previous 50 years has refused to grant state land to the poor Malaysian Indian hindu temples, cemeteries, tamil schools and Indian villages (but deemed squatters) as they had granted to all the Masjids, suraus, muslim cemeteries and Malay schools.

Hindraf gave the political directions and with 90% of the Indians voting for the Opposition, PKR, DAP and PAS became the ruling state governments in Selangor, Penang and Kedah on the promise of Change. But change has not been forthcoming despite PKR, DAP and PAS ruling Selangor, Penang and Kedah for over 2 ½ years now.

To add insult to injury, the UMNO/BN’s Indian mandore syatem of “kosong” and nothing in black and white land here and land there for hindu temples, cemeteries, tamil schools and Indian villages is continuing under the PKR, DAP and PAS said rule.

The UMNO/BN Selangor State government demolished the ancient Kg Karupaiah Padang Jawa hindu temple one week before Deepavali in 2007 and within months lost power in Selangor. But even the now PKR led Selangor state government has not granted a suitable land to rebuild this hindu temple. As usual it is the aforesaid usual ‘kosong’ promise of a land and that too under a hazardous Telecoms Tower mere Tamil newspaper announcement by the Selangor Indian Exco mandore and even than it is not in black and white.

There is a government reserve land next to this Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. (see The Starmetro 9/11/10 at page M4). But as usual only a temporary piecemeal solution to temporarily relocate part of the temple to the state government reserve land next to this temple has been suggested by that too a mere PKR Councillor mandore despatched to the scene by the Menteri Besar of Selangor.

Why didn’t the PKR led Selangor State government relocate part of this hindu temple to this reserve land and grant land title thereto in the first place, for which there would have been no need nor necessity for this demolishment and self immolation in the first place.

Why these a la UMNO/B.N “temporary” and piecemeal solutions through the their Indian Exco and Councillor mandores. Why not a genuine and permanent land titles and gazetting the same accordingly solution.

On 15th September 2009. (Malaysiakinitoday) a Kampong Buah Pala Villager Madam R. Indirani had similarly attempted to self immolate herself by dousing herself with kerosene when the Penang DAP state government were demolishing Kg. Buah Pala the last traditional Indian village in Penang.

Yesterday’s self immolation by Chakra Guna (52) is only the tip of the iceberg of the Indian poor’s pain suffering and heartache in being denied permanent land for all their Hindu temples cemeteries, Tamil schools and Indian villages (deemed squatters) by especially the PKR, DAP and PAS state governments of Selangor, Penang and Kedah. Why go far? Even this SJK (T) Castlefield and this Srinivasa Perumal temple in issue here has been denied state government land to start off with.

Fear of losing malay muslim votes by granting the Indian poor land cannot possibly be a part of the change PKR, DAP and PAS had promised in the 8th March general elections. So where is the change?

Kindly therefore grant and alienate state land to all existing hindu temples, hindu cemeteries, tamil schools and Indian villages (deemed squatters) in the states of Selangor, Penang and Kedah for there to be a domino effect in the B.N ruled states.

To this effect we urgently seek an appointment with your goodselves to amicably resolve this long outstanding state government land problem to all the poor Malaysian Indians.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

………………..

P. Uthayakumar

Secretary General (pro tem)

Outside parties, sore losers, third force and two-party system

Outside parties, sore losers, third force and two-party system

Many say that Malaysia is not ready for a third force and that we first need to see the emergence of a two-party system. Now, before we debate this point we need to clarify certain matters and see whether we are on the same wavelength as far as the meaning of these things are concerned.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Anwar: No reason to entertain "outside parties" and "sore losers": said Malaysia Chronicle. You can read the news item here (http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/2010/11/anwar-no-reason-to-entertain-outside.html)

There is much talk lately about third force and two-party system. Now we have outside parties and sore losers as well.

I don’t know whether we are on the same wavelength as to what these words and phrases mean. So that we can engage in an intelligent discussion on the matter, I think we must first clear up whether we are of the same mind as to the meaning of all these things.

For example, when you say someone is a fundamentalist, you may actually mean that he or she is an extremist -- whereas to the person in question a fundamentalist is someone who follows the true and fundamental teachings of the religion. Therefore, to the first person, a fundamentalist is a negative thing (something not quite right with that person’s brain) whereas to the second it is positive (they are a purist).

Again, when you say someone is a liberal, to one person it is positive (this person is reasonable and modern thinking) whereas to another person it would be considered as deviant beliefs (not following the teachings too strictly and straying from the correct path).

A non-Muslim would look at a Muslim who drinks wine as good (this means the person is a liberal Muslim) whereas a fellow Muslim would not share that view -- it would be considered bad. So liberal can be both good and bad depending on where you stand.

So, now that we understand how words and phases can be perceived differently by different people, let us get back to the issue.

What would you consider as outside parties? Would Malaysians who voted for a certain political party in the last general election and who would like to see that particular party succeed be considered as outside parties?

What would you consider as sore losers? Would people who are not contesting the party election but would like to see a well-run election because this is the first one-man-one-vote party election in Malaysian history be considered as sore losers?

Okay, the next two issues are feedback I have received. Many say that Malaysia is not ready for a third force and that we first need to see the emergence of a two-party system. Now, before we debate this point we need to clarify certain matters and see whether we are on the same wavelength as far as the meaning of these things are concerned.

What is a third force?

What is a two-party system?

Does Malaysia have a two-party system or two coalitions of 17 parties?

Would a two-coalition system qualify as a two-party system?

Would a third force work opposed to a two-party system?

If so, in what way does a third force work opposed to a two-party system?

Would a third force complement a two-party system?

If so, in what way does a third force complement a two-party system?

Can a two-party system be easier achieved without the presence of a third force?

If so, how can a two-party system be easier achieved without the presence of a third force?

How would the third force hinder the emergence of a two-party system?

How do we achieve a two-party system? How would we do it and what is the formula?

A Punjabi lawyer working in UK wrote to his wife in India...



Dear Sunita Darling,

I can't send you my salary this month because the global market crisis has affected my Company's performance, so I am sending 100 kisses. You are my sweetheart, please adjust.

Your loving husband, Tiuna Singh


His wife replied...



TINKU KE PAPPA ,

Thanks for the 100 kisses. Below is the list of expenses I paid with the Kisses...:

1. The Milk man Kepala Pu Singh agreed on 2 kisses for one month's milk.

2. The electricity man, Gobind Singh, agreed not to disconnect only after 7 kisses.

3. Your landlord Kapal Singh comes every day to take 2 or 3 kisses instead of the monthly rent.

4. Supermarket owner Jagdeep Singh did not accept kisses only, so I gave him other items, I hope you understand..

5. Miscellaneous expenses 40 kisses.

Please don't worry about me, I still have a balance of 35 kisses and I hope I can survive the month using this balance...

Shall I plan the same for the next month?

Your Sweet Heart,
Kuchi Kuchi

Reasons why BN won Galas

BY TERENCE FERNANDEZ
AND MARIA J. DASS
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

BY noon, the drove of PAS supporters going into the polling centres in Kampung Baru and
Sg Terah seemed a bad omen for the Barisan Nasional supporters.

“At the moment, it doesn’t look very good,” said an Umno supporter outside SJKC Kampung Baru, his forecast compounded by a Special Branch officer who said BN was still in
for a slim win. However, by the time the orang asli votes were counted, it was evident BN had recaptured Galas. PAS only retained its Sg Terah stronghold by a reduced majority of 266.
PAS’s Dr Zulkefli Mohamed had, in fact, entered the premises of Dewan Sivik but made a U-turn
when told it was not going to be PAS’s night.
Even Kelantan Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed was surprised by BN’s 1,190 vote majority compared with the 646-majority the late Chek Hashim Sulaima gained for PAS in the last general election. So, what turned the tide for BN? Capitalising on the Ladang Rakyat issue and the loss of ancestral land played a huge part in garnering the orang asli votes.

Zulkefli was wiped out in all the six orang asli polling centres, obtaining just 321 votes to Ab Aziz
Yusoff’s 1,322. Of course, allegations already hurled were that the votes were not counted at the polling centres but flown to Dewan Sivik, where “anything could have happened up there”. But, then, how does one explain the 8% swing in Malay support from PAS to BN, the 60% Chinese support and 90% Indian backing?

One should not use the cliché “the people know only the BN can bring development”. It all has
to do with personality. Ab Aziz, 49, a local boy and much fitter than the 44-year-old Zulkefli, worked his charm from dawn till dusk. Zulkefli’s reserved style did not go down well with the voters. “I don’t like it if I cannot read a person,” said one voter, comparing Ab Aziz’s firm
handshake to Zulkefli’s lembik (weak) one.
The voters took to the personal touch of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, whose name alone used to be enough to win elections. Mustapa accompanied him and, together, they were the “silent killers”.
Loud and aggressive styles of campaigning, once the hallmark of Umno, was replaced by
the gentle one-on-one style of Ku Li and Tok Pa. Umno leaders deemed “aggressive” were persona non grata in Gua Musang. But the irony was that the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders were resorting to personal attacks and namecalling.

Tags like calon jahat (villain) or bodoh (stupid), kurang pendidikan (uneducated) were freely used in the ceramah – but they were responded with nervous laughter and even jeers from the
largely Malay audience, who did not take kindly to the mengumpat (gossip) culture of speaking ill of your neighbour.

While the BN banked on local issues close to constituents’ hearts, like housing and land grants, PAS only had stale national issues to play on. “What has Teoh Beng Hock got to do with Galas?” asked one Malay voter. One Chinese shopkeeper voted for BN, saying she was put off by the aggressive style of campaigners representing Teoh. There were a total of 2,317 Chinese voters.

Only the DAP would resort to the constant harping of the Teoh Beng Hock issue as a political issue . The case is pending at the coroners inquest and what is the purpose of bringing it to Galas ? Has the DAP run out of ideas how to fight the BN ? or have they run out of issues ? Is TBH really that big to bring down a govt ? when it concerns the MACC or is it a case of suicide ?

Why didn't the PAS people bring the Aminulrasyid case to Galas ? and demand justice for him since he was shot dead by the police ? another govt agency ? Why is it that this was not done ? The answer lies simply in not throwing mud at an imaginary target and not to politicise it . In this case they are smart not to throw mud at one's own race but not the TBH supporters who have been USED by the morons within the DAP .

Creating disturbances during the MCA ceramah is liken to gate crashing as the issue is whether he committed suicide or was he intentionally or accidentally pushed ? And that is for the coroner to decide whether the MACC has a hand in it . But what has it got to do with the MCA ? It goes to show that the DAP has no substance let alone govern the country , perhaps they are good and experts at creating disturbances , mischief , slander , spins issues to their advantage and to blacken the govt .

Even 165 of the 185 Indian votes had returned to the BN. The tarring of a road to Sri Subramanyaswamy Alayam here three days before polling day and a string of Deepavali functions could have swung the Indian votes in favour of BN.
There were no such gesture from PAS, other than banners wishing “Happy Deepavali”.

There was none in Penang by DAP. No Open House !.While the DAP claims to represent the Indians , there was no Deepavali open house hosted by Lim Guan Eng or the DAP or for that matter the State Government .

Many say the ghosts of 2008 have been exorcised for BN. But will Galas end up like Ijok, where there was a different outcome in the general election? The political manoeuverings in the
background made it an intriguing by election. What kind of strategy was the
BN employing by approving the 5 sen hike in fuel two days before polling day? Is there truth to talk that a loss for the BN is a necessary evil to rid of Ku Li once and for all?

On the 5 Sen hike in fuel prices it was never an issue , since it only affected Ron 97 which was mainly for the high end cars ie luxury cars and high performance cars and for foreign registered cars .

That PAS was facing a BN onslaught by its on-again-off- again ally may have factored in the silence of any attack against Ku Li. After all, if it wants to remain strong in Kelantan and realise the dream of capturing Putrajaya, PAS cannot alienate Ku Li completely. Hence, for PAS, it was a case of the proverbial telan mati ayah, ludah mati ibu
and gravely altered their style of campaign, with nary a mention on oil royalty , something that both PAS and Ku Li agree on. As for Ku Li, if Galas had proven anything, it is that he has to roll up his sleeves to earn votes. He was not this visible even during his own campaign but the message that he sends his own partyis that he is still a force to reckon with.

My comment highlighted .

Zaid Quits Race For PKR No 2, All Party Posts

Monday, 08 November 2010 11:40

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has quit the PKR deputy presidential race saying the party "leadership actively condone malpractices and electoral fraud to achieve its designed objectives."

"I wish to announce my withdrawal as a candidate from the contest of deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and my resignation from all posts held in the party," said Zaid in a statement Monday.

Zaid also resigned as the party's political bureau member, Federal Territory chief and Wangsa Maju chief.

He said he decided to pull out of the No 2 due to blatant vote manipulation.

He said "there is no attempt on the part of the party leadership to address the various issues of manipulation and unfair electoral practices, although these issues were raised repeatedly.

"It is of utmost disappointment that I am unable to continue in this flawed election process," he said.

Earlier, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had denied claims of vote manipulation despite numerous complaints of irregularities during divisions as well as central party polls.

Below is the full text of Zaid's statement.

" I wish to announce my withdrawal as a candidate from the contest of Deputy President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and my resignation from all posts held in the party.

"I was offered to join this party under the belief that I could promote enlightened and progressive politics; nurture and develop principled political values and culture that I consider indispensable to the development of democracy and good governance in this country. I was mistaken.

"Over the course of the party elections, events have shown that the leadership actively condones malpractices and electoral fraud to achieve its designed objectives.

"I am certain that any political party with such hypocritical and false values will not be able to offer meaningful reforms to the people of this country.

"I have made this decision because there is no attempt on the part of the party leadership to address the various issues of manipulation and unfair electoral practices, although these issues were raised repeatedly.

"I wish to thank all the members who have supported me and placed their faith in the cause of reform.

"It is of utmost disappointment that I am unable to continue in this flawed election process.

"I remain committed to the Opposition’s cause and will continue to speak about the issues of the common people.

"Together, we will continue our unabated struggle towards a better government for the people.

"Finally, I hope those adoring fans of Anwar Ibrahim will no longer regard me as a “spoiler” standing in the way of their march to Putrajaya. I wish them well."

Indeed, Who Is Lying?

Monday, 08 November 2010 01:33

At 6.34pm today, to the ‘PKR Secretariat responds’ post, Potblack sent in the following comment :

“Bro Haris, Please be responsible in your reporting. Either the Sec.Gen or your informer is telling a lie.So can you tell us honestly whether there is any possibilty that your informer is using you to destroy the creditbility of the PKR elections?”

Potblack, I’m going to try and answer you.

Before I address the Sec-Gen’s statement today, let me just draw your attention to and comment on a statement that appeared in The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

“PKR has denied prominent social activist Haris Ibrahim’s claims that ballot papers for the on-going party election is available outside the polls for cheating by Azmin Ali’s camp, saying those in the lawyer’s possession are from the previous weekend’s voting…

“The problem is, that is the old ballot. This week’s ballot is a different colour,” a senior PKR official told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.

It is understood that party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution will issue a statement on the matter as soon as possible. He is also due to announce this weekend’s results on Monday” – Malaysian Insider.

The ballot papers that I disclosed in my post yesterday ‘is the old ballot’, according to a senior PKR official.

The question of how I and the informant came to be in possession of this ‘old ballot’ has not been addressed.

This is an important question that has gone unanswered.

The very fact of my possession of the same contradicts the very first statement quoted.

At 2pm today, I met and had coffee with Dr Molly Cheah, the chairperson of the PKR central election committee, the body tasked with the duty of ensuring that the ongoing PKR elections is indeed free and fair.

I met her to hand over the copies of the ballot papers received from the informant, the serial numbers duly removed.

Interestingly, this was the first she was actually seeing the ballot papers.

It is for her now to verify, if she cares to, if these were indeed from the batch of ballot papers printed by HQ for use in weekend No.1 of the party elections, from 29th October to 31st October..

And if so, how then did I, who have no role to play in this electoral process, and the informant who had in his possession at least 100 of the same and claimed to have access to more than 1,000, come to be in possession of these if the central election committee have the ballot papers intended for use in all 4 weekend elections secured under lock and key?

Or, as appears to be the case, is the safekeeping of these ballot papers now entrusted to staff at the Secretariat who were intended to assist the central election committee on administrative matters, and no more?

If so, what other duties and functions of the central election committee have been assumed or, worse, seized, by these Secretariat staff?

Who is overseeing the elections, in truth?

If it is not the central election committee, then who?

The Secretariat staff again?

Free and fair elections overseen by Secretariat staff, then, and not Molly Cheah and her committee, anymore?

How convenient!

Potblack, in my post yesterday, I wrote that the informant explained that the central election committee returning officer could manipulate the list of members attending at the ongoing elections, where voter turnout is low, adjust it upwards and stuff additional ballot papers into the ballot box.

Saifuddin, in his press statement speaks of 5 security features : serial numbers, stamp of the Election Officer, different colour paper used for each week’s ballot papers, presence of candidates counting agents, and a tallying sheet.

Who is lying, you ask, Potblack?

“Zaid’s political secretary Rashid Azad Khan said the polls should be called off in view of allegations of irregularities and claims of phantom voters.

“For example, our polling agent reported that the voter turnout in Kubang Pasu was only 84.

“But the initial vote tally showed that Azmin clinched 80 votes while Zaid garnered 76 votes.

“Where did the additional 72 votes come from? Could they be phantom voters?’’ he asked.

Rashid also said the agents had reported that there was a 30-minute blackout immediately after balloting ended at 4pm Friday.

“Candidates’ agents were not allowed in, and the ballot boxes were not sealed at the time,’’ he claimed, adding one of the election officer was caught on camera wearing Azmin’s campaign badge raising questions over their impartiality.

Rashid claimed that following complaints, the election monitor decided that the Kubang Pasu result should be a tie of 81-81.

“I am appalled. How can the results simply be amended?’’ he asked” - The Star

Now, before I am accused of selectively believing the mainstream media, I have checked this story with Zaid’s political secretary, Rashid Azad Khan, who confirms the same.

Rashid also confirms that the Zaid team have evidence in hand of the fraud in Kubang Pasu and had communicated this to Saifuddin.

Rashid says that Saifuddin promised to see them but has reneged on the promise to this day.

PKR Deputy President Ballot Paper

This is the ballot paper that would have been used in the Kubang Pasu election on 29th October.

Potblack, Saifuddin will hold his usual press conference tomorrow at 11.30am at PKR HQ.

Ask him about Kubang Pasu.

Ask him who is lying.

You ask, Potblack, whether the informant is using me to destroy the credibility of PKR?

Really, Potblack, with all that we’ve seen over the last few months, has not PKR been doing an excellent job on its own in demolishing its own credibility?

At 7.35pm tonight, Sampalee sent in the following comment to the same ‘PKR Secretariat responds’ post :

“Dear Haris,To hide their nonsense,they will cast doubts on you to distract.Do not waste time with pr and get on with the third force.When the third force is up and running,we can then co-operate as peers”.

Bro Sampalee, I lost any hope that BN would reform after the 308 tsunami some time back.

Yes, BN will not reform until they are whipped at the 13th GE.

Today, I have lost all hope that PKR would heed the reprimands of the very persons they had previously counted as their friends, and reform.

Yes, I will not waste anymore time with PKR.

We have a nation to take back. - harismibrahim.wordpress.com

Broke and broken – should P Ramlee have come back?

Broke and broken – should P Ramlee have come back?

The Ampas Man

EDITOR'S PICK On the day he died, there was no rice in his house. And Saloma had no money for his funeral. The man and legend, P. Ramlee paid a very heavy price returning to Malaysia. The country just did not have the infrastructure, manpower and expertise to accommodate his enormous talent. He would have been better off in Singapore even with the unions there. He would not have gone broke in the club and wedding scene there and perhaps Singapore TV could have given him a break as compared to our own RTM. All the belated accolades and titles were a waste of time as far as the man himself was concerned. He died hopelessly broke and broken.




Question: Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti?

Answer: Not in Malaysia

Those who watched the heart-wrenching P. Ramlee documentary on the History Channel on 31st October 2010 must have gone to bed with a heavy heart. It transpires that Malaysia’s one and only film icon had died penniless and shunned by the public including his own colleagues. And the way it was done appears to have uncanny resemblances to what’s happening today in Malaysia, almost 45 years after Ramlee returned to Malaysia.

The documentary, narrated by British actor, Timothy Watson and 12 years in-the-making included precious interviews by some of his friends, actors and actresses who had passed on. The underlying tone was one of profound melancholy.

Ramlee, born out of poverty along Caunter Hall Road at an Achenese community in Penang , had to endure a brutal Japanese occupation whose schools incidentally inculcated a certain discipline in him. In his formative years then, this discipline proved crucial as a founding platform for his eventual brilliance, creativity and innovation in film and music.

He subsequently gained phenomenal success at Shaw Brother’s Jalan Ampas studios in Singapore. His success at Jalan Ampas was the apparent result of the studio’s incredible milieu of experienced film crew, choreographers and directors which the Shaw Brothers had assembled from India, Hong Kong and Indonesia. With the load of management and finance off his shoulders, Ramlee was able to thrive and focus on his talent of creating music, acting and eventually direction, screenplay and editing.

The Shaw Brothers invested and created such a conducive environment at Ampas that Singapore became the mecca for the Malay film industry for an entire genre of actors and actresses from the whole of the Malay Archipelago from Pontianak, Penang to Medan. Apart from Ramlee, Ampas provided careers for other actors and actresses like Nordin Ahmad, S. Kadarisman, Ahmad Daud, Normadiah, Saloma and Saadiah.

But this talent could not have been developed without the expertise of directors such as B.S.Rajan, L. Krishnan and Phani Majumdar. Directors such as Majumdar already had something like 15 years’ experience in directing films in various languages in Calcutta and Bombay before they came to Singapore. It was on this wealth of experience that the Malay film industry flourished.

Majumdar directed Ramlee in “Anakku Sazali” which won Ramlee Best Actor in 1956. And when Majumdar returned to India, he discovered another great Indian actor, Feroz Khan and directed Khan in his first big hit “Oonche Log” in 1965. Yes it was happy times then at No.8 Jalan Ampas and Boon Kheng Road. But it had to end. Or so it seems.

Things appear to have taken a turn for the worse during the confusion of the Malaysia-Singapore separation in 1963 when Lee Kuan Yew had trouble reining a tight leash on trade unions involving Lim Chin Siong, and his own PAP leaders led by Che’Awang and Devan Nair. Ramlee appears to have been an inadvertent victim of the unions’ unreasonable demands leading Shaw Brothers to call it a day at Jalan Ampas when they couldn’t keep up with union demands for higher pay.

Other views suggest that Ramlee was poached and enticed to return to Malaysia which he did in 1964. Wrong step it seems. All promises “back home in Malaysia” were not kept by his new masters. Sounds very very familiar here. Merdeka studios was poorly equipped and its rookie staffing meant the legend had to multitask which ended up eventually in him churning out shoddy movies. All 18 movies he directed in Malaysia flopped. Sounds like the same stories we hear from some of our Malaysians “trying” to return home from overseas.

Ramlee lost his glitter, his money and apparently also his fame. His partner and colleague, H.M. Shah, tried to form a company called PERFIMA to enable Ramlee to relaunch his career and produce his dream of colour films. But PERFIMA apparently ended up in the hands of inexperienced and connected cronies leaving the talented Ramlee then, as in now, even as a Malay, blatantly unrecognized, ignored and out in the cold.

The documentary brutally exposes how Ramlee tried in vain to set up P. Ramlee Productions, but was again shut out by this country’s media and entertainment industry including RTM. He had to sit in the canteen at Ankasapuri while Saloma had her own show in RTM! He could not secure any government aid, grants or “Private Financial Initiatives” despite his passion for Malay music and culture.

He tried to reinvent himself and sought a bank loan – but was rejected! With his wealth of experience and in his early 40s then, he should have easily qualified. Poor Ramlee didn’t know that in Malaysia it is the “know who” that counts than the “know how”. If he had known George Tan from the Carrian Group then, Ramlee may have received a few millions from BMF without even having to pay back. Or he should have “nurtured” some connections like how Daim, Halim Saad, Tajuddin Ramli, Syed Mokhtar and Amin Shah did.

Ramlee by now, tragically stressed out, overweight, dishevelled, completely down and out with passion and spirit broken, had to now do almost any job he could including running mahjong tables and singing at weddings and other functions to put food on the table for his family. He had to live on rice and eggs. It was truly Air Mata di Kuala Lumpur for Ramlee. A court summons a day prior to his death for being a guarantor finally tipped the balance and done him in when he suffered a massive heart attack and he died on 29th May 1973 at the age of 44 years.

On the day he died, there was no rice in his house. And Saloma had no money for his funeral. The man and legend, P. Ramlee paid a very heavy price returning to Malaysia. The country just did not have the infrastructure, manpower and expertise to accommodate his enormous talent. He would have been better off in Singapore even with the unions there. He would not have gone broke in the club and wedding scene there and perhaps Singapore TV could have given him a break as compared to our own RTM. All the belated accolades and titles were a waste of time as far as the man himself was concerned. He died hopelessly broke and broken.

The documentary is not only an eye opener but a very good case study for anyone contemplating returning home to Malaysia. Whether you are a scientist, engineer, accountant, doctor, etc beware of the conditions enticing you to return. If your kid is an aerospace engineer, a naval architect or a transplant surgeon, it’s a no brainer that he /she should not return at all unless you are absolutely sure the country has the infrastructure and skilled manpower to support these fields. Don’t believe in these stories that you should come home to “help” and “develop” your areas of expertise. That’s not going to happen. That sort of thing will only go to the chaps who have the connections. Assess any offer carefully and do not trust anyone including this government. Make certain all agreements are enforceable in Singapore and the UK .

In retrospect P. Ramlee, with no formal education but was able to compose more than 360 songs and 66 movies, probably returned to a society that was not developed nor had the brain power and skills to match up to his vision. In short he was just surrounded with a whole lot of officials and journalists with serious hang-ups who were not interested in the industry itself. There was no driving force like another Shaw Brothers.

And the prevailing attitude at that time and probably even now was and still is a third class mentality. In an environment such as this, no one with creativity, innovation, skills and brains can ever hope to survive let alone thrive. Its better they stay back where they can develop and nurture their talent. If a star as bright as Ramlee could be extinguished with such impunity, the rest are nothing. Ramlee and his entire family had been wiped out financially despite his immense talent. But he remains still tall this day, the Malay Archipelago ’s cinematic legend. With apologies..

Hancur badan dikandung tanah
Budi baik dikenang juga
Biar alam hancur dan musnah
Jasa mu tetap dikenang juga

What happened to the Chinese votes?

Sat, 06 Nove 2010 06:00

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

ANALYSIS GUA MUSANG: Many observers and analysts shared a common sentiment that the Chinese votes in the country were securely in the bag of the opposition. In the case of Galas, they were wrong. It was the Chinese votes that gave the constituency away to the Barisan Nasional (BN).

A quick reading of the polling data of the Galas by-election, the 12th since the 2008 general election, showed a startling and perhaps worrying trend for the opposition.

The data revealed that all the predominantly Chinese enclaves in Galas backed BN. The most damning data came from Kampung Baru Gua Musang polling streams.

In the 2008 general election, the Islamist party won Galas by a majority of only 646 votes. The turnout then was slightly lower than Thursday's by-election, which saw 81% of the constituents in Galas cast their ballots.

BN's Abdul Aziz Yusoff defeated PAS' Dr Zulkefli Mohamed with a majority of 1,190 votes.

Chinese support for PAS in the 2008 polls was at 55%. PAS did not do well in three Chinese enclaves but dominated all four polling streams in Kampung Baru.

But on Thursday, the voters of Kampung Baru Gua Musang turned their backs on PAS.

PAS was betting on a slight swing in Chinese votes of at least 3% to its side. This would have helped it counter the anticipated decrease in Orang Asli votes from its original 35%.

The Islamist party was also hoping to bag the young Malay voters, who formed a sizeable chunk in the Galas electorate. This did not happen. To make it worst, PAS had nothing to fall back on now that their Chinese votebank had been robbed.

1Malaysia magic won the Chinese?

What happened? MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai would like to believe that the Chinese voters are warming up to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's 1Malaysia concept. But not Chua Soi Lek !

"They are responding to his 1Malaysia call and they believe that the prime minister wholeheartedly means it. This means we can strengthen unity as we have worked hard to achieve it," he told FMT when reacting to the news of the BN victory.

Liow gave a standard reply. He has every right to believe in it. But the fact of the matter is, the shift in Chinese feelings against PAS, particularly in Kampung Baru Gua Musang, is something new and hard to explain.

The campaigning methods of the MCA were not exactly brilliant. They were even recycled. Was this responsible in the decline of Chinese support for PAS? Hardly so.

And did PAS do anything different from before? Not really. Issues like land which have been close to the hearts of the Chinese settlers here have been more or less resolved. Their way of life has not been threatened by the brand of Islam espoused by a party its rivals love to portray as "Taliban-like".

Ku Li may have played a role

Some analysts say it could be due to the personality of the BN Galas election director Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the British-educated gentleman statesman. He, and not Umno, is hugely popular in Galas. This could have swayed the Chinese voters to abandon PAS.

But until the specific polling data is revealed, there can be no real answer. Nevertheless, the defeat in Galas has got the opposition in jitters over possible shift of loyalty among the Chinese voters.

The opposition camp knows that if this trend is replicated at the national level, Pakatan Rakyat, which has so far rode on an anti-establishment wave among the Chinese voters, may find it difficult to defend seats should snap polls be called.

And Najib may be convinced that the day of reckoning has come. Snap polls is now likely. And if it happens in this inauspicious climate, we may see the Chinese mandate given to the opposition expire.

It all may have started from a sleepy nobody-knows-Chinese town of Kampung Baru Gua Musang.