MACHAP: Wild-wild West in voters' land

Posted by: free&fair on April 11, 2007 3:46:07 PM (1170 reads )

Machap by-election had shown the `wild' face of Malaysian election : election laws are broken with impunity eg Koh Tsu Koon with a `clean' image feeding voters -for what ? Votes buying in full swing eg RM3mil was given away by Najib to Felda voters; Government vehicles are everwhere eg Information Ministry's vehicles have been parking all over the place; Uni students came under surveilance again -with vehicles from 3 unis spotted in the vicinities; Abuse of power by politicians eg A newbie deputy minister Liow Tion Lai brought 2 newly minted badminton heros to promote badminton to Macap ! RTM has been staging shows to even a few spectators in a vain attempt to draw voters away from the political ceramahs-1 of the few channels left to voters to get election information etc etc.

Welcome to the wild-wild West of Malaysia's voters' land ! Real issues are buried alive here:
(Editor note : apologies for not updating this site for a while because the site has been running extrememly slowly-you might have noticed too, and I'm looking forward to move this site to another one where we can serve you better. Any suggestions -given that we can provide alternative coverage to coming by-elections and general elections ?)

Don't be scared if you are clean -sure ?

Posted by: free&fair on March 05, 2007 11:17:51 PM (1342 reads )

Pak Lah is at it again : if youa re clean -don't be scared. So he said. So why is he not willing to set the ACA free as an independent body answerable to the Parliament ? Right now the PM himself stnad in the way of such a positive and fearless change. Under current system the sandiwara is getting interesting: last time when Pak Lah said no one is above the laws -it was after Mongolian women Altantunya was found blown to pieces by C4 explosives. The message seems to be directed at his political rival speculated to be behind the explosion. Then how times change :

Oon Jaafar's idea of non-communal party -is it time ?

Posted by: free&fair on January 12, 2007 11:02:46 AM (3344 reads )

The excuses for rejecting Oon Jaafar's idea of combining all communal parties into policy/ideology based national parties had in the past centred on the idea that the people are not ready yet. But are they ever ? The point here is : are the people able to make the choice -or they just had to make do with what they are offered ? In other words, it is between a supplier or demand market. And democracy is definitely a demand market-you get what the people want. So do the people want non-communal parties ? The question had never been put to the people in a way that the people can make the choices freely. This is where the election boycot by the Opposition parties can make an impact : they should campaign for free and fair elections as understtod by the Election Commission -which touch on curbs on election spending, stopping money politics, abuse of public amenities, unbalanced media coverage etc. Only when we have free and fair elections -then the question of non-communal parties can be put to the people -and then we will truly know if the people had ever chosen communal parties from day 1 !

Cute FRU to stop anti-toll protestors !

Posted by: free&fair on Tue, 09 January 2007 22:37:52 (1513 reads)

A big difference from past police response to popular anti-toll protests : the police fielded young female FRU at the front rows to stop the anti-toll hike protestors in KL ! The change of tack seems to reflect the fact that the toll hike is less than convinsing compared to before -and the cronies will have a hard time to keep the government either agreeing to toll hikes or pay hefty compensations. The government is thus put on the back foot in relation to popular protests. So what should the protestors do ? May be this is the time to step up the protests so as to tap into the depth of the anti-toll hike sentiments ! Tun M's admission that the toll agreements were weak provided a huge boost to the anti-toll hike cause. The protestors must go on to squueze all advantage from these positive developments !

Batu Talam inadequate test of BN's policies

Posted by: free&fair on January 09, 2007 9:49:12 PM (1370 reads )

Many political commentators would like people to believe that the coming batu Talam by-election would be a test of BN's popularity specifically its policy to increase tolls and others essentials. But sad to say the fact would not back up such a wishful thinking. The dumping of mountainous Ringgit onto the 10 000 voters will ensure that the voters are not paying enough attention to the national issues -afterall the rubber tappers and other farmers who dominate the area in Pahang are not frequent visitors of the national capital where the relevant tolls are located. The real reflectors of reception of local and national policies are the local elections-which are sadly lacking in Malaysia. Without that the ruling parties just carry on unpopular policies without regards to the people's sentiments. But from experiences elsewhere local elections results always are precursors of voting trends at state and federal levels. Eg in Algeria the anti-military voting trend at local government levels caused the frightened military to suspend all elections ! They however did not go as far as here to suspend/abolish the local elections altogether and go for appointed local governments -as happened in Malaysia !

Developers who want to blunder & get away

Posted by: free&fair on December 19, 2006 10:25:43 AM (1507 reads )

The statistics are out on developers who have been found guilty by the Housing Tribunal-but the reason why this tribunals can't expand beyond Kl remain a mystery. The lack of confidence of the citizens against the justice system in the country is well supported by various inexplicable but simple implementation (or lack of it) of some measures which proved to be effective to weed out the rule-breaking industry players. Enforcement officers are often short handed-compared to service charges collection counters. Errant developers get used to act above the laws -and the returning of the same parties to power ensure that the same rotten system continue. Solution : choose another party/ies to run the government/country !

Penang's own drag queen show :

Posted by: free&fair on December 19, 2006 1:02:07 AM (1384 reads )

It was a surprise presentation at a gig held in conjunction of the world Human Rights Day on Dec 10th-at D' Space. While metals music may not be everyone's cup of tea -there are many who could be sympathetic-but get put off by the difficulties to make sense of the music. But not all bands are making it difficult for the audience to make sense of their performance-here we have a nice sample where the band did try to put across simple and strong message to the responsive audience -try download it :

Pak Lah's `happiness' with `achievements' in 3 years cause for worries

Posted by: free&fair on December 13, 2006 5:33:37 PM (998 reads )

Pak Lah's reported happiness with his achievements in 3 years (appended) is cause for worries : with his anti-graft campaign practically abandoned his `happiness' almost read like `happiness' over lying to the people ! It also embarass apologists of Pak Lah's regime who had excused Pak Lah's lack of achevments in anti-graft campaign and other integrity reforms on Pak Lah's lack of control over UMNO. But Pak Lah is already `happy' with what goes on now ! What to say ??? Another report which reported Pak Lah as saying that accusations of nepotism is only to bring him down -forgetting that he had earlier said he welcome criticisms. He forget that he should clear the air over his close relations' making millions since his ascendancy as PM of Malaysia -not to distract the issue by questioning political motives of the accusers. If he persist very soon there will be no one left to criticise him/his regime anymore !Is that his ideal society ???

Housing delivery fault claim limit up to Rm50K

Posted by: free&fair on December 13, 2006 5:15:43 PM (923 reads )

The Housing Development Act has just been amended to among other things, lift the level of claim on faulty delivery of housing units to RM50K-a 100% increase over previous unrealistic limit of RM25k. With low /low medium cost housing going for Rm45K it is very restrictive if the limit for claim is set at Rm25k-practically cutting half of the claims away! This will help people like a friend of mine who have been waiting for the amendment -his claim is RM35k -so he could not make the claim to the Housing Tribunal. But with persistent pressures from house buyers groups the `dream' had come true !

Historical whitewash ?

Posted by: free&fair on December 12, 2006 1:15:58 PM (1077 reads )

The text book version of Malaysian history is coming under increasing scrutiny nowadays : the `dongeng' of Malays' history started in Melaka has been demolished by a finding that Kedah had an earlier Islamic history. (Appended) However did Malays' history only started with Islam ? Quite implicit in all the `stories' in text books are that there were `ignorant' history (`Jahiliah') before that -quite an insult to the very developed hindu civilisation which influenced the pre-Islamic history in Malaya ! The interesting point is : how did the Melaka `story' got ascendancy even over other Islamic history -and how did any islamic history is regarded as the starting point of Malay history ???? Was it a crude `history of the victors' that we are witnessing at work here ????

Race is not a factor by PSC in selecting civil servants -but why few non-Malay Bumis ?

Posted by: free&fair on December 12, 2006 1:13:41 AM (826 reads )

Bernard Dompok self-contradict himself when he denied that `race' was not a factor in the Public Service Commission's selection of civil servants. He was answering a question in Parliament about lack of non-Bumis in the civil service. But he disclosed that non-Malay Bumis are also lacking in the civil service -prompting him to ask the PSC to explain their recruitment policy. Could the issue of UMNO's over-zealous support for 1 ethnic group be finally addressed openly -and let the issue be solved once and for all ? A good question is half a solution reached-so some people say.

New high-rise rules : any loopholes ?

Posted by: free&fair on December 12, 2006 12:30:25 AM (1121 reads )

The government has finally come around to pluck some blatant loop-holes in the management of high rises in Malaysia: a new Building and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Bill 2006 will be used to address old problems -and we need to watch out if they can really deliver. Look out : 1. Do they really implement the rules -since a big part of the problems till now is the government's refusal to act against errant developers/management of high rises-even according to the old rules. Developers can flaunt the rules as though with immunity eg selling off common areas as parking lots. 2. Even with good rules -what is the catch ? Eg Housing Tribunal is good -but only operate in KL ! Why it takes so long for them to spread out of the capital ? Look out for when the housing commissioners will be appointed in all states ! Previously there were supposed to be a Strata Title Board to be set up in all states -but no one was appointed for years-ending hopes that it could help anyone. So now we have another post created serving similar purpose -calling it another name is no guarantee that the posts will be filled soon !

GLC's of course help Bumis-including Pm's Bumi son & son-in-law

Posted by: free&fair on December 09, 2006 12:06:51 PM (803 reads )

Whenever I hear the Govt said GLC's help Bumi's I can't help recall a joke told by a friend: are the son & son-in-law of the PM Bumi's ? So GLC's certainly have helped Bumi's ! Who could be so stupid to think otherwise. The idea is: the GLC's are supposed to help all Malaysians -but if we limit it to their own admitted range ie Bumi's -then they should help all or the majority of Bumi's -not just an ethnic community -or actually even less-the UMNO related Bumis only ! That's the point. They sell their policies on serving all -then actually enriching a few. That is the tricks of politicians all over the world. Then are the people not entitled to take them to task over this hypocricy ?

Racial split a political expediency

Posted by: free&fair on December 05, 2006 7:29:44 PM (1543 reads )

Malaysians are unhappy with racial splits -but look closely -there are those who benefit and enjoy the splits. They rely on it for political survival ! That is the frank reason for the playing up of ethnic differences and ethnic insecurities in Malaysia. Until there is a formula to allow political leadership to be decided on a different basis this tragic charade will continue for a long while yet -with the ethnic politicians doing it wiht their eyes open. To call them racist is to compliment them -they are just a small minority who managed to get the majority on their side by scaring them enough of other communities ! They are not big enough to be a `race' or `ethnic community'. They are a political community ! Our suggestion : start addressing this ethnic politics from local government levels ! Demonstrate that people of different ethnic backgrounds and religions can live and work together at local levels -before we push this change upwards. Notice local governments -where they are elected, is always a precursor of political change at state & federal levels in other countries ! Local government elections which were won by Islamists in Algeria scared the hell out of the militarists rulinggroup that they nullify the elections at higher levels -proving the power of democracy rather than disproving it ! But political parties always see things from the apex of power -thus neglecting politics at the ground levels-and local governments without elections does not help. But there is nothing in the law to say that if the government won't hold local elections then the people can't do it on their own !!!!So let's do it -it should be real fun !!!

Why security guards with guns overcome by robbers with only parang s?(Update)

Posted by: free&fair on November 21, 2006 9:34:54 PM (394 reads )

By now Penang and Malaysia had added `the biggest computer chips heist(RM50mil)' to their cap of dishonour -leaving a shade of suspicion on how security guards with rifle/guns got overcome by robbers with only parangs ? Was it a case of `willing robbers and the willingly robbed' ? There are at least 3 rings of security at the Mas-cargo air-port security area : the entrance custom-with armed officers; the individual warehouse security -most probably with rifle (?), In between there should be at least another layer of security for the entire warehouse area-most likely also with armed security. At all 3 levels there are also security cameras -so to say that all cameras and tapes were taken away by the very `well planned' robbery is baffling-given that many recording storage (tapes, hard discs) nowadays are located at some distance from the actual cameras-with some even linked to distant computers! On top of all the above there are also various alarm systems at various points at the warehouse complex. All these shows that for the robbery to succeed a big section of the warehouse to custom areas must have been compromised ! That this could be done prove that Penang International Airport is most inviting to robbers -as proven by the previous robberies which grew bigger and bigger....

UPDATE : From info from a security camera firm the security cameras in the Batu Maung warehouse area are all old styled cameras which used tapes to store the video captured on the cameras-so easy for the robbers to just take the tapes away ! Newer cameras store their videos in hard disc stored away from the scene ! And the security there also don't seems to carry arms -according to a reported speech from the Minister of Transport Chan Kong Choy -thus they are easily overcome by the parang wielding robbers ! In addition there were also no alarm system for a facility which store multi-millions goods ! Now you see !

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