2007 September » anilnetto.com

Lawyers’ march, Burma’s struggle, PGCC campaign all related

Asean, Democracy, Environment, Human rights, Judiciary, Malaysian finance/business, People's Park/PGCC 4 Responses »

Sep 262007

Lawyers' march, Burma's struggle, PGCC campaign all related

This is a more realistic miniature model of what the PGCC will look like – Awful! What do the lawyers marching in Putrajaya, the ordinary people struggling for democracy in Burma and those campaigning against the Penang Global City Centre Project have in common? They are all part of the global justice movement, trying to create a real alternative to the decaying structures and oppressive forces in society. Trying to build a more just and sustainable world – a world where human dignity is respected and no one is oppressed. A world where the environment – God’s gift to humanity – is considered sacred. So congratulations to the 1,500 courageous Malaysians who marched in Putrajaya despite the obstacles in their path. Even though the police stopped the buses from entering Putrajaya, the lawyers got off and started walking. As lawyers committed to the cause of justice, you have given all [Read more]

Malaysians, Burmese march for democracy

Asean, Democracy, Global justice movement, Human rights, Judiciary, Poverty No Responses »

Sep 252007

Monks have been leading tens of thousands of people as protests rock Burma People are on the march in both Malaysia and Burma in their quest for justice and freedom. The Malaysian Bar Council is organising a march of lawyers from the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya to the Prime Minister’s Office on the morning of Wed, 26 Sept after the explosive revelations in a widely circulated videoclip. They are expected to be joined by activists and other concerned Malaysians. This is a piece I wrote for Asia Times Online: Malaysia’s judiciary on Candid Camera By Anil Netto PENANG, Malaysia – On May 27, 1988, then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, his party faced with a legal challenge from rivals that threatened his leadership, summoned Malaysia’s top judge, Salleh Abas, and gave him an ultimatum: resign or face a judicial tribunal. That secret private meeting led to suspension of Salleh and five [Read more]

PGCC and CGCC

Development issues, Environment, Malaysian finance/business, Media, People's Park/PGCC 1 Response »

Sep 242007

Well, you all know what PGCC is by now – the massive RM25 billion Penang Greenwash… err, I mean Global… City Centre project. And CGCC? That’s Catastrophic Global Climate Change. If we go ahead with PGCC, it would only add to CGCC. If you are not convinced that building 37 “tombstones” (high-rise towers) on the Penang Turf Club green space is a terrible idea, then consider this dire warning published in the Independent: ‘Too late to avoid global warming,’ say scientists By Cahal Milmo Published: 19 September 2007 A rise of two degrees centigrade in global temperatures – the point considered to be the threshold for catastrophic climate change which will expose millions to drought, hunger and flooding – is now “very unlikely” to be avoided, the world’s leading climate scientists said yesterday…. In its latest assessment of the progress of climate change, the body said: “If warming is not [Read more]