Wielding the big stick and sweeping issues under the Putrajaya rug

 Accountability, Civil society, Democracy, Human rights, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections, Marginalised groups  5 Responses »
Dec 112007
 

More arrests today. This time largely targeting the Bersih group and the Hindraf leaders. I have lost track of the number of people arrested, released, re-arrested, denied bail, charged with illegal assembly, “causing mischief”, “attempted murder”, sedition… All this while the Attorney General personally appears in court and tries to deny people bail. What on earth is the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi trying to do? Doesn’t he know this does not reflect well on him – and on Malaysia? It reveals insecurity, lack of confidence, and an unwillingness to really analyse the root causes of the unhappiness and disenchantment. Perhaps that unwillingness to analyse the issues indicates that they already know what the underlying grievances are – and it’s not a pretty picture for it would point squarely to the BN, their cronies and the system that promote vested corporate interests. It would reveal that workers in the [Read more]

Climate change: Too little, too late?

 Agrobusiness/GM food, Asean, Corporate agenda, Development issues, Energy resources, Environment, Malaysian finance/business, United States  1 Response »
Dec 102007
 

This snippet from a World Development Movement blog entry from the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change in Bali got me worried – as it should you too. While we carry on our lives as usual, we remain blissfully unaware that the very survival of our planet is at stake. ”The science says that with an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions — the absolute upper limit that is even being considered here by the politicians — we have a 50/50 chance of keeping the rise in average global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial levels.” ”Think about that for a second. The absolute maximum effort many governments are prepared to make will give us a worse chance of success than if we were playing Russian roulette. That’s insane!” The key issue we are not tackling is our consumerist, materialistic life-styles fuelled by policies that promote relentless economic [Read more]

On the eve of World Human Rights Day, a string of arrests…

 Christianity, Civil society, Democracy, Human rights  16 Responses »
Dec 092007
 

Five lawyers and three activists were arrested this morning when they attempted to march in Kuala Lumpur ahead of World Human Rights Day tomorrow. That they should be arrested while trying to uphold the right to freedom of assembly shows us just what the authorities think of human rights. It reveals utter contempt of basic rights by a morally bankrupt administration. Those arrested were among 50 Malaysians marching to demand their basic rights. A huge press contingent of another 50 were on hand to cover the march. The eight are: Sivarasa Rasiah N Surendran Amer Hamzah Eric Paulsen Anthony Andu Noorazah Othman Latheefa Koya And one other individual Read Aliran president P Ramakrishnan’s statement here. Apart from the eight, Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Edmund Bon has also been arrested for allegedly trying to prevent local authority personnel from removing banners outside the Bar Council’s headquarters in KL. A [Read more]

Farmers lose autonomy as MNCs take control of agriculture

 Agrobusiness/GM food, Civil society, Corporate agenda, Democracy, Development issues, Malaysian finance/business, Marginalised groups, Workers' rights  No Responses »
Dec 062007
 

Farmers are under increasing pressure from multinational corporations, which in many parts of the world are planning to take control over the entire food production and distribution chain. This leaves farmers at the mercy of these MNCs for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, sales and distribution. In the end, the farmers will lose their autonomy and independence and become integrated into the corporate system. It probably won’t be long before they are forced to accept genetically engineered crops – which could be introduced by stealth. In Malaysia, keep a sharp eye on what is happening with Sime Darby and agriculture in the Northern Corridor Economic Region. DEVELOPMENT: ‘MNCs Gaining Total Control Over Farming’ By Anil Netto PENANG, Dec 6 (IPS) – Food security campaigners are now more concerned than ever that farmers are turning dependent on large multinational corporations (MNCs) for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs while also becoming more vulnerable [Read more]

“The Light” and PGCC cast a shadow over Penang

 Development issues, Environment, Malaysian finance/business, People's Park/PGCC  8 Responses »
Dec 042007
 
"The Light" and PGCC cast a shadow over Penang

What they showed you: Night view (towards George Town) of the PGCC’s “iconic towers” (Image from the official PGCC launch booklet) What they didn’t show you: Add in 37 towers (Image editing by the PGCC Campaign Group) Even before the PGCC can take off, another massive project, dubbed “The Light”, has been unveiled. The extra commercial space from this waterfront development could lead to a commercial property glut, if there isn’t already one in Penang. It could also “kill off” the PGCC project even before the latter has got off the ground, given that IJM is a far more established developer than the PGCC’s Equine/Abad Naluri. (But then again, Equine/Abad Naluri has already made a “killing” from the revaluation of the property following the authorities’ irresponsible and highly questionable conversion of the Turf Club land from open recreational area to mixed development use. Abad Naluri bought the property at RM43 [Read more]

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