Klang Sentral: Make concession agreement public

 Accountability, Malaysian finance/business, Public transport  23 Responses »
Dec 282008
 

A storm is blowing over Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor and the mainstream media are going to town over it. One of the issues that was bound to crop up sooner or later revolves around the Pakatan Rakyat leaders’ relationship with the the business community including developers. PR representatives need to keep the business community at arm’s length to protect the interests of the public. It cannot always be a “win-win” situation. Sometimes, PR leaders have to choose whose interests they want to protect and uphold – vested business interests or the people’s interests (e.g. workers’ rights, public safety and environmental protection). For instance, PR leaders need to respond decisively to the people’s demands for a ban on all steep hill-slope development. The other issue is whether CAT is really being put into practice – or is it just a slogan? For instance, why haven’t Pakatan leaders declared their assets publicly? [Read more]

Israeli air attack slaughters over 200 in Gaza

 Israel and Palestine, Media, Militarism  44 Responses »
Dec 282008
 
Israeli air attack slaughters over 200 in Gaza

An Israeli air attack on Gaza, which has massacred over 200 people including women and children, has been portrayed by the global media as a “retaliation” for the rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza (map source: Wikipedia). The Israeli air-strike comes at a time when Israeli politicians are campaigning for a general election. Three key points that have not been highlighted in the corporate media: It was the Israelis who broke the truce, as the Israeli peace movement Gush Shalom points out. The rocket attacks from Gaza onto Israeli territory have not killed or injured a single Israeli, reports Ali Abunimah, co-founder of Electronic Intifada. Gaza has been under a terrible and suffocating Israeli siege, which has caused immense suffering among the entire 1.5 million population. “Israel has not only banned food and medicine to sustain Palestinian bodies in Gaza but it is also intent on starving minds: due to [Read more]

How about helping the poor at home first, Najib?

 Development issues, Economy, Ethnic and inter-religious relations, M'sian politics, Marginalised groups, Poverty  37 Responses »
Dec 272008
 

According to Najib, the government is willing to help Malays advance in other countries where they are a minority. He said this when opening the the Malay World Muslim World (DMDI) forum’s ninth convention on 23 December, reports Malaysiakini. The deputy premier said ethnic Malays in the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Cambodia, South Africa and southern Thailand could be assisted. What would have been the reaction if the deputy premier of India and the vice premier of China had offered to help the ethnic Indians and ethnic Chinese respectively in the various countries of South-East Asia? Wouldn’t the governments of this region have asked them to butt out, citing foreign interference in domestic affairs?

Gov’t must account for premium on pump price

 Accountability, Energy resources, Public transport  16 Responses »
Dec 262008
 

The global crude oil price is now US$36 barrel. In contrast, the local pump price is still relatively high at RM1.80/litre – despite a fifth reduction in price on 15 December since a 41 per cent hike in June. It’s obvious that the pump price is now higher than the real market price; in other words, the higher price is a form of consumer tax (as opposed to a subsidy previously). Now, it is the government’s prerogative if it wants to impose this kind of tax. But what is it going to do with this surplus?

“It never happened. Nothing ever happened”

 Arts, culture and sports, Iraq, Militarism, United States  5 Responses »
Dec 262008
 
"It never happened. Nothing ever happened"

It never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn’t happening. It didn’t matter. It was of no interest. The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them. You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. It’s a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis. – Harold Pinter, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Harold Pinter, who passed away on Christmas Eve, was well known for his plays. But the corporate media have downplayed his role as one of the most prominent opponents of the Anglo-American invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. His words on how politicians and the mainstream media often try to blank out monumental or historic events from the public [Read more]

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