IJN privatisation postponed: Umno elite out of touch

 Accountability, Health care, Neo-liberal economics, Poverty  33 Responses »
Dec 192008
 

The sudden postponement of the scheme to privatise the National Heart Institute (IJN) suggests that the government under-estimated the depth of public opposition to the move. The postponement comes just a day after Najib revealed that the green light had been given to Sime Darby to acquire a majority stake. The Umno elite appear to be out of touch not only with the masses but also with their own BN component parties such as the MCA, which is opposing the privatisation. Or were they just testing the waters (to gauge public reaction), as some of you suggest? To me, the real heroes are the 33 IJN specialists (out of a total of 35) who stood up to oppose the move. Their stand is all the more commendable as chances are they would have stood to gain in terms of a more lucrative pay package. It is great to know there [Read more]

Mysterious masked man who took a stand for justice

 Civil society, Human rights  12 Responses »
Dec 182008
 
Mysterious masked man who took a stand for justice

We salute you, Muhamad Syukree Hussain Photo and tribute by Rakyat@work I was shocked, then sadness engulfed me, and now I feel a sense of regret for not taking the time to get to know him better. I quickly sent a text message to all my friends; they were equally shocked as well. Why? You see, when we attended the Abolish ISA vigils from the very beginning, everyone was like part of a new family, the Barisan Rakyat. All of us come in different shapes, colours and sizes.

Jerit cyclists reach Parliament

 Human rights, Poverty, Workers' rights  11 Responses »
Dec 182008
 

1212: Some 120 Jerit cyclists are now in Parliament, where they will be having lunch and handing over their memorandums to a rep from the BN and the Opposition. It’s mission accomplished! Congratulations to the Jerit team. 1145: About 30 participants of the Jerit cycling teams are now in Parliament to hand in their memorandum amidst a heavy police presence, including a helicopter clattering overhead. Earlier they were barred from cycling to Parliament. “The OCPD told us we could head to Parliament, but not on our bicycles,” says Jerit coordinator Rani Rasiah.

Abolish ISA Mass prays for a more just judiciary

 Christianity, Human rights  4 Responses »
Dec 172008
 

The series of Abolish ISA Masses at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Penang will be taking a break for Christmas and will resume next year. In the last Abolish ISA Mass for the year, parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez exhorted the congregation of 80 gathered tonight to pray for a more just judiciary. Referring to the recent controversy between Karpal and Chief Justice Zaki, Marshall said that a cleaner judiciary would provide justice for all. Meanwhile, all the prayers and various campaigns to Abolish the ISA and free the detainees are having an impact.

An extraordinary cycling odyssey reaches its climax

 Human rights, Marginalised groups, Workers' rights  3 Responses »
Dec 172008
 
An extraordinary cycling odyssey reaches its climax

Tomorrow, the Jerit cyclists are due to submit their memorandums to Abdullah Badawi and Anwar in Parliament It is the climax of an extraordinary campaign that has been wildly successful in publicising the six Jerit demands. Ironically, the oppressive police action only served to heighten publicity for the campaign. If the cyclists had just been allowed to quietly pedal their way to Parliament without any obstruction, perhaps fewer people would have sat up and noticed. Let’s hope there’s no more drama when they hand over their memos in Parliament tomorrow. This is a piece I wrote for IPS looking at the campaign as a whole: POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Protestors Pedal to Parliament, Brave Police By Anil Netto

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