Zunar’s Gedung Katun takes on Gila-Gila
Malaysia’s top political cartoonist Zunar (real name Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque) and his team are launching a fortnightly political humour magazine, Gedung Katun (Cartoon Warehouse), filled with Malaysian parody and satire.
The ‘alternative cartoon magazine’ will probably have to compete head-on with the popular Gila-Gila publication in the comic magazine market – with one main difference: Gedung Katun’s caricatures will focus on political topics and raise awareness of current issues.
Chief editor Zunar spearheads a team comprising chief cartoonist Jonos (Nur Azlin Ngah), editor and illustrator Ronasina (Affendi), and cartoonists Enot and Haili.
“Foreign instigators” behind Penan blockades?
The Borneo Post triumphantly declares:
Foreign hands in blockades Foreigners caught on camera mingling with and instigating Penans at Long Nen and Long Bangan blockades MIRI: It’s confirmed! Foreigners are behind many of the blockades set up by Penans in timber camps in the state. It has long been suspected that many foreign environmentalists and socalled conservationists had been instigating and encouraging the natives to erect blockades and disrupt logging activities, though they had always denied their involvement. But yesterday four foreigners, including two women, were seen among protesters manning blockades in Ulu Baram.But wait, Mark Bujang, the executive director of a leading Sarawak NGO, Brimas, points out these were not instigators but AFP journalists carrying out interviews.
New pro-Pakatan tabloid hits the streets
A new pro-Pakatan Malay-language newspaper hit the streets last night.
Konsep Era Pakatan, to be published fortnightly, features news from the perspective of all three PR parties: PKR, Pas and DAP. The paper, however, is not an official Pakatan publication.
Desperate Buah Pala villagers turn to Umno
In their last-ditch bid to save their village, Kg Buah Pala villagers have now turned to Umno.
Gelugor Umno division chairman Omar Faudzar has reportedly agreed to hold talks with the developer (Nusmetro) and the landowner (the Koperasi) on Tuesday.
Misguided obsession with university rankings
In this day and age when everyone is obsessed with climbing up rankings – in everything from global tennis to human development status – it is no surprise that universities and colleges have jumped into the fray.
Some interesting articles about US college rankings — by US News and World Report — can be found in Inside Higher Ed such as the one here.
Another article ‘Using Foucault to Deconstruct Rankings’ suggests that rankings could be forcing deans to focus on the wrong things. Universities may be rejecting good ideas on improving the quality of education in favour of other activities that could bump up their rankings.
This is referred to as “gaming” the rankings system.
What has this got to do with Malaysia?
Perak PR leaders pile pressure on Ganesan, BN
Perak Pakatan leaders question Ganesan’s legitimacy – Photo by Kinta Kid
Perak Pakatan leaders have further questioned Ganesan’s legitimacy as Speaker, piling pressure on the BN.
They claim that even if Ganesan was rightfully elected – “which he was not” – as Speaker on 7 May, “his failure to cease practice as a lawyer would have disqualified him”.
The Pakatan leaders cite Article XXX VIA (5) of the Perak Constitution which states that a Speaker would be disqualified if after three months from his date of appointment, he remains as a member of any board of directors or management or if he works for or engages in the affairs of any organisation (except for welfare or charitable organisations).
Federal Court disappointment for villagers
1210: Kg Buah Pala residents have failed to obtain leave to appeal against a Court of Appeal order for them to vacate the land. The Federal Court struck off their second application for leave this morning.
Selangor govt caves in to developers’ pressure?
The Star today carries a report suggesting that the Selangor government could be buckling under developers’ pressure to allow projects on steep hill-slopes.
Selangor is reported to be drafting new “new development guidelines” for Class 3 (25-35 degrees) and Class 4 (above 35 degrees) slopes.
The state had earlier taken a commendable position by imposing an outright ban on steep hill-slope development. Its ban on steep hill-slope projects was one of the few issues that had set the Pakatan government apart from the BN government. Residents in Tanjung Bunga in Penang had been encouraged by Selangor’s previous principled ban on hill-slope projects.
Alas, no longer, it would seem. Compared to an outright ban, “guidelines” are pretty worthless. It’s a pity that the Selangor government appears to be caving in to the powerful developers’ lobby.
Beng Hock inquest: A flashback
Here’s a flashback that might be of interest (in case you missed it): check out this Malaysian Insider report on 5 August here.
Ask BN for everything, Anwar urges voters
Photos by Anil
Last night, I thought I would go and check out the scene in Permatang Pasir at random. It didn’t take me long to stumble upon a crowd along Jalan Kubang Semang, near the Permatang Pauh old town centre. Traffic police were doing a good job making sure the crowd did not spill on to the road.
As I approached the ceramah venue, I heard a familiar voice – Anwar’s. He was urging the voters of Permatang Pasir to ask BN leaders to do as much as possible for the area.
“As the MP for Permatang Pauh (in which the state seat of Permatang Pasir lies), I urge all of you to ask the BN leaders for whatever you need, whether road repairs or improvements to the mosques or whatever. Take whatever is given, but you know how to vote,” he said to chuckles from the crowd.
IMF’s call for GST is part of neo-liberal agenda
The IMF’s call for Malaysia to expedite a goods and services tax (GST) and slash subsidies is part of its larger – and now widely discredited – neo-liberal agenda. The IMF itself is struggling for relevance now as many developing countries especially in Latin America have shunned its advice after seeing the damage done to the national economies of that continent.
The neo-liberal agenda, part of the “Washington Concensus”, is to cut taxes for the rich and the corporations, slash subsidies on social spending, and promote privatisation of essential services or “user-pay” models that benefit large corporations, including MNCs.
The GST is a regressive tax that will hurt the poor, who are now outside the income tax bracket. If a tax on spending is introduced, the poor will bear a disproportionately higher tax burden (in terms of their spending compared to their income) than the rich.
Federal Court to hear Buah Pala case on Friday
Yesterday was case management of the Kg Buah Pala villagers’ application to the Federal Court. The villagers are seeking a stay of demolition and a review of an earlier decision that they had no legal standing in the matter. This excerpt from a Bernama report:
PUTRAJAYA, August 18 (Bernama) — The Federal Court is set to hear on Friday the second application by the Kampung Buah Pala residents for leave to appeal to the Federal Court relating to their eviction order. Federal Court registrar Surita Budin fixed the date to today after the case came up for case management.
Beng Hock alive when he landed: Pathologist
1430: Prashant now backs the suicide theory.
1225: University of Malaya lecturer and pathologist Dr Prashant has testified that Beng Hock was alive when he hit the ground feet first, followed quickly by the buttocks, according to Malaysian Insider tweets from the inquest.
Pagoda collapse an omen for Burma’s regime
The Asean chair, Thailand, has expressed deep disappointment that Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 18 months house arrest.
Malaysia too has expressed similar regret. Both countries have called for the release of all political detainees in Burma.
Meanwhile, the collapse of a 2,300-year-old pagoda in Burma – three weeks after the wife of Burma’s senior general Than Shwe helped to rededicate it – is being seen as an omen for the military regime.
Permatang Pasir: BN feels the heat (updated)
Photos by Anil
Video footage of Padang Serai MP Gobalakrishnan’s arrest
Between 5,000 and 10,000 Pakatan supporters rallied outside the nomination centre for the Permatang Pasir by-election. I was not able to gauge the size of the BN crowd as the two sets of supporters were kept apart. Quite a few of the supporters wore surgical masks because of their fear of H1N1.
This was the same nomination centre used for the Penanti by-election and this time the crowd appeared much larger than the few thousand that had turned up back then. Among the crowd were small contingents of DAP and PKR reps.
Nearer the nomination centre, Pakatan speakers addressed the crowd. The police presence was noticeably lighter. Penang CPO Ayub Yaakob had earlier spoken of a new approach in putting public order units only on stand-by following complaints that the police presence in previous by-elections had been overwhelming; just over a thousand personnel would reportedly be on duty this time. Apart from the usual plainclothes cops, I spotted the dark-blue uniformed units, mostly concentrated just outside the nomination centre, and their blue jeeps; no sign of any riot police.
Climate chaos concerns could affect exports
Ever notice how we have blissfully buried our heads in the sand when it comes to the effect of climate chaos on our economy and our country?
It is obvious that the prospect of climate chaos doesn’t figure prominently in our economic planning. Why, it’s just business as usual – though there is some recognition that our economy is too dependent on exports. For the most part, however, we are still stuck in the mould of trying to increase our exports to places like the US and the EU.
Well think again, those of you who think climate change has nothing to do with the way we do business. To cope with higher transport costs and to reduce their carbon footprint, firms in the West are now turning to suppliers closer to home. This is a major development, considering Malaysia’s traditional reliance on export-oriented manufacturing to drive our economy.
Open burning at Bakun site, claims watchdog
Contractors have been carrying out open burning at the site of the Bakun Dam, claims a Sarawak watchdog network.
The Sarawak Conservation Action Network (Scane), which brings together about half a dozen indigenous and environmental groups in the state, said in a statement:
The contracts for clear-cutting forest have been commissioned to some contractors since the beginning of the year. The forest area which will be cleared for the dam is 80,000 ha, that is, roughly the size of Singapore Island. Recently the Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd managing director Zulkifle Osman announced that the impoundment of water catchments would start in October; by then the whole dam reservoir will be flooded. By July 2010, testing for electricity transmission from Bakun dam will start.
Kg Buah Pala just won’t leave us alone
It’s like a bad dream… but it’s more than that. At least with a nightmare, we can soon forget about it. But no matter how hard we try, Kg Buah Pala won’t go away. When an injustice has been perpetrated, it will fester like an open sore, causing the entire body pain and anguish. In our anguish, the questions linger:
Why is it taking so long for the MACC to carry out its investigations after several reports have been lodged?
What is the outcome of the probe into the land deal by the Penang state government’s investigative committee?
Why are Koh Tsu Koon, his former deputies and those in charge of land deals back then not shedding more light into this fiasco? Why was prime land sold for peanuts?
Why is Mohd Faridz Karim, the main shareholder of Asia Link-up Sdn Bhd (the parent company of Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd) keeping very quiet?