Images from the RPK ISA trial
Puncak, Gamuda fall as S’gor bids to nationalise water
The Selangor government is attempting to take over the water assets from the concessionaires in the state, namely Puncak Niaga, Splash, and Syabas. The state government wants to nationalise the inefficient water sector – and prevent a 30 per cent tariff hike from April.The concessionaires, on the other hand, are asking for a much higher price, based on discounted cash flow (of future profits) and future tariff hikes assuming the concession is allowed to continue.LIVE: Application to recuse Augustine Paul rejected
Rape of the Tanjung Bunga hill-slopes
Scary development – Google Earth picture sent in by a Tanjung Bunga resident
While our media are all hot and bothered about some photos of a female politician circulating around, the rape of our hill-slopes continues.
Mind you, this picture was taken in 2005 – nearly four years ago. Since then, things have got a lot worse.
Why Tg Bunga residents are protesting…
A cover-up job?
One of the projects on the steep hill-slopes of Tanjung Bunga Photos by a Tanjung Bunga resident
Just to recap, some one hundred residents of Tanjung Bunga protested at development projects on steep hill-slopes by banging pots and pans on Valentine’s Day. Many of the residents there are living in fear, especially during thunderstorms.
Before anyone else asks why these residents didn’t protest earlier, they did.
Federal Court to hear appeal against RPK’s ISA release
Rakyat@work reports from KL:Tomorrow may never come.That’s the apprehension; yet it’s the truth for RPK, Raja Petra Kamarudin. Just read today’s Malaysia Today “No Holds Barred” and needless to say, he sounds downright sorrowful.Tomorrow’s court case could decide his fate. An ‘Anak Bangsa Malaysia’ is being put on trial once again. Will there be a better tomorrow for him – and for us?
Gutter journalism
Today’s front page of the Malay Mail is a regrettable example of gutter journalism. It features a headline story about nude photos of a Selangor female politician circulating in the public domain.The photos were believed to be taken using a camera phone without her consent by a former boyfriend while she was sleeping.“The Malay Mail played dirty by putting a picture of a bare-backed woman next to the story,” said one political analyst, who described it as “gutter politics”.On the front cover, an unrelated photo of a bare-backed female Formula One driver on the right is staring towards the left at the bold headline of the Selangor nude photos story, “Fury over bedroom invasion”.Apart from the juxtapositioning of an unrelated picture next to a sensationalist story, the choice of front-page story is revealing.We are being struck by probably the greatest global economic downturn since the Great Depression – and some are predicting that it could be worse than that. Manufacturing and exports are nose-diving, workers are being laid off, others are struggling to cope with the high cost of living. Many ordinary people are suffering.
Talk of the town
The larger-than-life billboard of Badawi that has fuelled speculation about his political future Photos by a passer-by
The website mentioned on the billboard contains the following message:Grab the opportunity for your voice to be heardE-mail your feedback and views to the Prime Minister in the form of your statement of support, complaint, suggestion, wish and hope as regards the performance and pledges of the Prime Minister, the national and state government leaders. Let us work together to preserve security, peace and prosperity for the people of Malaysia and the Nation.Your feedback is very much appreciated. Thank you.Please provide valid e-mail address and phone number so as not to miss your opportunity to get response from PM.A bit late in the day to be asking for feedback, no?
Latest Aliran Monthly now out
The latest issue of Aliran Monthly is now out. This issue looks at the state of the BN and whether it is capable of implementing the reforms that it needs to save itself.Support independent media and journalism. For more information on how to subscribe, click here.8,000 crowd in Shah Alam for PR ceramah on Perak
A huge crowd has turned up for a PR ceramah at Section 19 in Shah Alam tonight, despite the last minute info. The ceramah is being held to explain the situation in Perak.An eye-witness at the scene decribes the turnout at the ceramah, which is still in progress (as at 11.30pm) at the Dewan Bola Tampar MBSA, as “fantastic”. Some 3,000 people are packed indoors while another 5,000 are outside in the car-park and spilling over into the tennis court.
Tg Bunga residents bang pots and pans in protest
Noisy protest against Class 3 and 4 hillslope development projects
They call it ‘cacerolazo‘ or ‘cacerolada‘ in Latin America – that’s a form of protest involving a group of people creating a racket by banging pots, pans and other utensils to draw attention to their cause.
This afternoon, in Tanjung Bunga, residents used this form of protest to loud effect during a Valentine’s Day ‘tea party’ to protest at property development projects on steep hill-slopes. Some one hundred residents turned up in Chee Seng Garden in front of the Bolton Surin project, calling on the Chief Minister and the state government to stop the project for good.
Two MBs turn up at Perak Sultan’s palace
Perak Mentri Besar Nizar and his BN-appointed rival counterpart Zambry were both allowed into the Perak Sultan’s palace this evening to attend the royal banquet to mark the Sultan’s silver jubilee. It’s the first time that both of them are at the same place at the same time. Nizar was accompanied by Perak DAP chairman Ngeh.The NST has the story here.
Alarm bells ring as manufacturing dives
Gearing up for Bukit Gantang
BN/Umno flags already fluttering in the Taiping-Bukit Gantang area Photo by Jong
Police presence around Karpal’s Penang residence
A couple of different sources have alerted me to a fairly large police presence – perhaps a hundred or more – around Karpal Singh’s residence in Penang.Riot police trucks are in the area and roads blocks have been set up around the Waterfall Road/Western Road area.Reports blog reader tan, tanjung bunga:
I passed Karpal Singh’s residence at around 3.00 pm: lots of FRU personnel and other policemen in the vicinity of his residence, with FRU personnel also lining-up in front of his gate and dozens of media people positioned opposite the gate. You can imagine the traffic jams in the whole area!From your post, it’s possible that the security personnel are trying to protect Karpal’s residence from the Umno demonstrators! Congrats to them then for protecting a citizen!
Nomination day immediately after Umno assembly ends
The Election Commission has fixed 29 March as nomination day and polling day on 7 April for both the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections.Nomination day thus falls a day after the Umno general assembly concludes on 28 March.
Badawi billboard sets tongues wagging
A new billboard in KL has sparked speculation over Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s political future.The billboard, along Jalan Syed Putra near the turnoff to Taman Seputeh, features a large portrait of Abdullah Badawi, at least 10 feet high, with the words “Opinions Ideas appreciated, viewpoints welcomed”. It also includes his email a website address.Blog reader lanwm spotted the billboard too:
I was like I can’t believe my eyes when I saw that huge billboard with his face! I tried covering it with my hands but it was just too huge to be covered!The question that a few are asking is, why would a Prime Minister who is leaving office soon want to solicit public views during the twilight days of his administration?
Dissecting the constitutional issues in Perak
Human rights lawyer and activist Malik Imtiaz Sarwar attempts to dissect some of the constitutional and historical issues surrounding the current political crisis in Perak.
Embattled but cool Nizar now M’sia’s politician to watch
‘Tea party’ against Tanjung Bunga hill-slope projects
Tanjung Bunga residents groups, alarmed by property development projects on steep hill-slopes, are coming together at the top of Jalan Chan Siew Teong in Chee Seng Gardens on Valentine’s Day to hold a ‘tea party’ from 4.00pm to 5.00pmThis message from the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association:
Even before the horrific landslide in Taman Antarabangsa, the residents of Chee Seng Gardens in Tanjong Bunga confronted the developers of a hillside construction project about an “accident waiting to happen”. A stop-work order was slapped on the construction site demanding that more retention ponds be built to avoid the floods that had frightened residents. Another stop-work order came later.