LIVE: RPK goes home in a Roll Royce “fit for a king”

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“We have to fight all out and get the ISA abolished,” says RPK before he is driven home. Photos by Rakyat@Work

Updates by anilnetto.com with Rakyat@Work reporting live from the scene. 1800: Correction: The person in the front seat of the Rolls was not Tony Pua but someone else. Sorry, Tony! 1743: Blog reader Andrew tells us not to get too carried away:
Your reader’s comments all TOO OPTIMISTIC about the judiciary. One swallow does not make a summer. One case does not exonerate the judiciary’s discredit nor does it signal any significant change. Only a series of good judgments over a prolonged period of time will do this. If any of the other ISA detainees were to challenge their detention, would they be freed?
1723: The thanksgiving continues, this time from Tommy Man:
Hallelujah…Praise to the Lord God the Creator. Justice finally prevailed. God is our judge. The aggressor will be punished.
1702: Rakyat@Work is now taking a well-deserved break to freshen up before heading for Seremban, where he expects RPK to turn up for the weekly Friday night Abolish ISA vigil at Dataran Seremban Park at 8.00pm. It should be an exciting night!

Utter delight: His supporters chant “RPK! RPK!” 1700: RPK’s release is a blow for advocates of the ISA, says blog reader Sewel:
Refreshing to see Habeas Corpus was used as a leverage to challenge the ISA. This is common law at its best. Justice Syed Helmy has also (given) a much needed credibility boost to Malaysia’s judiciary. Justice Helmy put to rest the false assumption that nobody could question the ISA. Together with the judgment passed by Judge Komathy on Anwar’s sodomy trial today to disallow (AG’s request for) Anwar’s hearing to (be transferred to) the high court, we are seeing justice prevail. The Judiciary has in fact today in different sittings questioned the credibility and judgement of both the Attorney-General and the Home Minister.
1639: Haris and Zorro thank everyone for their support. Haris reminds the crowd that there are over 60 detainees who need to be freed as well. Everyone here is taking a “piece of justice” home today. 1600: Blog reader Harbans Kaur heaves a sigh of relief:
Yay! Good news. Thanks for the live up-date. I’ve been on tenterhooks all morning wondering if he was going to be re-arrested outside the courthouse. God Bless RPK! We must continue to pressure the release of all other ISA detainees! The anti-ISA vigils should continue.

1540: He is freed! “RPK is whisked away in a beautiful maroon Rolls Royce fit for a king,” says Rakyat@Work. RPK and Marina are in the back seat while Tony Pua is in the front. Some 150 supporters are chanting, “RPK! RPK!”
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RPK to be freed this afternoon!

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Scenes of jubilation in court this morning after the decision Photo by Rakyat@Work

In a stunning development, Raja Petra is to be freed from ISA detention after a successful habeas corpus application. Shah Alam High Court Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad ruled that Raja Petra’s detention was illegal and that the Home Minister had acted outside his jurisdiction when he issued a two-year detention order under Section 8(1) of the ISA. “The atmosphere here is fantastic,” says Rakyat@Work, my contact at the scene. “When the verdict was read out, everyone erupted in jubilation so much so the judge had to admonish the crowd and remind them it was a court of law. We couldn’t help it though! A lot of people were crying openly.”
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Penang trade mission reveals Korean trip expenses

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Congrats to InvestPenang for revealing the Korean trade mission expenses and for not spending excessively. The total incurred by the state for the five-day trip amounts to RM32,382 compared to the previous state government’s three day trip to India, which cost RM83,673.
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Total bill for 1988 judicial crisis: >RM10.5m

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RM10.5 million. That’s what it cost to compensate the judges unjustly sacked or dismissed from the judiciary in 1988 under the Mahathir administration. The breakdown is as follows: Lord President Tun Salleh Abas – RM5 million Supreme Court judges:
  • Wan Suleiman Pawanteh (deceased) – RM2 million
  • George Seah – RM2 million
  • Azmi Kamaruddin – RM500,000
  • Eusoffe Abdoolcadeer (deceased) – RM500,000
  • Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh  – RM500,000
These were the five Supreme Court judges who bravely stood up for justice and democracy when the Lord President was suspended (and later dismissed).  All five were suspended but Azmi, Eusoffe and Wan Hamzah were later re-instated. It was a devastating blow to the country’s highest court – a blow from which it has not recovered to this day.
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Wi-fi forum in Penang on Saturday

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The state government is holding a forum tomorrow (Saturday) to try and allay some of the concerns that have arisen from its plan to introduce free state-wide wi-fi and Wimax. 2.00-5.00pm – Forum: Wireless@Penang Venue: Komtar Dome Organisers: Penang state government and MCMC Meanwhile, the group calling itself the Penang Wireless Campaign Group is expected to hold a press conference next week.

150 attend Abolish ISA Mass in Pulau Tikus

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Some 150 people turned up at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus for an Abolish ISA Mass, which could be the first in a series of Wednesday night Masses in Penang to express solidarity with and pray for ISA detainees.

The main celebrant tonight was parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez, looking almost like an Old Testament figure with his flowing white beard and long white hair tied neatly in a pony-tail. The Mass was concelebrated with Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez, College General Rector Fr Edwin Paul and College General acting Dean of Studies Fr Simon Labrooy.

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President-elect Obama’s acceptance speech

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A historic occasion. It’s President-elect Obama. Let’s hope he fulfils his promises and works in the interests of the ordinary people, the working class, rather than Big Business. Anyway, contrast that with the situation in Malaysia. See Zunar’s cartoon in Malaysiakini which speaks volumes. Here’s the prepared transcript of his acceptance speech from the Yahoo News Room and here is the BBC video clip of his speech:
Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama-as prepared for delivery Election Night Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 Chicago, Illinois If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
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More Abolish ISA events in Penang

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I am surprised. I thought that the Abolish ISA campaign’s momentum in Penang would fizzle out after six weekly vigils. But no – there are more events coming up. Today (Wednesday), there will be a Mass for ISA detainees at 8.00pm at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus (next to Convent Pulau Tikus).
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Why not do away with everything…

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Now here’s another worrying development. The Penang government has implemented a “build first, approve building plans later” policy in a bid to draw more investors to the state, according to a news report. The approval process for detailed building plans are there for good reasons. They are to ensure that various requirements are met: engineering, safety, environmental, fire precautions, a hearing for neighbouring residents’ objections, etc. The approval process allows local authorities to ask developers to amend their detailed plans if these requirements are not met. If we allow construction of a factory building to commence before a detailed building plan can be approved, what happens when the plan doesn’t meet minimum standards but the building is already nearing completion? What do you do with the building then? Will the state government order its demolition? Or close one eye? This makes a mockery of the whole building plan approval process and renders it a farce. It also creates double standards – why should investors be exempted from the building plan approval process while the rest of us, mere mortals, have to comply with such regulations? Since the Penang state government is so afraid of exposing the state to claims of compensation, then it should chew on these provisions from the Town and Country Planning Act 1976. Provisions under the Act state that the authorities will be exposing themselves to compensation claims for revoking permission or ordering a demolition if requirements are not met. Section 25 (3) says an order revoking a planning permission or building plan shall state the period within which the person to whom the permission or approval was granted is required to demolish any building erected pursuant to the permission or approval and the maximum amount that the local planning authority is prepared to reimburse the person in respect of costs incurred by him in carrying out the demolition. Section 25 (7) states that if planning permission or approval of a buidling plan is revoked, and if the person claims compensation from the local authority for expenses incurred, the planning authority shall offer compensation that is adequate. Another section says the developer can appeal to the Appeals Board to assess the amount of reimbursement or compensation to be paid. I have a better idea: why not go the distance and do away with all requirements. No need for planning permissions, building plan submissions, engineering department approval, PBA approval, bomba approval, EIAs, OCs, licences – oh, what a hassle! – then sit back and we will see a terrific influx of foreign investors into Penang. Only thing is we will probably succeed in drawing the worst kind of investors: those with little regard for regulatory requirements, safety, the environment – in short, those investors who are unable or unwilling to comply with the minimum standards and requirements set by developed nations. Hey, come to Penang, you don’t need to worry about all these things.
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RM5b + RM5b = RM10b worth of questions

Anil Netto
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The first 5 billion ringgit question is of course related to state investment company Valuecap. That’s the RM5 billion taken from our EPF money to be used by Valuecap to “invest” in the stock market. But Malaysian Insider raises a new question. It claims that Valuecap owes its three shareholders RM5.1 billion, which is due to be repaid in February 2009.
This debt, in the form of interest-bearing unsecured bonds, raises questions over plans for the Employees Provident Fund to lend RM5 billion to Valuecap to invest in the stock market. In March 2003, Valuecap borrowed RM5.1 billion from shareholders Khazanah, Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen and Permodalan Nasional Bhd to invest in the stock market. At the time, world stock markets were bracing for a looming war in Iraq which followed on the September 2001 attacks on the US. Valuecap’s bonds were due to be repaid in February 2006, but the company was given another three years to this coming February. At the end of 2006, the three shareholders each held RM1.7 billion in these bonds, according to documents obtained by The Malaysian Insider. Since these debt instruments were not listed and are not tradeable, the three shareholders are probably still holding these bonds today. Recently, the government proposed that EPF lend Valuecap RM5 billion to invest in the stock market. In view of its impending obligation to repay its shareholders, however, questions arise over whether the loaned funds will be used to redeem the bonds. As at the end of 2006, Valuecap’s investments were valued at RM4.8 billion. Since then, the stock market has lost 21 per cent of its value. If Valuecap’s investments have tracked the stock market, these could be worth RM3.8 billion currently.
Then there is Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua’s call on the Finance Ministry and Khazanah to explain their involvement in Silterra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which lost RM1 billion last year. This is compounded by the alleged loss of RM5.17 billion that Khazanah Nasional is said to have invested in the semiconductor wafer manufacturer since 1994, reports Malaysiakini.
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CVLB blocks transfer of 30 RapidKL buses to Penang

Anil Netto
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Rapid Penang is blocked in its bid to expand its bus service on the mainland

The Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) has rejected an application by Rapid Penang to transfer 30 buses from RapidKL for use in the mainland, reports The Star today. This is the same CVLB that is largely responsible for the sorry state of public transport in Penang. CVLB chairman Markiman Kobiran said the board had to reject the application because Seberang Perai currently had adequate bus services provided by Rapid Penang and other bus companies. Oh yeah, everyone is satisfied with the bus service on the mainland? Between the CVLB and Rapid Penang, I think I would trust the latter’s judgement more. Get this, CVLB is blocking the transfer because they are afraid of “unhealthy competition” among the bus companies:
“If Rapid Penang brings in more buses, it will jeopardise the original intention of improving public transport, and create unhealthy competition among these bus companies,” he said via a telephone interview from Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Unhealthy for whom? Rapid Penang is a federal government-owned entity based in Penang. And if they feel that mainland Penang needs additional buses – and I am sure the public will be delighted to have more buses on the mainland –  why is the CVLB blocking the move? Surely a little more competition would help to improve the bus service and benefit long-suffering ordinary passengers. Why is the CVLB so concerned about the effect it will have on the other private bus companies? Who owns or has interests in these private bus companies anyway? I think we can guess. So we have to ask, whose interests is the CVLB protecting – the private bus companies’ or the public interest?
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Let them eat golf balls

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These days, those who go to the market often complain about the high prices of foodstuff including vegetables. It’s the stuff that many household heads talk about, especially the working class. How on earth to make ends meet… We are now forced to rely on vegetables from Cameron Highlands, transported by lorries to various markets in towns and cities in the peninsula. But it wasn’t always like this. In Penang for instance, until the 1980s, large quantities of vegetables were grown on the island. Vegetable farms in Thean Teik supplied close to eight tonnes of vegetables daily and lots of fruit to meet a huge portion of the needs of Penangites. There were other vegetable farms, notably in the Tanjong Tokong area. But then, our city planners and the BN-led administration, in their wisdom, allowed developers and land trustees to kick out these farmers to make way for “development”. In the Thean Teik case, it led to a bitter confrontation, which the farmers lost. Some development. Now, we have to get our vegetables from elsewhere. Factor in higher transport cost, higher demand, the rising cost of chemical pesticides and fertilisers and fewer urban vegetable farms, and it’s no wonder vegetable prices are rising. The argument was that land in Penang was scarce and the farmers had to make way for development. So looking at the issue from this perspective, I am bewildered that the Pakatan state government is rejoicing because Korean “investors” are planning a US$100 million golf course in Batu Kawan in Penang – a state which cannot find  land to grow enough vegetables to feed its population.
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Over 100 brave rain to attend PJ vigil

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Photos by Rakyat@Work

Eye-witness report by Rakyat@Work:

The night when colours fade: “Where are all the Indians?” “Where are all the Malays?” “Where are all the Chinese?” Haris: Are we all blind or what? Who cares about skin colours? It doesn’t matter any more! We are Bangsa SATU! We are Bangsa Rakyat! Yes! I feel a surge of adrenaline overflowing within me, a sudden sense of brother- and sisterhood with my fellow Malaysians. It’s a celebration of Life. I feel good, I really do. So do the rest. Towards the end of the event, someone discovers a wallet that had been dropped. Marina immediately hands it over to a guy and asks that it be returned ASAP. Someone else whips out his handphone and asks if there are any contact details in the wallet. It is sorted out in no time. That’s the kind of spirit when we say Bangsa Rakyat Bangsa Satu.
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Candlelight vigil reaches Seremban

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Photos by Rakyat@Work The first baby steps for Seremban folks but a giant leap for justice and Bangsa Malaysia Rakyat@Work reports for anilnetto.com on Seremban’s first Abolish ISA candlelight vigil: Once again, a Eureka experience, entirely refreshing. Kudos to Angela et al for a successful vigil. 2110: The crowd now numbers a hundred or more. First to take the floor is none other than Marina. She gives us an update on RPK. Although his overall health is holding, he has to overcome various daily challenges such as sleeping on a platform which gives rise to backaches; food that is !#$@%. If there’s anything funny, it’s his belly. Flat! Really flat! (Sad, funny laughter from the crowd.) “Can I buy him a proper bed?” asks someone in the crowd. “Ya, what about one from Osim?” suggests another. “Well, well, thanks to all,” replies Marina. “But you know, rules are rules and under ISA, you can imagine by now.” We need to continue supporting RPK, and judging from the number of witnesses the prosecutors have lined up for his trial, we need even more patience and strength.
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Aliran website hacked after Farish’s article appears

Anil Netto
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Aliran’s website has been hacked again. This time the hacker obliterated the website and left a message using swear words on the site administrator. Cartoonist Zunar alerted Aliran to the hacking this afternoon. The website was hacked a couple of days after Aliran posted an article on “Race and Islam” by its member, Farish Noor.
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Altantuya’s father Setev left speechless

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The picture says it all: Bewildered and dejected, Setev Shariibuu looks a broken man after the verdict this morning

Someone asked, “Do you believed that justice still exists in our country?” Setev shook his head as his interpreter replied, “In my country, there is this law.. Justice!… and he (pointing at Setev) doesn’t want to criticise the judge’s decision because he hopes this decision was taken in line with  Malaysian law… because it’s an area where the lawyer and the judge are independent of the Government…” The interpreter was interrupted by Setev, who took out his passport issued by the Mongolian government, saying he is a citizen of Mongolia, which “protects its citizens”.
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Guan Eng leads delegation in hunt for Korean investors

Anil Netto
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One of the larger issues that arises in the face of the global economic slowdown and recession is that the foreign investor-driven, export-oriented economic growth model is clearly not working, especially in times like this when global demand has shrunk. With global stagflation or recession staring at us, capacity is rising and the trickle of foreign investors is drying up. We should be focusing more on building up a strong, resilient, sustainable domestic economy by providing basic services (housing, health care, food security, public transport, education) rather than relying on foreign investors and now, foreign retirees. But getting federal funding for such essential services is a problem in the Pakatan-run states and I can sympathise with the Penang state government, which is searching high and low for investors to stave off the effects of job losses. All the same, hunting for foreign investors is at best a short-term solution that does not address the fundamental changes that have taken place in the global economy including the emergence of other low-cost countries such as Vietnam and China, which have much larger domestic markets. We should know by now that many foreign investors will not hesitate to pack up and head for the exit when the global economy goes slack, leaving their workers stranded. Our region today is a vastly different place compared to the time in the 1970s when Lim Chong Eu successfully lured electronics investors from Japan and the United States to set up assembly plants in Penang. So I was interested to read about Guan Eng leading a 52-member delegation on a five-day trade mission to South Korea. The NST carried this report yesterday:
2008/10/29 GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng led a 52-member business delegation on a five-day trade and investment promotion trip to Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. The Lim’s press secretary, Cheong Yin Fan, said companies from the private sector would promote a cluster of properties to Korean buyers at the Penang pavilion. She said the state government wanted to promote the Malaysia My Second Home programme to Koreans. Lim will meet epresentatives of Korean companies and investors in various sectors, which include medical devices, electronics, healthcare, education, tour, travel and recreation. Among the members of the delegation is Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin.
Now, it will be interesting to see how a Pakatan investment mission, with its commitment to CAT, differs from a BN junket. In this regard, my old friend Andrew (lots of Andrews around!) in Korea raises some questions, which, if taken in the right spirit, will give the Penang state government ample opportunity to demonstrate what CAT means in practice:
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Razak Baginda freed, two others called to enter defence

Anil Netto
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Abdul Razak Baginda has been freed by the High Court this morning. He had been charged with abetting in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shariibuu. Two others, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, have been called to enter their defence.
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Obama’s slick new “informercial”

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This is slick, very slick – and impressive. This ‘informercial’, just released in the US, cleverly tugs at heart-strings. I just hope Obama remembers the ordinary people he talked about if he comes to power.  But I am also sceptical to what extent he can actually reform the private health care industry (yes, its an industry, big business) or push through pro-people economic policies. Too often, populist politicians show a keen interest in the concerns of ordinary people only to disappoint when elected as they invariably pander to the interests of Big Business and lose touch with the hardships of the people on the ground who voted them into power.
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M’sia’s denial syndrome as global stag-deflation looms

Anil Netto
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Economist Nouriel Roubini says we are now looking at a possible global stag-deflation in the coming months as consumer and other demand falls worldwide. The US recession and global slowdown is likely to lead to a easing of inflationary pressure. But then, rising spare capacity could lead to stagflation.

Asia Times financial analyst Henry C K Liu suggests that hyperinflation could be on the cards in the US as the Bush administration replaces market capitalism with state capitalism, neither of which will help workers weather the storm. The solution he says is to raise wages and ensure full employment rather than bail out financial institutions:

By now, it is becoming clear that government policy has been mostly focused on maintaining asset prices at levels that the market has rejected. Logic suggests that such a policy will result in hyperinflation at the end of the day, which will lead to more bankruptcies down the road in a protracted downward spiral. The government’s attempt to save overextended financial institutions may well cause the total destruction of market capitalism. And if past experience is any guide, unless wage income is indexed to inflation, the dilution of asset value through inflation will only hasten the arrival of total market failure and the total meltdown of the market economy.

So far, not much is heard from official circles that suggest the solution to the current credit crisis can only come from an immediate and substantial rise in wage income. Instead of bailing out insolvent financial institutions, the government should use sovereign credit to maintain full employment and boost wage income to catch up with inflated asset prices. If the Fed must print new money to save the system, the new money should go to job creation and wage increases rather than to recapitalize insolvent corporations. Full employment and rising wages will halt the fall of asset prices with a rising floor.

The approach adopted by the Bush administration is not designed to rescue a collapsing global economy from total meltdown but to resurrect free market capitalism from ideological bankruptcy with state capitalism.

Over in Malaysia, it appears that the government is gradually coming to grips with the global crisis and shedding its state of denial as it revises down its forecasts for the coming months. Unfortunately, any policy reforms are getting entangled with the Umno election campaign; so it’s difficult for our economic planners to push through reforms without getting distracted by what’s happening within Umno – and its business/crony connections – and to a lesser extent, MCA. Even minor reforms or changes are getting hit by controversy, as Farish Noor points out in ‘Race and Islam‘.

If I sound a bit pessimistic in this piece I wrote for Asia Times today, it’s because I am not sure if the current administration is able to see beyond its narrow self-interests to steer us through the rough seas that lie ahead. Neither does it appear to have the vision to radically restructure the economy to promote sustainable development, food security and domestic resilience.

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