Qur’an: “Tuhan kami, juga Tuhan kamu, adalah Satu”
This is the Malay translation of verse 29:46 from the Qur’an obtained from here:
Dan janganlah kamu berbahas dengan Ahli Kitab melainkan dengan cara yang lebih baik, kecuali orang-orang yang berlaku zalim di antara mereka dan katakanlah (kepada mereka): Kami beriman kepada (Al-Quran) yang diturunkan kepada kami dan kepada (Taurat dan Injil) yang diturunkan kepada kamu dan Tuhan kami, juga Tuhan kamu, adalah Satu dan kepadaNyalah, kami patuh dengan berserah diri.
Yusuf Ali’s English translation:
And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, “We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).”
M. Pickthal’s English translation:
And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.
Makkal Sakthi fever hits Penang
“Makkal Sakthi (People Power)!” thundered speaker after speaker.
“Valga (Long live)!” roared back the crowd.
I thought I would check out the atmosphere at the DAP ceramah at the Penang Chinese Town Hall in George Town tonight to gauge the mood among voters. The theme: “Bebaskan Hindraf 5 (Free the Hindraf Five).”
When I arrived at the hall at around 8.00pm, it was full. More people were arriving and soon they were spilling out of the hall, where two screens had been put up for those outside to watch the proceedings.
The total turnout was around 3,000, including the few hundred outside the hall.
This was not your typical DAP ceramah. I had covered ceramahs in Penang, including those held at the Chinese Town Hall, for some years – but this was unlike anything I had seen. Instead of an 80 per cent ethnic Chinese crowd, this time Indian Malaysians made up more than 90 per cent of the crowd. Instead of speaking in English and Chinese, the DAP speakers spoke largely in Malay and Tamil and some English.
The Chinese Malaysians who turned up looked bemused and a bit taken aback to find themselve in a minority this time. One Chinese woman, a stranger, turned to me and remarked, “After 50 years of Independence, you have finally woken up” – which sounded a bit strange; she was talking as if I represented the entire Indian Malaysian community in the country!
I was more interested in observing the crowd. Of course, the middle-class were represented, but I saw many, many men and women who looked like they had come from tough or difficult backgrounds, the lower-income group. Were they manual labourers, casual workers, factory workers or unemployed, I wondered.
Many of them looked like they were coming to a political ceramah for the first time. How many of them were actually registered voters? All the same, they seemed eager to snap up reading material such as The Rocket and Aliran Monthly, which were being sold outside. I saw a few young Indian Malaysian men wearing the familiar red and pink Abolish ISA badges.
You could almost feel the air of excitement hanging over the crowd.
The DAP made a conscious effort to project the Indian Malaysian faces in their ranks such as Karpal, Kula, Prof Ramasamy, Guna, Sivanesan and Rayan. Also on stage were Kit Siang, Guan Eng, Chong Eng and was that Jeff Ooi?
Guan Eng told the crowd he had asked quite a few Hindus what they were praying for on Thaipusam and they replied, “For the release of the Hindraf Five.”
“But what did Abdullah Badawi give you?” he asked. “A public holiday!”
He also poked fun at Lingam’s “it looks like me; it sounds like me”.
The crowd laughed, knowingly, at the ongoing farce.
As for the detained Hindraf leaders who are now on a hunger strike, the joke going around is that if ever Uthayakumar, who is a diabetic, needed a blood transfusion, the authorities would be wary of appealing to the public for blood donations. That’s because they might have to call in the FRU to control the thousands who would turn up to donate blood!
All the DAP speakers received a rousing welcome as they entered the hall, including a big cheer for Karpal, who is the senior lawyer for the detained Hindraf leaders. Karpal, speaking while seated on stage, told the crowd the DAP was “adopting” Makkal Sakthi.
To me, there are pros and cons of a popular movement such as Makkal Sakthi being institutionalised as or within a political party. We saw that during Reformasi, when Keadilan was set up to institutionalise the movement and take the struggle to a political level.
An anonymous popular movement is spontaneous, dynamic and organic, representing “people power” from the bottom up.
In contrast, a political party tends to be structured and organised while decisions are made at the top. This makes it less spontaneous and more predictable. It also makes it easier for tacticians in the Barisan Nasional, who have mastered the art of our unfair electoral process and campaigning, to read and analyse and deal with during the general election.
That is why reformasi was exciting and unpredictable and dynamic, but once it was institutionalised within a political party (Keadilan), the movement lost some of its dynamism and spontaneity. In fact, my guess is that the BN would be much more comfortable dealing with opposition parties than with anonymous popular movements such as Reformasi and Makkal Sakthi.
Still, I suppose political parties have a role to play in putting across the people’s aspirations into the official policy formulation process. But it would be a great pity if the politicians were to take over in such a way as to leave the people – who have only just tasted a sense of liberation from their metaphorical shackles – feeling disempowered once again.
Okay, back to the ceramah: Karpal also informed the crowd that there was a high probability that Guan Eng would stand as a candidate in Penang in the general election.
Outside the hall, a couple of DAP volunteers at a desk were giving out forms to those who wanted to sign up as polling day volunteers to assist the party. About half a dozen young Indian Malaysians were busy filling up the forms.
I asked the DAP volunteer at the desk how many people had signed up. She flicked through the stack of forms and counted around 30. Others had taken forms, promising to return them later, she said.
From the back of the hall, I could see the a sprinkling of folks who had come in the orange attire of Makkal Sakthi, including the Makkal Sakthi T-shirts.
A visitor from KL marvelled at the mood here in Penang, which he said seemed more enthusiastic than in KL. “Perhaps it’s because the folks over in KL have quite a few different events to choose from.”
I left the ceramah before it ended, convinced that there has been a major swing within the Indian Malaysian community.
On my way back, I walked past the Pitt Street Corner Bar, a stone’s throw from the Chinese Town Hall. It is usually an oasis for those seeking “refreshments” on a Saturday night. Today, it looked rather quiet – a few empty seats around metallic tables inside – despite the presence of a large crowd nearby.
Even as more Malaysians were being detained in KL earlier today, the mood in Penang – at least among these 3,000 people – was one of newfound strength and solidarity in a community that has awakened from it slumber. More than that, a sense of empowerment has descended on the people – a feeling that I can and will make a difference, and what I do really does matter.
And this mood was infectious. Even the Chinese DAP volunteers outside the hall found themselves calling out, “Makkal Sakthi!”
Valga!
Another step towards justice for murdered activist Munir
The long struggle to find out who killed Indonesia’s leading human rights activist Munir Thalib received a major boost when Indonesia’s Supreme Court convicted Polycarpus Priyanto, an ex-pilot for national airline Garuda, of poisoning Munir with arsenic during an international flight.
But Indonesian police need to get to the bottom of this conspiracy once and for all and find out who within the intelligence community ordered his killing and how far up the chain of command the order originated. I am glad that the police have re-opened the case and will question intelligence agents for the first time about their involvement in the murder.
Munir was a remarkable, passionate and courageous activist who took the numerous threats he received in his stride.
He once said:
Human rights in the sense of human solidarity has created a new universal and equal language going beyond racial, gender, ethnic or religious boundaries. That is why we consider it a doorway to dialogue for people of all socioeconomic groups and all ideologies.May the struggle for justice in Indonesia that inspired him – and which he, in turn, inspired – live on! May a thousand more Munirs emerge to take his place.
Penang civil society groups not letting down guard after stalling PGCC
This speaks for itself. Some people are saying the government’s change of heart is just an election gimmick. But there was intense pressure from civil society groups and ordinary Malaysians upset over losing a green lung and horrified about what the traffic would be like.
It just goes to show what ordinary people can do, if they set their minds and hearts – and energy – to the task at hand.
So now we have rejuvenated civil society groups, Hindraf/Makkal Sakthi, Bersih, Protes, Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA… The socio-political landscape has definitely changed. Many believed that Reformasi in 1998-2001 failed to achieve anything – but the seeds were planted then, and much earlier by all those concerned Malaysians over the years who believed in justice but never lived to see the fruit.
DEVELOPMENT-MALAYSIA: Civil Society Stalls Eight Billion Dollar Project
By Anil Netto
PENANG, Jan 25 (IPS) – Civil society groups here are mulling their next move after having stalled a massive, private project to build close to 40 high-rise towers on a precious green lung on this land-scarce Malaysian island.
An intense campaign in the preceding months finally forced the Penang state government to announce last week it was effectively stalling the 25 billion ringgit (eight billion US dollar) project.
Full article
Eusoff-Lingam New Zealand trip photos
Check out the pictures of the “coincidental” holiday encounter reproduced on the website of the Malaysian Bar.
Nice bonding between the two families, I must say.
A new movement springs to life as Thaipusam devotees shun Batu Caves, throng temples elsewhere
Update – 8.45 pm, Penang: Some 2,000 Hindu Malaysians, clad in the orange of Makkal Sakthi, are on the streets, chanting, “Hindraf! Hindraf! Long live Hindraf!”
It’s confirmed: The boycott of Batu Caves for the Thaipusam festival has been a success. Tens – perhaps hundreds – of thousands of Hindu Malaysian devotees have boycotted Batu Caves – which experienced at least a 30 per cent drop in attendance. They have instead turned to temples elsewhere for the annual Thaipusam festival.
In the process, a new movement – Makkal Sakthi (People Power) closely associated with support for Hindraf – has sprung to life, flexing its muscles in numbers. What makes it astonishing is that there is no organised structure or secretariat behind the movement, made up largely of marginalised Indian Malaysians. It was instead just ordinary people sending out mobile phone text messages, asking people to stay away from Batu Caves and instead go to other temples.
The implications are profound. It represents a de-coupling of popular religous devotion from the vested interests of the political-religious nexus. Put differently, it is indicative of a marginalised community no longer trusting a major temple authority because of its perceived close links to the ruling political elite and its perceived betrayal of the legitimate interests of the community. The adherents of the religion no longer want anything to do with those religious officials who are in cohorts with political masters who have already lost much of their political – and now religious – legitimacy.
The boycott has blown apart any attempt by Samy Vellu and the mainstream media to equate the attendance at a religious festival in Batu Caves with support for the MIC/BN. Clearly, the attempt to tie the MIC and Samy Vellu’s political legitimacy to the turnout at a religious festival – as if the devotees were there to pay homage to them – has failed miserably.
A couple of eye-witnesses who visited Batu Caves this morning told me that the turnout for the Thaipusam festival early this morning was distinctly smaller.
Remember, this is despite Thaipusam now being a public holiday in KL from this year. One would have expected a bigger turnout with people having the day off there.
One source told me that he felt the turnout was about 30 per cent lower.
A second source told me that the drop exceeded 30 per cent but not as much as half. She told me that during the same time (early morning) last year, the entrance to the Batu Caves temple premises was jammed. But not today.
A third source told me that a climb that would normally take 3-4 hours to complete – inching one’s way up the steps leading to the temple at the top and back – this time took only an hour.
Update (24 January): Malaysiakini and theSun both confirmed the smaller turnout at Batu Caves.
In contrast, Samy Vellu was reported as saying that the crowd was at least half a million people at the complex and a million the day before. “I have come to Thaipusam since I was 11 years old. I know the crowd. It is the same as before,” he told the press.
And what to make of this?
Call To Boycott Thaipusam In Batu Caves Ignored, One Million Turn UpOh, Bernama… Oh, Samy… This morning, devotees could actually approach close to the altar with their paal kudam (milk pots) unhindered by the sea of humanity that would have obstructed their path in previous years. Many people had also turned up a couple of days earlier to fulfil their vows, said another source. And when they were asked for their chits (indicating they had paid about RM10) upon presentation of their paal kudam, many just glared back and refused to comply – which could be why the fee is reportedly only optional today. A couple of stall owners grumbled that business had been poor. They had apparently paid RM2,500 for a small stall and RM5,000 for a bigger area. Even the eating stalls/areas were not crowded. “It’s very noticeable that it is a much smaller crowd this year,” said my second contact. “The shop-owners told me business was affected.” Tens of thousands of devotees have gone to other temples instead including the Pandamaran temple in Port Klang. When contacted at the scene, Charles Santiago of the Monitoring Globalisation research unit told me over the background din that the turnout was anything between 30,000 and 40,000. Update (24 January): Press reports say the total turnout over the entire celebration here reached 100,000, which is what another source told me. Now, this is remarkable when you consider that Port Klang is not normally associated with huge Thaipusam festivities. Hindu devotees have also thronged smaller temples in Kuala Selangor, Klang and elsewhere in Selangor. One small temple in Klang, which in previous years would receive only about 30 paal kudam, this time received over a hundred milk pots, as some 3,000 devotees showed up. Over in Penang, the Thaipusam crowds have been overwhelming, according to one contact at the scene. Near the race-course, a panthal (rest stop for those carrying kavadi) selling Makkal Sakthi (People Power) T-shirts and CDs has been enjoying brisk sales. The panthal is also displaying pictures of the Hindraf Five, detained under the ISA. “The response has been fantastic,” said my contact. “Many young people are wearing the Makkal Sakthi T-shirts and greeting each other with cries of ‘Makkal Sakthi’. There was such a peaceful yet strong spirit of camaderie among those present. ” Hundreds are said to be wearing the yellowish-orange Makkal Sakthi attire. (I hope those in the Makkal Sakthi movement will extend their hands in solidarity with Malaysians of other ethnic groups and religious backgrounds who are also struggling for justice – and vice versa.) He excitedly told me that the crowd this time was “100% more” than last year and he had seen buses from out of town. Update (24 January): Another witness confirmed that he had seen many buses, with a couple of people telling him there were 200-300 buses from out of town. One social activist told me there were many more people on the streets this year, compared to last year, when there was lots more space for people to move around. An academic at the scene also agreed the crowds were much bigger, with more people carrying milk pots. Strangely, theSun reported that the crowds in Penang were “much smaller” and traffic was “free flowing on roads leading to the temple.” Celebrations, the paper added, were “subdued”. The official Thaipusam organisers in Penang had announced a ban on political parties setting up stalls along the road leading to the Waterfall Temple. This could be linked to SMS messages that are believed to have been circulating, asking people to boycott the MIC stall – which would have left the DAP stall as the centre of attention. In any case, one of my sources tells me there is now a “Karpal Singh panthal” outside his residence, which lies along the Jalan Utama route nearing the Waterfall Temple! Similarly, Ipoh and Sungai Petani are believed to have experienced huge turnouts this year, but I await confirmation of this. Update (24 January): TheSun quoted a witness in Ipoh as saying the crowd was “unusually big this year”. She also heard it announced that the crowd was three times bigger than last year. All said, it looks like the boycott call by Makkal Sakthi/Hindraf supporters has successfully diverted a large number of people away from Batu Caves. The boycott was called after many Indian Malaysians expressed unhappiness over the way the Batu Caves temple authorities handled the situation on 25 Nov 2007. Riot police arrived to spray water cannon and tear gas in the direction of the crowd gathered inside the Batu Cave temple premises in the early hours of dawn before the Hindraf rally later that day, sparking anger. Share with me your Thaipusam experience in the “comments” below, okay… which temple you visited, what the atmosphere was like, the crowd size (was it bigger than last year or smaller?), the Makkal Sakthi spirit, what people were saying, anything of interest… I wish all Hindu Malaysians blessings of peace and goodwill this Thaipusam.KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) — Calls made to Hindus through short messaging service (SMS) to boycott Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves fizzled out as hundreds of thousands of devotees thronged the Sri Subramaniaswamy Temple here to pay their annual homage to Lord Muruga. As of noon Wednesday, not less than 500,000 people, both locals and foreigners, flocked to the temple to fulfil their vows, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.
Lingam inquiry: Memory loss epidemic spreads among witnesses
An impartial observer from Mars sitting in at the Lingam video inquiry would be forgiven for thinking that there is an outbreak of amnesia and dementia in Malaysia. Witnesses don’t seem to remember basic details. Why, Lingam was even unable to positively identify himself in the video, uttering the now legendary words, “It looks like me; it sounds like me.”
And when they appear to be incriminating themselves on the stand, they are very generously given time off to go and find a lawyer.
There is also considerable dilly-dallying in calling key witnesses such as Anwar Ibrahim, who first made the video public. And why does another potentially key witness, Lingam’s brother, have to literally beg to testify before the inquiry?
Anyway, I believe most Malaysians can see for themselves how the judiciary functioned during Mahathir’s administration. And it’s not a pretty picture. As my fellow correspondent with Inter Press Service, Baradan, observes below, Mahathir, who throughout his 22-year tenure managed to avoid being scrutinised in court, has well and truly exposed himself for the world to see.
POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Hearing Exposes Mahathir, His Corrupt Times By Baradan Kuppusamy KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (IPS) – A public hearing into corruption in the higher judiciary is giving Malaysians a rare peep into the way top judges were appointed, demoted or promoted during the tenure of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The revelations are offering hope to lawyers, judges and civil society leaders that, for the first time in three decades, a cleanup of the judiciary is possible. Full story
The truth about Palestine: Occupation
[googlevideo=http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1259454859593416473]
Many of us tend to think that Palestine is a “Muslim issue”. But it is not. Do you know, for instance, that Bethlehem, the birth-place of Jesus Christ, lies in Palestinian territory? In any case, it shouldn’t matter what religion the Palestinians are.
It is a question of humanity and basic justice. A question of Occupation: 60 years since the Nakba.
If you want to know the real situation in Palestine, check out this documentary by award-winning journalist John Pilger – Palestine is still the issue (2002):
John Pilger returns to the Occupied Teritories of the West Bank and Gaza where he filmed a documentary with the same title, about the same issues, in 1974. He finds the basic problems unchanged: a desperate, destitute people whose homeland is illegally occupied by the world’s fourth biggest military power. He hears extraordinary stories from Palestinians, though most of his interviews are with Israelis whose voices are seldom heard, including the remarkable witness of a man who lost his daughter in a suicide bombing. This film was nominated for a BAFTA, a British Academy Award.Meanwhile, amidst widespread indifference to the siege of the Gaza Strip, the UN has warned that its food aid to about 860,000 residents will have to be suspended within days if Israel’s blockade continues. Check out Glasgow-based John Hilley’s revealing write-up of Israel’s friendly network even as he demands to know why the major powers are “standing idly-by while a crisis siege in Gaza continues to inflict death and suffering on innocent people”.
Enticing Hindu Malaysian voters with Thaipusam holiday
Predictably, the PM has extended the Thaipusam public holiday to KL and Putrajaya. (Check out this revealing eye-witness account of the MIC-gathering tonight.) All I can say is that they must be desperate to win back support from Indian Malaysian voters, many of whom are sympathetic with Hindraf or have vowed to vote for the opposition this time. I believe many thinking Indian Malaysians will dismiss the Thaipusam holiday announcement as an election ploy – and see it as a sign that polls are around the corner.
Another clear indication of impending polls is that the BN’s election campaign over the electronic and print mass media – which it mostly controls – has already begun. (The Malaysian Election Media Monitoring team will soon begin posting its observations on a blog; so watch out for that.) The Star’s Wong Chun Wai, for instance, writes that surveys have identified three issues that voters will find most important:
While many recent scandals, trials and demonstrations have made the headlines, it is the three main issues of inflation, crime and foreigners that affect ordinary voters the most. FORGET street protests, forget detention without trials, forget VK Lingam and certainly, forget any sex DVD that involves a politician. These may make good reading and good sound bites at ceramahs but the three main issues that affect ordinary voters the most are inflation, crime and foreigners.So we can expect the mainstream media to bang on these three issues ahead of the elections – and that is precisely what The Sunday Star has done with its headline announcing official moves to cut the number of migrant workers in the country. Wong thinks that voters are not interested in political and economic marginalisation, democratic rights and integrity in democratic institutions. He fails to see that all these issues are inter-connected. For instance, the marginalisation of public views and the lack of democratic space for discussion and debate and protest has led to an inability to tackle the root causes of inflation, crime and exploitation of migrant labour. No wonder we are unable to come up with real solutions and alternative policies to resolve these issues. For all we know, the damage to the institution of the police, as highlighted in the Royal Commission’s report may be hindering its work in fighting crime. Or the economic marginalisation and sense of alienation among significant segments of the population could very well be contributing to the higher crime rate. Wong instead conveniently pins part of the blame for rising crime on migrant workers:
Another contributing factor to crime, where Malaysians are concerned, is the large number of foreigners. Malaysians are upset, if not angry, at the poor enforcement of the police coastguards in stopping the influx of foreigners.Such irresponsible journalism merely feeds the xenophobic prejudice of many narrow-minded Malaysians, who believe that more foreigners = more crime. Come on, are foreigners any more likely to commit crime than Malaysians? Where’s the evidence to support that? Meanwhile, here’s a piece I wrote for Asia Times, discussing the reasons Abdullah may have for calling a general election well before it is due:
Abdullah’s finger on Malaysia’s election trigger
By Anil Netto PENANG – Malaysia’s political parties, including the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO), are gearing up for snap polls, widely expected to be held in March though the government is not legally required to dissolve parliament and hold general elections until May 2009. So then why would Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s government opt to hold elections well before they are due? Full article
We believe in one God/Allah
Just came across this verse from the Qur’an (29:46), which I think speaks for itself:
وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ
إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَهُنَا وَإِلَهُكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Wala tujadiloo ahla alkitabi illa biallatee hiya ahsanu illa allatheena thalamoo minhum waqooloo amanna biallathee onzila ilayna waonzila ilaykum wailahuna wailahukum wahidun wanahnu lahu muslimoona
And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, “We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).”
(English rendition by Abdullah Yusuf Ali)
Major blow for Patrick Lim, Equine, as People Power stalls PGCC project
Who says that ordinary people can’t make a difference?
In the end, it took 2,500 postcards, 500 emails and a concerted civil society campaign to convince Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon that it would be politically costly for the government to proceed with this project.
It is a fact that many Penangites and all those who care for Penang were furious about the RM25 billion ringgit Penang Global City Centre project, which threatened to choke the streets and destroy a precious vast green space.
Koh reportedly issued a directive to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) on Monday, 14 January to return the planning application to the developer, who would have to revise the plan before it could be approved. The project had been launched last September by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who, back then, urged the state government to see to it that all approvals were expedited.
So Abdullah is not going to be happy – but perhaps he himself had been misled about the real nature of the project with its 40 high-rise towers. (Only the two infamous “iconic towers” were shown at the launch.)
Koh’s announcement means the project is now effectively stalled for at least a year – that’s how long the whole rigmarole of preparing a new plan and getting it approved will take. It means more time for the PGCC Campaign Group to strategise and mobilise more Penangites. It also means more financial costs for Equine’s Patrick Lim in holding on to an unproductive investment (though granted, Patrick’s initial financial outlay may not have been much and he already has made a huge revaluation profit following the conversion of land use to “mixed development”).
It’s amazing what People Power – and, oh yes, a general election around the corner – can do!
According to Koh, the developer would have to address the following issues, as reported in theSun:
* The proposed density without taking into account the 22ha of hill land (existing MPPP’s guidelines for the Jesselton and surrounding area is six units per acre with a height control of two-storeys. PGCC’s proposal is 36 units per acre inclusive of hill land and 54 units per acre excluding hill land); * The area nearest to Jesselton Heights must only be low density development and only bungalows must be built (the developer has proposed to build almost 7,000 luxury units in 38 towers, including two iconic towers, but there are no provisions for bungalows); and * The developer must fulfill the affordable housing policy which is insufficient and has not been included in the original development plan (The developer had planned to improve the six existing blocks of flats in Rifle Range and also build 1,334 low-medium cost units to fulfil its obligations on a 4.5ha MPPP-owned land on Rifle Range).
“These are the concerns which need to be address in addition to other concerns for traffic, social impact and others,” said Koh said after launching the state level integrity month in Dewan Millenium in Kepala Batas today.For now, the PGCC Campaign Group is celebrating a partial victory. Why partial? Because the project has merely been stalled and not cancelled outright. Nobody knows what will happen after the general election. Will the Prime Minister brush aside the Penang state government’s reservations and bull-doze this project through – seeing that it is supposed to be one of the so-called “high-impact” projects in the Northern Corridor? Though the Penang Chief Minister must be given some credit for throwing a spanner in the PGCC works – even at the risk of upsetting his political masters in Putrajaya – he was not entirely convincing. One reporter told me that when Koh was asked if the government would insist on a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (which would require public participation), he did not give a straight answer and instead waffled on about the KLCC. Why can’t politicians give a straight answer? Just say “yes” or “no”, for crying out loud! Still, the damage to the PGCC has been done. If there is one thing that investors, property buyers and financial backers hate most it is uncertainty, controversy and public opposition swirling around a major project. And there is plenty of that swirling around the PGCC. Koh must now make public the recommendations of the MPPP’s building and planning sub-committee which, from what I hear, wanted radical amendments to the developer’s plan. These recommendations probably include a vast reduction in maximum height and density for much of the site and perhaps even a call for a detailed EIA. I gather the recommendations were unanimous, with even the Umno reps supporting them. (As one Gerakan insider told me, Patrick is believed to have “antagonised” even some of the Umno folks in the state.) Armed with the recommendations of the sub-committee, which met last Wednesday (9 January), and the widespread opposition to PGCC in the state, Koh may have felt emboldened to go public. On Thursday (17 January), he told the press about his order to the MPPP on Monday (14 January) to reduce the scale of the project. He thus preempted the MPPP’s full council meeting scheduled for today (18 January). He must have received a fright when he heard DAP leader Lim Guan Eng – his party is mounting a strong challenge in Penang in the coming election – criticising the PGCC in comments reported in theSun on Monday. Incidentally, Patrick Lim and his PGCC master planner Nasrine Seraji were in town today attending an IEM seminar. Someone who met Patrick said he put on a brave front, appeared cordial and expressed willingness to comply with any changes required. Sources also told me Nasrine must have been deflated for she did not put up much of a defence of the PGCC in her presentation unlike, on a previous occasion, at the Penang Local Council Consultative Forum, where she tried to justify the project. This time, I was told, she said that the present design of the PGCC was not the final one, so don’t just look at that. But when someone pointed out that the plans submitted for approval were based on the present design, she did not respond. Someone else who attended the seminar provided a slightly different take:
Seraji, brought in again by PL, who had expected MPPP to approve PGCC’s planning application on the same day, was already well prepared with her powerpoints, but with CM’s announcement, was not sure how she should present her case for PGCC. At the end, I could sense that she just muddled through with PGCC’s ‘layers’ … appealing for us Penangites to try and appreciate her green efforts on this PGCC project. In short, she was wrong-footed upon landing in Penang the night before, and (perhaps) didn’t have any time to ponder how to switch her presentation.Anyway, this is the official position of the PGCC Campaign Group, which was emailed to me:
We consider the initial process of planning submission by Abad Naluri to be seriously flawed by the fact that the DOE had allowed the plan to go through to the MPPP without even requiring a detailed EIA report. This is clearly an abuse of their discretionary powers to ask for this in a project of such massive scale.
The other omission was the failure of the State Government to draw up a ‘local plan’ of the area that would have been subject to public scrutiny and comment before approval; this would then provide a suitable benchmark against which the PGCC plans could be judged. We welcome the CM’s directive to the MPPP to hold back the approval pending amendments but we regard these two processes mentioned above to be essential to ensure that the amended planning submission would be legal and properly accountable to the public. We would urge the CM, the DOE and the MPPP to strictly follow this in considering their renewed submission. Dr S P Choong, On behalf of the PGCC Campaign GroupSo it is clear what is required at the minimum: a detailed EIA (with public participation) and a local plan. I believe what many Penangites would like is for the whole area to be turned into a Penang State Park. In fact, the environment – and the lack of open green recreational spaces – is poised to become a major election issue in Penang. Residents in Koh’s own neighbourhood, Tanjong Bunga, for instance, are upset about high-rise towers, tree- and hill-cutting and projects right on the edge of the water-front and even encroaching into the sea! Clever Koh may think that, by making his announcement when he did, he has taken the wind out of the anti-PGCC campaign’s sails, which have been flapping furiously ahead of the general election. Don’t count on it. The PGCC Campaign Group leaders have told me that they are not going to let down their guard. One member of the PGCC Campaign Group warned,
“As they say, however, the opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings! This new mood among the authorities may only last until after the election. Keep their feet to the fire. Don’t remove your car sticker, encourage others to display car stickers and sign the online petition. Spread the word.”Another reaction:
…this is only a small but significant tactical victory, but the fight continues. I fully expect PL to come back with another proposal that may be even more difficult to beat, seeing that it will be after the election, the biggest factor in our favour this round. … this victory will, I hope, show to the doubters and fence-sitters that we can make a difference, if we speak out together with a loud voice. Perhaps with a supportive, empowered and emboldened public a tough fight will be less difficult.For now, at least, the dream of a Penang State Park on the Turf Club site lives on!
The torturous truth can be disturbing – even at the movies
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaK-HKIdv1E&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=0]
Sometimes, when you want to get away from it all, you head to the cinema and escape into a fantasy world. But once in a while, you come across a film that gets too close to reality for comfort. “Rendition” is one such movie – featuring a stellar cast of Academy Award winners, it is an excellent if profoundly disturbing portrait of torture in our world today.
The only quibble I have with the movie is that you don’t often find CIA officers – even those on their first assignments – suffering pangs of conscience in real life when confronted with gruesome torture. But then again, what do I know: there must be the odd CIA officer around with a conscience – which would make him/her, well, kinda odd.
Rendition is about the United States’ practice of exporting terror suspects to “friendly nations” – and even not-so-friendly nations like Syria – who would gladly do the torturing by proxy, hidden from public scrutiny. (The movie itself doesn’t specify in which Middle-Eastern country the story is set.) This enables the US adminstration to say, as Meryl Streep’s character (the CIA boss) insists indignantly, “America does not torture!” Yes, and I am Tiger Woods.
The twist at the end got a bit confusing: you had to try and connect the different time sequences of the parallel sub-plots from the present to the past and back. Perhaps a bit too clever.
That said, this film is so thought-provoking that I found myself with only half a dozen other patrons at the cineplex last night. Typical of Malaysians, I suppose, who like their cinematic action fast and furious or soppy and romantic and enchanting or whatever… as long as it bears no resemblance to reality!
“Rendition” is a damning indictment of torture and detention without trial. There is no attempt to preach about the evils of torture, which paradoxically makes the movie even more powerful. Instead, you get a glimpse into the hidden world of dungeons and torture – and then you decide whether you think torture (or whatever they call it) is acceptable. Catch this movie if you can.
Check out Robert Fisk’s review:
Warning… this film could make you angry
By Robert Fisk 11/05/07 “The Independent” — – At university, we male students used to say that it was impossible to take a beautiful young woman to the cinema and concentrate on the film. But in Canada, I’ve at last proved this to be untrue. Familiar with the Middle East and its abuses – and with the vicious policies of George Bush – we both sat absorbed by Rendition, Gavin Hood’s powerful, appalling testimony of the torture of a “terrorist suspect” in an unidentified Arab capital after he was shipped there by CIA thugs in Washington. Read more
MPPP must rise to the occasion this Friday and reject PGCC
Will they or won’t they? Throw a spanner into the PGCC works, that is.
The full council of the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) will sit on Friday, 18 January 2007 2008 in a meeting that could very well decide the fate of the Penang Global City Centre project.
They will listen to the recommendations of the sub-committee on building and planning. The sub-committee deliberated on the PGCC at length during a meeting last Wednesday, 9 January.
At issue is the high density of the project and whether 40-storey towers should be allowed so close to residential areas.
Also, look out for the Council’s recommendation on whether a detailed EIA is needed. (Of course, it is needed!)
What I would really like the full council to do is to stop the PGCC project in its tracks and turn the land into a Penang State Park for the benefit of future generations. I am sure Penangites would welcome such a decision!
In case you need any reminding, Councillors, there is a general election coming up – and Penangites will be watching very closely. Know what I mean? The fate of your political masters hangs in the balance.
PGCC: DOE tries to get away with only preliminary EIA
I hear that the Department of the Environment quietly approved a preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment of the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project way back on 2 March 2007.
A “one-stop centre” meeting approved the preliminary EIA, subject to various conditions (e.g. flood control, air quality, noise pollution, waste disposal) after technical issues were discussed. The EIA apparently considered the impact of pollution, pollution control measures and the management and oversight of the environment.
Shockingly, however, a traffic impact study was deemed to be outside the scope of the preliminary EIA; instead, traffic apparently falls under the jurisdiction of the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP).
It is also surprising that the preliminary EIA has not been widely circulated and publicised, especially since it has already been approved.
From what I understand, the DOE has the discretion to insist on a detailed EIA for projects that are likely to have a significant impact on the environment. Surely, a project of the magnitude of the PGCC, which covers more than 100 hectares, would have a major impact on the environment in terms of the loss of a vast green space, increased pollution and traffic congestion.
Unlike a preliminary EIA, a detailed EIA would require substantial public participation: the public would be given an opportunity to air their views. So why hasn’t there been a detailed EIA? Why deny this right to the public?
With the general election around the corner – and Penang being a “front-line” state and all that – I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a major election issue.
So insist on a detailed EIA with widespread public participation.
Malaysian polls observers declare Uzbek “non-election” fair
So a six-man Malaysian election observer team, led by the Malaysian Election Commission deputy chairman, have declared the Uzbekistan elections “fair” even though critics have described it as a “non-election”.
Remember, the Uzbekistan government is notorious for torturing dissidents and even putting them in boiling pots.
Check out this analysis:
Murray began receiving photographs and other evidence from victims’ families that the Uzbek government was engaging in brutal torture techniques as part of its interrogation of dissidents. One corpse had been beaten around the neck and jaw, and boiled alive. There was a line across his chest, under which it was scalded. Boiled like a lobster.Gee, I wonder why they invited the Malaysian Election Commission deputy chairman as an observer… I hope the Election Commission in Malaysia won’t reciprocate and invite the Uzbek election commissioners as observers in our general election. Check out this Bernama report:
Uzbekistan Election Fair, Say Malaysian Observers By V. Sankara KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 (Bernama) — Despite several criticisms made by the West, Malaysian observers who witnessed Uzbekistan’s presidential election on Dec 23 found it to be democratic, transparent, peaceful and fair. Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar who headed a six-man Malaysian observer team to monitor the election said international observers were given the freedom to choose the locations in making their observations. The election, he said was conducted in 14 regions of Uzbekistan with 8,250 polling centres and that some 16 million people out of its 26 million population were eligible to vote. Wan Ahmad also said Malaysian observers were given qualified interpreters to communicate with the voters there. “In this aspect, it was very easy to gather details from the voters,” he told Bernama. Commenting on the ballot boxes, Wan Ahmad said transparent ballot boxes were used in the election. “It was very easy to scrutinize since everything was transparent,” he said.Now, contrast the Bernama report above with the Reuters/AlertNet report below:
Uzbekistan’s non-electionWritten by: Andrew StroehleinReuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author’s alone.
Political theatre doesn’t get any more absurd than the 23 December presidential election in Uzbekistan, where the incumbent front-runner is neither in office now nor allowed to run for another term — though Islam Karimov is supported by all three opposing candidates. There have been a few good online articles about it over the last couple days, though of course, the country’s information black hole will prevent Uzbeks from reading them. But never mind: they already know how ridiculous it all is. Some major international news organisations such as the Associated Press will not be covering the election from the ground, because the regime denied them accreditation. The complete lack of free media inside the country doesn’t help much either. Still, there have been a few worthwhile pieces published if you dig around. Reporting from Tashkent, Tony Halpin has an article in the Times with a title that says it all: “Torture, an iron fist and twisted logic set stage for Islam Karimov’s landslide victory”.
Inga Sikorskaya at IWPR examines the lack of competition in “Karimov’s Rivals Unite to Praise Him”. The other candidates — I’ll spare you their names as they don’t matter at all and will never be heard of again — “routinely start by singing the praises of incumbent president Islam Karimov.” In another piece, she notes how fake election observers are being deployed to cover the non-election.So this is the election that our Malaysian observers have described as “democratic, transparent, peaceful and fair”. I guess they were referring to the transparent ballot boxes but in the process, they have missed the wood for the trees. Just like they have here.
Palm oil, palm oil everywhere, but only a few drops to cook…
Only in Malaysia:
Malaysia – world’s second largest palm oil producer. (Indonesia is now the world’s largest producer.)
The “new” Sime Darby – world’s largest listed palm oil producer.
And yet, rationing has been imposed:
5kg buying limit on cooking oil PUTRAJAYA: Five kilograms – that is the maximum amount of cooking oil that each consumer can buy when a move to solve the shortage of the essential item is enforced… (The Star, 5 Jan)Now, is that weird or is that weird? We supply palm oil to the world but cannot supply enough to our own people.
BN’s give-and-take policy
Seems to me the BN has mastered the art of “give and take” in administering the nation.
Give: Letter officially approving the new publication permit of The Herald Catholic Weekly – without any condition, allowing it to publish in all languages. (Hooray!)
Take: Cabinet decision to bar The Herald from using the word “Allah”. (Alas, the earlier unconditional approval letter was too good to be true. So much for good sense prevailing; I should have known better.)
Imagine, the Cabinet is now dictating to the people what name they should use to refer to the Almighty. That name has now become a source of division. How sad that they want to divide people of the Abrahamic faiths over the term used for the Almighty! The Herald’s rationale for its usage of the word “Allah” in its Malay-language section was based on a point of language, but the Cabinet appears to have made what amounts to a political and theological decision to reinforce existing ethno-religious boundaries (“divide and rule”) ahead of a general election.
I guess this means The Herald will be forced to use the term “Tuhan” instead if it wants to keep its permit. What about all those Christians and Sikhs who have been using the word “Allah” to refer to the Almighty all along?
Another example of give and take:
Give: Relief to Malaysians by scrapping school fees and providing free text books for all. Free school education for all, apparently. (Hooray!)
Take: Cash from Malaysians by allowing schools to impose “donations” and other charges (PIBG, computer centre, etc), which can add up to anything from RM50 to close to RM200. (Again, should have known better, right?) Now they are saying that payments for these “donations” and other charges are only voluntary… but are they really? Will children (and parents) be free from all forms of subtle pressure (including peer pressure) to cough up the dough?
One primary schoolteacher told me there are three categories of fees (A, B and C) that a school can opt for. The lowest of these is category C, which amounts to RM23.50. This is for “other fees” such as charges for co-curriculum activities and exam papers. In her school, she said the average pupil would have to stump out around RM100 (which includes the cost of workbooks and exercise books) in all.
One more:
Give: Hope to the Abolish ISA Movement that if they had a permit they would be allowed to hold their candle-light vigil. In any case, give them a measly 20 minutes to hold their event (held last night).
Take: Their right to assemble peacefully by first rejecting their application for a permit and then turning the water cannons on them.
Meanwhile, check out this list of ISA detainees. ISA = I Say Abolish!
The grave sins of Chua Soi Lek
A friend of mine in the UK just sent me this message:
I particularly take the point about the growing effectiveness of blogging and the ways in which Youtube and other such sites are serving to spread the truth of ministerial corruption and opposition dissent. I have a particular dislike of personalised politics, with individuals being humiliated and often hounded in public. We see so much of that scabrous reportage here, while a hypocritical media protect the war criminals and ignore the real politics of neoliberal destruction. Of course, the media can also be selective in who they wish to scandalise. I suppose much of the Malaysian media would be itching to exploit the particulars of the Health Minister sex revelations, but constrained by ‘higher’ political interests. Again, I suspect like you, I have no interest in seeing such people castigated for their ‘indiscretions’. The key point is whether the media are prepared to highlight and challenge the political ‘promiscuities’ of the actual ruling order. Their obvious failure to do so is why there’s this kind of damning exposure of the elite online. As with the open jeering of Samy Vellu on Youtube, I think we’re seeing here a more subversive kind of action and statement of disregard for the whole ruling political class. That’s the important message…’Yes, isn’t it strange that the personal sins and indiscretions of Chua Soi Lek – which undoubtedly would have a devastating effect on him and his family – should be given so much media coverage? But what about the structural sins that Chua has presided over – the sweeping neo-liberal changes in the public health care system which has had an oppressive and more devastating impact on hundreds of thousands – no, millions – of Malaysians. It seems like poetic justice that Chua’s downfall followed his explosive revelation on 1 January. If you remember, 1 January 2008 is the date announced in Budget 2008 for the Full-Paying Patients (FPP) scheme in government hospitals to come into effect. During the tabling of the 2008 Budget on 7 September 2007, it was announced that specialists in government hospitals would be encouraged to get involved in private treatment to raise their incomes under the FPP scheme. The Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation had expressed concern that: • treating private patients would add to the workload of the specialists who are involved in this scheme. • specialists involved in the FPP scheme would be forced to reduce their involvement in treating ordinary patients in the general hospitals because of a lack of time or energy. • efforts in training and guiding housemen and doctors undergoing training to become specialists under the tutelage of specialists would be weakened because some of these specialists would be focusing their attention on the treatment of private patients. • the FPP scheme would erode the incentive for government specialists to raise the performance of the units they lead because the “market” or “demand” for private treatment would only exist if the treatment in the regular clinics was always slow and unsatisfactory, thus prompting patients to seek treatment under the FPP scheme. The Coalition had expressed the people’s demands as follows:
• Provide high quality government services for all levels of society. This objective should be regarded by the government as a noble responsibility. Government services should not be seen as just another sector that can be traded for profit. • Acknowledge that policies to encourage private hospitals have weakened the public hospital system and given rise to a lack of confidence among the people in the safety and quality of treatment at government hospitals. • Give priority to revamping the performance of government hospitals. Only 30 per cent of specialists in Malaysia still work in government hospitals whereas more than 70 per cent of patients who require hospitalisation are admitted to government hospitals. • Create a Special Commission for health personnel so that they can receive better salaries. A salary scheme similar to that found in the National Heart Institute should be the basis of the new salary scheme. Other benefits should be introduced such as three months’ sabbatical leave every five years to allow government specialists the opportunity to improve their knowledge and expertise. • Immediately cancel the FPP scheme because the scheme will jeopardise the quality care that can be obtained by various levels of society and the lower- and average-income group.(70 per cent of Malaysian families fall within this category as they receive monthly household incomes of less than RM3,500 per month!) • The government should always be mindful of the fact that programmes based on free trade or free market principles will marginalise the 70 per cent of Malaysians who are not wealthy! • Freeze the setting up of new private hospitals because they will pinch many more specialists and experienced nurses from the public hospitals.How has Chua responded to these demands? Has he at all? To be fair, Chua is not the only one to blame. Much of the direction probably comes from the Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister. In fact, the government has to bear the brunt of the responsibility for under-funding the public health care system. It allocates just over 2 per cent of GDP on health care – well short of WHO requirements of 5-6 per cent. No wonder our hospitals cannot afford to pay enough to our doctors and specialists to keep them in public service or ensure their working conditions and equipment are conducive to providing proper health care for all. Another grave and oppressive measure was the decision to impose much higher fees for migrant workers – many of whom are exploited in our country – in government general hospitals. These are the very people who need affordable health care, when you consider their meagre wages. Remember, the cries of the oppressed and the sick reach up to the heavens and God responds in his time with justice. But what if the sins of the powerful have oppressed an entire nation and what if more than one person – perhaps the administration as a whole – is responsible for this? As another friend put it: “Isn’t it about time that someone wonders, if a minister has to resign for screwing a partner, then what should a government do for screwing a nation”?
2,000 gather in Penang to call for release of Hindraf Five
Some 2,000 Indian Malaysians gathered at the Waterfall Temple in Penang on New Year’s Day to pray and call for the release of the five Hindraf leaders held under the ISA.
A barber was in attendance at the temple premises to shave the heads of about 50 people, including one woman, who decided to go bald to emphasise their call for the release of the Hindraf Five.
One of those present told me that about 200 devotees carried paal kodum (milk pots), again as a sign of solidarity with the detained leaders.
A group of them later carried a banner with the words “PUBLIC NEED the TRUTH ANSWER direct from our beloved king. Release or charge the five ISA Detained Lawyers!”
Those present vowed that they would not give up until a solution was found.
My source tells me that similiar gatherings and prayers were also held in other temples in the country – in Sungai Petani, Kulim and Kuala Lumpur.
Recurrent gatherings like these indicate that Malaysians have now become politically awakened – and all the old assumptions now do not hold.
This adds a cloud of uncertainty over the prospects of the ruling coalition as we enter an election year.
POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Election Year Fraught With Multiple Troubles
Analysis by Anil Netto
PENANG, Jan 2 (IPS) – Malaysia enters what is widely expected to be an election year with its ruling coalition looking its frailest in recent times. Economic grievances, inter-religious disputes and unfulfilled pledges have spawned growing disillusionment with the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that could erode popular support for the ruling coalition.
Full article
Good news: Herald receives approval letter for new publishing permit!
Some good news at long last. Just got a call from The Herald editor, Fr Lawrence Andrew.
The Herald has received the approval letter for its new annual publishing permit – without any condition! Nothing mentioned about the use of the word “Allah”; and no order for it to drop its Malay-language section.
The approval letter for the new permit was hand-delivered to The Herald’s office today, on a Sunday. Imagine, a government dept working on a Sunday. 🙂
So that’s great news that good sense has prevailed. Better sense would be to abolish – for good! and for the good of the people – the requirement for publishers to apply for an annual publication permit. Yes, it’s time to scrap the Printing Presses and Publications Act.
Hopefully, such good sense will extend to other areas of public life.
Good sense is certainly a commodity in short supply around the world these days, as this disturbing development in the UK suggests:
Scott Maria Albrecht, Fr, Martin Newell and Sr. Susan Clarkson remain in custody at Watford Police station after being arrested at Northwood Military HQ at 9.00am this morning (28 Dec). Their anti-war witness involved the Northwood Headquarters sign being covered with red paint symbolising blood spilt in Iraq and Afghanistan by the daily grind of Northwood HQ. A respectful and dignified liturgy then unfolded as both soldiers/police and Catholic Workers listened to the names of the dead British military, Afghani and Iraq civilians, how old they were,when they died, when and how they died. The refrain “We remember you!” was sung after every name was read. Both resisters, military and soldiers acted with dignity throughout the proceedings. At approx 5pm the Catholic Worker farmhouse containing London Catholic Workers Ciaron and Chris, three of the Albrecht children and a number of refugee guests was raided by 6 police officers. The plainclothes detectives, wearing anti-stab vests, appeared very sophisticated, highly educated etc. The search was extensive and concentrated on the master bedroom and study. The search was very thorough. I attempted to engage two of the officers positioned in the kitchen in discussion pointing out that this seemed to bean exercise in overkill and waste of police resources in relation to minor charges of criminal damage. I suggested that surely they had enough evidence at the scene this morning to pursue their charges. After one officer offered examples of follow up investigations into the patterns of recividist shoplifters. I suggested this looked like a conspiracy fishing expedition. I got a reluctant nod from one of them. The criminalisation of dissent, the misuse of conspiracy laws and the hyping up of nonviolent direct action into something sinister gathers apace in Britain. The war escalates in Iraq and Afghanistan and expands into Pakistan, Somalia, Lebanon. Civil liberties shrink and many who marched in 03 have disengaged. Where is this leading? We await the Maria Scott, Fr. Martin and Sr. Susan and the deliverance of us all from this madness. Ciaron O’Reilly London Catholic Worker 16 De Beauvoir Rd, De Beauvoir Town London N1 5SU ENGLAND