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Selangor govt caves in to developers’ pressure?

Anil Netto
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The Star today carries a report suggesting that the Selangor government could be buckling under developers’ pressure to allow projects on steep hill-slopes.

Selangor is reported to be drafting new “new development guidelines” for Class 3 (25-35 degrees) and Class 4 (above 35 degrees) slopes.

The state had earlier taken a commendable position by imposing an outright ban on steep hill-slope development.  Its ban on steep hill-slope projects was one of the few issues that had set the Pakatan government apart from the BN government. Residents in Tanjung Bunga in Penang had been encouraged by Selangor’s previous principled ban on hill-slope projects.

Alas, no longer, it would seem. Compared to an outright ban, “guidelines” are pretty worthless. It’s a pity that the Selangor government appears to be caving in to the powerful developers’ lobby.

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Beng Hock inquest: A flashback

Anil Netto
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Here’s a flashback that might be of interest (in case you missed it): check out this Malaysian Insider report on 5 August here.

Ask BN for everything, Anwar urges voters

Anil Netto
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Photos by Anil

Last night, I thought I would go and check out the scene in Permatang Pasir at random. It didn’t take me long to stumble upon a crowd along Jalan Kubang Semang, near the Permatang Pauh old town centre. Traffic police were doing a good job making sure the crowd did not spill on to the road.

As I approached the ceramah venue, I heard a familiar voice – Anwar’s. He was urging the voters of Permatang Pasir to ask BN leaders to do as much as possible for the area.

“As the MP for Permatang Pauh (in which the state seat of Permatang Pasir lies), I urge all of you to ask the BN leaders for whatever you need, whether road repairs or improvements to the mosques or whatever. Take whatever is given, but you know how to vote,” he said to chuckles from the crowd.

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IMF’s call for GST is part of neo-liberal agenda

Anil Netto
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The IMF’s call for Malaysia to expedite a goods and services tax (GST) and slash subsidies is part of its larger – and now widely discredited – neo-liberal agenda. The IMF itself is struggling for relevance now as many developing countries especially in Latin America have shunned its advice after seeing the damage done to the national economies of that continent.

The neo-liberal agenda, part of the “Washington Concensus”, is to cut taxes for the rich and the corporations, slash subsidies on social spending, and promote privatisation of essential services or “user-pay” models that benefit large corporations, including MNCs.

The GST is a regressive tax that will hurt the poor, who are now outside the income tax bracket. If a tax on spending is introduced, the poor will bear a disproportionately higher tax burden (in terms of their spending compared to their income) than the rich.

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Federal Court to hear Buah Pala case on Friday

Anil Netto
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Yesterday was case management of the Kg Buah Pala villagers’ application to the Federal Court. The villagers are seeking a stay of demolition and a review of an earlier decision that they had no legal standing in the matter. This excerpt from a Bernama report:

PUTRAJAYA, August 18 (Bernama) — The Federal Court is set to hear on Friday the second application by the Kampung Buah Pala residents for leave to appeal to the Federal Court relating to their eviction order.

Federal Court registrar Surita Budin fixed the date to today after the case came up for case management.

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Beng Hock alive when he landed: Pathologist

Anil Netto
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1430: Prashant now backs the suicide theory.

1225: University of Malaya lecturer and pathologist Dr Prashant has testified that Beng Hock was alive when he hit the ground feet first, followed quickly by the buttocks, according to Malaysian Insider tweets from the inquest.

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Pagoda collapse an omen for Burma’s regime

Anil Netto
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The Asean chair, Thailand, has expressed deep disappointment that Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 18 months house arrest.

Malaysia too has expressed similar regret.  Both countries have called for the release of all political detainees in Burma.

Meanwhile, the collapse of a 2,300-year-old pagoda in Burma – three weeks after the wife of Burma’s senior general Than Shwe helped to rededicate it – is being seen as an omen for the military regime.

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An Umno MP reflects on the police

Anil Netto
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Video footage of Padang Serai MP Gobala’s arrest yesterday here.

And the two-term Umno MP for Pulai, Nur Jazlan, expresses his thoughts on the police in the Malaysian Insider here.

That’s interesting, coming from an Umno MP.

Permatang Pasir: BN feels the heat (updated)

Anil Netto
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Photos by Anil

Video footage of Padang Serai MP Gobalakrishnan’s arrest

Between 5,000 and 10,000 Pakatan supporters rallied outside the nomination centre for the Permatang Pasir by-election. I was not able to gauge the size of the BN crowd as the two sets of supporters were kept apart. Quite a few of the supporters wore surgical masks because of their fear of H1N1.

This was the same nomination centre used for the Penanti by-election and this time the crowd appeared much larger than the few thousand that had turned up back then. Among the crowd were small contingents of DAP and PKR reps.

Nearer the nomination centre, Pakatan speakers addressed the crowd. The police presence was noticeably lighter. Penang CPO Ayub Yaakob had earlier spoken of a new approach in putting public order units only on stand-by following complaints that the police presence in previous by-elections had been overwhelming; just over a thousand personnel would reportedly be on duty this time. Apart from the usual plainclothes cops, I spotted the dark-blue uniformed units, mostly concentrated just outside the nomination centre, and their blue jeeps; no sign of any riot police.

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9.58 – He just flew!

Anil Netto
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