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Will Najib become PM now?

Anil Netto
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By now, many are thinking – and worried that – it’s a foregone conclusion that Najib will become the next PM.

But Tengku Razaleigh reminds us the Agong and Parliament have a crucial constitutional role to play:

Let us understand very clearly the transitional situation we are in.

1. The incumbent Prime Minister is about to resign as he has solemnly promised to by the end of this month.

2. On the appointed day (which like so many things in this administration remains a mystery) the Prime Minister will tender his resignation and that of his cabinet to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. With this the government of the day comes to an end.

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Another ceramah stopped

Anil Netto
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22

While Najib is talking about change etc, another Pakatan ceramah in Sg Tinggi in the Bukit Gantang area is stopped. This from Wong Kah Woh’s blog:

There were at least 4 FRU trucks standby even before the Ceramah started. I couldn’t understand if they don’t have any other better things to do. After the speech by MB and YB Kesavan, the Police started to interfere and asked the crowd and the loud speakers to be confined into the Hall. Yes, we complied with.

Yet, after 10 mins, the FRU trucks starting coming forward and warning to disperse was given. I went to argue with them that we have complied with every order of the police with regards to the conduct of the ceramah, yet, they have failed to keep their promise.

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Let me lead you through the streets of George Town…

Anil Netto
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25

An eye-opening video produced by a team of citizen journalists in Penang. Courtesy of Obnoxious 5xMom’s blog.

Great work by these citizen journalists in putting a human face to the street people, who are often “invisible” to passers-by. The scary thing is that more people could be forced on to the streets as retrenchments soar and people are unable to pay rentals or housing loan repayments.

It should prompt us to ask what kind of social welfare or security system we have in place and whether it is enough. These street people are periodically rounded up by the authorities – but where are they sent to?

The video reminds me of the haunting lyrics of Ralph McTell’s ballad ‘Streets of London’:

Have you seen the old man
In the closed-down market
Kicking up the paper,
with his worn out shoes?
In his eyes you see no pride
And held loosely at his side
Yesterday’s paper telling yesterday’s news

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Latest game in town: Restricting the media

Anil Netto
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22

Imposing restrictions on the media seems to be the flavour of the week.

Spot the difference – if any:

New media denied passes by Umno

Banning NST won’t solve anything

Harakah, Suara Keadilan banned 3 months

You see, once politicians start restricting the media because they think certain media have been “unfriendly” or “biased” or whatever, there’s no end to it…

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Retrenched migrant workers must be fairly compensated

Anil Netto
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6

The federal government says it has no choice but to approve highway toll hikes because the concession agreements stipulate that compensation would have to be paid to the concessionaires if the hikes are not approved.  (We won’t discuss here how they drew up such lopsided agreements in the first place.)

So is it fair to retrench foreign workers who have valid employment agreements without paying them adequate compensation?

LABOUR-MALAYSIA: Hit Foreign Workers First Govt Tells Employers
By Anil Netto

PENANG, Mar 23 (IPS) – An official guideline for employers to retrench their foreign workers ahead of local employees has alarmed civil society society groups who fear that indebted migrant workers could be sent home with inadequate compensation.

Worries about retrenchment and unemployment have been mounting as Malaysia sinks into a recession, its export-oriented economy taking a hit from a slump in global consumer demand.

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Chaos as tear gas, water cannon fired at ceramah in SP

Anil Netto
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2342: Just off the line with Selangor state exco member Xavier Jayakumar. He told me that the speakers on stage in Sungai Petani tonight did not hear any police warnings to disperse.

Police fired water cannon and tear gas into the crowd, including women and children, as they moved in.

Children coming out of a neaby tuition centre were also doused by the spray from the water cannon; so were patrons in a nearby Chinese restaurant, according to Xavier.

Even the usual small itinerant traders selling Pakatan memorabilia were not spared the action. Police could be heard warning of even more aggressive action as they chased the people away. “The police action was aggressive,” observed Xavier.

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Nizar is the Pakatan candidate for Bukit Gantang

Anil Netto
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77

2254: Nizar thanks the crowd for their prayers and the Pakatan leadership, especially the Pas leadership for entrusting him to stand in the by-election, as he concludes his speech.

2246: Nizar will be the Pakatan candidate for Bukit Gantang.

2238: Hadi is addressing the crowd now and will announce the candidate shortly.

2229: Azmin Ali is speaking to the crowd now.

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84-day media honeymoon for Najib

Anil Netto
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10

Najib says he doesn’t expect much of a political honeymoon – never mind the customary 100-day settling-in period for an incoming leader – in terms of the level of scrutiny he is likely to receive if  he takes over as PM as planned.

But now we see the removal of a high level of media scrutiny for the prime minister-to-be.

The three-month suspension of the permits of Harakah and Suara Keadilan allows Najib an 84-day honeymoon (assuming he takes over from 1 April) from scathing criticism from the Pas and PKR party newspapers. It is a serious blow to press freedom in Malaysia.

Crucially, the suspensions will also severely handicap Pakatan’s attempts to reach out to the Malay-speaking rural voters in Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang during the by-elections campaigns from 29 March to 6 April.

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PR candidate for Bkt Gantang to be unveiled tonight?

Anil Netto
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6

The Pakatan candidate for Bukit Gantang is expected to be announced in Simpang at around 9.30pm, according to a media source. Originally, the candidate was supposed to be revealed on Thursday but the announcement has since been brought forward, says my source.

He tells me that five Pas names were in the running and Nizar was not one of them – though others think Nizar would be the best choice. Let’s wait and see.

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World could dump US dollar and opt for shared currency

Anil Netto
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10

The days of the US dollar as the global reserve currency seem to be numbered. For some time now, independent commentators have been saying that the US dollar is on shaky ground – or could even collapse altogether.

But when a UN panel recommends that the world should ditch the dollar in favour of a basket of shared currencies and the mainstream business press like Reuters takes it seriously, you got to sit up and take notice:

U.N. panel says world should ditch dollar
Wed Mar 18, 2009

By Jeremy Gaunt, European Investment Correspondent

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – A U.N. panel will next week recommend that the world ditch the dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies, a member of the panel said on Wednesday, adding to pressure on the dollar.

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