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Minister bars fed agencies from Perak govt meetings

Anil Netto
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Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s directive that federal departments and agencies in Perak should not attend meetings organised by the state government clearly runs against the spirit of our Constitution and our system of federalism.

The move reportedly was to prevent the state-elected Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) from gaining access to federal agencies. The federal agencies were also barred from considering the recommendations put forward by these JKKKs.

Only the federal JKKKs would be recognised. “Among the issues that required the recommendations of federal committees were scholarship applications and entries into institutes of higher learning.”

Such a directive penalises the rakyat as federal agencies are there to provide service to the people and obtain feedback from the ground. If federal agences are not present at state government meetings to listen to views from the ground, how will the federal and state governments be able to respond to the people’s needs?

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The other Oath of Office

Anil Netto
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As we celebrate the end of the nightmarish George W administration, journalism professor Robert Jensen has come up with his updated Citizens’ Oath of Office to remind us of the core problems of empire and economics — US domination around the world and corporate domination worldwide — which, he says, remain as threatening as ever.

“I do solemnly pledge that I will faithfully execute the office of citizen of the United States, and that I will, to the best of my ability, help create a truly democratic world by (1) going beyond mainstream corporate news media to seek out information about important political, economic, and social issues; (2) engaging fellow citizens, including those who disagree with me, in serious discussion and debate about those issues; (3) committing as much time, energy, and money as possible to help build [authentic] grassroots political organizations that can pressure politicians to put the interests of people over profit and power; and (4) connecting these efforts to global political and social movements fighting the U.S. empire abroad, where it does the most intense damage. I will continue to resist corporate control of the world, resist militarism, resist any roll-back of civil rights, and resist illegitimate authority in all its forms. [And I will commit to collective efforts in my local community to help build joyful alternatives to an unsustainable consumer society.]”

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Intel to shut two plants in Penang

Anil Netto
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The economic tsunami has reached our shores. Regionally, the numbers look dismal: Singapore is experiencing its worst downturn in post-war years, Korea down over 5 per cent of GDP, Japan exports down 35 per cent, China growth down to 6.8 per cent.

And now Intel is shutting “two existing assembly test facilities in Penang”.  The two plants in Penang are among four Intel facilities worldwide that have been targeted for closure in 2009.  The closures could shed at least 5,000 jobs globally within the firm, which employs 83,000 worldwide.

The Star, however, reports:

Intel Corp’s corporate affairs manager in Penang Loo Cheng Cheng said the two affected facilities, the PG6 and PG7 plants, where manufacturing takes place, were the company’s older and smaller plants.

“We have a total of six plants in Malaysia running manufacturing, research and development and other services.

“With three plants in Penang and another three in Kulim, Kedah, Intel Corp in Malaysia has about 10,000 employees,” she said.

Loo said the closure of the two plants in Penang would affect over 1,000 of employees but the company would be offering the effected workers comparable job positions in its other Malaysian plants.

“It is safe to say that the company has no plans to lay off any workers for now,” she said.

However, it is still unknown when the two facilities will stop its operations in Penang.

Following the move to close the two plants here, the company’s operations in its Kulim Hi-Tech Park site will assume the role as Intel’s global manufacturing hub.

But Guan Eng is denying that the two plants are closing down; instead he says the company had sought relocation of the two plants to the Kulim Hi-tech Park.

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Court hearing for ISA Vigil 23 postponed to Friday, 23 Jan

Anil Netto
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23 for 23rd.

The hearing for the 23 Abolish ISA vigil/Bersih anniversary participants who are to be charged at the PJ Magistrates Court has been postponed to 9.00am on Friday, 23 January.

Shoe-throwing protest spreads…

Anil Netto
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An interfaith prayer and reflection for peace and justice in Gaza will be held at the Holy Spirit Hall in Penang (off Jalan Masjid Negeri/Green Lane at the Caltex station) at 8.00pm on Friday, 23 January.

Kicking off the event will be a speaker from Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM).

Over the last couple of weeks, the Herald, Malaysia’s Catholic weekly, has been highlighting the situation in Gaza on its front page.

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Authorities tighten screws on ISA vigil participants

Anil Netto
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Fr Paulino Miranda, the parish priest of the Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam, is among those who have been asked to appear in court on Thursday to be charged in connection with their participation in an Abolish ISA vigil/Bersih anniversary commemoration.

The Catholic priest was among 23 arrested during the vigil on 9 November 2008 and later released on police bail the same night. Their bail was not extended when they reported at the police station on 24 November – and they thought then that no further action would be taken. But since last Friday, several of them including Paulino have received  phone calls from the police informing them that they will be charged at the PJ Magistrates Court at 2.00pm on 22 January. Among them were a few vigil participants who were campaigning in the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

The authorities appear to be tightening the screws on those participating in the Abolish ISA vigils.

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Armed (with plastic forks and spoons) and dangerous?

Anil Netto
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After the potluck at the MBPJ premises was disrupted, participants moved it to the Lotus Restaurant opposite – Photo by Man with d Video Cam

Rakyat@work reports from the PJ Abolish ISA vigil last night:

“Too many troops spoil the soup.”

Indeed last night’s PJ Abolish ISA vigil, pot-luck style, caused so much confusion amongst many of the rakyat who came prepared with home-cooked food to share with everyone.

Instead, at about 8.20pm, an operation to ‘lock down’ the PJ Civil Centre turned it into a ‘centre of shame’.

“I had some food specially prepared for this occasion and to see how this entire operation took place is simply outrageous,” commented one of the rakyat.

First, the authorities were jittery about lighted candles; now food? What’s next? More than a hundred police and FRU personnel were deployed to monitor some 150 ordinary citizens armed with plastic forks and spoons. Roads were blocked and traffic diverted. I stood there amazed at the sheer extent of the police operations. It was massive.

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Jubilation as ‘East Coast Monsoon’ swamps KT

Anil Netto
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k-terengganu-results-017The motorcyclists celebrated late into the night on the streets of KT

And so it came to pass (Pas!). The ‘East Coast Monsoon’ swamped this coastal town and swept the BN aside. It was a victory not just for Pas but also the Pakatan, whose politicians helped in the campaign, and activists, many of them non-Muslims, who campaigned vigorously during the campaign. They worked together to dislodge the BN candidate despite the heavy machinery of the state being deployed.

Most of all, it was a victory for the people of Kuala Terengganu, who cast away their fears, doubts and the attempts to buy their votes through promises of allocations and projects.

Immediately after the results, an analyst told me the swing towards Pas came largely from younger voters. How they celebrated on the streets: hundreds of bikers and others in cars, waving flags and shouting in jubilation.  They pulled down flags from the streets, draped themselves with them or just simply waved them, circling the streets of town on their bikes and waving at passers by as they vroomed by. By midnight, the the main road in town had been almost stripped of Pas flags and the only flags left fluttering were the BN and Umno flags.

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LIVE from KT: Pas clinches nail-biting victory

Anil Netto
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Bemused Light Strike Force personnel keep an eye on the good-humoured exchange and canvassing outside the Chendering School. Thousands of police have been deployed

k-terengganu-polling-day-003Exuberant Pas supporters outnumber the BN folks just before noon: This scene is repeated in other streets of KT today.

The final majority is 2,631.  Congrats, blog reader Rahman S; you came really close with your “2,968 votes with +-2% error” prediction! Thanks to all who helped with information from the counting centre and the media. Outside I can hear a whole convoy of honking motorbikes and other vehicles passing on the main road. As in Permatang Pauh, it was the celebrating motorcyclists who were the first to be so sure of victory soon after polling stations had closed…

2105: Pas leads by 2,424 in the official tally, with two boxes left. It’s impossible for the BN to catch up.

Congratulations to the victors! Where does this leave Najib? Anyway, now I can have something to eat! But first, we are off to check out the scene on the streets.

2104: Pas leads by 2,400 votes with three more boxes left.

2103: It’s now a 1,700 majority with 10 boxes more to be counted.

2102: Pas has stretched its lead to 1,500, as it enters the home straight. Eighteen boxes more to be counted.

2058: Pas has now widened its official lead to 1,300. What a roller-coaster ride this has been!

2051: Pas has now taken a 900-majority lead, according to the official tally.

2049: Officially, Pas leads by 600 votes now.

2043: According to an unofficial Pas source, still unconfirmed, as related to an activist, Pas has won. According to another source, who just phones up, the unofficial majority is 2,700 or so. But let’s see how the official results pan out.

2031: According to unofficial sources, Pas has taken a 2,700-majority lead with over 100 boxes out of 144 counted. Officially, Pas is in the lead by 200 votes.

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A hugely significant by-election

Anil Netto
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By-Poll Will Test Political Drift
By Anil Netto

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 16 (IPS) – Following the political tsunami in March, which propelled a disparate opposition alliance to power in five of 13 Malaysian states, voters in the capital of oil-rich Terengganu state will determine Saturday if an ‘east coast monsoon’ will drive the alliance closer to national power.

This key parliamentary by-election in itself will not change anything as the ruling coalition holds a 137-82 majority over the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance) in Parliament.

But it is hugely symbolic since Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is leading the ruling Barisan Nasional’s campaign, is seeking to use by-election to hammer home his credentials as prime minister-in-waiting.

Full story here.

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