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Samy Vellu walks out in a huff after students fail to humour him

Anil Netto
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10

Samy Vellu again. This time at an MIC-organised meet-the-students function at the City Bayview Hotel in Penang yesterday evening.

Present were about 200 STPM Indian Malaysian students and college students from around Penang who were probably invited through Indian students’ societies.

One source told me the students falied to humour and “cooperate” with Samy Vellu and they did not answer his exploratory questions properly. Apparently the students were invited for the briefing because they were supposed to be more “open-minded” and untainted by the Hindraf issue. Another source, whose daughter was present at the briefing, told me it was the STPM students – rather than the more subdued college students – who gave the MIC president a hard time.

Needless to say, Samy was not impressed and stormed out of the hall after about 10 minutes, cutting short a session that was supposed to last much longer. As he walked out in a huff, students hooted to express their displeasure. Some used their mobile friends to call their friends so that they could listen in on the commotion, according to the second source.

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, it’s not going to be easy for Samy to hold public talks or even closed-door briefings to the public. (Er, what’s this about government warnings to students not to get involved in politics?) Seems to me that the groundswell against Samy Vellu and the MIC is much larger than even the MIC president could have imagined.

Parliament dissolved: How can you trust such a leader?

Anil Netto
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4

So Parliament has been dissovled.

And Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has got off to the worst possible start over something as critical as the date for the dissolution of the Federal Parliament to pave the way for the 12th General Election.

It was only yesterday that he denied that Parliament would be dissolved today. I mean, how can Malaysians trust such a leader?

This was the Malaysiakini report yesterday:

PM: No Parliament dissolution tomorrow
Feb 12, 08 9:50pm

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today dismissed speculations that the Parliament would be dissolved tomorrow to pave way for the general election.

“No, not tomorrow,” he told reporters after attending a function at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia this evening.

He also dispelled the media’s queries if tomorrow’s cabinet meeting would be the last one before the election is called.

“What makes you think it’s going to be the last cabinet meeting?” he asked.

“The cabinet meeting will go on, go on and go on. You are the smart aleck, you all enjoy circulating the rumours,” he said with a smile.

Abdullah and Najib did not look as if they were brimming with confidence at the press conference.

So why did the PM do it now? In my book, it all boils down to money i.e. the state of the economy.

Apart from the Anwar factor, Abdullah must feel that the longer he waits for the polls, the worse the economy is likely to get – especially in the light of the US sub-prime financial crisis, which has snowballed into a full-blown economic crisis that could lead to banks going under in the West and bond insurers collapsing. This could lead to a prolonged recession – or even depression – in the United States, in turn affecting Malaysian exports to the United States. The United States accounts for a fifth of Malaysian exports.

Oh, and they are probably itching to raise the oil price!

Since Penang is supposed to be a “front-line” state, here is something for the Prime Minister and the Penang Chief Minister to chew on. It’s a letter from Ahmad Chik of the PGCC Campaign Group:

I refer to Goh Ban Lee’s very timely column in today’s Sun.

As a concerned Penang citizen I agree entirely with his views. No city in Malaysia needs local plans more than George Town, and yet for over 20 years this fundamental planning requirement has been delayed for one excuse or another. This omission amounts to nothing less than a failure of the state and local governments, and has had serious consequences: deterioration of the quality of life, unsustainable developments, destruction of valuable heritage enclaves, traffic congestion, loss of property owners’ rights and conflicts, leading to serious social and political problems.

The PGCC Campaign Group is extremely concerned and has made a strong appeal to the MPPP to impose a moratorium of all major developments in Penang until local plans have been gazetted. A post-card and letter writing campaign will be launched soon and we would invite other concerned groups to support us. We would also invite all prospective candidates for the coming election to take a stand on this important issue.

It is rumoured that local plans for Penang are in the works, but the process, which by law should be open and transparent, is shrouded in mystery and opacity. The public has not been consulted, does not know who is responsible or the status of the plans.

At this crucial time the public has to be kept informed, and as a start we would urge the MPPP President or YB Dato Teng Hock Nam, the EXCO member for local government, to make a comprehensive statement to clarify the situation as soon as possible.

Ahmad Chik

Malaysians should ask their political parties to state their position on such local plans. More than that, we should demand the return of local council elections so that our councillors can be held accountable to the public.

Apart from this, Malaysian workers must also ask the various parties what their stand is on the trade unions’ call for a minimum wage to be introduced. Remember, the MTUC has called for a minimum wage of RM900 and a cost of living allowance of RM300. Don’t talk about wiping out poverty when you can’t even introduce a minimum wage to stop the exploitation of workers.

The rising price of food and health care, the crime rate and freedom of religion are the major issues that Malaysians are concerned about. Some of these issues can be traced to the model of development we have pursued that emphasises top-down economic planning and the “liberalisation” of markets, which are increasingly dominated by huge corporations and wealthy shareholders. It is a model that has led to weaker protection of workers, thus widening the gap between the rich and the poor. It is also a system that promotes the exports of cash crops – displacing many farmers and smallholders – rather than organic, traditional farming of essential foodstuffs for the population.

But are the opposition parties capable of looking at alternative models of economic development – or are they too beholden to the deceptive lure of corporate-led globalisation (as opposed to people-centred globalisation)?

Makkal Sakthi drama at Penang CM’s office

Anil Netto
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24

Some 300 Indian Malaysians from the Makkal Sakthi (“People Power”) movement, many of them clad in their trademark orange, gathered at Komtar this morning in an attempt to meet Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon at his office. With them was five-year-old Vwaishnavi Waythamoorthy, the only daughter of one of the five detained Hindraf leaders, who brought along roses and a memorandum for Koh.

The memo was to seek Koh’s intervention to ensure the safety of the crowd – that the police would not take action against them – at the planned gathering at Parliament on 16 February. The group intends to hand over “Valentine’s Day” roses to the Prime Minister and to seek the release of the Hindraf Five.

Apparently, the group chose to see Koh because he is the “only non-bumi chief minister” in Malaysia. I feel Makkal Sakthi should not look at the world solely through ethnic lens. Lowly paid workers are often exploited by the super-rich business elite, which includes non-bumi tycoons who are very much part of the domination system. I mean, do you see any Indian Malaysian tycoons endorsing the MTUC’s call for a monthly minimum wage of RM900 and a cost of living allowance of RM300? A glance at the multi-ethnic cast of characters in the Lingam video scandal would be enough to tell us that things are pretty muhibbah up there in the elite circles of power and business – very cosy indeed. The sooner Makkal Sakthi sheds its ethnic worldview, the faster it can build bridges with marginalised Malaysians of all ethnic groups – and indeed non-Malaysian migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers.

Back to the story: One of Koh’s aides turned up to collect the memo from the crowd gathered at Komtar. He went in and signed the document to acknowledge receipt.

But the crowd expressed displeasure: “We are not anchadi (five-foot way) people to be treated this way.”

Taken aback, the aide invited five representatives from the crowd into the Penang state government’s offices. There, he apologised that the CM was unable to meet them due to other commitments, according to my source.

The crowd below was not convinced that the Chief Minister was unavailable. Armed police and riot police turned up.

Some in the crowd responded that they had come peacefully, that they were “flower people”.

“We are unarmed so why do you come with guns?” they asked.

Cries of “Makkal Sathi” pierced the air. Eventually the crowd dispersed peacefully.

The movement is not about to go away in a hurry. I must add that these Makkal Sakthi folks are pretty savvy and creative in their means of drawing public attention to their cause and in highlighting the plight of the marginalised among Indian Malaysians.

With Penang considered a front-line state in the coming general election, many Malaysians will be closely watching to see what impact the Makkal Sakthi phenomenon will have on voting patterns.

End of the road for biofuels?

Anil Netto
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1

The science has finally confirmed what many people had already guessed: clearing land to produce biofuels will increase greenhouse emissions. In fact, it will take many years for the beneficial effects of using biofuels to compensate for the harmful effect of clearing the land.

This is the most damning statistic, cited by the Wall Street Journal:

“Draining and clearing peatlands in Malaysia and Indonesia to grow palm oil emits so much CO2 that palm biodiesel from those fields would have to be burned for more than 420 years to counteract it.”

It’s all a far cry from the hype that first greeted the expansion into biofuels by the big Malaysian oil palm plantation firms not so long ago.

Biofuels May Hinder Antiglobal-Warming Efforts

Carbon Emissions Could Increase As Land-Use Shifts

By GAUTAM NAIK
February 8, 2008; Page A4

While the U.S. and others race to expand the use and production of biofuels, two new studies suggest these gasoline alternatives actually will increase carbon-dioxide levels.

A study published in the latest issue of Science finds that corn-based ethanol, a type of biofuel pushed heavily in the U.S., will nearly double the output of greenhouse-gas emissions instead of reducing them by about one-fifth by some estimates. A separate paper in Science concludes that clearing native habitats to grow crops for biofuel generally will lead to more carbon emissions.

The findings are the latest to take aim at biofuels, which have already been blamed for pushing up prices of corn and other food crops, as well as straining water supplies. Read more

“You know-lah”

Anil Netto
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9

The other day, I was waiting for a train. It was late by more than half an hour and crowds were already milling around on the platform. An elderly couple stood nearby, wondering what was happening. Before long, the gentleman walked up to me and asked if it was usual for trains here to be delayed. He looked Chinese Malaysian – and yet he didn’t sound Malaysian.

So I asked him if he was local.

He said yes, he used to work with Pernas/Sime Darby, but not anymore. He and his spouse had left the country and had settled in Australia.

I asked him why they had emigrated.

His answer was telling. All he said, rather diplomatically, was, “You know-lah.”

That “you know-lah” spoke volumes. And the sad part was, yes, I did know what he meant, without him having to say anything more. Of course, some leave for greener pastures, but many more leave for obvious reasons.

Whenever we think of migrants, we tend to think of migrants coming in droves to work in Malaysia. But we often forget about Malaysians who have emigrated.

According to the World Bank’s Migration and Remittances Factbook, the stock of emigrants from Malaysia stands at close to 1.5 million as at 2005. That’s 5.8 per cent of the country’s population. And that’s almost as high as the number of immigrants – 1.6 million – in Malaysia. (I presume this refers to documented immigrants only.)

And 10.4 per cent of Malaysians with tertiary education are emigrating. While the government tells us there is a shortage of doctors in our general hospitals, it is alarming to note that 2,211 or 11.9 per cent of physicians trained in the country have emigrated. (I hope it’s not 11.9 per cent in the year 2000 alone!)

MALAYSIA

Emigration, 2005
• Stock of emigrants: 1,458,944
• Stock of emigrants as percentage of population: 5.8%
• Top 10 destination countries: Singapore, Australia, Brunei, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India, New Zealand, Japan, Germany.

Skilled Emigration, 2000
• Emigration rate of tertiary educated: 10.4%
• Emigration of physicians: 2,211 or 11.9% of physicians trained in the country

Immigration, 2005
• Stock of immigrants: 1,639,138
• Stock of immigrants as percentage of population: 6.5%
• Female as percentage of immigrants: 41.6%
• Refugees as percentage of immigrants: 2.8%
• Top 10 source countries: Indonesia, Philippines, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka.

In comparison, the report for Indonesia shows that only 2 per cent of Indonesians with tertiary education emigrate from their country while only 1.3 per cent of physicians trained in Indonesia leave their homeland.

GM mosquitoes to be released in Malaysia on large scale?

Anil Netto
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12

Just spotted this Wired news report on an experiment with genetically modified mosquitoes – and the company “envisions releasing the insects in Malaysia on a large scale in three years”. Gulp!

Engineered Mosquitoes Could Wipe Out Dengue Fever

By Alexis Madrigal Email 01.23.08 | 1:05 PM

Oxitec’s technology modifies the genes of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes both dengue and yellow fever and is largely found in the tropics.
Image: Centers for Disease Control

Scientists at a British biotech company said they have evidence that their genetically modified mosquitoes, which are programmed for sudden, early death, can control the spread of dengue fever.

Dengue is carried by mosquitoes and is the scourge of urban areas in the developing world, much as malaria is in rural regions. The company, Oxitec, said it can decimate mosquito populations by breeding genetically modified male mosquitoes, then releasing them to mate with wild females. Their offspring contain lethal genes that kill them young, before they can reproduce. Company officials told Wired News that their latest test results show that the genetically modified bugs can breed just as well as wild ones.

“We will be able to control dengue through controlling the mosquitoes that transmit it, especially in large urban areas,” said the company’s chief scientist Luke Alphey. “Thereby protecting many, many millions of people from this disease.”

Mosquitoes pass dengue fever to up to 100 million people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Up to 5 million die. If the scientists can replicate their results in real field conditions, their technology could kill half of the next generation of dengue mosquitoes, which scientists say would significantly reduce the spread of the disease. If all goes well the company envisions releasing the insects in Malaysia on a large scale in three years.

Oxitec’s latest research, which company scientists will present in February at the IX International Symposium on Vectors and Vector-borne Diseases in Puri, India, included an independent evaluation by Malaysia’s Institute for Medical Research, part of the country’s Ministry of Health, said S.S. Vasan, Oxitec’s head of public health, in an e-mail. The results showed that up to 50 percent of wild female mosquitoes mated with Oxitec’s genetically modified male mosquitoes.

And this is some reaction of concern in the same report:

But as with genetically modified crop companies like Monsanto, Oxitec could face a backlash from a wary public. Greenpeace, among others, oppose genetic engineering of organisms that could be released into the wild.

“Releasing millions of genetically modified terminator mosquitoes into wild ecosystems amounts to a reckless and uncontrolled experiment with a risky technology,” said Jim Thomas, of the ETC Group, a technology watchdog. “Oxitec’s (project) abandons all pretense of containment or possible recall. I wonder what sort of liability they are willing to assume if something goes wrong?”

Thomas also questioned Oxitec’s core technology — a regulatory switch that uses tetracycline.

“The assumption is that the insects will not encounter tetracycline in the wild and yet tetracycline, naturally derived from a soil bacteria, is widely used in agriculture,” Thomas said.

“Genetically engineered insects for pest control are a literal disaster waiting to happen,” said Ronnie Cummins, director of the Organic Consumers Association, in an e-mail.

I just want to add, if the Malaysian authorities are really serious about controlling dengue fever, what about more traditional – and cost effective – measures of wiping out dengue fever such as removing their possible breeding grounds? Are we saying that the usual preventive methods of ensuring there is no stagnant water lying around and fogging affected areas are not effective? Why don’t we first do something about all those clogged drains full of stagnant water – so common in Malaysia – which are the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes? (I had a bad dream the other night of someone pulling out discarded furniture – I think it was an old chair! – that was clogging up a drain.)

And why has this project not been brought to the attention of the Malaysian public if it’s true, as the report says, that the Malaysian Institute for Medical Research is involved?

Here is a report from the Oxitec website showing that such a proposal is indeed being considered:

News

2 October, 2007 Oxitec and IMR conduct an Intensive Workshop on Aedes Mosquitoes

Oxitec and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Vectors based at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) have successfully concluded an “Intensive Workshop on Wild Type and Genetically Modified Aedes Mosquitoes”. This 7-day intensive workshop was conducted from 26th September to 2nd October 2007 in IMR’s campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IMR is the research arm of the Ministry of the Health Malaysia.

Should we allow a company to use Malaysia as a laboratory for such experiments? Who knows what unseen impact this will have on our ecological balance. I would be extremely cautious – and worried – about this initiative.

After stalling RM25bil project, PGCC Campaign Group calls for Local Plans in Penang

Anil Netto
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3

PGCC press conference

Fresh from their success in stalling the PGCC project, the civil society PGCC Campaign Group held a press conference yesterday to put forward their position and demands.

Essentially, the civil society groups are asking for Local Plans to be prepared first – with full public participation – before any development can be approved.

Once the Local Plans are finalised, any major development should have a detailed EIA, which should also include a traffic report and a flood risk assessment. These detailed EIAs should be prepared by competent, independent consultants.

Here is the full press statement:

Penang government should put Local Plans in place before allowing further development in Penang

The PGCC Campaign Group would like to make clear its position on the proposal to develop the Turf Club land.

Before all else we would like to emphasise that, contrary to some press reports, the opposition to this project did not come solely or even primarily from the residents of Jesselton. Most of the anger came from ordinary Penang folks, and it was widespread; bridging all racial, generational and income groups.

We are grateful that the CM has put a temporary halt to it, and without being churlish we hope it is not a mere election ploy.

Be it as it may, we wish to state in unequivocal terms that the Chief Minister, no matter how well meaning or how well experienced he is, is not the person to determine how the site should be developed.

The international team of experts that Dato Patrick Lim is assembling, no matter how eminent, also has no right to dictate what should be built on this lovely site.

The only group that has the sole right to make that decision is the people of Penang. The site is so big and prominent as a landmark that it belongs to all of us. Any development there will change the face of the Island and will have far reaching consequences (social, cultural and traffic) for all of us for generations to come.

Every pre-requisite of good democratic governance requires that the public (and not just the immediate neighbours) should be consulted. This is why local plans are required under the Town & Country Planning Act, which give an opportunity for every member of the public to give their views and participate in the decision-making of what the details of development in the area in question should look like. The Local Plan is an essential planning document, and it is our stand that no plan should even be considered before a Local Plan is finalised.

At the same time we wish to be assured that the Local Plan will be done fully in the spirit of the Act; that the public will be consulted at all stages; that their views will be given proper consideration; and the Planning Committee will operate transparently.

This principle of involving public participation at every level of decision-making is further underscored by the commitment of the Malaysian government to the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 which was the outcome of the Rio Summit in 1992.

We will resist very strongly any attempt to develop the Turf Club land without a Local Plan or to subvert the planning process or the Local Plan by reducing them to a series of pro forma exercises.

In addition, the State Government should expedite Local Plans for the whole of Penang, prior to further developments in the State, given experience of the PGCC and other haphazard developments which are taking place.

Following the finalisation of the Local Plan, we also request the State, the Municipal Council of Penang (MPPP) and the Department of Environment (DOE) require project proponents of any major developments to prepare a detailed EIA, including a traffic report and a flood risk assessment. These studies should be done by reputable and independent consultants chosen by the MPPP and DOE (and not by the project proponent).

In this regard, we were most outraged that the DOE in the case of the PGCC project, had approved a preliminary EIA without a consideration of the traffic study and without an opportunity for public review and consultation. The DOE ought to have insisted upon a detailed EIA, given the nature and scale of the project.

Dato Patrick Lim has in several public statements said that he wants to be a responsible developer and has given the assurance that he will abide by all local and international guidelines to create a sustainable project that will be acceptable to all. If he is genuine, and is not just making a public relations statement, he should not object to any of our proposals in the public interest.

In summary, our position is this:

  • There should be no development until a Local Plan is in place for the Penang Turf Club site.
  • In addition, the State Government should expedite Local Plans for the whole of Penang, prior to further developments to ensure proper and effective planning.
  • The Local Plans should be done transparently with full public participation.
  • Detailed EIA, including a traffic report and a flood risk assessment, by competent and independent consultants are required for any development in the present and future Turf Club area once the local plans are finalised.

We will be extremely upset by any attempt to circumvent any of the above recommendations.

Ahmad Bin Chik
for and on behalf of the PGCC Campaign Group

  • Consumers Association of Penang (CAP)
  • Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
  • Penang Heritage Trust (PHT)
  • Aliran
  • Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
  • Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
  • Citizens For Public Transport (Cepat)
  • Jesselton Heights Residents Association
  • Residents Association of Jesselton
  • Tanjung Bungah Residents Association
  • Badan Warisan Malaysia
  • Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens

Corporate takeover of agriculture gathers pace

Anil Netto
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0

More worrying developments regarding the corporate takeover of agriculture.

Nestle is eyeing the commercialisation of traditional red rice varieties in Sarawak. It is also trying to promote contract farming – perhaps something similar to what Sime Darby has in mind for the Northern Corridor.

It is presumptuous that these huge multinational corporations think they can teach traditional farmers, who have vast experience growing traditional seed varieties, a thing or two about good farming practices. What they will very likely do is make the farmers more dependent on agricultural inputs such as patented or hybrid seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. The farmers will lose their independence in terms of the decision making over appropriate farming methods.

There are also moves to develop hybrid rice in Sarawak. Check out this disturbing assessment from Grain.org here.

Mainstream media poised to turn into BN propaganda channels

Anil Netto
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0

It has already started. I mean, the propaganda over the mainstream media. This time we can expect it to be worse, given that the Barisan Nasional is going to face stiff contests in many areas.

So what are we to do? It does get sickening as polling day approaches when whatever remaining journalistic ethics are thrown out of the window. The mainstream media, on the whole, are then transformed into full-blown propaganda organs of the ruling coalition. Corporate propaganda is also likely to make its presence felt as certain large firms all but openly endorse the ruling coalition through not-too-subtle advertisements.

MEDIA-MALAYSIA: Call To Boycott Newspapers For Biased Reporting
By Anil Netto

PENANG, Jan 31 (IPS) – Fed up with what they see as biased and distorted reporting, a group of concerned Malaysians has launched a campaign urging the public to boycott newspapers ahead of a general election widely expected in March.

The mainstream print media are largely controlled by ruling coalition parties or business interests close to them. Though already pro-establishment in their reporting, they usually turn into full-blown propaganda tools of the ruling coalition in the days leading up to a general election, say critics.

The call for a ”Paper-less Tuesday” — calling on the public to abstain from newspapers on Tuesdays, for a start — was launched on Monday by a working committee under the ‘People’s Parliament’ initiative.

Full article

Drop in donations for Batu Caves supports eye-witness impressions of turnout

Anil Netto
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4

The Batu Caves temple authorities have made public their takings for this year’s Thaipusam celebrations.

Malaysiakini reported that the temple collected only RM1.04 million this year compared to RM1.8 million last year – that’s a 42 per cent plunge in takings. (That’s assuming all the money has been properly accounted for.)

This corroborates the impressions of eye-witness sources who told me there was a 30-50 per cent drop in the attendance when they visited the Batu Caves temple early on Thaipusam morning.

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