TAHYUL: Melayu Mundur Jika Umno Kalah

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Mohamad Sabu, Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat, menyifatkan pendapat yang mengatakan jika Umno kalah, maka Melayu juga kalah atau mundur adalah tahyul dan merupakan satu tafsiran mengarut.

Katanya, kepimpinan Umno lazimnya membuat kenyataan tahyul itu bahawa sekiranya Umno kalah dalam pilihan raya nanti, masyarakat Melayu akan hidup dalam suasana kelam kabut atau tertekan sebagaimana zaman Jepun.

Padahal, jelasnya jika Umno kalah, maka PAS dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) iaitu parti yang seagama dengan kepimpinan Umno pula akan memegang tampuk pemerintahan serta meneruskan kelangsungan perjuangan tetapi berlainan pendekatan untuk membela rakyat.

"Bila Umno kalah, PAS dan PKR pula yang akan teruskan perjuangan tapi kali ini bukan macam Umno yang berkepentingan dan kroni, kita akan urus tadbir negara dengan baik," tambahnya semasa berucap dalam program ceramah anjuran Dewan Pemuda PAS di Dataran Kompleks An-Nadhoh, Penanti malam tadi.

Katanya, pemimpin Umno sanggup menggertak supaya orang Melayu jangan mengundi PAS atau PKR yang digambarkan sebagai petualang bangsa kerana kononnya menggadai maruah kepada kaum lain.

"Sekarang ini biarlah Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) nak gelarkan apa pun, kita jangan peduli. Kita patut pandang ke depan dengan satu matlamat mendaki Putrajaya kerana jalan tersebut boleh menyelamatkan maruah negara yang sudah tercalar di mata dunia," tegasnya.

Rakyat, ujarnya wajar menilai kepimpinan PAS di Kelantan, Terengganu sebelum tewas pada pilihan raya ke-11 lalu dan terkini di Kedah, adakah gagal melaksanakan tanggungjawab mentadbir dengan baik.

Jawapannya, kata beliau pasti lebih cemerlang berbanding Umno dan BN kerana pentadbiran mereka penuh dengan penyelewengan, pembohongan fakta dan penipuan.
< span>"Sebagai kepimpinan parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat, saya lihat sudah ada kemahiran dan pemimpin tidak melatah seperti sebelum pilihan raya 2004 yang mana DAP lari keluar yang akhirnya kita kalah sebagai pakatan pembangkang," katanya.

Namun, katanya kini Umno memainkan rentak yang sama iaitu isu Melayu untuk bersatu dengan PAS.

Menurutnya, mereka menggunakan mufti untuk kepentingan politik sempit padahal peranan mufti menasihati tingkah laku kepimpinan Umno yang terlalu banyak penyelewengan sehinggakan rakyat terpaksa menolak kerajaan BN pada pilihan raya umum ke-12 lalu.

"Mufti pun jadi kalut sekarang ini nak satukan PAS dan Umno. Saya dengar 'geli' bila sebut tentang kerjasama PAS dan Umno. Nak kerjasama macam mana, depan ajak elok dengan senyuman sampai ke telingga tapi di belakang mereka panah kita dengan anak panah berbisa.

Lupakanlah kerjasama tu kerana yang penting biar Umno karam manakala kita daki Putrajaya bersama parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang lain," tegas beliau. menyifatkan pendapat yang mengatakan jika Umno kalah, maka Melayu juga kalah atau mundur adalah tahyul dan merupakan satu tafsiran mengarut.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Kejayaan Melayu di Singapura hasil usaha sendiri

July 29, 2010

BERITA HARIAN, Singapura

Kejayaan Melayu di Singapura hasil usaha sendiri

Top Malay General in SAF

PENCAPAIAN masyarakat Melayu/Islam Singapura adalah hasil usaha mereka sendiri menerusi kerja keras dan kesungguhan selaras dengan nilai meritokrasi.

Tiada bantuan khas mahupun layanan istimewa daripada pemerintah yang membantu memacu kemajuan Melayu/Islam di sini. Namun, walau perlu bersaing dalam sekitaran yang begitu sengit, masyarakat Melayu tidak mahu mencapai kemajuan dengan cara lain.

Dalam ucapannya di majlis Anugerah Jauhari di Hotel Shang-ri La semalam, Editor Berita Harian/Berita Minggu, Encik Guntor Sadali, berkata asas pembangunan Melayu Singapura sejak 45 tahun lalu adalah berlandaskan prinsip berdikari.

Kita tidak mahu disuap atau terlalu bergantung kepada pemerintah. Dalam erti kata lain, masyarakat kita menolak sikap menopang (crutch mentality), ujar beliau dalam majlis yang dihadiri lebih 300 pemimpin dan tokoh masyarakat daripada pelbagai bidang.

Turut hadir di majlis yang mengiktiraf Jauhari masyarakat Melayu itu ialah Menteri Tenaga Manusia, Encik Gan Kim Yong.

Intipati ucapan Encik Guntor itu ialah sebagai respons kepada teguran mantan Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, baru-baru ini supaya Melayu di negaranya tidak ditimpa nasib yang sama seperti Melayu Singapura.

Menurut Encik Guntor, komen sedemikian sering dilemparkan kepada masyarakat Melayu di sini, bukan sahaja daripada Dr Mahathir, malah sesetengah pemimpin lain di seberang Tambak.

Tetapi beliau menggesa masyarakat supaya tenang. Masyarakat kita kini sudah berubah daripada 45 tahun lalu. Kita telah membangunkan identiti dan falsafah hidup sendiri yang berbeza daripada saudara kita di seberang Tambak.Kita mungkin pakai baju! yang sa ma, makan makanan yang sama, bertutur bahasa yang sama dan mengamalkan budaya yang sama. Tapi persamaan kita berhenti di situ, katanya.

Beliau menegaskan bahawa Melayu Singapura pastinya tidak mahu dilabel sebagai malas dan manja. Lantaran itulah masyarakat Melayu bekerja keras untuk mengumpulkan sendiri dana bagi membina masjid dan madrasah, dan kini boleh berbangga sebagai pemilik bangunan-bangunan tersebut.

Menerusi usahanya sendiri juga, Melayu Singapura boleh berbangga dengan peranannya membantu anggota-anggota masyarakat yang memerlukan sama ada dari segi kewangan, pendidikan dan latihan pekerjaan.

Menurut Encik Guntor, komen Dr Mahathir itu mungkin merujuk kepada kuasa politik Melayu di sini. Namun, beliau menekankan bahawa Melayu Singapura tidak menyamakan kuasa dengan menghunus keris. Sebaliknya, Melayu di sini berpendapat ilmu itulah kuasa sejati.

Anak-anak kita menghadiri sekolah yang sama dengan kanak-kanak lain dengan tujuan menerima pendidikan menyeluruh dan mencapai keputusan yang baik. Memang mencabar, seperti kanak-kanak lain, anak-anak kita tidak ada pilihan lain selain bekerja keras. Inilah realiti kehidupan di Singapura yang kita terima. Pastinya tiada jalan mudah untuk mencapai kejayaan ujar beliau.

Encik Guntor akur walaupun semakin ramai Melayu yang kini memegang jawatan profesional, tetap ada sogolongan Melayu yang masih ketinggalan.

Walaupun demikian, beliau menegaskan bahawa masyarakat enggan menerima layanan istimewa kerana ia hanya akan merendahkan nilai pencapaian Melayu sehingga terpijak maruahnya.

Meritokrasi ternyata sistem yang baik dan adil. Ia mendorong kita bekerja keras dan berbangga dengan pencapaian kita. Bagi masyarakat Melayu Singapura, kita tidak boleh memandang ke belakang, ujarnya.

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Former MCA President-cum-Transport Minister Arrested over PKFZ Scandal

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Former MCA President and Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik was today charged in the Kajang Sessions Court over his involvement in the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

He is the second MCA president to be placed in the dock after Tan Koon Swan.

Ling is charged with misleading the cabinet between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002, ( Section 418 of the Penal Code ). into agreeing to purchase 999.5 acres of land on Pulau Indah for a project, now known as PKFZ, at a price of RM25psf on a deferred payment method for a 15-year period, at a 7.5 percent interest rate . The cumulative interest paid would total RM720 million at the end of the repayment period.

He was also offered an alternative charge, under Section 417 of the Penal Code, for the same offence.

According to the charge sheet, the Finance Ministry had already valued the land at RM25psf - inclusive of compounded interest - and this fact was withheld from the cabinet by the accused.

Ling pleaded not guilty to both charges and Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin set bail at RM1 million.
Mention has been fixed for Sept 3.

As Ling needed time to post bail, he was released on personal bond for today and given time to post bail at the Sessions Court tomorrow.

He was represented by counsel RR Sethu. Ling appeared in court at 4.45pm, accompanied by his wife Ena and two sons.

PKFZ, a commercial and industrial project south of the capital, was conceived as a RM1.82 billion venture constructed over 1,000 acres.

However, costs are now expected to balloon to RM12.5 billion, making the affair one of the country's biggest financial scandals and a major embarrassment for the government.
!
Inve stigations into the project's financial records since then have revealed instances of corruption, cases of conflict of interest as well as breach of trust.

Last November, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had recommended in its report on the PKFZ controversy that former transport minister Chan Kong Choy and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager OC Phang be probed for criminal breach of trust.

This was over the wrongful issuance of three letters of support by Chan and three letters of undertaking by Phang without Finance Ministry approval.

PAC said that it was informed by the attorney-general that the letters were implicitly a form of guarantee from the government to ensure that there would be allocations for PKA to enable it to meet its obligations under the development agreement.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

PKFZ scandal: Ex-transport minister Ling charged

MalaysiakiniFormer transport minister Ling Liong Sik was today charged at the Kajang Sessions Court over his involvement in the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.Ling, 67, who is also former MCA president, is by far the most prominent politician to be nabbed in recent years.He is charged under Section 418 of the Penal Code with misleading the cabinet between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002 into agreeing to purchase 999.5 acres of land on Pulau Indah for a project, that is now known as PKFZ, at a price of RM25psf on a deferred payment method for a 15-year period, at a 7.5 interest rate.The cumulative interest paid would total at RM720 million at the end of the repayment period.He was also ffered an alternative charge under Section 417 of the Penal Code for the same offence.

According to the charge sheet, the Finance Ministry had already valued the land at RM25psf inclusive of compounded interest and this fact was withheld by the accused from cabinet.Ling pleaded not guilty to both charges and Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin set bail at RM1 million. Mention has been fixed for Sept 3.As Ling needed time to post bail, Ling is on personal bond for today, he was allowed time to do so at the sessions court tomorrow.He was represented by counsel RR Sethu.On leaving the courtroom, he told journalists that it was his first time to be in Putrajayas Palace of Justice, located next to the Kajang Sessions Court.Asked whether he was confident about fighting the case, he said, In the Palace of Justice, you must feel very confident.Ling appeared in court at 4.45pm accompanied by his wife Ena and two sons. He then proceeded to sit in the dock. Ling, who wore a purple striped shirt and a pair of sandals, was expressionless.He is the second MCA president to be placed in the dock after Tan Koon Swan.Earlier today, rumours of a very important personality (VIP) to be charged sent dozens of journalists, including those from foreign wire services, camping at the court com! plex thi s morning.Most of them gathered at the lobby and main entrance of the courthouse. while a couple stationed themselves in and outside the courtroom.After an eight-hour wait, at about 4pm, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and three DPPs, including head of prosecution Tun Abdul Majid Hamzah, arrived in court without speaking to the journalists. The other two were Manoj Kurup and Dzulkifli Ahmad.More to come?Last November, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had recommended in its report on the PKFZ controversy that former transport minister Chan Kong Choy and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager OC Phang be probed for CBT (criminal breach of trust).This was over the wrongful issuance of three letters of support by Chan and three letters of undertaking by Phang without Finance Ministry approval.PAC said that it was informed by the attorney-general that the letters were implicitly a form of guarantee from the government to ensure that there would be allocations for PKA to enable it to meet its obligations under the development agreement.PKFZ, a commercial and industrial project south of the capital, was conceived as a RM1.82 billion venture constructed over 1,000 acres.However, costs are now expected to balloon to RM12.5 billion, making the affair one of the countrys biggest financial scandals and a major embarrassment for the government.Probes into the projects financial records since then have revealed instances of corruption, cases of conflict of interest as well as breach of trust.Ling is one of the very rare top politicians in Malaysia to be charged with corruption.In 2004, former land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam was charged in the Sessions Court with corrupt practice and cheating, the first cabinet member to be charged with such crimes. He was freed by the court without his defence being called last year.Before Kasitah, former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is now opposition leader, was the other prominent politician charged with corruption. He was senten! ced to a six-year jail term in 1999.Another top politician who was charged with corruption was the late Harun Idris, the Selangor menteri besar from 1964 to 1976.He was slapped with a six-year jail sentence but served three years behind bar before being pardoned by the king in 1981 on the advice of then new prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.Ling charged with cheating over PKFZ
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani and Lee Wei LianPUTRAJAYA, July 29 Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik was charged with cheating here today over the scandal hit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.The prosecution of Dr Ling comes as a huge shock and is expected to have repercussions for MCA as he is still considered a kingmaker in the party.Dr Ling (picture) is believed to be the first Tun ever to be prosecuted.The high powered prosecution team is led by the Attorney General Abdul Ghani Pattail, Deputy Public Prosector (dpp) Tun Majid Tun Hamzah and dpp Manoj Kurup.Ling will be represented by Datuk R R Sethu.Dr Ling led MCA from 1986 to 2003. The PKFZ project was mooted during his tenure as Transport Minister and the cost of the project, initially estimated at less than RM2 billion, more than doubled to RM4.6 billion by 2007.The cost of the project has been further projected to swell to as much as RM12.5 billion due to interest costs from deferred payments if the trans-shipment hub fails to perform.Though he left the post of MCA president in 2003, Ling is still influential in MCA and is perceived as a king maker and the charges will have repercussions on the party which is struggling to regain Chinese support.The move to charge Ling however could help deflect criticisms that the Najib Administration lacks the will to go after the real masterminds behind the PKFZ project and boost its reform credentials.
The charges concern land evaluations under the penal code with the principle charge under section 418 with the alternative charge being 417.Ling claimed trial to the charges and when the charges were read out to him Ling said he was ! not guil ty to both charges.The AG has requested bail at RM1 million and the defence had no objections.Punishment for offences under section 417 carries a jail term of not more than 5 years and not more than 7 years under section 418.The case has been fixed for mention on September 3 and judge will be Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin.According to the penal code, section 418 concerns Cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may be thereby caused to a person whose interest the offender is bound to protect while section 417 concerns Punishment for cheating.Ling entered the court accompanied by five policemen and dressed in a striped blue and white shirt and black slacks.His wife Toh Puan Ena Ling was spotted in the court gallery.Ling is out on police bail and will post bail tomorrow as it is too late for him to do so todayWhen approached by reporters on his way out of the court, Ling said: When youre in the Palace of Justice, you must be very confident of justice.
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

PKFZ: Tun Ling Liong Sik charged

July 29, 2010

www.malaysiakini.com

PKFZ Scandal: Tun Ling Liong Sik is to be charged

Former transport minister Tun Ling Liong Sik is to be charged at the Putrajaya Sessions Court over his involvement in the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Ling, who is also former MCA president, is by far the most prominent politicians to be nabbed for corruption in recent years.

Rumours of a very important personality (VIP) to be charged have sent dozens of journalists, included those from foreign wire services, camping at the court complex early this morning.

Most of them gathered at the lobby and main entrance of the courthouse. while a couple have stationed themselves in and outside the courtroom.

At 4pm, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and three DPPs, including head of prosecution Tun Abdul Majid Hamzah, arrived in court without speaking to the journalists. The other two were Manoj Kurup and Dzulkifli Ahmad.

Ling appeared in court at 4.45pm accompanied by his wife Ena and two sons. He proceeded to sit in the dock.

It is believed that the charge is related to the troubled multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Last November, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had recommended in its report on the PKFZ controversy that former transport minister Chan Kong Choy and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager OC Phang be probed for CBT (criminal breach of trust).

This was over the wrongful issuance of three letters of support by Chan and three letters of undertaking by Phang without Finance Ministry approval.

PAC said that it was informed by the attorney-general that the letters were implicitly a form of guarantee from the government to ensure that there would be a! llocatio ns for PKA to enable it to meet its obligations under the development agreement.

PKFZ, a commercial and industrial project south of the capital, was conceived as a RM1.82 billion venture constructed over 1,000 acres.

However costs are now expected to balloon to RM12.5 billion, making the affair one of the countrys biggest financial scandals and a major embarrassment for the government.

Probes into the projects financial records since then have revealed instances of corruption, cases of conflict of interest as well as breach of trust.

Ling is one of the very rare top politicians in Malaysia to be charged with corruption.

In 2004, former land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam was charged in the Sessions Court with corrupt practice and cheating, the first cabinet member to be charged with such crimes. He was freed by the court without his defence being called last year.

Another top politician who was charged for corruption was the late Harun Idris, the Selangor menteri besar from 1964 to 1976.

He was slapped with a six-year jail sentence but served three years behind bar before being pardoned by the king in 1981 on the advice of then new prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

SARAWAK: NCR Land Issue Unresolved

July 29, 2010

www.freemalaysiatoday.com

SARAWAK NCR Land Issue remains unresolved

By Joseph Tawie

It took 47 years for the government to decide to survey native customary rights (NCR) land, issue titles and return the land to the rightful owners. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak allocated RM20 million to carry out the survey works.

Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud should have made the announcement instead of Najib as land matters come under the purview of the state. So, why did Najib make the announcement? And why did Taib refuse all this while to survey NCR land?

Najib made the decision last week after visiting Long Banga, Baram, an interior seldom visited even by Sarawak state ministers. He must have heard about the Dayaks grouses after he took over as prime minister last year. To learn more about their problems, he sent his Sarawakian minister Idris Jala to seek the truth. And based on Jalas reports, Najib announced the decision.

It not only caught state government leaders by surprise, it also embarrassed them. But Najib does not seem to care; his federal governments survival depends on solving the problem. To continue to occupy Putrajaya, he must win over the Dayak-majority parliamentary constituencies. There are 23 Dayak majority and Dayak-mixed constituencies.

The decision puts great pressure on the state government to survey the NCR land. It must show support and react immediately.Thus, the state government issued a press statement not only to concur with the prime ministers announcement but also to say that Taibs government has approved a new NCR land initiative.

The initiative has been approved by the government in order to come up with a faster approach to provide security to NCR land! and enh ance the economic well-being of landowners, Taib said in a statement.

NCR land is an issue that is close to the hearts of our people. As such, this joint initiative between the state and the federal governments is to help the people create value to their idle land while at the same time addressing their concerns about the long-term security of their NCR land, he added.

Up till that point, the state government not only ignored the cries of the Dayaks for their NCR land to be surveyed and given titles, but it also went ahead and grabbed the land and leased them to family members and crony plantation companies.

The government legitimised its actions by amending the Sarawak Land Code several times, and each time it made it very difficult for the natives to claim their customary rights over their ancestral land.

And the most devastating amendment to the Land Code was made in May 2000, especially to Section 5. Section 5 (a) (2) (i) was amended by substituting the word acquired wherever it appears in the subsection with the word created.

On the surface of it, the amendment looks innocent. But if you analyse it carefully, it is very destructive to the NCR landowners. Prior to the amendment, NCR land can be passed from one generation to the next from father to son and his childrens children, and so on. The land that has been acquired by any other means by the family always belongs to the family and its generation.

NCR land could be acquired through the following methods:

• felling virgin jungle and occupying the cleared land;
• planting land with fruit trees; and occupying it;
• using the land for a burial ground or shrines;
• using land of any class for right of way; and/or
• using any other lawful means.

Delaying tactics

Emphasis is on the word acquired which was substituted with the word created. This can result in the termination of customary rig! hts ove r such land, as only the creator shall have such rights over the land. And after his death, the land shall be reverted to the government if the descendents are unable to provide proof for such a claim. Such a land will be known as state land.

No doubt you can claim the land, provided you can prove that your great-great forefathers created the

Bruno Manser: Laki Penan

rights over the land. The onus is therefore on the claimants. And very few people can prove it. They can depend only on tuai rumah (longhouse headman) or penghulus to be their witnesses. But the headmen and penghulus have been warned by the government not to simply endorse such land as NCR land or else they will be in trouble their appointment can be terminated or they can even go to jail.

Bringing the case to court will incur large sums of money. Putting a deposit as required by the court will cost RM10,000, and what about the legal fees? Even if you have the money, it will take time for the court to make a decision; assuming you win in the High Court, the state government can appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Again assuming you win, the state makes another appeal to the Federal Court. The case of Madeli Salleh gives us the best example. All in all, it takes from 10 to 20 years for the case to be settled. This is the governments strategy delaying tactics.

All these are a great disadvantage to the Dayaks when the NCR land is not titled. Any time the government wants their land, it is difficult for them to fight back, especially when Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Sarawaks second minister of resource planning and management, announced the governments policy on land on June 16, 2005. He said all lands not surveyed or any land not issued a land title, including lands under NCR, are government lands.

As a result of this policy, the government has ! acquired practically all the good lands from Limbang to Baram, Bintulu, Miri, Sibu, Kapit, Betong, and Simanggang, and from Samarahan to Kuching Divisions. And all these lands totalling1,268,888.161 hectares have been approved or earmarked for plantation estates, according to the 2005 third-quarter reports of the Land and Survey Department.

The bulk of these lands are NCR land which are to be planted with oil palm, rubber, banana and sago. The majority of all these go to Taibs family members and cronies.

According to the Laporan Statistik Suku Ketiga Tahun 2005 Bagi Tanah Ladang prepared by the Land and Survey Department in Kuching, Taibs brother-in-law Robert Ganid has been given 16,000ha in Sungai Ensengai, Samarahan Division. It was approved in May 2004. The companys name is Lambang Sinar Mas Sdn Bhd.

Narodeen Majais, assistant minister in the Chief Ministers department, had his application for 16,486ha approved between March 1996 and February 1998. The application was made under a number of companies such as Pelita Nirwana Muhibbah (4,555ha at Tg Midin, Serian), Gedong Plantation (3,770ha at Btg Karang, Serian), Hydroflow Sdn Bhd (2,775ha between Btg Sadong and Sungai Simunjan and Gedong) and Indranika Jaya Sdn Bhd (1,906ha at Tg Embang, Simunjan).

Syed Abu Bakar Almohdzars companies Melur Gemilang Sdn Bhd and Kumpulan Kris Jati Sdn Bhd were given a provisional lease to develop 23,744ha between Sungai Simunjan Kanan and Btg Sadong.

Deputy Minister Alfred Jabus family members and cronies also received a provisional lease to plant oil palm. Utahol Sdn Bhd, a company owned by Jabus son, Gerald Rentap, was given approval to plant 6,900ha in Ulu Medamit, Limbang.

Jabus nephew, Robert Lawson Chuat, had been given a provisional lease to plant 3,665ha with oil palm at Batu Api, Betong and 1581.8ha at Tg Bijat, Simanggang. His company is Durafarm Sdn Bhd.

Henry Jantun, closely associated with Jabu, has also been granted a lease to! plant oil palm in 2,873ha between Btg Lupar and Btg Layar, Betong, and 2,127ha at Tg Bijat, Simnaggang, under the name of Everherald Sdn Bhd. On top of that, his company had also been given 2,000ha between Betong and Simanggang for integrated farming.

The government also approved provisional leases to big companies like Bintulu Lumber Development Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Oil Palm Bhd, Tabung Haji, Saremas, KTS, Green Ace Resources, RH Plantation, Samling Plantation, and Shin Yang Oil Palm Sdn Bhd, to name a few.

There are also government-linked companies like Pelita (Land Custody Development Authority), Sarawak Land Development Board and Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority that have been given provisional leases to develop the land for the planting of oil palm.

Legal wrangles

Almost all of these companies have problems with the natives whose NCR lands are within the areas given to them. Besides mounting blockades, the natives are also suing them and the government. For now, there are 203 cases still pending in the High Court.

Who is actually to be blamed for the blunder? Surely it is the government because it has misled the companies into believing that the lands are state lands. Naturally these companies come in and pay their land premium; then they start to clear the land off trees, shrubs and thick bushes. In the process, they also destroy the natives rubber trees, fruit trees, and cash crops. Certainly the natives are furious.

Lodging reports with the police are useless because the police cannot take action. These companies are armed with provisional leases and claim to have the right to fell trees or fruit trees in the stated area. Although the natives claim that the lands belong to them, they are put at a disadvantage as they have no land titles to prove that the lands are theirs.

So confrontation begins between the companies and the natives. As land is their life, the natives will not bow to any pressure! . Instea d, they will resort to setting up blockades because the authorities have failed to help them.

In the meantime, they seek the services of legal firms with a view to stopping (these companies from encroaching their lands) and claiming damages. When some companies from Peninsular Malaysia know that there are such things as NCR land, they abandon the project and leave. But for those who think they have the right, they stay on and find themselves in court. So far the natives have won all the 20 cases that have been settled in the High Court. Many of these companies have spent a colossal amount of money paying lawyers, court costs, and compensations.

The courts have made it clear that NCR land should include pulau galau (communal forest), pemakai menua (territorial domain), temuda (farming land) and tembawai (old sites of longhouses).

This decision was confirmed by the Federal Court when it decided the case of Madeli bin Salleh vs the state government in 2007, which was based on the Nor Anak Nyawai case in 2001, said Baru Bian, a prominent NCR land lawyer.

This is the land that they must survey and give titles to, said Baru, who is the chairman of Sarawak PKR, pointing out that the state government has a different definition of customary right lands.

What I want to hear loud and clear now from the chief minister is he will make an undertaking to the people of Sarawak to survey all NCR land. This is what we want to hear from the state government.

There should be no political rhetoric. The Dayaks are rebelling, he said, urging the government to allocate more money as RM20 million is insufficient to carry out survey works.

But there are questions that beg answers: Why did the government suddenly decide to survey all NCR land? Is it a political gimmick to win the hearts and minds of the rural people before the state election?

James Masing, State Land Development Minister, who knows the general thinking of the! public, says that the announcement made by Najib is not a political gimmick. It is real, he said.

The BN government knows that the coming election is crucial and it considers the rural areas as its fixed deposit. Thus, it is no wonder that it made the promise to survey all NCR land. In the urban constituencies, it has more or less been confirmed that BN is in big trouble.

The natives have already made up their minds, especially those who have suffered so much over the last 10 years. And following rampant abuses of their NCR land, the landowners have realised the gravity of their problems and are united in their stand.

They have banded and formed the NCR Land Owners Association. This association works closely with Suhakam, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association and other NGOs. Together they are prepared to highlight their problems at international forums, including the United Nations.

And the opposition Pakatan Rakyat is certain to use the NCR land issue as its main topic in the rural areas in the coming state election. It has promised landowners that in the event of an opposition victory, NCR land will be returned to the owners. This is what worries Najib.

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Melayu Mana Yang Mampu Beli Rumah RM1-2 juta?

HaSebuk betul UMNO memainkan isu kenyataan Tony Pua yang mahu diskaun bumiputra untuk rumah berharga RM1-2 juta ke atas ditarik balik. Berapa ramai Melayu yang mampu beli rumah RM1-2 juta. Di kalangan Melayu, yang kaya hanya UMNOPUTRA dan kroni2. Kalau diskaun diizinkan, maka diskaun itu hanya dinikmati oleh krnoi2 UMNO dan UMNOPUTRA.

Hakikatnya, UMNO telah berjaya mengkayakan hanya segelintir orang MElayu dan 98% orang Melayu yang lain hidup dalam kehidupan yang semakin sempit. YAng boleh kaya hanya kroni2 UMNO, UMNOPUTRA dan anak beranak mereka. Selagi UMNO terus memerintah, jangan haraplah orang2 biasa macam kita nak jadi kaya dan mampu beli rumah RM1-2 juta.

Saya pun tak heran Khir Toyo marah dengan cadangan Tony Pua. Beliau adalah antara yang akan menanggung kerugian sekiranya diskaun ini ditarik. Bayangkan bagaimana beliau handeak menambah bilangan banglo RM24 juta seperti yang beliau punyai sekarang.




Utusan misleads again, says Pua
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:41
E-mail Print

By Ken Vin Lek

KUALA LUMPUR: Utusan Malaysias sensational front page yesterday was misleading, said the supposed victim of the alleged deceit.

What I actually said was for discounts to continue on houses valued at RM500,000 and below, Tony Pua, the implied speaker of the scandalous words Mansuh diskaun bumiputera (Revoke bumiputera discounts), told FMT today.

The words make up yestedays front-page headline for Utusan, an Umno-affiliated newspaper that has often been accused of creating racial tension.

Pua, who is DAPs chief economist, was among several speakers at Mondays public forum on Selangors 2011 budget.

During the discussion, he urged the Selangor government to withdraw the seven percent bumiputera discount on luxury homes and commercial property valued at RM1 million or more, saying it would help improve competitiveness and restore inve! stor con fidence in the state.

I am not against affirmative action, but not for homes that cost RM1 million or RM2 million, he said.

He lamented today that the Utusan headline gave the impression that I urged the Selangor government to remove the discounts on all Bumiputra properties.

In a sidebar to the main story, Utusan quotes former menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo as calling DAP a chauvinistic party.

In response to this, Pua said: Hes coming from a party thats only interested in protecting the privileges enjoyed by cronies, which is why he disagrees with me.

In a tweet early yesterday, Pua expressed his astonishment over the Utusan headline.

Wow, this is my second time hitting the Utusan Malaysia frontpage and thats never a good thing; sigh, Pua wrote.

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Mahathir takes on Anwar, Blair and the Media

July 29, 2010

Mahathir takes on his Detractors

by Aidila Razak & Richard Loo Wai Hoong @www.malaysiakini.com (July 28, 2010)

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad killed three birds with one stone when he delivered the keynote address at the Asian Bloggers and Social Media Conference this morning.

True to character, Mahathir who is a regular blogger, managed to hit out at several of his detractors albeit without mentioning names. On the receiving end was a Malaysian politician evidently Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim (left) who was mocked in an example of how blogs surpass global boundaries.

Mahathir said that, with the advent of blogs, the foreign media appear to be having second thoughts about this individual.

There is a Malaysian politician who is praised by the foreign press most of the time because (they) want to see a regime change in Malaysia, he told an audience of about 200. Now they seem to be changing their minds (through) their writing in blogs about this person.

Thanks to blogs, he said, it is now known that so-and-so has been involved in activities detrimental to the nation.

Mahathir, who was escorted into the hall by Berjaya CEO Vincent Tan, again expertly dragged Anwar into the fray when commenting on the importance of telling the truth when blogging. He illustrated his point by explaining why he has not taken legal action against author Barry Wain, who had claimed that Mahathir squandered RM100 billion during his 22-year tenure as prime minister.

People ask me if I want to sue. The process of law is long and can go on for years. For example, (in) one case in Malaysia , a trial (is being) held up ! due to d elaying tactics by a person concerned, he said.

This is a likely reference to Anwars ongoing sodomy trial which has been stretched out due to several applications by the defence.

The only person with the privilege of being named outright was former British prime minister Tony Blair (right), who was branded a liar for declaring war against Iraq.

This liar was invited to speak on how to achieve things. He was paid RM1 million to tell (a group of Malaysian achievers and) teach them how to lie, he said of a pet subject.

Taste of his own medicine

The media was not left unscathed as Mahathir, often criticised for imposing media blackouts while in office, complained about getting a taste of my own medicine. However, he claimed that gag orders in his time had been issued with good intentions, unlike those imposed by others who have bad intentions towards (me).

Mahathir said he started blogging when he fell out of favour with some editors and that he is now shocked to know that even Israelis are reading his blog. I get some Zionists getting angry with me over what I say but they have a right to be angry, just as I have a right to be angry with them, he said.

In supporting freedom of speech, Mahathir said the only thing that should be censored on the Internet is pornography. This is because easy access to pornography has led to a rise in sex crimes in Malaysia, particularly among young and excitable people.

Imagine a teenager seeing all this filthy pornography and he gets worked up, and the next thing he sees is an old lady or a baby and he needs to get rid of his tension.

I went (in) to see (if the material is easily accessible) for my education. You put sex in Yahoo and all types of filth came through, he said, to much amusement.

More than 400 particip! ants are expected over the two-day conference in Kuala Lumpur. It features discussions on freedom of speech and the legal ramifications of blogging.

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #25

Chapter 4: Modern Model States

The Celtic Tiger

Ireland was synonymous with emigration. Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries Irelands biggest export was its people; they were desperate to escape the wretched conditions of their homeland. Only recently was this trend reversed, with Irish migrs returning to work in the republics burgeoning hi-tech and other industries.

In absolute numbers, the Irish immigrants were not large; there were far more Chinese and Indians who emigrated. But as a percentage of their home population, the number of Irish who left was truly staggering. During the Great Famine of 1845-48, out of a population of eight million, two million left: one in four! Imagine what would have happened had a quarter of Chinas population left!

Today Ireland is recognized as the largest exporter of software. Among aficionados of fine glassware, Ireland is the source of Waterford crystals. To many Malaysians, Ireland is one of their destinations of choice for university education, especially for would-be doctors.

This remarkable transformation occurred within a period of a generation or two, well within the memories of some currently living. The transformation began in 1959 when Prime Minister Sean Lemass, replacing his ageing old-fashioned predecessor, began a process of economic development by welcoming foreign investments. A common enough strategy for any newly independent country, but for Ireland it was a major change. By 1973 Ireland had joined the European Community, the precursor of the European Union (EU). With that Ireland changed from an inward-looking nation obsessed with nationalism into an equal member of the EU, confidentl! y lookin g forward to the newly globalized world.

For centuries Ireland was part of England. It came into its own after the obligatory war of independence in 1921. To be sure, only part of the island is independent, the mainly Catholic southern counties. The northern six counties remain part of Britain and continue to be a source of much grief, both to the British as well as the residents of Northern Ireland, Protestants and Catholic alike. This partitioning is hotly debated in Ireland even to this day, with one side accusing the other of treachery and selling out. To put things in perspective, Ireland is only slightly larger than Sri Lanka. And the Sri Lankans too are thinking of partitioning their war-weary wretched little island between the Singhalese and Tamils.

Ireland may be independent, but the colonized mentality and the consequent excessive nationalism it bred persisted long afterwards. This uneasy relationship between colonizer and colonized is best captured by the movie Titanic, chronicling the maiden voyage of the luxury liner that was sunk by an iceberg on its way to New York. The ship was carrying the English gentry on holidays, and hordes of Irish immigrants seeking a new life in the New World.

The memorable and recurring scenes were of the rough and uncouth Irish hero confined below deck together with the rest of his countrymen, while the cultured heroine and her fellow English aristocrats were safely ensconced on the luxurious upper decks, separated physically and presumably upwind from the messy crowd below. That such a negative portrayal of the Irish did not evoke much protest reveals how far the Irish have come. I am sure had the movie been shown a generation earlier there would have been howling protests of unfair stereotyping.

As a reflection of the time, the movie does indeed capture! the moo d and ambience accurately. At the time of the Titanic, signs like No Irish Need Apply were prominently displayed in New York, London and elsewhere, perhaps even at the construction site of the Titanic itself. Today, America has seen two presidents who claimed Irish ancestry (Kennedy and Reagan). Mary Robinson, the former Irish President, is a top Human Rights honcho with the United Nations.

When Ireland became independent it went through a period of stagnation and civil strife, a fate shared by many newly independent countries. Having been released from under the less-than-benign English rule, the Irish did not have much desire to be associated with any foreigner. They became inward looking and self preoccupied. The ever dominant Catholic Church became even more entrenched in the lives of the Irish. It is said that Ireland suffered from two forms of colonialism: one from London, and the other, Rome. When they got rid of the first, the second became even more powerful, as if to fill the vacuum left by London.

A 1937 constitutional referendum reaffirmed the supremacy of the Church. Among its provisions was making blasphemy a crime. (Three quarters of a century later in Malaysia, PAS is considering a similar archaic legislation!) The Catholic Church in Ireland may have become stronger and richer because of its special position, but the Irish continued with their worldly misery.

The other effect of the ascendancy of the Church was that the few remaining Protestants felt increasingly out of place. They too emigrated, taking with them their skills, capital, and enterprising spirit, the very key elements Ireland needed badly. Today non-Catholic Irish remain an insignificant minority, whereas at one time they were as many as a fifth of the population.

Irelands modernization began under Lemass. It became outward looking, welcomed foreign investments, and adopted free trade and less protectionism. It was ready to throw its lot with the emerging European Common Market. The immediate effect of that membership was the bonanza Ireland received in equalization payments and enhanced price support for its farm products. Instead of depending on the lousy prices the British were paying, Ireland was now getting higher European prices plus subsidies for its agriculture.

Trade with Europe and elsewhere expanded. Whereas in 1960 Britain took nearly 70 percent of Irelands exports with barely 7 percent going to Western Europe, by 1987 exports to Britain dropped to 34 percent and the European Union increased to 39. Ireland was finally breaking its ties with, or more correctly its dependency on Britain. Ireland may have been independent since 1921, but for the next half a century it remained essentially a client state of Britain, at least economically.

Being bound to the world has its ups and downs. Ireland is now no longer sheltered from global events. Economic woes in Europe and America directly impact her exports and economy. On the whole this outward turn brings immense prosperity. Although Irelands per capita income still lags behind those of many EU states, its living standards are up there. More significantly, its people are no longer emigrating, at least not in droves.

The Irish are serious about attracting foreign investments. In addition to excellent infrastructures, Ireland offers low corporate tax rate of only 10 percent, as well as capital grants of up to 60 percent. It also has a highly educated English-speaking work force, a plus for American companies.

Next: The Celtic Tig! er (Cont d)

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Foreign Investment soars in Indonesia: Right Politics and Macroeconomic Stability

July 29, 2010

Foreign Investment in Indonesia soars

FOREIGN investment in Indonesia soared 46 per cent in the first six months of the year, an official said on Wednesday (July 28,2010) as confidence in the country continued to grow after the global financial crisis.

Foreigners committed 71 trillion rupiah (S$10.8 billion) in South-east Asias biggest economy, Investment Board chief Gita Wirjawan said.

A total of 92.9 trillion rupiah had been invested in the country in the six months to July, including money from local investors, he added. The increase showed investors confidence in Indonesias investment climate and its macroeconomic stability, Mr Wirjawan was quoted as saying by Dow Jones Newswires.

For the April-June period alone, actual investment rose 56 per cent from the previous corresponding period to 50.8 trillion rupiah. Foreign direct investment during the three months increased 53 per cent on-year to 35.6 trillion rupiah, while investment by domestic companies grew 63 per cent.

Analysts said the data show government efforts to improve the domestic investment climate have been paying off. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has vowed to remove bottlenecks to investment to help the country post seven per cent growth by the end of his final term in 2014, compared with 5.5 per cent this year. AFP

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Thailand Yang Huru Hara Dapat Pelaburan Lebih Tinggi Dari Malaysia

Sedar atau tidak, Thailand yang huru hara dan melalui rampasan kuasa tentera nampaknya berjaya menarik pelaburan asing JAUH LEBIH TINGGI dari Malaysia. Selama ini UMNO kerap memainkan fitnah kononnya pembangkang suka buat huru hara, rupanya Thailand yang huru hara berjaya mengaut pelaburan asing yang lebih tinggi dari Malaysia.

Ini jelas menunjukkan penipuan UMNO selama ini. UMNO kerap mengatakan pelabur asing tidak akan masuk ke MAlaysia sekiranya ada demonstrasi dan tunjuk perasaan berterusan. Hakikatnya, UMNO takut rakyat berdemo memprotes tindakan UMNO mengkayakan kroni dan UMNOPUTRA.

Bayangkan, sepanjang 4-5 tahun lepas, bukan sahaja berlaku demonstrasi, kerajaan Thailand terpaksa mengisytiharkan undang-undang darurat kerana keadaan begitu tidak terkawal. Malahan, IMF telah menganggarkan pertumbuhan ekonomi Thailand mencecah 7% pada tahun 2010, yang mana dalam tahun yang sama berlaku demonstrasi besar-besaran yang menyebabkan Lapangan Terbang Thailand terpaksa ditutup dan kota Bangkok lumpuh.

Para demonstran bukan sahaja menutup Lapangan Terbang Bangkok, mereka juga menyerbu Parlimen Thailand. Jangan kita lupa, kebangkitan rakyat Pattani di Selatan Thailand yang sudah berjalan lebih 5 tahun. Di Haatyaai, pergi ke mana-mana kampung Melayu, semua orang bersenjata. Pakai kain pelikat pun, mereka bawa pistol. Pergi surau pun bawak pistol. tapi, pelaburan di Thailand kedua tertinggi di ASIA Tenggara. Pada enam bulan pertama 2010, pertumbuhan ekonomi Thailand berada pada tahap 10%.

UMNO TAKUT RAKAYT PROTES AMALAN KORUPSI MEREKA

Hakikatnya UMNO takut dengan tindakan rakyat menentang cara mereka menggunakan kekayaan negara untuk mengkayakan kroni dan UMNOPUTRA. Mereka takut jika rakyat turun ke jalanraya, mereka tidak dapat meneruskan aktiviti mereka mengkayakan kroni dan UMNOPUTRA.

Pelabur asing mahu melabur di negara yang membawa! keuntun gan kepada mereka. Mereka tidak boleh melabur di negara di mana kehakiman negara boleh dipergunakan sewenangnya oleh parti pemerintah untuk memfitnah Anwar Ibrahim dengan tuduhan liwat yang kedua.

Kalau kehakiman dan sistem undang-udnang di Malaysia tidak boleh dipercayai, bagaimana pelabur hendak melabur di Malaysia?

Jelas, selepas 1997, UMNO telah gagal menukar ekonomi Malaysia menjadi lebih berdaya maju dan lebih daya saing. Hasilnya, pelabur asing menarik pelaburan mereka di Malaysia.

Apa yang UMNO buat selepas 1997 hanya menggunakan wang rakyat untuk menyelematkan kroni2 dan UMNOPUTRA yang telah bankrap dan menuju ke dalam gaung. "COntigent Liability" sahaja yang ditanggung oleh rakyat Malaysia selepas MAhafiraun menyelamatkan kroni2 beliau berjumlah RM800 juta (kalau tidak silap saya).

PELABUR ASING BENCI AMALAN KORUPSI UMNO

Pendek kata, perangai UMNO mengkayakan kroni2 ini dilihat oleh para pelabur asing. Melihat perangai UMNO tidak berubah-ubah, maka para pelabur asing membuat keputusan meninggalkan Malaysia.

Bayangkan, sekarang ini, bilangan pelaburan yang keluar dari Malaysia JAUH lebih tinggi berbanding jumlah pelaburan yang masuk.

Mengikut Idris Jala dan juga NEM serta RMK10 Najib, harapan Malaysia untuk keluar dari "middle income economy" kepada "high income economy" adalah bergantung semata-mata kepada pelaburan asing.

Barang diingat, duit minyak kita akan habis sekitar 2011. Pekerja2 di Petronas sekarang ini boleh memberitahu para pembaca bahawa Petronas sudah pun memulakan operasi mengurangkan pekerja.

Ertinya, sekiranya kemasukan pelabur asing terus menjunam sebegini, kemungkinan besar Malaysia akan bangkrap jauh lebih awal dari 2019.

Tiada jalan lain untuk menyelamatkan Malaysia kecuali UMNO dihumban ke Laut Cina Selatan secepat mungkin.

Semoga UMNO dimatikan Allah WT secepat mungkin. AMINNNN!!!!

Tulang Besi

Letter & Opi! nion Fro m Joe Public

When the hunter becomes the hunted

By Mariam Mokhtar from London

The Penan are subject to intimidation, violence and exploitation. They struggle to provide for themselves. Their womenfolk and young girls have been sexually abused and raped. They feel hunted, just like the game they seek in the forests of Borneo.

On Tuesday, Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak, had a dose of his own medicine when he had to escape the clutches of demonstrators in front of the Said Business School, at the University of Oxford. He was there to address the Inaugural Oxford Global Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum. The protesters held placards reading Penan tribe say NO to logging and Malaysia: Stop destroying the Penan tribe.

At the opening session, Taibs address was The Role of Muslim Nations in Rebuilding Todays Global Economy. This was followed by the Minister in the Prime Ministers Department, Nor Mohamed Yakcops, address The View from Muslim Southeast Asia.

Little did Taib guess that he would have people demonstrating about the Penans and the destruction of the rainforest. The grand welcome he is used to, fizzled into nothing. His luxury car, carried a decoy to fool a group of protestors at the side entrance. Taib was probably transported in an embassy van, with diplomatic number plates and spirited via the kitchen, into the building.

A man who claimed he was in charge of security and who refused to give his name and the company he worked for, said, We dont care what the principal wants, we bundle him in, even if he does not like it. He was suggesting that Taib may have probably wanted to make a grand entrance, but was prevented from doing so by the security detail.

Inside the conference centre, protesters were barred from entering the foyer to present their list of questions to Taib. A scheduled press conference at 12.30 p.m. just before the special speakers lunch, was cancelled possibly because of the risk of having to answer awkward questions.

A demonstrator who entered the foyer tried to take a photo of Taib but was immediately surrounded and forcibly ejected from the premises. She successfully took photos of him through the glass but this enraged members of Taibs delegation who then lowered the blinds or placed screens against the glass-fronted building, to prevent Taib from being photographed.

Taib seemed like a wounded animal as he walked with Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who looked visibly angry that the demonstrators had hijacked Taibs big day in front of the delegates who had paid 1,000 (RM 5,100) each to attend this Forum.

Evidently, Taib is surrounded by yes men who cocoon him from dissenting views of the real world. He must have found it galling that thousands of miles away from the safe confines of his tropical riverside mansion, the Penan problem and the destruction of the forests would be haunting him in this centre of learning.

Instead of being able to sell Sarawak to the British, Taib has to justify his actions to the chairman of the British parliaments All Party Parliamentary Group for Tribal peoples, MP Martin Horwood. The British MP has written to him about the serious allegations of the Penan. Instead of a warm welcome, Taib received a cold reception from the demonstrators and a letter from the MP whilst his host, will receive letters of protest and condemnation.

Taib may wish to reflect how it is to feel rejected, just like the Penans are rejected by their own leaders who continually thwart their attempts at seeking justice. For several years the Penan and other in! digenous people have tried to seek peaceful methods to maintain their way of life. They have been harassed because they stood in Taibs way and his get-rich schemes.

The large delegation accompanying Taib seemed bemused by the demonstrators. What they are used to is a violent reaction from the Malaysian police who are intolerant of protests, even peaceful ones.

One lady who was part of Taibs delegation said that a child who held up a banner at yesterdays demonstration was being subjected to child labour. Is she aware that Penan girls are being raped and the police in Malaysia are slow to act?

This demonstration has rattled Taib. If this seminar had been arranged during term-time, Taib would have been assured of a larger, more vocal and highly organised group. He is lucky. The police said the demonstrators were well-behaved but the behaviour of members of Taibs delegation was aggressive, in comparison.

Nevertheless, several questions remain unanswered.

Why did Oxford University embrace Taib with open arms knowing that his reputation is tarnished at home and abroad?

Why are his crimes corruption, plundered wealth, destruction of the forests and land, not highlighted abroad? None of the UK national newspapers (UK) covered this event. Only the local Oxford paper attended.

How is it that the Kagame government or even the Mugabe regime can get centre-stage in the foreign news section of the UK national newspapers? Is Malaysian news insignificant? Or have Sarawakians more serious lobbying to do?

A few of the demonstrators were contemplating making a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) report against Taib. This apparently was how the British arms dealer BAE systems was prosecuted in the Saudi arms bribery scandal.

Pressure from the international community can only be effected by Malaysians when they bring it to the attention of the rest of the world. Naturally, Taib does not want to be in the news for the wrong reasons, as he has a very cushy number.

Filed under: corru! ption, P olitics Tagged: Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia, London Protest, Oxford, Sarawak, Sarawak politics, Save Sarawak, Taib Mahmud
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Majlis Ulama Indonesia Haramkan Gossip Artis (Infotainment)

Kalau di Indonesia, di setiap rangkaian televisi pasti ada slot yang membincangkan hal ehwal artis termasuk hal-hal pribadi artis2 Indonesia. Dalam bahasa orang dulu-dulu, infotainmen ini adalah rancangan TV berkaitan "hal2 dalam kain" para artis Indonesia.

Kalau di Malaysia, kita biasa panggil "gossip artis". Di Malaysia, gossip2 artis ini juga tidak kurang hebatnya. Sehingga ada majalah2 yang diterbitkan khas membincangkan gossip2 artis. Di televisi Malaysia pun, hal2 berkaitan dalam kain artis juga terus menerus diperbincangkan.

Bagi Tulang Besi, fatwa MUI ini adalah satu tindakan yang sangat baik dan mengharumkan nama Islam. Kalau dahulu, hanya Nahdatul Ulama yang mengharamkan Infotaimen, tapi sekarang ini Majlis Ulama Indonesia (yang mewakili Muhammadiyyah dan Nahdatul Ulama) juga mengharamkan Infotainmen (Gossip Artis).

Sudah tiba masanya, umat Islam di rantau ini berhenti menjadikan para artis sebagai contoh tauladan di dalam menjalani kehidupan kita. Biarlah hal2 dalam kain para artis dibincangkan di kalangan para keluarga mereka sahaja.

Yang saya khuatiri adalah generasi muda kita terutama para belia. Di tahap umur yang begitu muda, mereka sudah tentu sukar membezakan mana yang baik dan buruk. Apabila mereka melihat para artis kehidupan mereka bercerai berai, berskandal, berzina di sana sini, maka kelak contoh ini akan dijadikan tauladan kepada mereka. Maka, biarlah hal dalam kain para artis kekal di dalam kain. Janganlah hal2 dalam kain para artis di bawa keluar.

Tiba masanya, para mufti di Malaysia menyokong fatwa MUI ini dan mengeluarkan fatwa yang serupa. Jangan asyik nak suruh PAS bersatu dengan UMNO sahaja. Pengharaman gossip artis ini lebih penting kepada masa depan umat islam di Malaysia.

Saya menyeru Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat memulakan langkah menyokong fatwa Majlis Ulama Indonesia ini dan membawa fatwa ini, sekurang2nya di kalangan ahli2 dan penyokong PAS. PAda saya, gampang sahaja bagi Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat untuk mengambil fatwa ini.

Wallah! ualambis sawab

Tulang Besi
Fatwa MUI: "Infotainment" Haram!
Rabu, 28 Juli 2010 | 01:15 WIB
KOMPAS ENTERTAINMENT/IRFAN MAULLANA
Para pekerja infotainment sedang berusaha mewawancarai Cut Tari yang sedang keluar dari Bareskrim Mabes Polri.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) mengeluarkan fatwa haram untuk tayangan infotainment, baik bagi televisi yang menayangkan maupun permisa yang menontonnya.

Fatwa tersebut disahkan dalam pleno MUI dalam musyawarah nasional (munas) di Jakarta, Selasa (27/7/2010), oleh Ketua Komisi Fatwa MUI Maruf Amin.

Menurut ketentuan umum fatwa mengenai infotainment, menceritakan aib, kejelekan gosip, dan hal-hal lain terkait pribadi kepada orang lain dan atau khalayak hukumnya haram.

Dalam rumusan fatwa tersebut juga disebutkan upaya membuat berita yang mengorek dan membeberkan aib, kejelekan gosip juga haram.

Begitu juga dengan mengambil keuntungan dari berita yang berisi tentang aib dan gosip dinyatakan hukumnya haram oleh MUI.

Namun, MUI memperbolehkan dengan pertimbangan yang dibenarkan secara syari untuk kepentingan penegakan hukum, memberantas kemungkaran untuk menayangkan dan menyiarkan serta menonton, membaca dan atau mendengarkan berita yang berisi tentang aib.

Terhadap fatwa ini, MUI merekomendasikan perlu dirumuskan aturan untuk mencegah konten tayangan yang bertentangan dengan norma agama, keadaban, kesusilaan, dan nilai luhur kemanusiaan.

Juga direkomendasikan kepada Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia (KPI) diminta untuk meregulasi tayangan infotainment untuk menjamin hak masyarakat memperoleh tayangan bermutu dan melindunginya dari hal-hal negatif.

Lembaga sensor film diminta menjamin langkah proaktif untuk menyensor tayangan infotainment guna menjamin terpenuhinya hak-hak publik dalam menikmati tayangan bermutu.

Menurut Maruf, permasalahan infotainment sebelumnya tidak masuk dalam pembahasan, tetapi karena banyaknya permintaan untuk itu akhirnya diputuskan dibahas.

"Kam! i memutu skan membahas dan membuat fatwa infotainment karena didasarkan pemberitaan saat ini yang dirasa sudah berlebihan," kata Maruf.

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public