On the way back from the airport, the cab driver told me that almost everyone that sat in his cab is unhappy with UMNO/BN. I listened attentively to the view of this cab driver that retired from the TUDM in 1988. His main grouse against BN is like many others who sat in his cab i.e. financial mismanagement of the country wealth. He says the politicians in this country are stealing money from the nation coffers. The business model of stealing is the same whether it is ship, airplanes, jets, guns, ports, sand, water, business licenses or even cattle. They do it so well that they get away with it almost 100% of the time. People who steal the nation money are traitors and deemed to have betrayed the country and the people.
That long conversation led me to reflect back to the orange book. Since financial mismanagement is one of the people unhappiness, why didn't PR insert in their books to recover the losses, investigate and prosecute those who steal. This has been done in the Philippines and in Indonesia. Did they not realize that this is one of the major discontents with the people? I agree that the power of investigation lies with the Federal agencies but this does not stop the state government forming a special task force under the state laws to recover what has been lost. They should consider recovering what has been taken away via civil suits. It is a case between the State versus the thieves. Why didn't they do this?
If the present state government under PR felt very constrained by the present laws, the very least they must make a commitment to the people. This includes a commitment that they will not steal from the nation and they will go after the traitors who stole from the nation coffers. No stone must be left unturned to recover every single dime. Can the people demand this from Pakatan? The supporters of Pakatan must take steps and talk to their leaders to incorporate this in their agenda during GE 13. They must question their leaders why this is not included in their agenda. The billions that have been lost could be used to reduce the nations debt significantly and also used to built hospitals and schools.
BERSIH 2.0 : Penangkapan Terhadap Saya Tak relevan - Mahfuz Omar
Datuk Mahfuz Omar hari ini ( 8 Ogos 2011) memfailkan saman terhadap polis dan kerajaan Malaysia atas dakwaan menangkap dan menahan mereka secara salah ketika perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 pada 9 Julai lalu 2011 Maklumat Lanjut Sila Layari www.klpos.com Video Rating: 3 / 5
TANJUNG KARANG: The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has ordered the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) to take strategic steps to root out a subtle attempt to proselytise Muslims.
"I was informed that the proselytisation of Muslims, which occurred over the last few years, was done covertly and those involved were cunning in concealing evidence," he said when opening the RM5 million Kampung Gulang-Gulang Mosque here today.
He said JAIS must continuously give explanation and counselling to Muslims who had committed apostasy.
"Let me remind JAIS to be discreet in its actions and approaches so that Muslims who have began distancing themselves from Islam will… return to the fold and repent," he added.
The Sultan said he was worried over the emergence of apostasy among Muslims, apart from Islamic deviationist teachings, as it would damage the growth and development of Islam in Selangor if left unchecked.
On his instruction that only those, who were qualified and certified by JAIS, could preach in mosques, Sultan Sharafuddin said it was aimed at preventing Muslims from being misled or confused.
He called on residents of Kampung Gulang-Gulang to live in harmony and goodwill despite embracing different beliefs and ideologies.
The Sultan also urged Muslims to use the mosques to foster friendship and understanding as it would help entice the younger generation to emulate the integrity of congregators.
The Sultan later joined the Yasin recitation and thanksgiving prayers led by Selangor mufti Mohd Tamyes Abdul Wahid in conjunction with his 66th birthday and 10th year reign as the Sultan of Selangor.
He also received payments of tithes amounting to RM100,000 from the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation and RM600,000 from Maybank Islamic Bhd.
Each year we see the rights of Malaysians stripped away.
In 2011, we have been faced with so many violations of our rights and have seen much injustice served. Some of these faced by us, the rakyat of Malaysia, include no justice for Teoh Beng Hock, Aleesha Farhana & Ahmad Sarbani, the "illegalisation" of Bersih 2.0 and victimisation of the EO6, the outrageous Malaysia-Australia Refugee Swap Deal, the environmental nightmare of Lynas, the banning of Seksualiti Merdeka and, of course, the most recent, the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011. In spite of all these happenings, the rakyat has shown great spirit in speaking up for their rights.
In conjunction with Human Rights Day 2011, UndiMsia! would like to invite you to join us to celebrate and reclaim our rights.
Let us come together this Saturday (10th Dec) 8pm at Dataran Merdeka for a candlelight vigil.
Spread the word. Bring a friend and some candles!
The people united will never be defeated.
Recommended Reads:
The Rebellious Child called Human Rights
Come UndiMsia! 16th September Fundraiser: Brillian...
I am born to be a rebel with a cause and self proclaimed "ad-hoc" human rights activist. When there aren't issues that ignite anger in me, I am busy being at DIVA with UndiMsia… I love talking so now am gonna start writing my thoughts down… you can follow me on Twitter at @7an1a
Posted on 9 December 2011. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
DEC 9 — Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said that the government has developed an "exit policy" under the new remuneration scheme to enhance the efficiency of civil servants while right-sizing the public service team.
Starting from January 1, civil servants with poor performance will be reviewed by a special panel and are given six months to improve. If they fail to improve, they will be asked to voluntarily leave the job.
In principle, we have no reason to oppose to the Public Service Department's efforts in improving the efficiency of civil servants and right-sizing the team. However, we also understand that it is always easier to say than do.
As ordinary citizens, we are not expecting only improvement in efficiency, but as well a more honest and people-friendly public service mechanism.
For example, we had to wait for a week to get our passports renewed in the past and later, it took three days and now, the whole process requires only two to three hours. The efficiency has indeed been greatly improved. However, improving efficiency of the counter staff is a different story with eliminating corruption in the Immigration Department.
In fact, a civil servant should at least be ethical and efficient in performing his or her task. As Public Service Department post-service division chief Datuk Yeow Chin Kiong said, civil servants are receiving lifelong support from taxpayers and thus, we should not tolerate their laziness.
Under the new remuneration scheme, civil servants will enjoy a 7-13 per cent salary increment and other benefits, which are not enjoyed by many who are in the private sector. Therefore, civil servants must serve the country and the people humbly and incorruptibly. Only by doing so, they can win the people's praise and respect.
As for the right-sizing problem, both the ruling and alternative coalitions dare not to say the truth based on the consideration of votes. However, whether the public service team should be downsized or not, we can know the answer after looking at the figures below. Malaysia's civil servants-to-population ratio is 4.68 per cent, while Japan is 3.2 per cent, South Korea 2.1 per cent, Singapore 2.9 per cent and Taiwan 3.7 per cent. The total number of civil servants is 1.4 million and the salary to be paid is RM45.6 billion!
Overall, the team should really be downsized, not only in terms of the number of civil servants, but also in terms of spending. Money should be spent wisely and unneeded positions should be removed.
In addition to a good policy, there should also be a good mechanism and good civil servants to make a good performance. It is an unavoidable fact that must be accepted no matter who is the government! — mysinchew.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.
The talented and the capable in Malaysia, but the unappreciated? — Lyana Khairuddin
DEC 9 — It's a year since I got back to Malaysia. I am not part of the TalentCorp movement, nor was my decision to come back done wholeheartedly. I have signed a contract to serve as I was given a government scholarship. I was a fresh undergraduate who gullibly accepted the opportunity for a higher degree, and the opportunity to experience science way bigger and better than I had imagined in the cocoon of my own country. I grabbed the chance — had my fours years of living in Australia — and was hit hard with the choice of either to stay where I was, move to Europe where I had verbal job offers, or come back.
I came back for two reasons: one, my parents. And two — I think I have a responsibility to fulfil, and I would spend my whole life feeling guilty if I don't give it a try.
Throughout the four years I lived abroad, I was faced with two types of Malaysians. One group would prefer nothing more than to create a small village of Malaysian overseas, and only live within this safe haven — venturing into the foreign outside world only for studies and travelling purposes, the latter of course, done with a group of other Malaysians. The other group consisted of people who threw themselves into the experience of living in a not-so-completely different country, absorbing the culture and ended up having a second home far from the land where they were born in. I am in the second group. And I was ostracised for wanting to be "an Australian" by the former.
Let me tell you about the expectations of parents and the government when they send you overseas. They choose the brightest students, the cream of the crop. They then send these people for BTN courses to remind them that the government is paying for their education (as well as some ingrained issues which would require another note to talk about), then let these people loose in a foreign country. Oh, you're supposed to send in the annual report, but I have a feeling that nobody reads these reports anyway. The students were told to "bring back whatever you have learnt for the benefit of the country."
And you came back — and your parents expects you to be the same daughter they let go four years back, unchanged by the worldly experience she has gained. And the government expects you to jump straight back into the system and just learn to survive the game. The change that you're supposed to bring back? "This is Malaysia lah, we don't do things that way". You're de-motivated to the point that you've given up on voicing your opinions. You realise that the "change" which you're supposed to bring is facing a retaliation so huge — because really, Malaysians simply DON'T WANT CHANGE.
The brain drain which everyone seems to be harping on about, it's not just about money. True, with my qualifications, my salary should be on the higher end of the academic spectra (note: Academics are paid pittance. These are the people who educate your kids!) I am however, resolved to the fact that Malaysians in general are not paid a good wage and does not have a high-quality work-life balance, hence I digress. I am also attached to a university that is undergoing a major transformation and hence caught in a salary scale which is similar to a person with a basic undergraduate degree. But I have to reiterate — it is not just about the money.
I am grateful that I have had my education sponsored, my parents could not have afforded the tuition fees of any university overseas, what more one of the best research universities in Australia. I have accepted that as an academic I will never earn as much as my friends in the oil and gas industry. But I am going through a hard time adjusting to the society, and harder trying to start what was supposed to be my responsibility for the country.
I was told that academia in Malaysia is a "you do one, you teach one" system. As in, you have a PhD — TEACH NOW! This system has been tried and tested for generations — and what do you get? A stagnant, struggling science field. We, as a country, have talked about driving science and technology since I can remember. Why are we then still behind in the race when India, China and even Thailand are now the big names in science? I will refrain from comparing ourselves to Singapore, for there is no comparison. And the never-ending debate on education. We have countless universities — but what of the quality of our graduates? Why do we still need to send them overseas for a good education?
The issue here is Malaysia does not know what to do with the "brains" that come back. There are many of us, really — but we are frustrated in the sense that we do not have "sparring partners". The scholarships would send students out based on different and separate fields, making these people specialists when they graduate, yes — but finding it hard to discuss and debate their ideas on their fields of speciality, locally. What's worse, is some of us who come back fall into the complacency of yesteryears and became part of the system .... and thus just do not want to find sparring partners.
Being de-motivated is one thing, and feeling like one no longer belong is another. Perhaps I have become more Australian, but really — I was more patriotic and aware of the issues happening in the country when I was residing in Australia. I was more passionate about Malaysian issues when I was overseas. Coming back, I was forced to "live with it" for the sake of my sanity. I am living with it — but I also find that if Malaysia as a whole does not want to care about becoming better, then we shall forever be stagnant.
There are many issues in this country which needs attention. Focus should be given to education, public transportation, and jobs/salary with a quality work/life balance. Attracting "brains" back to the country is just a small part of the solution. In terms of science — these graduates should be given the opportunity to find their own feet and start as post-doctoral scientists in a centralised laboratory, slowly exposed to teaching a few classes per semester. A mentor system could also work wonders, where one is trained in "the game" in one's country by a more experienced Primary Investigator/senior lecturer. From here, the country would gain both research and education accolades. Undergraduate students overseas are taught by professors who are the best in their field. These professors do not become who they are overnight- they started by slaving as a PhD student, then further slaving as post-doctoral fellows for at least five to 10 years before given a tenured position as a lecturer. Fast-tracking a PhD gradute to a lecturer position has not impacted the education quality for years now, hence to emulate the system done overseas would prove to be a good change, as long as the system is given enough time to mature.
Another problem with Malaysia is "fast-tracking" decisions and expecting a solution overnight. This is best seen with the saga of teaching maths and science in English. One ends up with a botched system, and frustrated students. Such decisions should be made with input from educators, firstly, not by a ministry. I personally appeal for decisions regarding education to be made without political intervention. But is that too high of a hope in this country?
In conclusion, there is no shortage of "brains" in Malaysia, actually. We are here, we are just not heard, we are shouting into deaf ears. But we are shouting — someday, someone will listen.
* Lyana Khairuddin is one of the many unappreciated Malaysians trying to contribute to her country. She reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.
KOTA KINABALU: Self-proclaimed 'Sultan of Sulu' Mohd Akjan Ali Muhammad, who was almost a year ago arrested, jailed and then released in quick order, has come a full circle as the 13th general election loom.
Sources here claimed the high-flying businessman, who made good during the era of former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, has repositioned himself in his old role as a power-broker in Sabah politics after the bizarre episode in February this year.
Within Akjan's grasp, it is said are voters who can be deployed to any of the 60 constituencies to tip the scale in favour of Umno.
Akjan, who is also the chairman of the Sabah chapter of the Islamic Welfare and Sermon Organisation of Malaysia, rode out the storm following his controversial "coronation" as sultan in February.
Following his 'installation', Akjan assumed the title 'Paduka Maulana Al-Sultan Sharif Ali Muhammad Pulalun or Sultan Hashim Shariful-II' and triggered outraged protests by government and opposition politicians.
Police reports were lodged of his open insult to the state and country and the security implications of the issue.
Police subsequently investigated Akjan, who was then an Umno member, for allegedly committing terrorist acts, an offence which carries a jail term of between seven and 30 years, and also liable to a fine, upon conviction.
Among others, police seized his coronation suit, several documents and cellphones.
Police ordered to return regalia
Earlier this week the magistrate's court ordered the police to return all his belongings including coronation regalia which were seized by police.
Magistrate Nuruhuda Mohd Yusof allowed Akjan's application after his counsel P.J Perira informed the court that his client wanted the authorities to return some 32 items which were seized from his residence in Likas eight months ago.
Perira explained that the seizure of the items was wrong and should be returned.
He also said that his client had been unconditionally released from the Karamunsing police station on May 22 after the police did not apply for an extension to his week-long remand.
Akjan was not present in court when the case was heard as he was reportedly attending a Dakwah Islamiah Welfare Organisation (Pekida) meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
It was widely reported that Akjan was allegedly ceremonially installed as the 33rd reigning Sultan of Sulu on Feb 2 this year, complete with oath of allegiance in a private ceremony at Kampung Likas here where several senior present and former government leaders reside.
It was said that the ceremony was witnessed by a group of 60 people, including senior officials of the so-called Sulu sultanate from the Sulu Province in Southern Philippines.
'A kingmaker in the polls'
Akjan, who was closely associated to the dubious Project M in 1990s which allowed for thousands of illegal immigrants to be registered as citizens in order to restructure the racial balance in Sabah, remains 'powerful' despite having resigned from Umno.
Umno has quietly washed its hands off him but its candidates are likely to seek him out come the 13th GE.
Akjan is said to be still immensely powerful with his legion of supporters in the Filipino community.
"He has a ready band of about 300 … lets call them a rapid voter deployment force. They can cast ballots in any of the 60 constituencies in the state," said a businessman who claims to know Akjan well.
"He is a kingmaker or fixer or whatever you want to call him. He is the answer for any politician who is sitting on the borderline in any constituency and needs votes," he said.
As the fallout from the Independent'ssting on Bell Pottinger rumbles on, it has now emerged that they have used so-called "sockpuppet accounts" to spin Wikipedia pages for their clients — including smearing Gordon Brown's sister-in-law by adding material accusing her of "inciting racial hatred".
Clare Rewcastle Brown is a Malaysian-born British investigative journalist who has made a career out of campaigning against corruption and environmental violations. She founded a blog and radio station against deforestation in the state of Sawark.
Building on work from blogger Tim Ireland, Wikipedia have identified a list of accounts operated by Bell Pottinger, along with a collection of pages which they have edited. The account Biggleswiki - which Bell Pottinger have confirmed was operated by them - has created and populated a section for "criticisms" of the journalist.
Before it was removed in the cull of Bell Pottinger material, material was added which was sourced to a newspaperowned by a governing political party in Malaysia:
"On 25 February 2011, the Malaysian Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang announced that Radio Free Sarawak [founded by Rewcastle Brown] was not licensed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and was therefore operating illegally. At the same time, RFS was accused of inciting racial hatred in Sarawak through its daily broadcasts."
To further impugn her reputation, edits to the page to cast aspersions on her being born in Malaysia. Bell Pottinger have also been linked to other Wikipedia content supportive of vested interests in Malaysia, including creating the page for the Earth Awards, established by the Malaysian government, upon whom they heap praise.
Once again Taib's dirty tricks against Sarawak Report and Radio Free Sarawak have spectacularly backfired!
In the past few hours it has emerged that the Chief Minister, along with his son-in-law, Sean Murray, was one of the clients who hired Bell Pottinger to alter Wikipedia entries about themselves, their companies, Sarawak… and, of course, Sarawak Report/Radio Free Sarawak!
Harry Potter generation: cross-section of Bell Pottinger's "public affairs consultants" (from their website)
Bell Pottinger is the PR giant that has been at the centre of a scandal that has been gripping the UK since Tuesday. The company, which first achieved fame as Margaret Thatcher's favourite agency, has developed a reputation for professional ruthlessness and a willingness to do business with unpleasant clients.
Video sting
They demonstrated these questionable ethics when they were exposed earlier this week in a sting by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, posing as representatives of Uzbekistan, which has been condemned for promoting the slave labour of children in the cotton industry.
Bell Pottinger staff were caught on camera saying they would be willing to work on improving the country's image, even though reform might be minimal. They would charge a million pounds a year (RM5 million) or a hundred thousand a month.
At the same time the company was exposed for bragging that it had special access to UK Prime Minister David Cameron for clients wishing to lobby the British Government, which has been hugely embarrassing for the Conservative Party.
Taib was a client!
Now the scandal has rolled into its 3rd day with further exposes about Bell Pottinger's willingness to engage in 'Dark Arts,' such as the secretive alteration of people's Wikipedia entries. The story is splashing around UK newspapers, but is being led by The Independent and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
After the details of ten pseudonyms used by Bell Pottinger to alter information about their clients were released by Wikipedia a few hours ago, it emerged that one of the key users of this service was none other than Taib Mahmud and his son-in-law Sean Murray!
SEPANJANG UMNO/APCO MEMERINTAH ORANG MELAYU/BUMIPUTERA KEKAL TERMISKIN..
Pentadbiran UMNO/APCO-BN menyaksikan ramai orang Melayu/Bumiputera makin miskin dan kroni-kroni UMNO/APCO-BN pula yang makin kaya...statistik 2010 menunjukkan 11 juta rakyat Malaysia yang hidup sekitar atau di bawah paras kemiskinan kerana pendapatan isi rumah kurang daripada RM1500 sebulan, 75% ialah orang Melayu/Bumiputera...
So...ape kejadah nye yang Najib dok sebut-sebut membela nasib orang-orang Melayu ni..? Semakin ditindas lagi adalah...
Come Monday and Tuesday, which have been fixed for submission in the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial, solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden is expected to make his final public appearance, representing the public prosecutor and the Attorney General Chambers (AGC).
It is learnt that, Yusof, 56, had tendered his resignation from the AGC for the third time, and it has been finally accepted.
Sources indicated that the Public Services Department has been duly informed.
Yusof (right) is the third most senior person in the AGC, after attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and solicitor general Idrus Harun.
His last day of duty is expected to be either on Jan 1 or Feb 1, regardless of the outcome of the Anwar sodomy trial.
Although Jan 1 or Feb 1 is stipulated as his last day, sources told Malaysiakini that he had accumulated a lot of leave and he only goes to office occasionally.
"Whatever the outcome of the sodomy trial, Yusof is not expected to come back to lead the prosecution team," the source said.
"He will lead the prosecution for the last time in the submission of this sodomy trial on Monday and Tuesday, where it is expected to be his last public appearance," the source added.
Yusof is highly respected both within the AGC and outside as he commands the respect of lawyers, and is known to be a fair person. It is learnt that he submitted his application for optional retirement twice; in 2007 when he was 52 and again in 2009.
On both occasions his application was rejected, the last believed to be after an intervention from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, wanting Yusof to lead the prosecution team in the sodomy trial.
Najib was said to have created the solicitor-general II post, which was non-existent, to accommodate Yusof in the AGC.
Yusof sidelined in AG's chambers
In 2007, when his first application to retire was rejected, he had submitted it along with his good friend and former Selangor prosecution head, Salehuddin Saidin.
Salehuddin was initially slated to lead the prosecution team in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial, as he headed the Selangor legal division.
However, Salehuddin was replaced by Abdul Gani's man, Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, currently the prosecution head of the AGC following concerns Salehuddin knew the trial judge, Mohd Zaki Yasin. Since then Salehuddin had left the chambers and went into private practice.
Despite remaining in the AGC, it is learnt that Yusof and his men continued to be sidelined by Abdul Gani (right), with many opting to retire early to go! into pr ivate practice.
Sources revealed that Yusof's people had been sidelined or skipped from promotion and those promoted to senior posts in the AGC are said to be close to Abdul Gani, and who have not gained much experience in the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
"He does not want to be in the judiciary as he had been there before being a magistrate and a Sessions Court judge," said another source, who wants to remain anonymous.
"Remaining in the AGC has not been good for Yusof as he is continued to be sidelined and being seen virtually powerless to dictate anything, including policy," added the source.
Following the rejection of the second early retirement exercise, Yusof was specifically roped in to handle the Anwar sodomy case, as he is seen as one of the few clean senior DPPs left in the AGC, and being a person who posses a sound legal background to argue cases at the senior level.
Of course, Yusof has met a wilful opponent in senior criminal lawyer Karpal Singh, who leads Anwar's defence team.
One has to remember that Abdul Gani was sidelined not to have any role in Anwar's sodomy case following the attorney-general's alleged involvement and subsequent investigation that he along with former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan, had planted evidence in the 1998 trial.
Going into private practice?
This follows revelations and an in-depth investigation launched by the police following Anwar's black-eye incident.
Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim headed the investigations into the black-eye incident, where Anwar's blood sample was allegedly stolen with the former top cop pointing to Musa and Abdul Gani's alleged involvement in the many letters he wrote.
However, a three-member panel clearedMusa and Abdul Gani of any wrongdoing in the black-eye matter.
Sources indicated that Yusof may relax for several months following his retirement and eventually enter private practice, like his friend Salehuddin.
Yusof, who headed the prosecution division unit from 2002 to 2008, is considered as someone who has a good background and is respected in the legal fraternity for his knowledge, especially in criminal laws.
In Anwar's case, he leads the prosecution in making submissions at the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.
"His loss would be surely felt, but I think he will follow his colleagues to enter private practice," the source added.
Parti Cinta Malaysia VP- Huan cheng Guan called on Penang chief Minister Lim Guan Eng not to be arrogant and to retract his statement on con-damming the Johor State. Video Rating: 1 / 5
PETALING JAYA: The Selangor DAP, saying enough is enough, wants an immediate truce to the fued involving Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy.
Selangor DAP vice chairman Charles Santiago, along with state committee members senator S Ramakrishnan and T Kannan, made the call today.
"The fighting factions need to have an immediate truce. They should no longer wash dirty linen in the public," said Santiago, who is Klang MP.
He said this in reaction to public spat between Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy and factions supporting party national chairman Karpal Singh.
On Monday, Karpal questioned Ramasamy, who is also party deputy secretary general, for announcing that the party had decided to field three Indian women – D Kamachi, Kasturi (daughter of the late DAP stalwart P Patto), and an unknown lawyer from Penang, K Mangleswari.
Ramasamy was also quoted by Tamil daily Makkal Osai as saying that parliamentarians M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Charles Santiago (Klang) and M Manogaran (Teluk Intan), and assemblyman A Sivanesan (Sungkai) were virtually certain of contesting in the coming general election.
Karpal also warned party leaders against becoming political warlords by circumventing the leadership to promise and announce seats for their cronies.
Ramasamy however denied that Karpal had targetted him but had said that DAP should get rid of not only warlords but godfathers as well.
State leaders aligned to Karpal had then started criticising Ramasamy for trying to undermine Karpal.
The enemy is BN
"The Penang state leadership should call for an emergency meeting to resolve problem immediately," said Santiago.
In addition, the Selangor DAP leaders also reminded their Penang counterparts not to tarnish the position of the Deputy Chief Minister II post which was given to an Indian.
"The position (of DCM II) is an honour to the Indian community. Do not tarnish the position," said Santiago.
He also urged the Penang DAP Indians to save their energy for a bigger battle against the Barisan Nasional in the upcoming general election.
"The spat only serves to reduce confidence in the state leadership and this is bad since Penang is a model state," said Santiago.
Demo put off, table talk cancelled
Meanwhile a scheduled round table talk tonight at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Komtar, Penang, to end the 'Ramasamy fiasco' has been called off.
Seri Delima assemblyman RS Nethaji Rayer, who was called up to attend the table talk, said he had received a text message from Penang DAP secretary and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary Ng Wei Aik confirming its cancellation.
"No reasons were given however. But the grassroots delegates will raise their grouses at the state DAP convention this Sunday. Ng, the Komtar assemblyman, could not be reached for comments.
Earlier, a group of DAP grassroots leaders and members cancelled a scheduled demonstration against Ramasamy outside the state office.
Rayer said the protest was cancelled following directives from Lim, Karpal and veteran Lim Kit Siang.
Instead the group was told that a meeting had been arranged tonight to reach a truce among warring parties and end the fiasco. But now it has been called off.
Penagite are urge to re apply for the land which once owned by their families. Guan Eng had earlier said on the Padang Lalang State Rep land scandal that - his land which were TOL status was approved automatically since it was 'own' previously by his parents. Huan also challanged Guan Eng to answer few issues and doubts regarding land issues. Video Rating: 1 / 5
KUALA LUMPUR: Satu gerakan rakyat yang dikenali sebagai Asalkan Bukan Umno/BN (ABU) akan dilancarkan secara besar-besaran pada 15 Disember ini di Markas Tarbiyah PAS,Taman Melewar,Gombak.
Ia menggesa rakyat menyatakan rasa jijik dan meluat terhadap penyelewengan dan rasuah yang dilakukan Umno/BN.
Pengerusi Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shaharin berkata, gerakan dibuat di seluruh negara ekoran kemusnahan sistem negara yang dilakukan oleh Umno.
Beliau yang turut dikenali sebagai Chegu Bard berkata, gerakan di Sabah dan Sarawak akan dibuat secara senyap-senyap.
"Sumber dalaman kami memberitahu bahawa kempen ini tidak boleh dibuat di Sabah dan Sarawak atas alasan keselamatan.
"Sasaran adalah kemusnahan yang diciptakan Umno. Malaysia akan menjadi lebih bersiap sedia tanpa Umno. Malaysia lebih dinamik dan berdaya saing. Rakyat lebih berkaliber dan cerdik jika tidak diperbodohkan Umno.
"ABU yang digerak dan dipacu oleh rakyat. Kami gambarkan ia gerakan rakyat," katanya dalam sidang media di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Selangor/Kuala Lumpur hari ini.
Kempen rakyat
Chegu Bard menjelaskan bahawa kempen ini didokong sepenuhnya oleh rakyat tanpa penglibatan mana-mana parti politik.
"Ia gerakan rakyat. Ini bukan urusan parti politik ,tapi hal rakyat yang dimunculkan oleh Umno. Ia bukan sekadar program tapi satu gerakan," jelas beliau.
Sementara itu, Presiden Pergerakan Hak-hak Sivil Malaysia (MCLM) Haris Ibrahim pula berkata, ABU membawa kebenaran kepada rakyat agar mereka sedar apa yang dilakukan oleh Umno selama 40 tahun memerintah.
Katanya, sumbangan yang dilakukan Umno selama ini hanya berpaksikan kroni sehingga membawa Malaysia menjadi lebih muflis.
"ABU bawa kebenaran dan kesedaran kepada rakyat tentang pemerintahan Umno/BN. Apa sumbangan Umno dan kroni-kroni dalam BN sehingga menyebabkan Malaysia muflis?," soal beliau.
Turut hadir dalam sidang media itu termasuklah Jawatankuasa Pusat Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) V Selvam, Ahli Jawatankuasa Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) Zulkarnain Abdullah dan Timbalan Presiden KAMI, Khalid Mohd Ismath.
PETALING JAYA: A group fighting for workers' rights has accused the government of insincerity in its minimum-wage plan.
The proposed amount of "between RM740 and RM1,200" would be too low, said the Oppressed People's Network (Jerit) in a media statement released today.
Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam disclosed the proposal in a recent interview with FMT. He said the National Wage Advisory Council would make an announcement before the end of the year.
Jerit said the expected announcement would be merely a "political gimmick and propaganda for the upcoming general election".
Jerit and trade unions have been demanding a minimum wage of RM1,500.
"Any wage below RM1,500 won't ease the burden of workers," said M Sivaranjani, a coordinator for the Coalition of Factory Workers and Unions, which is a Jerit affiliate.
"Jerit believes that the Human Resources Ministry is not sincere in providing decent-living minimum wage to workers."
It was not clear from Subramaniam's statement whether there would be a single fixed minimum wage between RM740 and RM1,200 or there would be different minimum wages for different geographical areas or industries.
Jerit fears that the government would bow to pressure from employers and fix it at only slightly above the poverty line of RM740.
In the FMT interview, Dr Subramaniam said the World Bank had warned that having the minimum wage at RM1,200 would threaten the economy.
He also said that certain economic advisors had cautioned against a minimum wage above RM1,100. According to them, he added, the risks would include rising unemployment and inflation.
Sivaranjani asked why the government on the one hand would listen to such advice but on the other had decided on a pay hike of between 7% and 13% for civil servants from January 2012.
"The government must listen to the cries of the majority of workers," she said.
PETALING JAYA: Market regulators such as Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad must rope in more companies from the private sector to sign the Corporate Integrity Pledge (CIP) to boost investor confidence.
Ravindran Devagunam, director of Pemandu in the PM's department overseeing Corruption related initiatives of the National Key Result Areas (NKRA), said this at a Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M)'s event held in conjunction with the UN Anti-Corruption Day.
"Out of the 53 companies that have signed the pledge (CIP), only a handful are government linked companies (GLCs). At the moment it is on a voluntary basis. We are hoping that the regulators will bring in more companies from the private sector," he said.
The CIP was launched by the government in 2011 to fight corruption in the private sector. Among the 53 that have signed the CIP are Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Sime Darby Bhd, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), Shell Malaysia Ltd, AirAsia and Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
Ravindran said that if regulators made it compulsory to sign the pledge, more companies could be roped in to implement honest and transparent business operations. He added that talks with regulators have resumed and a final word on it may be arrived at in six months.
Room for improvement
TI-M president Paul Low said: "For so long we have been dealing with corruption in the public system, but only to say later that we have only dealt with half of the problem," said.
He added that in order to tackle the problem of corruption holistically, the problems in private sector too, must be looked into.
By signing on to the CIP, the companies pledge to implement a Corporate Integrity System (CIS) based on a six-step programme.
On another matter, Low gave the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) the thumbs-up for their performance the past two years but said there was room for improvement.
He was commenting on the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report last week which praised the MAAC's effort in fighting corruption.
"For their performance during a short period, I give them a thumbs-up. They are increasing their effectiveness. But it is only 60% effective, they can catch people but they must provide sufficient proof and charge these people in court as well," said Low.
Bell Pottinger targeted the Wikipedia entry of Gordon Brown's sister-in-law, the environmental campaigner Clare Rewcastle Brown, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism can reveal.
Ms Rewcastle Brown, who campaigns against the destruction of tropical rainforests, has been heavily critical of the state government of Sarawak in Malaysia, and particularly its Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.
A user, "Biggleswiki", which Bell Pottinger has admitted belongs to one of its operatives, amended Ms Rewcastle Brown's Wikipedia entry to include criticisms of Radio Free Sarawak, which she runs. The same user has made positive amendments to the Chief Minister's Wikipedia entry.
The changes were among hundreds carried out by representatives of Bell Pottinger which are now being investigated by Wikipedia. There is no suggestion that those people who had their Wikipedia entries altered by Bell Pottinger knew about the changes. Some of the entries on the site included:
* Addition of material relating to South African arms manufacturer the Paramount Group and its head, Ivor Ichikowitz. When other users tried to put up warnings that the article was being altered for promotional purposes, Biggleswiki removed them. Many edits relate to the "Marauder", an armoured vehicle manufactured by the Paramount Group, which is being sold to Azerbaijan (currently subject to a European arms embargo). Paramount is a client of Bell Pottinger, which recently arranged for the Marauder to be showcased on the BBC show Top Gear. Top Gear's Wikipedia entry was also altered in a minor way by the firm. No one from Paramount was available to comment yesterday.
* Edited material relating to the arrest by appointment last year of Victor Dahdaleh, who was accused of attempting to bribe Aluminium Bahrain, a state-owned metals company – charges that he is "vigorously contesting". Mr Dahdaleh did not respond to a request for comment. He is currently on bail.
* The Wikipedia entry for Rupiah Banda, the former President of Zambia, has also been amended by another username identified by Wikipedia as being associated with Bell Pottinger, Smythej. The amendment said: "It is widely acknowledged that Banda stepped down with good grace. In conceding defeat he was not bitter and wished his successor well." Bell Pottinger acted for Mr Banda in the 2011 general elections in which he was defeated, as well as in the election that brought him to power.
* The removal of a reference to a client's university drugs conviction on Wikipedia, which was replaced with a reference to a favourable interview.
* Other entries that were changed by accounts associated with Bell Pottinger include those of the founder of the law firm Carter Ruck, Boris Berezovsky, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and at least two large financial firms.
Ms Rewcastle Brown said: "I have been aware of Bell Pottinger's interest in me for some while." She said Bell Pottinger should "put their name to these dirty tricks and show the rest of the world who they are prepared to work for, not hide behind fake names on Wikipedia".
Wikipedia has now locked down 10 user accounts that it believes are associated with computers owned by Bell Pottinger, pending an investigation by the website's founder Jimmy Wales.
When approached by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, several companies denied having ever employed Bell Pottinger to manage their reputations, but did reveal that they had signed deals with other companies owned by its parent company Chime Communications.
Moletest, a company that offers skin cancer screening online, said it had hired De Facto Communications, a specialist in public relations and marketing for the healthcare and life sciences industries. Joe Ferreira said the company had been briefed to manage both Moletest's online and offline public relations. De Facto is owned by Chime.
Standard Life, the pensions and insurance group, had its Wikipedia presence edited more than 12 times between November and December 2010. Barry Cameron, head of media at Standard Life, said it had hired Team Spirit, an advertising and marketing firm at Chime, and that the brief had included maintaining the company's Wikipedia profile.
Edits were also made to the online profile of Viscount Weymouth, a peer and businessman, adding information about his business interests. A spokesman for Longleat Enterprises, of which Viscount Weymouth is the chairman, said his company had never employed Bell Pottinger but has received advice from Bell Pottinger on an "ad hoc" basis.
Lord Bell, chairman of Chime Communications, the owner of Bell Pottinger, said an internal review had been launched. On Wednesday the firm admitted it had used a number of accounts to change Wikipedia pages.
"I can't see any bad headlines for our clients," he told the BBC. "You won't find anybody, including journalists, who don't do exactly the same thing." When firms asked Bell Pottinger to post untrue statements it had refused, citing Wikipedia's guidelines, he said.
I don't know who changes entries, says site founder
Of the 10 Wikipedia accounts suspended for being involved in suspected tampering by Bell Pottinger, two go to great lengths to give the impression of being real people.
"Biggleswiki" lists a number of personal details about himself on his user page. He claims that his name is David Biggles, and that he was born on 2 November 1979 in Hammersmith, London.
He provides a selection of details, and claims that he met his girlfriend while living in Newcastle, but has since moved back to London. "I currently work in engineering and really enjoy it. I get to travel around the world doing my job and have been to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, China, New Zealand and Russia," he writes.
"My interests include art, music and photography and I'm rubbish at all of them."
The Bureau has been unable to identify a David Biggles who matches the above description. Searches of the electoral register yielded no results for "David Biggles" anywhere in the UK. Bell Pottinger has since admitted that it used the Biggleswiki account.
A second user, "Diginerd84″, claims to be a 50-year-old retired stockbroker living in Mayfair, London named Stephen Draper. "I was born in the East End and I can trace my family history back to 1585. I'm a retired stockbroker having spent over 25 years in the City," he wrote.
He claimed to have two grown-up children who had both moved abroad with their families, one of whom worked for Credit Suisse in New York. He went on to describe his interests, which include "business, political, science, motoring and sports".
"I'm extremely passionate about cars and own a collection of vintage Rolls-Royce motor cars. They have taken up nearly all of my time since I retired but are a huge amount of fun. My most recent and favourite purchase is a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. It can barely hit 40mph, but it's a beautiful piece of engineering," he wrote.
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said: "I will personally buy a full tank of petrol for Mr Draper's 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II if he exists at all."
KOTA KINABALU: The health of thousands of residents at a housing area near here is at risk from emissions from a bio-hazard waste incinerator plant operating practically at their doorstep.
Each day tonnes of medical waste from the city's main hospitals is carted to the site and left in the open on the ground before being disposed.
With the incinerator site just a stone's throw from the Lok Kawi township, well within the 1km buffer zone stipulated for such dangerous waste disposal facilities, residents who can smell the burning waste have been complaining of the stench for years without relief.
Now an environmental expert has backed up their concern and questioned how the government's Department of Environment (DOE) had approved such a facility so close to a township and housing area without any protection.
Dr CY Vun, who is a member of the Environmental Action Committee (EAC) and Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa), said it was highly unusual that the medical waste incineration firm had not been required to meet the mandatory standards set for the emission of pollutant smokes.
It is understood that the operator of the incinerator at the small and medium enterprise (SME) industrial estate in Lok Kawi near here started operations six years ago despite complaints about the pollutants from the residents.
EAC members conducted site inspections on Oct 22 and Nov 26 and discovered that the incinerator was not equipped with ash emission scrubber devices to prevent potential fallout from the plant.
Vun said the EAC team also found the plant did not have adequate storage for the large volume of infectious medical waste being transported to the plant from hospitals for incineration in violation of the government's clinical waste disposal regulations.
"Why is the incinerator firm allowed to exist and continue operating for the past six years in a populated area?" he asked. No buffer-zone
He said SME operators in the area, who have called for the closure of the incinerator, had approached the EAC and Sepa for assistance after their complaints against the incinerator operator were ignored by the government.
During the inspection, the EAC team interviewed SME operators and workers and also took photographs and video footage of smoke being discharged from the incinerator's out-dated chimney as well as bags that contained the infectious medical waste placed uncovered on the ground.
The inspection calls into question the credibility of the EIA (environmental impact assesment) consultant that approved the incinerator so close to a highly populated residential area without considering the social economic and environmental impact.
There was also no effort made to get feedback and acceptance from the public prior to approving the site for the construction of the plant.
"The adverse consequences on the health of the people, especially at the Lok Kawi SME industrial area, working and living within the environment that may receive low level of various air contaminants on a daily basis are not known.
"Furthermore, inhalation of dioxins, furans, lead, mercury, and other unknown chemical combinations is known to have serious respiratory effects and can lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer.
"In this regard, the state government should order the closure of the incinerator at Lok Kawi industrial estate.
"It has no buffer zone. The plant could be emitting dioxins, furans, hydrogen chloride, lead, mercury and other unknown chemical compositions continuously from its chimney as it has no ash-scrubber device installed to purify the ashy smokes before being released into the air," Vun said. Too near residents
The Environmental Quality Act 1974 and Environmental Quality Clean Air Regulation 1978 explicitly prohibit the burning of "combustible materials, refuse and produce or waste except in an incinerator of such type and design as approved by the DOE director-general" within a one-km radius of an inhabited area.
Locating any incinerator and buildings within 1,000 metres of a residential area is strictly prohibited.
As such, the incinerator should not have been allowed to operate within the populated Lok Kawi industrial estate and the shophouses and housing estate located nearby.
Vun said the EAC team also discovered during the site inspections that barely 2,000 feet to the south-west of the incinerator is the populated Lok Kawi shophouses and housing estate.
He said the operators and workers of the SME industries there such as food processing factories, Desa hatchery, drinking water processing plant and the residents living in the surrounding area want the incinerator operation terminated immediately.
"During our site inspection on Nov 26, we saw bags containing clinical waste being simply placed in an open area and also along the pavement by the roadside leading to the incinerator," said Vun. Where are the EIA reports?
The EAC has urged the DOE and the EIA consultant to make available their reports of the incinerator's daily operations.
"According to our sources, no EIA consultant conducted any interview or public forum on the setting up of the medical waste incinerator at the SME industrial estate some six years ago. But a permit was still given.
"How could the EIA report of the project have been approved by DOE director-general without the knowledge of the public? This is a public healthcare violation.
"The people living there have been victimised by the incinerator operator for the past six years.
"This is unacceptable… it's a show of disrespect to human rights, apart from being bad business ethics by the operator, who is originally a branch from a peninsula-based public listed company," said Vun.
During the interviews, residents, SME operators and workers have complained of noxious fumes at their workplace, especially between 8am and 12 noon and sometimes the whole day until 10pm.
"During our survey we recorded daily emission of black smoke from the incinerator's chimney," said Vun.
"People living near the incinerator are particularly at a high risk. Studies conducted during research on animals (located near such plants) also showed that toxic substances (emitted from such incinerators) can alter hormone systems and foetus development," he added.
State government wants immediate report
Meanwhile, the state government has said that it was unaware that the incinerator plant was operating contrary to environmental regulations.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun said he had directed the Sabah DOE federal director to explain why approval was given for the incinerator to operate so close to the vast suburban township.
"Obviously, the report is cause for concern. I will ask him (DOE director) to give me a full report and then we will take it from there," he said.
He added that if the operation is against certain provisions of the law, then the state will ensure that the application of the law is complied with, irrespective of who the operator is.
"And, if it is the government, they should be the first ones to comply with the relevant law(s). I can assure you, government department or not, the same law applies (to all)," he said.
PETALING JAYA: A group claiming to speak for Perak citizens has urged the state government to correct what it calls the "huge mistake" of giving a foreign company full rights to build and operate an enormous jetty in Teluk Rubiah.
The Coalition of Concerned Citizens Perak (GRPP) said the state must review all the agreements it had made with the Brazilian company Vale International, which is building, apart from the jetty, a plant to process iron ore on a 450-acre site in the coastal town of Teluk Rubiah.
GRPP chairman Zainal Abidin said the jetty should be considered a national asset.
"National assets should be under the administration of the government and cannot be sold to any parties, especially foreign companies," he said.
"The government cannot and should not allow an asset of such magnitude and importance to be fully controlled by foreigners, especially on the Lumut coast, where Malaysia's naval base is situated.
"Don't allow us to be colonised by them and mortgage the country's wealth just because the company is investing billions in Perak."
According to Zainal, GRPP has a membership of more than 400 professionals in various fields. He said the group was not against investments and economic growth, but was concerned about the security of the country.
Zainal also urged the state to restudy how the Vale plant would affect the environment and the livelihoods of local residents.
"Will those big ships that are coming in affect the fishermen? The government can't just ignore that."
Vale is the world's largest iron mining and processing company. It has a locally registered company called Vale Malaysia Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, which started constructing the Teluk Rubiah plant last July. Ecosystem to suffer
The plant is expected to be operational by June 2014. It will process blended iron ore and pellets used in steel production for distribution to customers in Malaysia, Australia, China, Japan and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
The jetty will be the destination point for Vale ships of 400,000-deadweight tonnes carrying iron ore from Brazil.
Vale is investing RM4 billion in the first phase of the project, during which the plant will be capable of handling 60 million tonnes of iron ore a year. The state government has said that Vale's investment would eventually come to between RM9 billion and RM14 billion.
In interviews that FMT conducted last August, many local residents, mostly fishermen, expressed fears for their health and livelihood.
Consumer and environmental groups have consistently voiced opposition against the project. They say the Vale plant and its activities would destabilise the ecosystem of the area, formerly gazetted as a forest reserve.
Concerns have also been raised that the local tourism industry would take a blow from which it might not recover.
Former menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin claims that the state government under Zambry Abdul Kadir has sacrificed public interest for the material benefit of a select few.
Hudud. Najib says no. Karpal says no. Muhyiddin says not yet. Anwar says just in Kelantan. Tok Guru says bring it on. Everyone is being respectful. Everyone is agreeing to disagree. And amidst all the noise, the rakyat is once again left totally and utterly confused as to what is right, as to what is wrong, and as to what is just plain irrelevant. This week, Ezra, Faiq, and special guest star and all around hottie Sarah Lian, try to clear things up for us. They try to separate the fact from the fiction, the chocolate from the vanilla. They try to answer that age old question of how you do that hudud that you do so well? Video Rating: 4 / 5
KUALA LUMPUR: The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) triennial delegates conference (TDC) this weekend will be watched keenly as it represents what observers believe the last chance for the party "to correct things" or continue to face a downfall in the next general election.
Going by the record in the last two state elections, the party appears to be getting weaker due to, what many believe, the problem of perceptions – that it has failed to represent the people's voices – and because of the internal conflicts it has been facing since 2004.
The party lost 13 of the 19 seats it contested in the April polls, including Piasau, the seat contested by party president Dr George Chan. In 2006, SUPP lost six seats.
Can the party pull itself out of doldrums at the TDC and recover in time for the general election?
"I don't think they can recover in time for the next general election," said Prof James Chin, political analyst at Sunway Monash University.
"The problems are just too deep for them to tackle in this short amount of time. The negative perception of the party is still there."
After analysing the manifestos of the two presidential hopefuls – organising secretary Peter Chin and deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh – Chin said neither addresses the core issue that the party is facing.
Fundamental issue
Both party president hopefuls have come out with their respective plans – Wong with his "New Plan", Chin with his "Transformation Plan."
"Neither plan addresses the real fundamental issue the party is facing: the perception that it is too weak. Both say they are going to re-organise the party but they don't address the issue that it has been perceived as too weak to represent the views of the community, particularly the Chinese," he said.
He said the battle line is clearly drawn for this party election between the supporters of two presidential hopefuls, to the extent that there have been public mud-slinging and complaints lodged by some members at several SUPP branches.
"The fact that the rivalry has been brought to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) reflects the severity of the problems," he added.
To date, the Registrar of Societies has received eight complaints of SUPP branch election irregularities. Of the eight, two included police reports. As a result, ROS has issued SUPP two letters.
Chan has said he will not mediate between the two presidential candidates, but will let "the best man win".
However, some party leaders and insiders point out that the party election, no matter how intense it may be, is still the best option for the party to revive itself, as the previous attempt through "The Forward Plan" in 2007, had failed.
"There has been too much talk about the plan but nobody is willing to let go. At the end, the plan failed. The only way, as we see it, is through the party election. No doubt, they will be people unhappy about it, but it is still the best platform for party delegates to decide on which direction to pursue and who should lead the party," said a party grassroots leader.
Herculean task
SUPP secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui also defended the party election as the best way to transform the party. Election at the TDC would put aside the tradition of proposing a pre-arranged list for the delegates to endorse, he said.
Sim explained that delegates will be able to decide on two main proposals to change the party's constitution – first, to have a direct election, and second, to amend the constitution to limit the tenure of SUPP ministers and office-holders to two or three terms.
Currently, SUPP has a two-tier election system, with about 600 central delegates first electing members of the central committee, which in turn later elects the central working committee (CWC), which then decides who among its members will hold various posts in the party, including the party president.
This, to some political observers, is an out-dated system and that they need to change in order not to be perceived as an "old man's party".
Regardless of the outcome of the weekend election, the immediate task for the elected leaders is to decide how they are going to prepare the party to face the next general election.
SUPP had been given seven parliamentary seats – in Serian, Stampin, Bandar Kuching, Sibu, Lanang, Sarikei and Miri. Two of them, Bandar Kuching and Sibu, are already in the hands of DAP. Analyses by some think-tanks and political parties already point out that the SUPP, the oldest political party in the state, is on the brink of losing more parliamentary seats in the next general election.
As pointed out by a much-respected former SUPP president Dr Wong Soon Kai in a interview with a local daily recently, whoever takes over the party leadership on Sunday will have a Herculean task to repair the public image of the battered party to face the opposition outside.
"SUPP is in such an unprecedented and difficult position that whatever the outcome of the coming party central election, it will be a very tough beginning for the new man (president)," he was quoted as saying.
KUALA LUMPUR: Doctored entries of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, his family and businesses on online encyclopedia Wikipedia were allegedly directed by Taib and his Canadian son-in-law via UK-based public relations giant Bell Pottinger.
This was revealed following a sting operation by the UK-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism and London-based national daily The Independent.
Among others the operation discovered that Bell Pottinger had secretly altered information of their A-list clients listed in Wikipedia. Among their clients was UK-based Ridgeford Properties, owned by Taib's daughter Jamilah and Sean Murray.
Wikipedia which released the details of several pseudonyms used by Bell Pottinger to carry out its 'operation', also revealed that one of the key users of this service was Taib and Murray.
Using the pseudonym 'Biggleswick', Bell Pottinger had altered entries on the profiles of Sarawak state and of Taib, Murray and their companies Ridegford Properties and Ottawa-based Sakto (Canada).
It is learnt that Ridgeford Properties had hired Bell Pottinger earlier this year to make the necessary changes in Wikipedia.
Also doctored, on instructions from Ridgeford Properties, were the entries of Clare Rewcastle Brown, the editor and founder of online investigative blog Sarawak Report and Radio Free Sarawak.
'Sarawak Report vindicated'
Feeling 'vindicated', Rewcastle-Brown and team posted a report today saying: "The UK press have noted that while Taib, Sean Murray, Chris Murray (Sean's cousin who is a director in Ridgeford Properties) and their companies have received positive changes thanks to 'Biggleswick', the alterations on Clare Rewcastle Brown's Wikipedia entry consisted of negative information about Radio Free Sarawak.
"The alterations sought to emphasize the 'illegality' of the Radio Station, the Iban-speaking which has campaigned for the past year to bring information to ordinary folk in Sarawak about land rights and rural problems.'
Taib is allegedly bent on destroying Radio Free Sarawak, which has been credited for playing a role for the opposition's victory in the April 16 state elections and the increasing distrust of the ruling Barisan Nasional regime in Sarawak.
In the months since its inception Radio Free Sarawak, anchored by Iban speaking Peter John, has focused on rural problems, land grabs, deforestation and poor healthcare.
It has also offered opposition politicians a platform to speak out and inform their voters about alternatives to BN policies.
"The (Taib's) dirty tricks campaign has now been exposed to the world in a way that demonstrates the sort of tactics that Radio Free Sarawak and other campaigners for freedom and democracy in Malaysia face every day, " noted Sarawak Report.
Shareholders in 330 companies
Sarawak Report together with the Swiss based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) have been running a series of expose on Taib and his unexplainable billions in Malaysia and abroad.
The detailed reports have spawned investigations by authorities in Switzerland, Germany, Canada and United Kingdom.
BMF's latest 'Stop Timber Corruption Report' released earlier this week offered an extensive research into the Taib family's company ownerships in Sarawak, Malaysia and elsewhere.
It established that Taib and his immediate family (his children, siblings and cousin Hamed Sepawi) have shares in more than 330 companies in Malaysia alone.
The report noted that in many of these companies, they also act as the controlling directors.
The Taibs also have a further 80 companies in 25 countries across the world including Australia, the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Jersey, Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, Fiji, Cayman Islands, Indonesia, India, Jersey, Saudi Arabia, Labuan, Cambodia, Brunei, China, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
