Saturday, August 30, 2008

Permatang Pauh, Petrol Prices, Return to UMNO: Dr M Interview Reveals...

Here is our translation of what was mentioned in Dr. M's (www.chedet.com) Blog. It has become quite apparent that the current government under the Badawi regime has performed censorship of not only Malaysia Today (in a feeble and unintelligent attempt), but on any opposing views to their agenda.

Dr. M, has also been subjected to this. Not only has the Police intervened and discouraged people from inviting Mahathir to give talks and speeches. This is the way of an authoritarian regime. None of us would have ever imagined that Badawi was capable of this in his years as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as DPM.

Without further ado... as extracted and translated from Dr. M's website, for the english speaking world to understand:

2. During the news interview, I had explained that the interview will serve no purpose as the journalists will not be allowed to report my responses as they are, and they will be twisted to appear that I am supporting Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi and his government.

3. As expected, the report was written differently from what I had said

4. When asked about the reduction of petrol prices, my response was that this had a connection with Permatang Pauh. We should have more by-elections so that the petrol prices can be further reduced

5. What was reported was that I said the reduction of petrol prices will benefit the people. That's All.

6. I was also asked about what my plans were after Permatang Pauh. Will I return to UMNO?

7. I reminded them that I left UMNO with condition. I will reapply to return to UMNO if Dato Seri Abdullah is no longer President, that is if I am permitted to return.

8. Once I return, I will return to the field and work hard to re-attract all the pockets of UMNO supporters and Barisan Nasional that have supported the opposition in the 12th General Election

9. I also explained that this work will take time. However, if the leadership change is only in June 2010, there will be not enough time to rebuild the party before the 13th General Election

10. NONE of this was even reported in the slightest, in any newspaper or television. Is this the sort of freedom of media as promised by Dato Seri Abdullah?

Original Report

Some interesting quotes from Dr M in the same post:

"But to break a promise and to openly show that you can meddle with the security of the internet is to expose a degree of oppressive arrogance worthy of a totalitarian state"

I had once before written to a Government Minister that Malaysia has become a police state because the Government instructed the police to call up people who invited me to give talks and coerce them into withdrawing their invitation. The police is not supposed to do that. When the Government makes use of the police for extralegal work then the Government is guilty of abuse of power.

The Minister simply replied that I had retired and it was better for me to literally shut up.

I know that things have been engineered to ensure Khairy Jamaluddin will win as UMNO Youth leader and Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi as President. Democracy in UMNO is dead. And when democracy dies in UMNO, the party itself will die

I would like to say this to the Prime Minister and his minions. You may have the power now. But as in five States, you may lose power some day. And this will certainly happen because of your obsession to block all contrary opinion from being heard. It will blind you to the reality of the situation so that you will continue to do wrong things and the people will reject you totally

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Tun M: "The Descrimination Must End"

Our former Prime Minister, who recently unshackled himself from the ungrateful UMNO party and members, who belittled him (only after he retired), a founding father of Malaysia, has spoken brilliantly about the NEP and Malays.

This is why Mahathir should have remained our Prime Minister, this is why Badawi and Najib do not belong where they are. Along with the likes of Minister in the PM's Department (Nazri - who has crossed swords with a man far greater than him), and UMNO Youth Deputy Chief (Khairy), these so called leaders lacking vision and care for their people and nation, should go.

See quoted extracts below:

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

33. The Malays must accept that this discrimination cannot be forever. If they fail to respond properly to what is being done for them, they should accept this policy would be taken away.

34. When Malay youngsters, especially boys, failed to study and qualify for university education, when they preferred to play and not study, we cannot expect the non-Malays to patiently wait and give up their opportunities until the Malays decide to become serious and study. That would not be fair.

35. That was why we introduced merit in the selection of students for the universities. Unfortunately, the implementers of Government decisions chose to interpret it differently. By requiring Bumiputeras to sit for the matriculation and the non-Bumiputeras to sit for higher school certificates, they managed to give the impression that the Bumiputeras were actually better qualified than the non-Bumiputeras. With this, the intention of the Government to make the Bumiputeras become more serious about their education failed.

36. There is a tendency among Malays to regard the discrimination in their favour as a privilege, as a recognition of their superior status. I think this is wrong. The discrimination is in order to give them a kind of headstart so that they can catch up with other races. To me, it is shameful to have to be protected because we do not have the capacity to compete. We are not Red Indians to live on reserves. We should regard it as a temporary expedient to be done away with once we have achieved the capacity to compete on our own.

37. However, we must give time for ending the NEP and it should be done in stages. I hope that the time will not be too long. In the meantime, serious efforts by the Bumiputeras must be made to avail themselves of the opportunities. If this is obviously not being done, then, as with entrance into the universities, the discrimination must end.

Permatang Pauh: Anwar Wins by a HUGE Margin

Tahniah Anwar! Against all odds and the arrogant Barisan Nasional, you have succeeded not only in winning your seat, but by an even bigger margin than Datin Seri. It's obvious the people don't buy the sodomy claims made against you.

Just today, Information Minister, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, had the cheek to make a shabby statement...

"Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must accept that the era of him becoming prime minister ended long ago."

All sorts of tricks were resorted to by the highest ranking officers in the current government. DPM Najib even resorted to swearing on the Quran that he neither murdered nor knew Altantuya, the brutally murdered Mogolian translator. This was just after Saiful, Anwar's sodomy accuser, performed the same act claiming that Anwar sodomised him. (Come on, any real man would have fought his way out of that situation, unless he really wanted it)

Najib then turned to Anwar to say that he should do the right thing and swear also. Political trickery from a man who also has an agenda, and plenty of secrets. He has outrightly accused Anwar of corruption, however, it is a matter of time before the finger pointing begins to reveal who the really corrupt are.

We're not blind to the fact that it is possible that Anwar has his misdeeds, cronies, stashes of money or otherwise (as claimed by Najib). However, we also know that Najib and the likes of people like Khairy (who has participated in the campaigning) aren't clean enough to go around pointing the finger at other people. So many people have spoken about it, and it comes from different sources, these people aren't even opposition supporters, some are UMNO, and yet, they are aware, and yet they do nothing. Perhaps all feeling of hope is lost.

Perhaps, it is now time for us to give an opportunity to someone who has so widely claimed an agenda of a secular and equal for all Malaysia. Perhaps it is time for that change. BN says he will not deliver on his promises and that the rakyat are being duped. However, if he doesn't, not only will he not survive the next election, he would have lost all his international credibility - which, therefore casts doubt. As he is deemed to be quite reputable in the international community.

What is the point in supporting a government that has not only mismanaged the economy, and benefited a small group of Malays, but also one that is arrogant enough to believe that the people will support them, even after they as the lawmakers and nation builders have made racial and religious slurs against the minority groups.

That aside, UMNO even attempted to secretly form an alliance with PAS, a group with an Islamic State Agenda, against all UMNO's principles of supporting policies that will benefit all Malaysians regardless of race or religion. UMNO in such desperation was willing to break ranks with their component parties, just to ensure the strength of the Melayu and Islam, forgoing the more national agenda that includes every Malaysian. The entire Malaysian community that helps build this nation. This is wrong.

We have predicted that as far as UMNO and PAS is concerned, it is a battle of who is more Islamic. Gone are the days where their agenda was in full support of all other races. BN increasingly becomes divided.

On the matter of Islamic State, Najib claimed that we are an Islamic state prior to the elections. Then more recently, he claimed that we aren't. So which is it? So much evidence shows that UMNO has lost its way. They are torn as to whether they need to gather more Malay support to manage their sinking ship, or should they support a more national and perhaps secular agenda as the leader of the BN.

So what's the point in supporting the BN if they have lost their way and their clarity of their agenda? Change must come about, and it must come now. Anwar certainly does not promise an about turn change, as far as we are concerned, but it will be a fresh start. There will be changes and some difficulty for some in managing that change. However, this can be expected. Considering the options we have, we think that Pakatan Rakyat holds promise.

The message we, as the rakyat have sent BN is that we are serious about change and that we will not be taken for fools. Nobody really has much respect for Badawi or Najib, but yet, they, along with some bigwigs remain arrogant. Perhaps it's time we retire them to their mansions in England and Australia.

Today, the Rakyat have triumphed yet again, and it is obvious that we stand firm on our decision and need for change. Will UMNO now consider their misdeeds and the need for change?

Remember, by supporting Barisan, we effectively do the following:
1. We entrust our nation to Badawi, whose son-in-law, (as claimed by fellow UMNO comptriates) is power hungry and willing to do all sorts of things to show himself as the Malay-Ultra for purposes of party position. Khairy is also widely known to have some big businesses
2. We entrust our nation, for however long he can hang on to it, to Najib. The man who once uttered the words "bathe in Chinese blood" in the 1980s. See Wikipedia. Search Najib Tun Razak. We also entrust our nation to a man who has control of the Armed Forces, and who has held the position of Defence Minister for almost or more than a decade.

It is time we realise that some people, unlike Mahathir, hold very little vision for the nation or anyone else other than themselves.

It is time for change and we must endure the trials to come.

Tahniah Rakyat Permatang Pauh dan Rakyat Tersayang Malaysia!


News clips extracted:

Najib: Beware of Anwar

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today reminded voters in Permatang Pauh not to be hoodwinked by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's promises as he was willing to validate anything to become prime minister.

"I can tell a lot about how he toppled the deputy prime minister then, the late Tun Ghafar Baba, who was also the Umno deputy president and who carried his (Anwars's) bag. You can guess what was in the bag when he was contesting the party elections. Full of money. Today, he talks about corruption," Najib said. -- Bernama


Battle for Permatang Pauh: 'We stand a fighting chance'

Barisan Nasional (BN) stands a fighting chance of wresting the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said the coalition's deputy chairman, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"The impossible may materialise. BN supporters should not assume we don't stand a chance." Najib said BN had conducted a solid campaign since Aug 16 and ran a number of activities which increased its chances of winning. "We will not admit defeat and we will continue to strive till the end," Najib said on BN's chances in the by-election which takes place on Tuesday.Speaking after visiting an education and career exhibition here held in conjunction with the Pekan Fest 08, Najib, who is also deputy prime minister, said BN's election machinery should not let its guard down.

"I call upon our machinery to enhance our position and make sure this momentum turns the tide to BN."On the presence of Sabah BN leaders in Permatang Pauh on Friday night, Najib said this showed their strong support for the coalition."This shows the BN government is stable and will continue to exist."Najib said the statement by PKR's vice-president Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan that 13 BN MPs in the state would cross over to the opposition did not hold water.


Battle for Permatang Pauh: Anwar's time is over, says Shabery

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must accept that the era of him becoming prime minister ended long ago.

He said the PKR candidate for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election had previously been chosen by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to join the government, and had been appointed acting prime minister before being expelled in 1998.

Anwar's claims that he would become prime minister on Sept 16 were merely wishful thinking, he said at a function at Kampung Tanjung Putus, near here yesterday.He urged the constituents in Permatang Pauh not to be swayed by claims that Anwar would become prime minister if he were to win the by-election tomorrow. -- Bernama