On Lower turnout expected, Penang mulls public holiday
Mustafa Ahmad: The Election Commission is desperately trying to please its political master, the BN-Umno regime, by deliberately choosing a weekday as the day for the by-election.
To enable the rakyat to exercise their constitutional voting right, polling should have been made easy and convenient for them.
The EC's choice of August 26 as the date for the election is a blatant but feeble attempt to deprive voters of their constitutional right. These people are paid by the rakyat via their taxes, and they should serve the interests of the voters.
Instead, they choose to serve the interests of a sinking and dying BN-Umno regime that is known for its dirty, corrupt and unmerciful tactics in destroying its political opponents.
The time has come for this EC to realise that their time is up. The day of reckoning for you and your BN-Umno regime is approaching. Repent or you will regret.
On BN's Arif: 'Who can defeat Anwar? I can'
Augustine: Don't be overconfident, Arif Shah Omar, in defeating Anwar Ibrahim. You are the only candidate that Umno could find after a rather long thought process. Remember that not everybody in Umno agrees with your choice.
Everybody was happy on stage when you were selected as a BN candidate but did you know that Umno Youth had been lobbying for that seat? They should have been given a chance to prove themselves.
Given that the taxpayers money is being used by BN’s component parties during this election, it will be no surprise if you win.
This election is a barometer for Pakatan Rakyat, and this is the golden opportunity for the rakyat in Permatang Pauh to make a very conscious decision to deny BN a win and reject our PM.
A win is a must for Anwar to be put back into parliament after being absent for 10 years due to injustice.
I pray that the election will be peaceful, and hopefully Anwar Ibrahim will win this election to fight for justice for all who love Malaysia.
An Old Timer: I read in one of the local papers that the BN candidate for Permatang Pauh, Arif Shah has a diploma in civil engineering from Grabel International and is currently pursuing a Ph.d from Edison University of Technology.
I did a quick Internet search and could not find any information on either of the institutions.
Could it be that Grabel International is one of those unaccredited private colleges located in one those shophouses in Chow Kit Road and could it be that Edison University of Technology one of those many diploma mills churning out Bachelors, Masters and Phd degrees at prices ranging from US$100 to US$1,000?
I believe Permatang Pauh voters want to know the truth about this guy's real academic qualifications for they want their MP to be honest with himself and the public. If one does not have any real diploma or degree, just honestly say so.
On Why Pas-Umno talks are good for Pakatan
Petra: In the 12 th Malaysian general election, we campaigned and voted for Pakatan Rakyat.
Please let Pas know that if they continue to push hard on the Islam issue and disregard non- Muslims, we will be forced to campaign and vote for BN.
Michael Lim Guat Yong: Why are there a different ideologies between Pas Youth and PAS’ main leaders? Please make this clear before representing the people. Malaysia is a multi-racial, peaceful and harmonious country.
Why does PAS want to put their Islamic ideology at the centre of the country’s administration? Malaysia is a democratic country, not an Islamic country - every race works together.
Pas must remember their promises before the elections. They must understand that Pakatan’s main objective is to take care of everyone regardless of their race.
If they still want to pursue their Islamic agenda, please leave Pakatan Rakyat.
The people chose Pakatan (Malay, Chinese, Indian and others) not PAS. The same is true of BN - the people choose BN, not Umno alone.
All races should work together as one Malaysia. All races should be treated equally and should have their rights, and no one must be left out.
Islam is a holistic religion, not a political or government engine. Please put these sensitive issues away - let’s continue our ‘Vision 2020' as one Malaysia.
Om Prakash: My contention has been right - PAS is actually an evil personification. It can never hold its agreements and twists words when it suits them to wrangle support and authority.
It has used religion for its political agenda, and that’s wrong. Religious politics is synonymous with racial politics - both are criminal because they cause hatred and disunity among citizens.
PAS will derail the formation of a new government and will blackmail it when and if Anwar comes to parliament.
Parliament must consider introducing a law to ban religious and racial representations of any individual, party, group or enterprise, while still preserving the special rights of the Malays as enshrined in the constitution.
The rakyat are the custodians of the country and only they will determine how elected leaders and government must serve the expectations of the rakyat within the constitution and legislated laws.
Remove religious and racial discrimination in every form and we shall all progress in multi-fold together as Malaysians.
On Hadi non-commital on Anwar's PM bid
23PSI: PAS’ talks with Umno (and it doesn't matter what term they use to describe it) show that they are insincere.
Just as Umno went behind the backs of the other major BN component parties to broker a deal, so did Pas vis-a-vis the Pakatan parties.
Indeed, it may well be PAS who thwarts Anwar's premiership bid. In a worst case scenario, an outright alliance will be formed, or (alternatively, as the report suggests) it will refuse to endorse his premiership.
In which case, the number of crossovers will just not be sufficient.
Sang Kancil: This is bad thing about PAS. They are always non-committal. They are neither here nor there. They play by it by ear.
If Umno wins they will support BN and if PKR wins they will support Pakatan Rakyat. Very, very fickle-minded. I don't think PAS will survive by the next election.
Anyway Hadi is not capable of running Malaysia. Anwar is thousand times more reliable and capable than Hadi.
So forget about getting the PM’s post. Perhaps PR could consider giving the DPM's post to PAS provided there will be two DPMs - one for PAS and one for DAP.
T Shan: I guess PAS has finally got caught with Umno's bait and is playing the race and religion politics again. If PAS is going the play these sentiments, I am sure the non-Malays will forever reject it.
I had little trust in this party but seeing Tok Guru Nik Aziz and his simple way of life made me inclined to support them in the last GE. Maybe I was wrong to assume the whole party to be filled with people like Tok Guru Nik Aziz.
Wake up Mr Hadi and realise that Malaysia is made of multiracial communities. Watch your comments for it hurts the non-Malays a lot.
You should be supportive of Anwar's bid to became the PM and make the changes we are longing for. But it seems you have eaten the pie given by Umno and now you are dancing to their tune.
You are no better than them anyway.
On Minister's silence on 'racist' teacher irks Indian NGOs
Martin Jalleh: It all depends on which race you belong to. It makes me wonder, what if it had been an Indian teacher saying the same (or worse) of students in the Malay community? Would the education ministry ‘reward’ her for her racism? Would the education minister remain silent?
Alas, I can imagine Umno Youth demanding immediate action and running amok in the streets screaming ‘balik India’ . Yes, I can imagine the teacher resigning of her own accord due to death threats and kerosene bombs thrown into the compound of her house.
I can imagine the police swinging into action, and the very next day a police report being made. I can imagine Umno politicians shouting ‘How dare she insult another race - what’s more, a ‘superior’ race!’
Rebecca Gaythri: Our BN-Umno government has alway practised double-standards with the laws of our country.
They say nobody is above the law, but they want special rights for the teacher who uttered words hurting another community's feelings.
No proper action has taken place so far. Does the Indian community need a type of government that keeps quiet and pretends not to know the real problem because she is a specially chosen one and can say whatever she likes?
We have to think and vote for Pakatan Rakyat for good things to happen in the future. God is watching what man does - good or evil, man has to pay a price some day.
I’m sad to say that no one wants justice. God created all men equal - do we practise goodness, fairness and equality in our lives? Well, let God judge.
Laughing Away: I would sincerely like to know what our education minister is doing about this uncouth teacher. Why was she rewarded with a better school nearer to her home? Is it because she can get support from her neighbourhood?
This is totally unforgivable - a petty issue like tudung , UiTM enrollment of non-bumis, and on minor things can spark off fierce protests but when one of their own shows racism or hatred, lo and behold - even the education minister is silent.
I wonder where this teacher got her lessons from? UiTM is only for bumiputeras and they even stated this in the constitution in Article 153. If one only knew how many parts of this constitution have been changed.
Teaching Eagle: It is interesting to see the public outcry surrounding the recent episode of the ‘racist’ teacher. It ranges from the alleged reward of ‘a move to a better school’ to ‘sacking her’.
Obviously, a lack of adequate coverage on the issue adds to the negative perception by the public. Before coming to any conclusions, a few issues may be worth considering, as follows:
1. Was she really racist by uttering those words? Or did she choose to use those words thinking that, by some twisted logic, she would get the students to behave?
What if she turned out to be of the same race as the students? Her race has not been reported (correct me if I’m wrong on this). I have been told that there have been cases of teachers of one race doing this to students of the same race!
2. Must a teacher be punished if they make an intentional or unintentional mistake? We go to school to learn, and learning involves making mistakes.
Teachers help students to learn and to correct their mistakes, so why shouldn’t a teacher be helped if a teacher makes a mistake?
3. Did anyone take the trouble to find out whether she has personal issues that requires attention? Maybe some form of counselling is required so that the same mistake is not repeated.
4. The silence of the NUTP is quite deafening. Is the issue too politically sensitive for them to get involved?
I would have thought the NUTP would know the real challenges of the teaching profession.
This sort of thing has happened since my time in school in the 1970s. The perception is that no one is bothered to do anything about it, and incidents like this happen now and again.
The question that begs to be asked is, who is going to help the people in the teaching profession when there is an issue like this? It does not sound like the ministry of education is too interested in resolving the matter.
It’s the classic case of ‘let’s wash our hands of this problem and transfer her’.
On Of suffering and 'cangkul-ing' heads
Suriya: When I read about these old judges who were so wronged for wanting to defend our justice system, it made me feel very sad that our sense of right and wrong in this country has been so compromised, and that we, as citizens, could only watch helplessly as this happened.
I truly hope we can restore the judiciary system, make it independent once more, and end the mockery of justice in many of the high-profile cases which have seen arguments and decisions defy common sense and logic.
23PSI: I think the problem is that Malaysians have a short-term memory and, consequently, a rose-tinted view of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's 22-year tenure as PM.
Without a doubt, he was a strong and decisive leader and brought much development and prosperity to the country.
But at the price of compromising institutions that are sacred to a developing country’s parliamentary democracy?
That's assuming that all he has achieved could only be done with a judiciary that was cowed and subservient to the will of the executive.
Clearly that's not the case, and that's why Malaysia is still haunted by the events of 1988.
Indeed, many in the blogosphere have lapped up whatever criticisms and scorn Mahathir has heaped on Pak Lah and his administration.
But let us not be plagued by this short-term memory again. Let’s not forget the events of 1988 that happened during his tenure at prime minister, along with the sodomy and corruption charges against Anwar Ibrahim ten years later..
On RPK refuses Shafee's defamation summons
Aaron Yap: Bravo Mr RPK! You really are one of the bravest and gutsiest guys out there.
I salute you sir. Bring them on. I assure you, sir, we, the ordinary folk of this country, are not blind or deaf to the current conflict that is happening around us now.
On Students defy repressive laws in solidarity with workers
D Madden: The University and University Colleges Act has, in fact, turned around and bitten Umno on its behind. Instead of Umno being peopled by angry young men with fire in their bellies to change and improve Malaysia, it is peopled by greedy old Mahathir sycophants of limited imagination, no outlook, and a philosophy based on greed and corruption, as well as younger peers who see politics as a shortcut to personal riches.
On Exhumed graves: PKR to lodge ACA report
Augustine: Now everybody has started to deny who ordered the bulldozing of a 100-year old cemetery. The Land and Survey Department has approved the land for commercial projects - who has approved this project with hidden hands?
Ask Chief Minister Taib Mahumud - ‘Of course, I don't know’. Ask Awang Tengah - ‘ saya tidak tahu ’. Ask Daud Abdul Rahman - ‘ Saya pun tidak tahu ’. Ask Director of L and S - ‘No comment’.
This is because we don't have a strong opposition to fight back. Credit should be given to Dominic and Chong for their unselfishness to lend a helping hand to voice our dissatisfaction and concern over this important issue.
On 'Gov't should be thankful to Ambiga'
Study Center For Civil Society: Would Ambiga Sreenivasan Iyer, president of the Bar Council, give some respect to ‘freedom of expression’ and hold an open forum on ‘The problem of ethics and lawyers in Malaysia’?
Many Malaysians have been conned by crooked lawyers.
They are silent, however, as it would take much money to bring these crooked lawyers to trial.
A few of them are thieves outright.
On Banking customers - heads you win, tails I lose
Robber Bank Victim: I recently applied for a CIMB Express Cash personal loan. The interest rate was 36% p.a. for an amount of RM5,000 or less.
I have to pay a RM181 monthly installment for 60 months, i.e. RM10,860 in total.
Last week, when I asked CIMB to revise the exorbitant high rate due to the current difficult living conditions, they declined. Any casual observer should notice that the rate is on par with the loan sharks out there.
What I want to know is, where I can find a remedy for this and why has Bank Negara approved this kind of high-interest loan rate?
As far as I know, no other non-collateralised personal loans (such as credit cards) charge this high.
Many of my friends are also burdened by this heavy interest rate. I hope Bank Negara officers have the heart to look into this as soon as possible.
