'KL reneged promises made to Sabah'
Yes, Sabahans should refer the matter to the British. The Malaysian government has reneged on the promises made.
On Possible petition to British gov't from Sabahans
Xroy: There seems to be a deliberate and desperate attempt by Umno to create a majority Malay situation in Sabah. This plan was concocted by Tun Datu Mustapha when he created a situation to convert refugees and non-refugees in Sabah in an attempt to make them ‘Melayu’. Since the PBS defeat of the Barisan government led by Harris Salleh in Sabah, the federal government has worked towards this end of creating more Malays so that Umno could become the dominant party in Sabah.
Yes, Sabahans should refer this matter to the British. The Malaysian government has reneged on the promises made prior to the formation of Malaysia. I think the Sabahans are working too slow towards this end and a faster route would be to join Pakatan. Anwar is a more reasonable man and he would put things right the day he steps in.
Umno is preparing for an election. Abdullah is on a weak wicket and can't do anything to appease the Sabahans as Mahathir will use to throw him out. So while the opportunity is still there I think the Sabahans shoud go ahead and cross over after a tacit understanding of the issues with Anwar.
SH Huang: The cry by Sabahans for a royal commission of inquiry on illegal immigrants has been strident, loud, agonising. But it seems that the federal government is unwilling or unable to address the issue head-on and this has undoubtedly caused anxiety among Sabahans. If we look more deeply into the issue, it is a cause for alarm for it involves the security of the nation. While more minor issues have been addressed swiftly this illegal immigration issue is of paramount importance. It is high time that the PM tackle this problem immediately.
Setting up a committee to look into the matter does not solve the problem. Let us not take this issue lightly. Does the PM want to wait for the ‘crossover’ of MPs to take place first before he will make his move? Of course, he has promised some goodies in Sabah recently. Will these sweeteners be good enough to satisfy Sabahans? It is left to be seen in the coming weeks and months whether he has quenched their thirst.
We should learn a lesson from the International Court of Justice decision on Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca) and attend to the Sabahan immigrant issue at once. And more importantly, immediate enforcement of the findings of the royal commission of inquiry is the next step; otherwise it will be a waste of time, money and manpower. It will be a futile exercise; and nobody will be any wiser. Aall Malaysians love their nation and want to lead fruitful, meaningful lives in a conducive environment, free from incursions from outside forces.
On Sabah crossovers: The date keeps changing
Ibrahim Musa K: Since the mid-1960s, the political scene in Sabah has been saturated with uncertainties, decorated by a number of ‘crossovers’ from the ruling coalition to opposition and vice-versa. The ulterior motive is one of gaining extra political advantage points and usually more personal wealth, status and power.
The present plan of crossover is no exception. However, the delay could well be due to the fact that the question of ‘give-and-take’ has not been fully resolved or compromised. The party in the ruling coalition would have wanted to be completely satisfied with their demand before going into opposition, but the Pakatan leaders have their own political cards to play too.
That said, whether such manipulation could spell the total demise of the present government remains to be seen. Moreover, it is still too early to predict if the opposition can hold on to form the new government with just a simple majority. Anything can happen anytime. It just does not appear to augur well for Malaysians.
In short, be prepared for a more unstable and unsettling political arena in the near future.
On Snap polls: Why it's unlikely to happen
SH Huang: Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh have given their views. I would place a question mark instead of a full stop and am giving my opinion. With due respect to the two gentlemen, I beg to differ for the following reasons. Firstly, these are unusual times which will bring about unusual results. BN lost four more states, lost 10 out of 11 KL parliamentary seats and failed to take back Kelantan. Pakatan Rakyat scored an unprecedented win with 82 parliamentary seats.
Secondly, Gerakan lost its jewel - Penang and BN lost the most-industrialised state - Selangor. Thirdly, the ex-PM resigned as an Umno member and expected a large number of Umno members to follow him out. Fourthly, some Umno leaders want to be prime ministers, never mind their desire to save Umno and BN. Fifthly, some Sabahan leaders openly demand for high positions and higher allocations for Sabah. Sixthly, Anwar Ibrahim stated that he had the required numbers of MPs to topple BN at the federal level. Seventhly, the government is pushing through its reforms, especially for the judiciary
All these points indicate that this is a season of desperation and desperate people will do desperate things to achieve their own agendas, forgetting about their high-sounding ideals. The voters are not fools: they have been fooled many a time. Now, if there is a danger that the BN may topple, the PM could call for a snap election to settle the issue as to who should be the leader. Since he has initiated some reformist moves which voters have been clamouring for, he has probably won over some sections of the people.
His fellow comrades in MCA, Gerekan MIC have nothing to lose but everything to gain by having another shot at the election. Quite possibly, they may regain some lost seats. This is a strong point for them to urge the PM to have a snap election. Pakatan Rakyat MPs, especially the first-timers, may not be eager to go for another round. Why risk their seats? They may not be so interested. Hence, the situation is reversed - BN may like to have another election, but not Pakatan Rakyat.
Of course, as long as the PM feels comfortable with his position, he will not go for it. But once the tipping point arrives, then he will throw the dice. Why risk his place while the going is good? The rumblings on the ground and the realignment of forces within Umno will force his hand.
On FRU brutality causes father sleepless nights
Very Angry Citizen: Where do we turn to when the police and FRU are out acting like they own the country and all the people have no rights and police and FRU have no accountability? We have to hold the police and FRU accountable for all such acts and all the top officer have to be held accountable too. If we do not insist on an accountable police and FRU, then I think it is better to disband the police all together. Then when we are attacked at least we can have the satisfaction knowing that it is not the hard-earned money of the rakyat paying the salary of these people.
Gordon Lim: Ah Kau, please take legal action against them. Even if you don't win, you will at least fight for to honour the law and order in Malaysia. It can, at least, send a reminder to the security forces to be more aware of their actions in the future. This kind of violence is not acceptable in our society. Please liaise with Suhakam to engage the lawsuit; I'm sure they'll be glad to help.
Concerned: It is of great concern to me that the police - especially the FRU - can beat up a citizen of this country. Even if a person is guilty of a crime, it does not give the FRU the right to beat him up. The highhandedness of the FRU has been seen during the Hindraf and other street protests especially by citizens. Where were they when the Umno people were protesting in Penang, Terengganu, and Selangor? No water cannons.
Such one-sidedness on the part of the FRU speaks volumes about their lack of professionalism. Anyway, who called them to come during that night in Bandar Makhota Cheras? The FRU should be revamped and the personnel involved should be charged to prevent such things from happening again.
On Suhakam condemns cops for 'excessive force'
Yumcious: Some blogger asked why our policemen were just standing by looking at thugs beating up some people. It seems they were waiting for reinforcements. And then some unfortunate guy got beaten badly. Perhaps the fact that the concessionaire management is one ex-policeman has something to do with it?
On Cabinet wants BMC access road kept open
Limek: So the ministers have finally woken up and decided to open the road. But this is after such a long drawn out fight which also cause injuries to so many people. Why couldn’t our ministers act proactivitely to avoid all this? Just see the wastage of resources with people having to drive daily so many kilometers when an alternative road is ready and waiting to be used.
On 'They can sack me, I don't care'
LTF: Dear Tun, it is the wrong route you are taking by sniping at Abdullah who simply ignores you. If you are so intent on bringing him down, the best way is to stand against him for the Umno presidency.
On Ku Li: Bring ex-leaders back into Umno
Siew Wah: Umno has still not learnt the lesson that race-based politics are no longer popular with the rakyat at large. To bring justice and good governance to the nation, race-based politics are a hindrance and should be dropped. Which of the current political leaders can meet this criteria? They are none other than Anwar Ibrahim, Wan Azizah, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Jeff Ooi. I salute them all!
On MB: RM27m spent by BN reps in two months
Wan Mohd Azhar: Ramai yang memperkatakan bahawa pembangkang tidak seharusnya membangkit issue ini. Malah ada kenyataan Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir bahawa tindakan undang-undang akan diambil jika pembangkang meneruskan pendedahan ini. Pada pendapat saya, pendedahan mengenai penyelewengan oleh kerajaan BN mesti diteruskan tetapi dengan matlamat mendapatkan BPR menjalankan siasatan ke-atas penyelewengan duit jutaan ringgit ini yang dikhaskan untuk rakyat dan seterusnya membawa penyeleweng ke muka pengadilan.
Juga hendak dipastikan bahwa kerajaan pusat mengganti peruntukan yang telah diselewengkan oleh pemimpin mereka. Pembangkang mesti diberi peluang dan platform yang sama-rata untuk bersaing dan menunjukkan kemampuan mereka Jika pembangkang hanya membuat pendedahan semata-mata, lama-lama rakyat pun akan jemu dan berfikir yang ini hanyalah alasan mereka kerana gagal dalam pemerintahan mereka.
On New visa rule for Indians, Bangladeshis
Venki Sankar: I cannot help feeling that the Malaysian government is going about the issue of Indian and Bangladeshi tourists overstaying in Malaysia the wrong way. They are only treating the symptoms and not the disease. They should prosecute and punish severely the Malaysian employer who is harbouring (and perhaps exploiting ) these illegals by providing them refuge and a job which makes it attractive for them to overstay. We are not being harsh enough on these employers who are taking advantage of the leniency of the authorities in perpetuating this crime.
On Ban on fuel sale for foreigners put off
Meng: What Malaysia should be concerned about are foreign-owned cars coming into Malaysia to take advantage of the fuel subsidies. I do not think we should be concerned about tourists who drive around Malaysia spending money and contributing to the economy. Therefore, a simpler way is charge all cars coming into Malaysia a one-time fuel levy. This fuel levy are for all foreign -owned cars entering Malaysia and essentially cover the government subsidy for the first tank of petrol.
This fuel levy charged at all entry checkpoints will not affect the business of the fuel operators near the border and the government will get back some money from foreigners who enjoy our subsidies. Let’s assume the government subsidy is about 35% for every litre and assuming a full tank of petrol on average is about RM100. A levy of about RM30 should be fair for every foreign-owned car that enters Malaysia. For cars which come in on a daily basis, perhaps they can buy a monthly coupon of RM300 which is at half-price. This is a simpler and perhaps a more effective way to recover the government subsidies on petrol from foreigners.
On New retirement age: Fresh graduates affected
Charles F Moreira: The writer argues that the time is not right for the government to extend the retirement age since there will be many fresh graduates entering to market effectively meaning that veteran civil servants will lose their source of income to make way for new blood ie, a lose-win situation.
While it is the government's duty to the people to enable them to have employment, it should also extend the retirement age not only of civil servants but of everyone else while also providing meaningful employment for fresh graduates. If the Barisan Nasional government isn't up to the task of providing this, then perhaps another government will have to do it.
Ong Puay Liu: I am very happy to read KJ John's column and I would like to say that each time I read or play the tape of Martin Luther King Jr's speech ‘I have a dream’, I cannot help but reminisce how relevant King's words are for the Malaysian situation. I would like to add another few paragraphs of King's speech which John did not include in his article. These paragraphs, to me, sum up what I believe is the hope and aspiration of Malaysians of today. (Martin Luther King Jr's words in italics):
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
The Malaysian Dream: We have a dream that one day, in this nation called Malaysia, freedom and justice will be the hallmark of the Malaysian life and Malaysian state of affairs. We have a dream that one day in this nation called Malaysia, all her citizens will be recognised as Malaysians, rather than by their ethnicity or bumiputera/non-bumiputera status. We have a dream that one day in this nation called Malaysia, all children will not be judged by their ethnicity but by the content of their character. We have a dream today. We have a dream that one day, the Malaysian nation will be transformed into a situation where all Malaysian children – irrespective of ethnic origin – will be able to join hands and walk together as sisters and brothers.
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