Suara rakyat, suara keramat

It is time the Indians reclaim their dignity. It is time the Indians no longer allow themselves to be taken for granted. It is time the Indians realise that they need not succumb to threats and blackmail and that the Malays and Chinese will stand by them and defend them if they stand up for their rights.



Raja Petra Kamarudin

There is a very old joke that once made its rounds around the time the D.P. Vijendran sex videotapes first exploded onto the scene. The joke went as follows:

Samy Vellu, S. Subramanian and Vijendran decided to have a boys' night out, complete with women and everything thrown in. They checked into the presidential suit of a five-star hotel and after dinner each adjourned to one of the attached bedrooms with the women they had 'booked' for the night. After the fun and games, when the women had gone home, they sat down for a nightcap and compared notes.

“How was your woman?” Subramaniam asked Samy.

“Not very good lah. My wife is better......How was yours?”

“Mine also not that good,” replied Subramaniam. “My wife is also better......And what about yours Vije?”

“Mine also not that exciting. But you are both right, your wives are certainly much better.”

Of course, this is just one of the countless off-colour jokes about those who walk in the corridors of power, in particular involving the MIC. If we compiled all the jokes ever told about Malaysian politicians, we would be able to publish a book, maybe in many volumes.

There is another -- probably more sensitive though because it involves religion and Malaysians are not that tolerant of religious jokes -- about Indian Muslims, Christians and Hindus. The joke went as follows:

The Indian Muslims, Christians and Hindus were attending an 'interfaith' conference and during the tea-break they discussed how they raised funds for their various houses of worship.

“We collect a lot of money during the Friday congregation prayers,” said the Muslim imam, “plus we receive government funding. So we have enough money to maintain the mosque and finance our dakwah activities.”

“We do exactly the same,” said the Christian priest, “and of course this is done during Sunday mass but we do not get any government funding.”

“We are no different,” butted in the Batu Caves Temple committee chairman, “only that we throw the money into the air and whatever God wants He catches and what falls to the ground we hand over to MIC.”

Many a true word is said in jest and this could probably be why the Hindus boycotted the Batu Caves temple this recent Thaipusam. They no longer want MIC to get its hands on the millions that are collected every year. I was told that this year the Batu Caves temple collection dropped drastically compared to previous years.

Actually, the joke is rather unfair. In a sense God does get the money from the Batu Caves Temple collection. Only that this 'God' is named Samy Vellu.

But 'God' Samy Vellu is having a tough time nowadays. His disciples have turned murtad (apostates). The Indians have turned their backs on him. After 50 years, the Indians have awoken to the fact that Samy is not leading them to the 'promised land' after all as promised. All over Malaysia the Indians are up in arms. Samy, his family, and those perceived close to him, are heckled, pelted with slippers and eggs, roughed up, and many times the police had to be called lest the crowd send them home in a body bag.

Barisan Nasional is worried. In the past, Barisan Nasional used to only worry about the Malays and Chinese. The Malays and Chinese are so unpredictable. But there was no worry about the Indians though. In almost every general election and by-election, Barisan Nasional would, without a doubt, get 90% of the Indian votes. It is the Malay and Chinese voters that they have to watch.

The only 'good thing' about the Malays and Chinese is that they never both swing the same way. When one swings one way, the other swings the opposite direction. In the mid-1980s, the Chinese swung to DAP. DAP captured 24 Parliament seats in the mid-1980s general election. But the Malays swung to Barisan Nasional and PAS was practically massacred when it won just one Parliament seat against DAP's 24.

Then, slightly over a decade later, the Malays swung opposition and gave the Malay candidates from PAS and PKR 32 Parliament seats in the Malay heartland plus control of two state governments. They also gave the Malay opposition eight of the 15 Parliament seats in Kedah, more than half and mainly predominantly Malay-majority constituencies. DAP came in with only ten Parliament seats, and even then with the help of Malay voters. In some areas, PAS members were seen wearing DAP T-shirts while marching with DAP flags held high. It was very strange seeing Malay faces dressed in the colours of what many would call a 'Chinese chauvinist' party.

When the Malays swing one way, the Chinese swing the other. But since 90% of the Indians vote Barisan Nasional, and the Malays and Chinese never vote 'block' but vote against one another, this is not a major problem. It does not matter whether the Malays support the government and the Chinese oppose the government, or vice versa. Just make sure they do not unite and oppose the government together. Divide the Malays and Chinese so that if one swings away from you, you still have the other swinging your way. And the Indians can play the balancer, basically the 'king-maker' in this divide and rule strategy.

So the electoral boundaries were drawn up with this in mind. The constituencies must be designed in such a manner that if one race goes anti-government, the other would help balance it. And the Indians would deliver the crucial votes to tip the delicately balanced scales in favour of the ruling party. And that is how the Elections Commission's gerrymandering is done, and with that one purpose in mind. But today, senjata sudah makan tuan.

But heaven forbid that the Indians swing the other way. Heaven forbid that 90% of the Indian votes go to the opposition instead of to the ruling party as has been so for 50 years. And heaven forbid that the Malays and Chinese actually unite and vote the same way instead of swinging opposite to each other. This was what happened in 1969, and if it happens again in 2008, then Barisan Nasional will see its two-thirds majority in Parliament disappear, as it would in states such as Penang, Perak and Selangor, plus in the Federal Territory, while Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis might see opposition-led governments in the State Assembly.

Samy Vellu is now a liability. But Samy Vellu refuses to retire. He still wants his last hurrah. But that may not happen. Instead, this may prove to be his last tango. But the Indian anger must not be against just Samy Vellu. This was what happened in 1999 when the Malay anger was channelled to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. When Mahahir retired and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as Prime Minister, the voters swung back to Barisan Nasional and gave it the largest majority in Malaysian election history, 92% of the seats in Parliament. Even the mighty Mahathir could not achieve this in his 22 years at the helm of Barisan Naisonal.

Samy Vellu must be declared irrelevant. Whether Sany Vellu retires or continues must no longer be the issue. The Indians must be angry with Barisan Nasional, in particular MIC. The Indians must be made to realise that Samy Vellu is not the problem. The problem is the system and Malaysia's political structure. It does not matter who leads MIC. As long as MIC is part of Barisan Nasional, and all the other 13 coalition members serve Umno, then whoever leads MIC will not change anything.

I remember 20 years ago when the Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry met Samy Vellu at the height of the mid-1980s recession. I was then a central committee member and we lamented about the lack of contracts and how many Malay businessmen were facing bankruptcy. Samy Vellu replied that he is already doing as much as he could by dishing out contracts to Malay companies.

“I am not a Minister for the Indian community,” replied Samy Vellu. “I am a minister for the Malays. I look after the Malays more than I look after the Indians. It is the Malays who vote me into office. Without the Malay votes I would not be in power. So I care more for the Malays than the Indians. What more do you want me to do?”

Samy Vellu uttered this most surprising declaration 20 years ago in front of more than 1,000 Malay businessmen. Ahmad Sebi Abu Bakar, then the CEO of TV3, agreed with what Samy Vellu said.

“We put him in JKR so that he can privatise all the projects to Umno. If we put a Malay as a Minister it would be very sensitive. With an Indian as a Minister the non-Malays cannot say anything.”

Samy Vellu's usefulness to Umno was further demonstrated when he switched portfolios with Leo Moggie. As the new Minister of Tenaga, Telekom dan Pos, Samy Vellu corporatised TNB, Telekoms, Pos Malaysia, etc., and Umno, plus those who walk in the corridors of power, became beneficiaries of the shares and made billions. After there was nothing left to sell, Samy Vellu and Leo Moggie again switched portfolios where until today he remains as the Minister of Works.

Yes, Samy Vellu is there for only one purpose, to make Umno and those who walk in the corridors of power filthy rich. And he has done his job well. He has loyally served his Umno master to the hilt. In Samy Vellu's own words, he serves Umno, not the Indians. And 90% of the Indians gave his MIC and Barisan Nasional their votes every election for 11 general elections.

Sure, I used to look down on the Indians. I never tolerated any Indian 'nonsense'. I would never hesitate to call them 'Keling Pariah'. That was of course very mean of me and extremely racist. But I harboured this attitude not because they are Indians. I am no racist. My best friends in school were Rajadurai and Yim Seng, not Abdullah, Ahmad or Ali. And I hung around Brickfields and the railway quarters of Bangsar, mixing with Indians my entire secondary school years. In fact, that is where I met my wife, in Jalan Thambi Abdullah in Brickfields.

My reason for looking down on the Indians was because they are so stupid. They treat Samy Vellu like God. They give MIC 90% of their votes. And they do this while Samy Vellu laughs at them and tells us, the Malays, that he is a Minister for the Malays and not for the Indians and that his job is to serve Umno.

But that is now all in the past. Two nights ago I went 'home' to Jalan Thambi Abdullah to ceramah after abandoning my 'kampong' since 1974. It took me 34 years to return to Brickfields. But I am now 'home' and I intend to stay home. But if, again, 90% of the Indians of Brickfields give their votes to Barisan Nasional, then I will never again step foot in Brickfields for as long as I live, which may not be too many years left anyway.

I hope the Indians have now woken up. I hope the Indians have finally realised how MIC has sold them to Umno and played them for suckers. I now look at the Indians as my brothers and sisters and no longer as 'Keling Pariah' who allowed themselves to be cheated, yet still became the 'king-maker' by throwing their support behind Barisan Nasional.

It is time the Indians reclaim their dignity. It is time the Indians no longer allow themselves to be taken for granted. It is time the Indians realise that they need not succumb to threats and blackmail and that the Malays and Chinese will stand by them and defend them if they stand up for their rights. Make us proud of you. Show us Malays and Chinese that you are nobody's baruah. And, if you need help, just shout and we Malays and Chinese will be there by the thousands to ensure that no harm comes to you.

Live people's power, don't just shout it. Suara rakyat, suara keramat. Makkal Sakhti.

A chip off the old block

We were on a family outing once and my father pointed to a JKR lorry and asked whether I knew what 'JKR' means. “Jabatan Kerja Raya,” I replied. My mother went into shock when my father replied, “Jaga Konek Raja.”


Posted By: Raja Petra Kamarudin

My first lesson in life was probably when I was seven or eight years old. One day I came home from school with a 'new' eraser and my mother asked me where I got it from. She knew she had not bought it for me. I told my mother I found it in school and my mother went ballistic. “You stole it?” she screamed.

“I did not steal it, I found it,” I protested. “Someone had dropped it, I don't know who, so I picked it up.”

The next day my mother followed me to school and marched me to the headmistress' office. I was made to hand over the eraser and apologise to the headmistress. The headmistress lectured me and told me that the eraser must belong to someone. So the right thing to do was to hand it to the lost-and-found department so that an announcement could be made and the owner could come and claim it back.

I was so embarrassed that I never dared pick up anything again, never mind how worthless it may have been.

When I was about 11, I got into a fight with three Javanese boys. I was then in the Meru Road Primary School in Klang and that was certainly a Javanese-infested area; even till today I think. One of the boys called me “Raja Melayu celup” because I could not speak Malay properly. Well, I had just transferred there from the 'Mat Salleh' Alice Smith School so what would you expect?

I took a swing at the Javanese boy and landed one on his head. It was not that hard a punch really. I think I hurt my hand more than his head but this happened right in the classroom in full view of the rest of the class so he was not about to let me get away with it.

After school I discovered that someone had let the air out of my bicycle tires. I felt a tap of my shoulder and turned around in time to meet the clenched fist of the Javanese boy. The punch got me right in the face and I hit the ground in a total daze. I had never been punched before and the sensation was quite astonishing. It is actually true when they say you will see stars. I did.

I did not dare pick myself up from the ground until the Javanese boy and his two friends had all walked away. Then, with my face throbbing with pain, one eye puffed up, and my mouth swollen like I had been stung by a bee, I pushed my bicycle to town to pump up the tires again.

By the time I got home I was already almost an hour late and my mother was pacing the floor in anxiety. She was shocked to see my swollen face and I explained what had happened, which was why I was late home from school.

When my father came home from work I expected him to rush to my aid but, surprisingly, he took one look at my face and just said, “Hmph.” He did not follow me to school the following day to complain to the headmaster or to insist that action be taken against the three boys who had assaulted me. The message was quite clear: I was on my own. I got myself into it so I will have to get myself out of it.

From that day on I was very careful about getting into trouble. I knew my father would not help me get out of it so I had to make sure that whatever I did there would always be a back door or escape route in case I needed to beat a hasty retreat. That first 'let down' sort of taught me that I need to strategise and size up the situation. I must assess whether the battle I might be taking on is too big for me to handle. The cavalry is not going to come to my rescue if I screw up.

The lesson I learnt from this is: you are on your own. No one, not even your own father, is going to bail you out.

I was always in love with motorcycles but my father would not buy me one until I had a driving licence. Then he made a deal with me. If I pass my LCE exams with an 'A' he would buy me one. I was already on Murugesu's 'least likely to succeed' list so that was a challenge which I considered impossible to achieve. Anyway, I did get an 'A' and my father, though very surprised and quite suspicious as to how I did it, kept his promise and bought me my first motorcycle, a Yamaha 90cc, which I felt then could go as fast as a jet plane.

I was in form four when I first got into trouble with Murugesu. Those who went to VI in the 1960s would probably remember the headmaster we called 'Black Hitler'. It was quite racial really but then that nickname was given by my 'best friend' Rajadurai. So I suppose there was nothing wrong in calling him that if an Indian boy was the one who gave him that 'title'.

Just to digress a bit, Rajadurai became my best friend after I took 'six cuts' on his behalf. Someone had painted graffiti on the toilet wall and a stool pigeon said that 'Raja did it'. Murugesu thought I was the 'Raja' the informer meant and I was summoned to the headmaster's office. I told Murugesu that I did not do it and he demanded to know who did. It was either rap on Rajadurai or take the cuts myself. I was no stool pigeon so I took the six cuts. I was then given a tin of white paint and made to repaint the entire toilet. From thereon, to avoid any further confusion, we called Rajadurai 'Tengku' and I became 'Pete'. So no one was called 'Raja' any more.

And that was probably my next lesson in life: there is no justice in this world and never expect a fair trial.

One day, Murugesu caught me 'racing' in school and he literally ran after me with cane in hand. (He always walked around holding a cane so that he can swing at us whenever he saw us). Actually, I was not really racing. It is just that I only knew two speeds, full stop or full speed, and all I did was ride at my 'normal' speed.

Anyway, I hid in the toilet while Murugesu searched the whole school compound for me. He also asked the head prefect to lock my bike so that I could not escape. Unfortunately, Murugesu finally found me and he swung his cane on my backside with all his might. The impact was so great, like a golfer swinging his golf club, that the cane broke into two. Not satisfied with being able to give me only one 'cut' when he had intended to give me 'six of the best', he then slapped me on my left ear and I heard all sort of zinging sounds in my head. I wonder if that is why I am slightly deaf in my left ear -- or could it be because of too much disco music?

I was asked to report to the headmaster's office to collect the key to my locked bike. I knew that Murugesu had about a dozen or so canes decorating his room so I decided to give the 'invitation' a miss. I then took a bus home instead, much to my father's surprise who thought I had lost my bike or it had been stolen.

I was scared stiff but had no choice but to explain what had happened. He told me to get in the car and we drove back to school. My father marched to the headmaster's office with me in tow and gave Murugesu a piece of his mind. I must say I was surprised as I had expected him to take Murugesu's side.

“I bought my son that motorcycle so it belongs to me,” my father said indignantly. “That is my personal property and it is in my name so you have no right to lock it. Unlock it now or else I am going to sue you for abuse of power and authority and for illegally detaining someone's private property.”

Yes, I was wrong for exceeding the school speed limit. But the punishment I received far exceeded the gravity of the crime. Furthermore, it was unconstitutional for the school to detain my bike. The school rules do not allow for this. And it was not my bike actually but my father's bike since he had paid for it and it was in his name.

I was baffled at what I considered an overreaction by my father. I was, after all, guilty of a crime. It would be many years before I would understand my father's stand on the issue. Just because someone had committed a breach of discipline does not give you the right to do what you like to that person. Punish the criminal by all means but make sure the punishment is legal and befitting the crime. Two wrongs do not make a right and the ends can never justify the means. Furthermore, the constitution must be upheld and just because you are in authority does not give you the right to breach the constitution.

We were on a family outing once and my father pointed to a JKR lorry and asked whether I knew what 'JKR' means. “Jabatan Kerja Raya,” I replied. My mother went into shock when my father replied, “Jaga Konek Raja.”

“Hoosh!” my mother shouted and my father just laughed. “But it's true,” my father protested. “JKR will do anything the Sultan commands it to do so it is 'Jaga Konek Raja'.”

The whole conversation was beyond me as I was then still too young to understand 'politics'. Much later in life would I comprehend what the issue was. My father was opposed to what he considered an abuse of authority on the part of the Sultan. He did not like the idea of the rakyat having to pay for the new Istana Alam Shah in Klang, which was of course built by JKR. That was back in 1960 and I was then only ten years old. When the Sultan died just before the Istana could be completed my father uttered, “What did I tell you? You can't use the rakyat's money like that.” Invariably, the Sultan never got to live in his new palace and my father was convinced this was God's punishment for building the palace.

When I came of age when identity cards were compulsory, my mother took me to the IC office in Klang to apply for one. Being born in England meant I was a 'foreigner' so I was issued with a red IC instead of a blue one. A few months later I went to collect my IC and brought it home to show my father. He hit the roof when he saw it was a red IC. I was bundled into the car and we drove to the IC office. My father marched into the officer's room and threw the IC onto the tabled and demanded that they replace it with a blue one.

The poor officer was visibly shaken and tried his best to explain. “But Engku, your son was born in England and has a British birth certificate so he can't get a blue IC. He needs to get his citizenship papers first. Only then can he be issued a blue IC.”

But my father would hear nothing of it. “My son may have been born in England but that was in 1950 and in 1957 Malaya gained independence from Britain. I brought him back to Malaya in 1956, one year before Merdeka. It does not matter where you were born. When we became Merdeka, whoever chooses to remain in this country, even if they were born in another country, is an automatic citizen of this country. So issue him a blue IC and do it now.”

I got my blue IC. But when it was time for a new one to be issued at age 18, the IC office was at a loss as to how to issue me a blue one when I should have instead been given a red one. Anyway, they decided to 'close one eye' and just issue me a blue one without probing further how I got a blue one in the first place.

I always thought that my father had abused his authority by intimidating the IC office into issuing me a blue IC when I should have been given a red one. Later, of course, when I discovered the meaning of the word 'discrimination' and when I discovered that many Indians and Chinese were denied citizenship though they came to this country before Merdeka, I understood what made my father go ballistic. My father should have been a wakil rakyat. Probably then many Indians and Chinese born in this country before 31 August 1957 would not have had so much problems fighting for citizenship.

But my father did not like politics. He in fact despised politicians. And that was why he was amongst those few Malays from his 'batch', the first group of Malays to go to England immediately after the war, who did not choose politics as their career. All his contemporaries like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Dr Ismail, Tun Ghazali Shafie, Khir Johari, and many more went into politics.

Towards the end, however, my father did show some interest in politics. That was about four years or so before he died and when Parti Gerakan was launched. After shunning politics his entire life, my father suddenly became so excited and spoke at length about the new party of intellectuals which was non-race based and which was about to take the country by storm. It is sad that Gerakan eventually got reduced to just another Chinese party and ended up nowhere near the 'Malaysian' party like my father had hoped. I think that was the first time my father actually came out to vote, though I can't be too sure, but he proudly declared that he voted for Gerakan, the first true-Malaysian party. My father never once spoke about the earlier elections but would go on and on about the 1969 elections -- so I assume that was the first time he voted.

My father died when I was about 22 but he lived long enough to leave an impression on me. Of course I am not perfect; nobody is. Some say I am quite eccentric (gila babi or taufung). But my values are what I have been brought up to believe in. Sure, I am opinionated. I am also very abrasive at times. But once I believe in something I will fight tooth and nail to defend it. And I am what I am because I have been brought up to become so. Nothing can change that.

Zul Rafique and Azim Zabidi, PLEASE go to hell!

Let's demonstrate Malaysian Solidarity

This election may end up the dirtiest ever in Malaysian history. But let us the rakyat show the powers-that-be that we shall no longer tolerate the rigging of our elections and the denial of our fundamental right to free and fair elections. We refuse, any longer, to be robbed of our right to determine the government that will rule over us

Posted: Raja Petra Kamarudin

At 3.00pm tomorrow -- Friday, 22 February 2008 -- BERSIH is organising a rally at Batu Burok in Kuala Terengganu. This rally is even more important than before considering the Twelfth General Elections is now upon us and many incidences of fraud have been detected all over the country.

Malaysians love screaming about satu bangsa, solidarity, and all such slogans. Well, let's not confine ourselves to just screaming empty rhetoric. Let's really show solidarity in the spirit of satu bangsa in support of those who are putting life and limb on the line in Kuala Terengganu tomorrow for the sake of a better Malaysia.

Wear yellow tomorrow. Make tomorrow a YELLOW FRIDAY. And at 3.00pm tomorrow, come out from your homes and offices wearing yellow, stand on the street, and make your presence felt. Or you can get into your car, switch your headlights on, and drive around the block while honking your horn. Whatever it may be, just show solidarity tomorrow, in particular at 3.00pm.

Of course, if you can make it to Kuala Terengganu at 3.00pm tomorrow that would be even better. If not, then show your support from afar by just wearing yellow and at 3.00pm do something as a mark of support.

At 11.00am the following day -- Saturday, 23 February 2008 -- we shall be launching the PEOPLES' DECLARATION at the Blog House in Bukit Damansara in Kuala Lumpur. The six political parties who have endorsed the declaration will be invited to attend together with civil society movements, NGOs, and members of the blogging community. Those interested to witness this event are most welcome (address: no: 66, Lorong Setiabistari 2).

Lunch will be served and we have prepared seats for 100 people. If the crowd exceeds that we may have a problem but I am sure you are not coming for the food but to see the birth of a united opposition and a better Malaysia for our children (and as for me, grandchildren).

On Wednesday, 27 February 2008, Blog House will be organising a MEET THE CANDIDATES session. The time has not yet been confirmed but considering it is a working day it would probably be at 8.00pm. This election will see the most number of bloggers contesting, so Blog House would like to introduce all those from the blogging community who will be contesting the election.

Of course, there are 505 State seats and 222 Parliament seats (total 727 seats) up for grabs but Blog House is only focusing on the candidates from the blogging community, which may prove to be quite a number in the end. Never mind if they are Barisan Nasional candidates or opposition candidates. All will be invited and all are welcome. So, if you want to meet the candidates who are also bloggers then stay tuned for further announcements and keep your Wednesday night free.

Then, on Saturday, 1 March 2008 (1 week before Polling Day), we shall be organising a MEET BARISAN RAYKAT function. The time and place have not been confirmed yet. In this function we shall give the members of BARISAN RAKYAT an opportunity to talk to the people and explain their policies and strategies in the event the opposition coalition forms the government, whether at Federal level or in one, two or three of the States. There will also be a question-and answer session for participants to ask the members of BARISAN RAKYAT anything that may be of concern to them. Stay tuned for more details.

Many incidences of fraud have already been detected all over the country and this election may yet prove to be one of the dirtiest ever. A team of lawyers is being set up to gather evidence of fraud/vote-buying and to file an injunction to stop the 8 March 2008 general election. There is still one more year before an election needs to be called so the election should be postponed until the electoral roll can be cleaned up and the phantom voters flushed out. If not, the opposition can garner 60% of the votes but Barisan Nasional will still form the government, and probably with a two-thirds majority as well.

The team of lawyers is offering a reward of RM10,000 to anyone who can deliver evidence of fraud and/or vote-buying that leads to a conviction. I would do it for free but if some of you are more concerned with filling your pockets rather than fight for a better Malaysia -- just like the Barisan Nasional politicians we are trying to kick out -- then this is the opportunity for you to make some money.

If the coming general election cannot be stopped and it still goes on as planned, the team of lawyers will then use all the evidence of fraud and or/vote buying to file election petitions immediately after the election to get the courts to declare that particular seat where the evidence has been procured as null and void.

So, keep your eyes open. Gather as much evidence as your can. Documents will be good but if you saw something but have no documents to support it then your testimony in a signed Statutory Declaration or Affidavit will do. We shall inform you later where to send your evidence or who to meet to get your Affidavits drafted and signed.

Yes, this election may end up the dirtiest ever in Malaysian history. But let us the rakyat show the powers-that-be that we shall no longer tolerate the rigging of our elections and the denial of our fundamental right to free and fair elections. We refuse, any longer, to be robbed of our right to determine the government that will rule over us.

While we go to the polls, they rip us off in our sleep

Practically the whole country is focused on the coming general election due to be held on 8 March 2008. But while we look the other way, distracted by the intense election campaigning, some parties are quietly about to make RM4 billion from a property development that involves a piece of land belonging to the rakyat.


Posted: Raja Petra Kamarudin

Practically the whole country is focused on the coming general election due to be held on 8 March 2008. But while we look the other way, distracted by the intense election campaigning, some parties are quietly about to make RM4 billion from a property development that involves a piece of land belonging to the rakyat. And rakyat here means 26 million Malaysians, 11 million or so who are registered voters. Sadly though, only 8 million who will come out to vote this election while the other 3 million will just stay home to watch television.

But it will not be 26 million Malaysians who will profit from this development. It will be handful of people who walk in the corridors of power. And these handful of people are the man with two Muhammad's in his name who would like to be Malaysia's future Deputy Prime Minister, Anuar Zaini who runs the Malaysian government's propaganda machinery also known as Bernama, and the cronies to the powers-that-be.

In June last year, it was reported that a company owned by Hong Leong's Quek Leng Chan will be taking over the land which the Universiti Malaysia sits and will turn into a new township. The university would then be relocated to Sepang.

There was a big hue and cry and the government flatly denied such a thing was in the cards.

Everything went quiet for awhile. Part of the objection to this proposal was because of the 'sacred' status and sentimental value of Malaysia's first university. But what was even more of an objection was the fact that a Chinese company was going to become the beneficiary to a very valuable piece of government asset.

To quell the outrage, the government quickly denied such a thing was being planned. But the denial was a lie and merely meant to quieten things down for awhile so that alternative plans could be put into place.

Realising that the university land was a 'goldmine', other parties jumped in and last week they announced that the university would sell off 27.5 acres of its under-utilised land for a price of RM312 million or for a value of RM200 million plus a share of the developer's profit, whichever is higher. However, what was not revealed was that the Selangor State Government, which is supposed to be a joint-venture partner, would get only 10% of the deal while 90% will go to Muhammad son of Muhammad and Anuar Zaini. The state government company is merely a front to give an impression that this is a government deal and to avoid any more controversy while in actual fact certain individuals are going to profit from the entire arrangement.

Yes, while Malaysians sleep, while Malaysians get distracted by the 8 March 2008 general election, those connected to those who walk in the corridors of power are going to make billions while the government will get pittance in return. Is this not one more of so many reasons to cut Barisan Nasional down to size by denying it its 92% hegemony in Parliament?

It is time Malaysians demonstrate outrage and shout loudly, “NO MORE!” And this demonstration must come in the form of no longer allowing Barisan Nasional a landslide victory in the coming general election and by denying it its 92% hegemony in Parliament.

*********************

Shock over township plan for UM campus

Malaysiakini, 13 June 2007

Former academician Dr Syed Husin Ali has expressed shock over news that Universiti Malaya (UM) will relocate its campus from Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, to a large swath of undeveloped land in Sepang Selangor. “I was shocked and a great number of the UM Alumni have expressed consternation on hearing that there is a plan to relocate UM to Sepang,” said Syed Husin in a statement today

The move is reportedly part of a property developer’s proposal to turn the 300ha campus into a commercial and residential township to complement its RM1.2 billion Damansara City project. According to Business Times yesterday, GuocoLand Bhd - a property developer controlled by billionaire banker Quek Leng Chan - has made a bid for the university grounds. Citing sources, the newspaper said the company intends to develop a commercial and residential township on the area, which has an estimated gross development value of RM10 billion. If the proposal is approved, the university will be relocated to the developer’s 4,860ha land bank in Sepang.

Syed Husin said: “Apparently, the plan aims to kill two birds with one stone, one, to maximise profits from the development of the present university site and, two, the sale of these bungalows and villas to university staff, which it would otherwise face great difficulty to dispose of. Presumably, it hopes to sell these to the university staff, if it succeeds in relocating UM.”

He noted that there is “little or no concern” over the impact of the move. “The intended relocation will certainly (disrupt) the lives of thousands of academic and non-academic staff of the university and their families,” said Syed Husin, a former lecturer at the university and now deputy president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The campus was established in 1959, after the university was set up as an autonomous entity following its separation from the University of Malaya, Singapore. Although there were lobbies to site the campus near Johore Bahru and elsewhere, the location remained even after Universiti Malaya was officially founded in 1962.

“The UM has developed into an institution with a strong historical and academic tradition. It has served higher education well and contributed considerably towards the process of nation building. A large number of its graduates have been and are important political and administrative leaders of the country,” said Syed Husin. “Universiti Malaya and Lembah Pantai are one, the same and inseparable. There should be no attempt to separate them, especially if entirely for commercial purposes that will enrich only a handful few who are already extremely rich.”

GuocoLand's share price gained 87.3 percent six days prior to yesterday to RM3.26. Registered in Singapore, the property developer recently announced plans to invest US$5.4 billion in China. Meanwhile, UM vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim has denied receiving a proposal from Quocoland to develop Lembah Pantai, according to Sin Chew Daily today. The daily also reported Higher Education Minister Mustapha Mohamed as saying there would not be development in the area, describing the university grounds as having significant historical and cultural value.

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UM land more important than money

Dr Hsu Dar Ren, Malaysikini, 21 June 2007

I refer to the malaysiakini report Shock over township plan for UM campus. According to the report, a prominent developer has made a bid for the Universiti Malaya’s campus ground. The university authority has denied it and expressed shock over the report. I suspect even they may not even be privy to the proposal.

The piece of campus land situated in Lembah Pantai is indeed very valuable, and I tend to believe that there may have been a proposal to shift the university and develop the land, bearing in mind that there is no smoke without fire.

I am not a Universiti Malaya graduate but that is not important because I believe that it is the duty of every single Malaysian to defend the heritage of the country, and one such legacy is the Universiti Malaya campus. Businessmen, politicians, civil servants and indeed everyone of us must understand that there is something more valuable than just money. A heritage ground is one of these priceless inheritances.

No amount of money can be equated with a heritage ground. Money earned can easily be spent, but a heritage will remain forever as a symbol of a nation and it is what nationhood is about. Imagine a proposal to shift the Buckingham Palace in London. Even though it is situated within the one-square-mile golden city centre, the British will defend this building till the end of their nationhood. Imagine a proposal to shift Harvard University from its present campus in Cambridge, US. I think the whole of America will be in an uproar because the American heritage and the pride of the nation will be challenged.

There is a Chinese saying meaning ‘A gentleman loves money but you must earn it in the proper way’. Developers and businessmen, let me appeal to you - there is something more important in life than just making profit. Leave Universiti Malaya alone.

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UM seeks approval to develop under-utilised land

Bernama, 19 February 2008

Universiti Malaya (UM) said today it has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Higher Education to develop under-utilised land of 27.5 acres (11 ha) out of 900 acres (360 ha) of its main campus land. The successful completion of the development project is expected to provide UM with a minimum income of RM312 million or the land value of RM200 million plus a share of the developer's profit, whichever is higher, UM said.

It said in a statement that the Vice Chancellor, Datuk Rafiah Salim, on behalf of the university's Board of Directors (UMBD) and the university, sought the approval of the Minister on Jan 25 for the development project. The project, under a private-sector initiative, will be undertaken by a consortium by the name PPC-MINT-GLOMAC.

PPC-MINT-GLOMAC, a result of a merger of two companies, was recommended by Colliers International Property Consultants Sdn Bhd, which the university had appointed for an independent assessment. The two companies were from the three shortlisted by Colliers International to make presentations to UM Holdings Sdn Bhd Board of Directors (UMHBD) on Sept 27, 2007.

Initially, eight developers were invited to submit proposals for the development but only five submitted proposals. Colliers International was appointed by UM Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of UM that was incorporated in line with the government's plan for public universities to be financially independent.

UMBD has appointed Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Annuar Zaini to the board of UM Holdings and to chair with the aim to fulfil the corporate aspirations of the university. UMHBD also comprises Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr Augustine Ong, Annuar Mohamad, Azhar Harun and Professor Dr Muhammad Zakaria.

Among the roles of UM Holdings is to plan, identify, explore, conserve, develop and enhance the university's assets. The university disclosed that UM Holdings had received many proposals for various types of development and projects. Several parcels of land were identified, and the 11 ha of land on Lot 10476 were chosen.

The university said the PPC-MINT-GLOMAC consortium, which made a presentation to UMBD on Oct 9, 2007, drew attention to the presence of the proposed University of Malaya Alumni Association (PAUM) clubhouse and the PALAPES (Reserve Officer Training Unit) camp on the land to be developed.

"This will affect the Master Plan of development of the consortium in relation to the land. UMBD acknowledged the concern of the consortium and recognised the need for UM to obtain optimum benefit to all in regard to the development of the land. With this in mind, UMBD recognised that both the PALAPES camp and PAUM's clubhouse need to be relocated to sites to be identified by UM," it said.

It also said that on 13 December 2007, UMBD said that subject to agreement by PAUM, the site for the building of PAUM's clubhouse and the PALAPES camp will be relocated to sites identified by UM.

"UM gives the assurance that this development will be transparent and all processes and procedures will be observed, and decisions made will be based on independent professional advice. Evaluations and recommendations are made by UM Holdings and UMBD but the final approval rests with the Government," it added.