Najib: The truth will prevail

PEKAN: Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday pledged he would carry out his responsibilities as an Umno member, elected representative and deputy prime minister to the letter, irrespective of the challenges that come his way.

He said he would not let challenges, including slander, keep him from his responsibilities.

"My wife and I will face these challenges.

"The truth will prevail," he said at the joint opening of the meetings of the 139 branches of the Pekan Umno division yesterday.

Najib also said that he would not shy away from helping anyone who sought his help.

"I will continue to receive people at my home to help them in whatever way that I can, including signing a letter of assistance and giving allocations."

He called on party members and leaders of the division to continue helping the people and strengthen the party.

He also told them not to just seek positions in the upcoming party elections.

"The struggle does not end with you gaining positions, but what you do with that position."

Party members, Najib said, should not be satisfied with whatever they achieved, but must continue to help the people.

Party members must accept the way the political pendulum swung, Najib added.



At an earlier function, he described P. Balasubramaniam's initial statutory declaration which linked him with Altantuya Shaariibuu as a "political ploy".

Najib acknowledged the allegations could have a negative impact on him, but said he had to face the fallout from the statutory declaration.

"I have to accept the fact that politics in the country has become dirty. "

Najib added there were people willing to do anything to achieve their aims.

He said he would not seek an injunction to prevent issues relating to the statutory declaration.

"I will not hide behind an injunction.

"All this was done not to find out the truth, but to influence public opinion against our leaders.

"That is why I had to reply to it (initially) in a political manner."

Private investigator Balasubramaniam had, in a statutory declaration on Tuesday and announced in a press conference two days later, stated Najib had introduced murdered Mongolian Altantuya to Abdul Razak Baginda.

He claimed that Najib had told Abdul Razak that he (Najib) was in a sexual relationship with Altantuya and that she was to be "looked after" so that she did not harass him now that he was the deputy prime minister.

Balasubramaniam, who was employed by Abdul Razak at the time of Altantuya's death, had, alleged that Abdul Razak had told him that Najib had sent him (Abdul Razak) a text message saying the deputy prime minister would meet with the inspector-general of police to resolve the matter.

However, the day after the press conference, which was called by Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Balasubramaniam called another session with the media where copies of another statutory declaration retracting the previous one were distributed.

In the second declaration, Balasubramaniam claimed he had been under duress when he had made the first declaration.

Najib, who said he did not know why Balasubramaniam had revoked the original declaration, added that he would not take any legal action against him.

"Even before I could think of the next step, he has withdrawn it.

"I leave it to the authorities to take action," he said.

Najib also said that he was disappointed that an opposition leader was involved in the press conference involving the first statutory declaration.

"This is something which should not have arisen as it involves three people facing serious charges in the courts.

"Why is there a need to involve a political aspect?

"This not a question of politics. This is about the law which we have to respect."

He said laws, regulations and legal institutions should be respected.

"Whether they are government or opposition leaders, all should follow the laws."

Najib said although defamation had always been around in the form of poison pen letters, these days it was more widespread through information and communication technology.

He said the government had the option of imposing censorship instead of leaving it to the people to evaluate.

However, he said, this would lead to the belief that the government was not democratic nor open.

"Therefore, it is better for the people to be left to decide on the various issues."

On whether the issue would affect the Umno branch meetings and elections to begin this month, he said: "Umno members understand what is happening.

"They can evaluate. Umno members have become smarter."

Crowds swelling at Kelana Jaya stadium

PETALING JAYA: Thousands of protestors, led by several NGOs and Pakatan Rakyat leaders, have thronged the Kelana Jaya stadium here to protest against the fuel hike.

Many of them were wearing red shirts, emblazoned with the word "protest" to voice their dissent.

Despite the huge crowd, there has been no heavy police presence.

Only policemen in a few patrol cars have been seen monitoring the area.

The rally has a carnival like atmosphere with traders doing brisk business selling food and drinks, T-shirts and souvenirs.

Since Sunday morning, several PKR and Hindraf leaders rallied the crowd with speeches and shouts of Reformasi! and Minyak turun!.

Crowd had been increasing since 10am.

Among those expected to speak later are PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat , vice president Mohamad Sabu, Nik Aziz, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar rallies support against sodomy claims

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim reacted strongly to sodomy accusations Tuesday, filing a complaint against the police chief and the attorney general and planning a public rally.
Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who spent six years in prison on sodomy and corruption charges before a historic return to politics in elections in March, said the new allegations are designed to usurp his political gains. The complaint he filed Tuesday is about the charges leveled against him 10 years ago.


Anwar said the evidence used in that case was fabricated. At the time, the current police chief was the investigating officer in the case. The attorney general was the then prosecutor.

"Do you expect me to have full trust in the Inspector General of Police ... who has been involved for 10 years in the personal vendetta and battle against me? Who is fearing for his own position?" Anwar told CNN. His supporters are also expected to hold a public rally Tuesday night, because Anwar said he did not "trust the system."

"So what do we do now? We go to the people," he told CNN. "I believe Malaysians are sick and fed up of these desperate maneuvers by the government."

Anwar was the heir apparent to former premier Mahatir Mohamad until 1998, when he was sacked and convicted of corruption and of sodomizing his driver.

He spent six years in jail until the nation's highest court overturned the sex conviction. But the corruption verdict was never lifted and it barred him from running for office.

Then came the national elections in March. Anwar helmed a loose coalition of opposition parties that won control of five of the country's 13 states. The coalition also won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats -- making it only the second time in the southeast Asian country's history that the ruling party failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution.

Anwar, 60, is now eligible to run for parliament. And he has claimed that he has the numbers to form a new government with the help of lawmakers who want to defect from the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) coalition of current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Anwar said the latest allegations are meant to sideline him again. Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by 20 years in prison in the Muslim-majority country.

"We are almost there with the crossover of support, with the huge uncertainties politically within the (ruling) party," he said. "So this is the last attempt to frustrate and derail the process." Prime Minister Abdullah told reporters he leaving it up to the police to determine the authenticity of the accusations.

"It is the police who should take appropriate action," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama. "What Anwar has said is not for us to decide. He will surely deny... The accused will normally deny the allegation."

Anwar has filed a suit against the 23-year-old male aide who is accusing him of sodomy. The aide said the incident occurred in a luxury apartment on June 26. Anwar also took refuge briefly in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur because he said he feared being assassinated.

The government denies the claims.

"Anwar's life has never been in danger," Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters Monday. "We have never taken any action that can endanger his life or his family. Why should we do that?"

Nevertheless, Anwar said he leaving little to chance.

ACA interrogated me for three hours: Dr Mahathir

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he has been interrogated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for three hours in relation to the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the V K Lingam video clip.

"I am sure I will be questioned in court also because of a possibility that I was lobbied on the appointment of judges," he said in his blog www.chedet.com yesterday.

Dr Mahathir's special officer Sufi Yusoff, in an SMS reply to Bernama, said the ACA had interviewed Dr Mahathir on June 25 relating to the Lingam video clip investigation.

Dr Mahathir referred to the issue of the commission in his comments on his relationship with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which among others claimed that Anwar's interest in the proper appointment of judges was actually "to seek revenge against me".

"Now, the Royal Commission has named me as one of those to be investigated although I had nothing to do with Lingam and his activities," he said.

Dr Mahathir said he only came to know Lingam because he was successful in some litigation cases and decided to engage him as his lawyer in the case brought by Anwar.

"But the Royal Commission concluded that if it is possible that I was involved then I must be involved. It is almost like saying if it is possible I had murdered a person then I must have murdered the person. Proof beyond reasonable doubt is not necessary here," he said.

He said he was aware of efforts to find out if he had committed offences during his 22 years as prime minister.

"So far they haven't found anything. But now they have found an indirect way of getting at me," he said and added that he was not seeking sympathy from anyone.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry, in its report, had said that there was sufficient cause to invoke the Prevention of Corruption Act 1961, the Sedition Act 1961, the Legal Profession Act 1976, the Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Penal Code against Dr Mahathir, lawyer V K Lingam, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan and former chief justices Tun Mohd Eusoff Chin and Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

Dr Mahathir was the only one who had not filed for a judicial review following the report, saying he was prepared to go to court.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set July 16 to hear the preliminary objection to the applications for a judicial review by the five others.

Meanwhile, on May 16, the Cabinet ordered Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to immediately direct agencies to investigate allegations levelled at the six of them.

— Bernama

And the winner is………..

Yes, this looks bad for Najib, as well as for Anwar. And it certainly looks like Najib is behind the second SD as well as the sodomy allegation against Anwar -- while Anwar, in turn, is seen as behind the first SD that links Najib to Altantuya.

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I said in an earlier article in this same column that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should be out of office by Christmas. And his successor, I predicted, could either be Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, aspirant Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, or opposition head honcho Anwar Ibrahim. I have also always said that seven days is a long time in politics. What more seven months. And the fact that political fortunes change, subject to both internal as well as external factors beyond your control, means that the situation is always very fluid indeed.

Soon after the 12th General Election of 8 March 2008, the pressure mounted, not only for Abdullah to resign, but also for him to confirm his exit plan with details such as his resignation date and the name of his successor. The pressure, in fact, started in mid-2006 when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad first launched his salvo against Abdullah at a dialogue session in Kelab Century Paradise jointly-organised by Malaysia Today and a couple of NGOs. For almost two years Mahathir continued his attacks on Abdullah, interrupted in between by a couple of heart attacks and a heart operation.

Abdullah was up against two fronts -- internally from the Najib and Tengku Razaleigh forces and externally from Pakatan Rakyat led by Anwar Ibrahim. Of course, Pakatan Rakyat did not really pose that much a threat until after the general election when it managed to grab five states and 82 Parliament seats -- which resulted, for the first time, in Barisan Nasional losing its two-thirds majority in Parliament. It did happen once before, of course. But, then, it was the Alliance Party of Umno, MCA and MIC that lost its two-thirds majority -- but they managed to regain their majority when Barisan Nasional was formed and all the opposition parties except DAP joined the new coalition (although PAS left the coalition almost three years later and has remained in the opposition ever since).

There is another internal force, a fifth column, which is headed by Muhyiddin Yassin. But Muhyiddin has been very cautious in not openly siding with any of the three factions of Abdullah, Najib and Tengku Razaleigh. He is very cleverly building up his support base, which can later swing to any of the three factions depending on who has the best chance of winning. In that sense, Muhyiddin can play the role of kingmaker if he so wishes and in the event he feels he can never make it on his own unless he joins forces with Abdullah, Najib or Tengku Razaleigh.

Muhyiddin is no direct threat. He will only become a threat if he manages to build up enough support and then throws this support behind one of the three contenders. And that contender will most certainly be the candidate who has the best chance of winning. But then, who is it the contender that has the best chance of winning? That is something that is very fluid and keeps changing week to week.

By mid-June 2008, it appeared like Najib and Anwar were the two hot favourites. When Najib visited the Umno divisions, the grass-root members cheered him and ‘proclaimed’ him the new Umno President cum Prime Minister. This even happened in Abdullah’s own division. And Muhyiddin, who was there by his side, was cheered as the new Umno Deputy President -- although he feigned ‘shyness’ in typical Malay fashion. It looked like Najib was set to become the new Umno President with Muhyiddin as his running mate, which means they will be Malaysia’s new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister respectively.

But then this will only happen if Anwar does not pull a coup. Anwar had boldly proclaimed many times that he will form the new federal government by Malaysia Day, 16 September 2008, and that at least 30 Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament are waiting in the wings and ready to cross over. The race was on. Either Najib pushes Abdullah out before 16 September or else he will be pushing Abdullah out just to become the opposition leader in Parliament and not the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

It was now either Najib or Anwar. And there was also Tengku Razaleigh and Muhyiddin to contend with, though not as potent as Najib and Anwar. Tengku Razaleigh and Muhyiddin are not too serious a problem, though problems nevertheless. It was Najib and Anwar who have to be dealt with, and dealt with before the Umno branch elections start this month and the division elections in August.

Suddenly, Najib and Anwar are facing controversy -- Najib with his Altantuya murder controversy and Anwar in a new sodomy allegation. Now Najib and Anwar have their hands full. They are busy clearing their names and have no time to worry about taking over the Prime Ministership. The issue is no longer which of the two can become the next Prime Minister but whether they can even stay out of jail. That is a more pressing problem. The job of Prime Minister will have to wait.

Saiful, the man who alleged that Anwar had sodomised him met Najib just before he lodged that police report against Anwar. At first Najib denied meeting the young man. Then, later, he admits that he did meet the chap after all, but only to discuss the young man’s career and future and to help him obtain a scholarship.

The earlier denial followed by the later admission does not augur well for Najib. The fact that a very busy Deputy Prime Minister has all the time in the world to meet a school dropout so that he can act as the latter’s career guidance counsellor is also a story many find hard to buy. Events and statements point to the fact that Najib is behind this latest sodomy allegation against Anwar.

That, at least, is what we are being led to believe. But what we have not been told is that Saiful was trained by the BTN (Biro Tata Negara), Malaysia’s propaganda outfit and an outfit headed by Abdullah loyalists. We are told that Saiful first surfaced a week or so before the 8 March 2008 general election when he reported to PKR’s party HQ as an election volunteer. Where did he come from and who brought him into the party HQ?

Yes, that is the most crucial question. Saiful did not just turn up on the doorstep of the party HQ from nowhere. He was brought in by his very close friend, the son of the late Dato Nasaruddin Jalil and an Anwar aide. That’s right. According to Dato Nasaruddin’s wife, her son and Saiful are bosom buddies. Then, something strange happened. Dato Nasaruddin’s son was mysteriously killed by a hit-and-run driver. No one knows how it happened or who killed him. But, after that most tragic ‘accident’, Saiful stayed on to become one of the temporary staff of the party.

Was Dato Nasaruddin’s son’s death an accident? Is there something more sinister than just an unsolved hit-and-run accident? I suppose we shall never know the answer to that one and it may forever remain in the books as an accident or a victim of a hit-and-run. But what we do know is that the young man whom Dato Nasaruddin’s son brought into the party got elevated from a volunteer to a temporary staff of the party.

The Muftis of Perlis and Perak have suggested that Anwar come out and swear an oath that he is innocent of the allegation of sodomising Saiful. That would be the only way he can clear his name. It is not known yet if he will do that but, if he does not, then the dark cloud hanging over his head will remain there. There would be no other way that Anwar can clear his name.

Anwar also has to explain what he was doing at that upmarket condo. Yes, I too have clandestine meetings with my many Deep Throats at secret locations such as hotel rooms and apartments. But then I always bring along witnesses to ensure that I have an alibi in the event someone spots me and accuse me of having secret rendezvous for purposes of sex.

But Anwar’s case is more complex. I was told they have photographs of Anwar and Saiful going into one of the rooms of the One World hotel escorted by another man. If these photographs surface and Anwar cannot explain what is going on, then he may cease to be a threat to Abdullah. Abdullah then has only to take care of Najib.

The Statutory Declaration (SD) by the private investigator, Bala, has hurt Najib a lot. But the retraction or second SD the following day, which deletes all references to Najib, is even more damaging than the first one. If anyone had any doubts and thought that maybe Bala was fixing Najib up with his first SD, the second SD removed those doubts. Now, people are even more convinced that Najib is guilty. If not then why amend the first SD but only as far as Najib’s name is concerned whereas all the other allegations remain the same?

Bala’s first SD was not done in a hurry. It took numerous meetings over two months to finalise the SD. Bala had plenty of time to change his mind over those two months. And how can you say that you signed the SD under duress when it was done over many meetings over two months?

But the second SD was done only a few hours after the first one surfaced. And it was done after his visit to the police station. That gives an appearance of duress. And the fact he does not say that the entire SD is false but only as far as Najib’s name is concerned gives an impression that Najib is behind the second SD and that it was done to clear his name. Why would Najib go to all this trouble if he were innocent?

I met Bala on 2 July 2008 and was with him for about six hours from 6.30pm. He was jovial and chatty and joked that my SD two weeks earlier had stolen the thunder from his. Now, his has become the second SD instead of the first as he had hoped. After the press conference of 3 July 2008 we had lunch and he was still as jovial and chatty as the night before. He was now the superstar and he was relishing every minute of it. We agreed to meet on Saturday night (tonight) to party and celebrate the ‘success’ of his SD. Then, yesterday, the bombshell.

Yes, this looks bad for Najib, as well as for Anwar. And it certainly looks like Najib is behind the second SD as well as the sodomy allegation against Anwar -- while Anwar, in turn, is seen as behind the first SD that links Najib to Altantuya. In one swoop, both Najib and Anwar are brought down. And this means Abdullah has now rid himself of two serious problems. And with these two serious threats neutralised Abdullah can now take care of the lesser threats of Tengku Razaleigh and Muhyiddin.

I might not like Abdullah but I must certainly admire his skills. He looks stupid, he talks stupid, he acts stupid, but a man who can make you think he is stupid is actually cleverer than you.

Yes, it looks like Abdullah will still be Umno President and Prime Minister of Malaysia come Christmas. I would not have said this three weeks ago but today I say this with confidence. And while Najib and Anwar finish each other off, Abdullah is giggling in the background and choosing the Christmas tree that he will erect in Putrajaya come December.

Well done, Pak Lah. Brilliant moves. Now let’s see how Najib and Anwar extricate themselves from the mess they are currently in.

The Oil-for-Food scandal revisited

One of the names that cropped up in the final report of the Independent Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme was the Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil - RM1.8 billion.

Malaysia Today

On Sunday, the BBC reported as follows:

The Iraqi government has said it will file lawsuits in US courts against firms and people suspected of illegally profiting from a UN programme. The UN oil-for-food programme allowed Saddam Hussein's government to sell oil in order to buy humanitarian supplies during UN sanctions from 1996-2003. An inquiry found that 2,200 firms paid $1.8bn in bribes to Iraqi officials.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that the legal action was to recover damages and hold those who benefited from the illegal activity accountable for their actions. "The oil-for-food programme was subject to huge financial scandals by companies and others [who] conspired with Saddam Hussein to embezzle large sums of money through kickbacks, inflated prices and the supply of shoddy goods," he said.

A UN-commissioned inquiry headed by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker found that 2,200 companies in 66 countries had paid kickbacks to Iraqi officials to win supply contracts under the $60bn (£30bn) programme. The Iraqi statement did not name the firms or people the legal action will target nor when and in which courts the suits will be filed.

Two years ago, this was what the BBC said:

More than 2,000 firms linked to the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq were involved in making illicit payments to the Iraqi government, a report says. It found Saddam Hussein received $1.8bn (£1bn) from firms including Daimler Chrysler and Volvo, and it also named individuals said to have benefited.

More than half of the 4,500 companies - from 60 countries - involved in the oil-for-food programme paid kickbacks or surcharges to the Iraqi government, Mr Volcker reported. The single largest bribe came from a Malaysian trading company, Mastek, which paid Iraq $10bn over a prolonged period, the report found.

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PM & The Oil for Food Scandal
The Oil-for-Food Programme was established to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, medicine and other vital supplies. It did not take long however for the Iraqi government to abuse the programme by demanding kickbacks from companies. Several investigations were launched and voluminous reports written.

One of the names that cropped up in the final report of the Independent Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme was the Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Studying Chapter Two of the report, Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil under Phase IX of the programme (circa 2000 and above). This amounted to a figure of US$500 million or RM1.8 billion.

The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The Prime Minister publicly denied any involvement in the scandal. He only recommended several people to participate in the Oil-for-Food Programme in his capacity as (then) Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysiakini was threatened by government officials for reporting on Abdullah Badawi's involvement.

The current Foreign Minister Syed Hamid issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister had nothing to gain from obtaining oil in Iraq. The Iraq Survey Group that prepared the report concluded that a person in the programme could profit by US$0.65 per barrel of oil obtained.

Returning to Mastek Sdn Bhd, it is listed as a saw timber company. Mastek Sdn Bhd was at that time a dormant company which was revived by three persons, namely:

Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law)
Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband)
Jaya Sudhir (businessman)
After it's revival it became a crude oil company, participating in Phase VII to Phase IX of the Oil-for-Food Programme. Currently Mastek Sdn Bhd is listed as a computer software develpoment company.

Prior to Phase IX, Mastek Sdn Bhd received roughly 7.5 million barrels of oil. During Phase IX however, Mastek Sdn Bhd's oil allocation rose to 39.5 million barrels. This coincided with the time when Abdullah Badawi cemented his position as the Deputy Prime Minister, after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, this was the single largest allocation of oil during the entire Oil-for-Food Programme.

The report specifically stated that Iraqi officials gave such a large allocation to Faek Ahmad because of his relationship to Abdullah Badawi. In written documents, Iraqi officials referred to Faek Ahmad as "Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef/for the benefit of Abdullah". According to the definition of corruption as defined by the Anti-Corruption Agency, translated as below:

“Any officer of the civil service using his/her position or post in the service to obtain bribes/benefits regarding any decision made by the person or making a decision regarding any matter, in which he/her, his/her family members, friends or partners have a stake in the matter, whether direct or indirect.”

Abdullah Badawi's role in the scandal skirts dangerously close to the definition of corruption. Besides Mastek Sdn Bhd, another Malaysian company implicated in the report is Tradeyear Sdn Bhd. Listed as it's non-contractual beneficiaries are Faek Ahmad as well as a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi".

Tradeyear Sdn Bhd was allocated 9.2 million barrels of oil, after paying surcharges (aka bribes) of US$116,000. 9.2 million barrels of oil translates to a profit of US$6 million. Looks like a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi" is laughing all the way to the bank.

A simple search of the report turns out another two Malaysian companies that implicated in kickbacks, Jawala Corp Sdn Bhd of Dato Majid Khan (US$1 million) and Petma Oil of Dato Paduka L.M.N Affendi (US$110,000). To it's credit, Petronas was charged with surcharges but refused to pay.

As far back as June 2006, Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) had raised the issue in Parliament. Now it is May 2007 and no action has been taken against the companies mentioned nor has any satisfactory explanation been given. It's no wonder that Parliament leaks. The report can be found here. (By Goldenhub)

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In September 2006, Malaysia Today published this piece by Matthias Chang:

THE FATHER OF ALL SCAMS
CORRUPTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Mastek Sdn Bhd: Owned By Noor Asiah Mahmood Supported By Pak Lah Made Obscene Commissions & Gave Kickbacks At The Expense Of Iraqis Suffering Under 12 Brutal Years of Sanctions

An Entire Family In The Cesspool of Corruption

Scomi
ECM Libra
UN Oil-for-Food Programme

The Dirty Little Secret Of Pak Lah: “Mr Clean”

Reading the headlines in the New Straits Times and the spin churned out by Pak Lah’s spin doctors, we were led to believe that Pak Lah personifies integrity and honesty.

But is Pak Lah really “clean?”

Pak Lah did launch a campaign against corruption and some patsies, politicians and businessmen who were no longer useful in his agenda were put on show trials, orchestrated to project his “Teflon” image.

Only just recently, Mr. Clean called on Muslim countries “to step up efforts to fight corruption.” He was quoted as saying that, “the current condition that Muslim countries find themselves in is deeply alarming and distressing. I am saddened when we consider Islam’s glorious legacy of culturally and scientifically advanced civilisations, all built on solid foundation of ethics and moral values.”

Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Pak Lah has a façade of Cleanliness but hides a rotten core!

What do you make of a person who preaches ethics and morality to fellow Muslims but in practice commits the most blatant corrupt practices?

This is a US$800 million question.

This is the scam committed by a Malaysian company supported by our Mr. Clean, Pak Lah in the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme.

An international correspondent described it well when he said that:

“It was meant to be the “Mother of all Humanitarian Programs”, but has turned out to be the Father of all Scams!”

And a Malaysian company was right in the middle of this cesspool.

This is the DIRTY SECRET of Pak Lah!

READ ON.

Let me explain the Dark Side of Mr. Clean.

There are two reports on the Iraq Oil for Food scandal, namely:

1) Charles Duelfer - Comprehensive Report of the Special Adviser to the Director of the Central Intelligence on Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction, September 30, 2004 (the “Duelfer Report” in short); and

2) Paul A. Volcker – Independent Enquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-for Food Programme (Manipulation of the Oil-for-Food Programme by the Iraqi Regime) October 27, 2005 (the “Volcker Report” in short).

Both reports have named Pak Lah’s connection to the Oil-for-Food Programme via Malaysian companies.

The relevant companies are:

1) Mastek Sdn Bhd (50717-A)

Shareholders: Obata-Ambak Holdings Sdn Bhd - 379,200 shares Noor Asiah Binti Mahmood - 100,800 shares (Sister-in-Law of Pak Lah)

2) Tradeyear Sdn Bhd (361316-K)

Shareholders: Tradeyear Ltd - 2 shares

The Volcker Report specifically named Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a “Non-Contractual Beneficiary.”

The Report defines such a beneficiary as “The name of the individuals and entities other than the named contracting party that were named in the Ministry of Oil records as the intended beneficiary of the oil allocation. In some instances, the named beneficiary is an official of the contracting party.”

The Volcker Report indicated that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had written a letter to Taha Yassin Ramadan on November 13, 2000 recommending a delegation headed by Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef and Noor Asiah Mahmood (the sister-in-law of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) for the purposes of obtaining oil allocation.

The question that needs to be asked of Pak Lah is – “Why did you make those recommendations when the two companies referred to above were merely acting as middleman?”

Petronas, our the national oil company was already involved legitimately in the Oil-for-Food programme, and as the Volcker Report showed clearly that when the Saddam Government demanded kickbacks, Petronas refused to give kickbacks!

In the Volcker Report, it is clearly stated that a kickback of US$10,916,241 were demanded of Mastek Sdn Bhd, of which US$9,803,960 were paid, leaving a balance of US$1,112,281 unpaid.

In the case of Tradeyear Sdn Bhd, the sum of US$116,870 of kickback was demanded and the amount was paid in full.

The amount of moneys involved in the transactions was staggering. We can only imagine the amount of commissions earned by Mastek Sdn Bhd, owned by Noor Asiah Mahmod, the sister-in-law of Pak Lah.

While Petronas took up only 13,276,782 barrels of oil valued at US$264,111,195 from an allocation of 14,100,000 barrels, the above two stated companies in comparison took the following:

Mastek Sdn Bhd: Allocated: 45,000,000 barrels of oil
Took : 43,614,685 barrels of oil
Value : US$884,919,027

Tradeyear Sdn Bhd: Allocated : 9,200,000 barrels of oil
Took : 9,094,996
Value : US$171,771,487

When we add the two values, the amount earned exceeds US$1 billion!!

From interviews conducted with one Mr. Jaya Sudir (August 19, 2005) the Volcker Report states that Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef had leveraged his connection with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. A review of Iraqi documents confirms that Iraqi officials associated Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef with Mr. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as references to Mr. Shareef’s oil allocation in SOMO (State Oil Marketing Organisation) documents appear in some instances as “Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef/for the benefit of Abdullah.”

In the case of Mastek Sdn Bhd, Pak Lah’s sister-in-law was directly involved in the payment of kickbacks. Pak Lah who was then the Deputy Prime Minister had admitted writing the letter of recommendation in support of the company’s application of oil allocation under the Oil-for-Food programme. There is therefore a “conflict of interest” when Pak Lah as the Deputy Prime Minister made the said recommendation.

Additionally, while serving as Deputy Prime Minister and without the knowledge of the then Prime Minister and or the Cabinet, Pak Lah placed himself in a situation whereby his personal as well as the government’s integrity have been brought into question.

What Action Must Be Taken?

In a similar situation that obtained in India, where the then foreign minister, Mr Natwar Singh was alleged to have benefited from the Oil-for-Food programme, the said minister was removed from the highest decision making body of the ruling party (the Indian Congress Party). Mr. Natwar Singh subsequently resigned from the government, notwithstanding his protests of innocence. The scandal was also alleged to have implicated Mr. Natwar Singh’s son.

It is inconceivable that Pak Lah having called upon all Muslim countries to fight corruption should be allowed to continue with his charade and to remain in office as the Prime Minister of Malaysia and President of Umno.

Pak Lah by any measure is tainted by the corrupt practice of his sister-in-law, Ms Noor Asiah Mahmood who has admitted making kickbacks in the Volcker Report.

When the scandal first broke out, Pak Lah pretended not to know anything about it. Pak Lah did not inform the government and the Malaysian people that his sister-in-law was a key figure in the scandal. It was only after the publication of the Volcker and Duelfer Reports, that he “claimed” that he was not involved in the scandal. In such scandals, it is often difficult to establish the money trail.

But what is important is that Pak Lah is tainted by his recommendation of his sister-in-law for the oil allocation and the kickbacks.

If it was not right for Pak Lah to approve the ECM Libra-Avenue merger because of a conflict of interest, as his son-in-law was the beneficiary, likewise it is not right for Pak Lah when he was the Deputy Prime Minister, to recommend his sister-in-law. They made obscene profits at the expense of fellow Muslims who were suffering from 12 years of brutal economic sanctions! 500,000 children died as a result of the sanctions. This is Blood Money!

We demand a Judicial Inquiry into this sordid affair!

Pak Lah must resign as President of Umno and Prime Minister of Malaysia!

Pakatan Rakyat is losing the plot

The latest controversy involving Yahya Shahri, added to the MIA Port Kelang State Assemblyman, does not augur well for PKR. PKR already has to run twice as fast just to stay in pace with PAS and DAP. Falling behind PAS and DAP certainly does not help PKR one bit.

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Selangor MB’s suspended aide quits

(The Malaysian Insider) – Last night, Yahya Shahri, the suspended special officer to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, resigned in a huff. Yahya told an impromptu gathering of supporters in Shah Alam that he quit with immediate effect from the MB’s office as well as Selangor secretary of Parti Keadilan Rakyat in reaction to his two-month suspension announced a day earlier.

His reputation is under a cloud following the action taken by the menteri besar to facilitate investigations into alleged corrupt practices by the Anti-Corruption Agency. Khalid said Yahya had been informed of the action through short messaging service in order “spare the officer the shock when the (suspension) letter is delivered".

Obviously, Yahya is unhappy with his suspension, declaring that he had lost confidence in the menteri besar. He also called for Khalid to step down as the PKR boss for Selangor and wants party advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over. He told Malaysiakini that he would be meeting Anwar this afternoon after speaking to and conveying his quit decision to PKR president and Anwar’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yesterday.

Khalid had told reporters the decision to suspend Yahya was made following allegations of improper conduct. Yahya was said to have issued recommendations for four companies to obtain contracts from local authorities in Selangor. The Selangor MB explained that he had to maintain transparency and integrity in agreement with PKR’s partners in Pakatan Rakyat – PAS and DAP.

"We are sincere. We want to do it right. If the officer is not guilty, he will be called back to work. We will take appropriate action if the officer is found guilty," he added. He had instructed his political secretary to obtain more information from PKR members who made the allegations.

Yahya's supporters had gathered in protest against the suspension at Khalid's official Shah Alam residence yesterday but left after a short while, proceeding to Yahya's house also in Shah Alam.

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

There appears to be a lot of grumblings and unhappiness in the way PKR is managing things. This is a far departure from the way PAS is running Perak or DAP, Penang, which has received mostly praises. From Day One, many sceptics have expressed reservations about PKR and Tan Sri Khalid. They point out to the fact that PKR has inherited ‘Umno culture’ while Khalid, ‘a product of Umno cronyism’, has a lot of ‘baggage’ to his name.

Of course, there are many ex-Umno personalities in PKR, Anwar Ibrahim included. But PKR is not all ex-Umno, I would argue in reply to the critics. And Khalid may be a product of Umno cronyism during his corporate days. But we must not judge him by his Umno past. We have to look at his present track record to come to a conclusion as to whether he has shed his ‘evil ways’ or whether the old habits are still very strongly entrenched in the way he does things.

While no one appears to have any misgivings about the PAS or DAP Chief Minister/Menteri Besar or State EXCO Members, the jury is out on the PKR crowd. People would rather treat the PKR personalities with suspicion until they prove themselves otherwise. In other words, they are assumed guilty until proven innocent. And this is most unfortunate indeed because there are many PKR Members of Parliament, State Assemblymen and office bearers who are not only NOT ex-Umno but are sincerely doing a good job, if not comparable, better than the PAS and DAP people -- in particular the women of PKR who not only work hard but have gone through a lot of sacrifices in pursuit of their ideals.

But is there not a Malay proverb that goes: one buffalo brings mud and the entire herd gets muddy? So all it needs is one muddy buffalo to muddy the entire herd. And this is the dilemma facing PKR. And the actions of people such as the PKR State Assemblyman for Port Kelang only adds fuel to the fire and make things worse.

This particular PKR State Assemblyman from Port Kelang is MIA (missing in action). He has of course been seen all over the place but it is mostly when he is frolicking with the Umno people, eating and drinking at various expensive restaurants. While the DAP Member of Parliament for Port Kelang, Charles Santiago, and the DAP State Assemblyman for Pandamaran (also under the Port Kelang Parliamentary constituency), Ronnie Liu, work their butts off, the PKR State Assemblyman for Port Kelang parties with Umno people all night long.

Yes, one PKR buffalo from Port Kelang muddies the entire PKR herd of buffaloes. Never mind that the other 30 PKR Selangor buffaloes are clean and are doing a great job. It is what this one delinquent buffalo does that gets noticed, not what the other 30 good buffaloes do that matters.

And this is what PKR must guard against. As it stands now, public opinion is not in PKR’s favour. It has to work doubly-hard and stay doubly-clean compared to PAS and DAP. In spite of that, people will still look at PKR with suspicion in their eyes and reservations in their hearts. And one muddy buffalo is all it needs for people to say, “Ah, I told you, the PKR people are all crooks!”

The latest controversy involving Yahya Shahri, added to the MIA Port Kelang State Assemblyman, does not augur well for PKR. PKR already has to run twice as fast just to stay in pace with PAS and DAP. Falling behind PAS and DAP certainly does not help PKR one bit.

And why has the Port Kelang State Assemblyman not been taken to task? And why must Yahya resign in protest and instigate his supporters to demonstrate? Yahya should have welcomed the move to suspend him for two months until his name is cleared. This will give an impression that he is not taking things personally and has nothing to hide and that he only has the interest of the party’s image at heart. Now it appears like he only cares about himself and not about the party, like a true ex-Umno person.

Khalid, too, appears to be running around in circles. He makes snap announcements in a popularity exercise and then retracts them later when he discovers that it can’t be done after all due to legislation limitations or contractual obligations. This only strengthens the perception that PKR has absolutely no experience in running governments and that their policies are not thought through carefully before the announcements are made. Are a bunch of amateurs in charge of the Selangor government? We would like to believe not, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that this is not so.

PAS is also compounding the problem. They forget that they are just a member of the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, and are not the federal government or the absolute government in the states, in particular Selangor. What’s with this protest against the ‘sexy’ singers? If aurat is such a big issue, then they should also protest against the football match. The 22 footballers will be wearing shorts, which means that their aurat is uncovered. Why protest against two female singers who reveal too much flesh but ignore the 22 male footballers who also reveal too much?

It appears like these PAS people are discriminating against women. If women reveal too much flesh, then PAS gets all excited. But men are allowed to violate the Islamic rule by revealing too much flesh. That is not a problem. Should not rules apply to everyone, men as well as women? Why are only women targeted for reprisals whereas men get away with whatever they want to do?

Two days ago, a policeman at Putra Heights raped an underage girl. The girl was not sexily dressed. She was not even a criminal but a mere pillion rider. But she was detained and taken to the police station and raped. Why has PAS kept silent on this matter? Where is that massive demonstration to protest police officers raping underage girls? Is fighting with the Sultan of Selangor over whether female singers not dressed like Arabian Bedouins should be permitted to sing in public more important than an underage girl being raped by a policeman?

And all this talk about Islamising the country is frightening the voters. Pakatan Rakyat did not come into office because of just PAS members’ votes. Many non-PAS members -- Malays, Chinese and Indians included -- voted for Pakatan Rakyat. But they did not vote in favour of an Islamic State. They voted in favour of seeing a strong opposition and possibly a two-party system finally emerging in Malaysia after 51 years of Umno domination.

Yes, the voters voted in favour of Pakatan Rakyat, not in favour of PAS. PAS just happens to be a member of Pakatan Rakyat, that’s all. So PAS must do things with the interest of Pakatan Rakyat at heart, not in the interest of its own party. Is this something so hard to understand? Five years is not that long. See what happened in 2004 compared to 1999. 2012/2013 may see a reversal of the 2008 success, just like 2004 was the reversal of 1999, if PAS and PKR are not careful. And thus far PAS and PKR have not offered the voters any reason to vote them back into office come the next election.

Malaysia’s two systems of justice

Last month, Umno Johor said that the greatest mistake they made was in giving the non-Malay immigrants citizenship in August 1957. Now that they have been given citizenship they show their ingratitude by voting for the opposition.


Raja Petra Kamarudin

Verse 13, chapter Al-Hujurat of the Quran, can be translated to read: "O Mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is he who has most righteous (taqwa) among of you. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."

With this verse from the Quran, Islam declares equality for all mankind. Islam respects a human for being a human and not for any other reason. Islam does not distinguish between the different races, different groups of people, or different ‘colours’.

The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) addressed the people signifying that concept during his last pilgrimage, saying: "O People! Your God is one; your father is one; no preference of an Arab neither over non-Arab nor of a non-Arab over an Arab or red over black or black over red except for the most righteous. Verily the most honoured of you is the most righteous."

This is to assert that, in Islam, no nation (community) is created above other nations and therefore no nation can be placed above another. Man's worth in the eyes of men and in the eyes of God is determined by his skills, by the good he does, and by his obedience to God.

In another tradition, the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, was asked, "Who among men is most favoured by God?”

The Prophet replied, "A man who does the most good to people."

Excerpts of a speech by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, N.C.

ABIM is upset that I have used coarse or abrasive language when whacking them. They don’t mind being whacked as long as I do it politely. Okay, let us humour them then. If they like it gentle then let us give it to them gently. After all, not everyone likes their sex wild so I suppose that goes for how they get whacked as well, in and out of bed.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that 90% of the tax is paid by the non-Malays, in particular the Chinese. Tun Dr Mahathir cried during one Umno general assembly because, he said, he had failed to change the attitude and mentality of the Malays. When asked, after he had retired on 1 November 2003, what was his greatest regret; Tun Dr Mahathir replied that his greatest regret is not being able to change the Malays in the 22 years that he was Prime Minister of Malaysia. Tun Dr Mahathir once lamented: why can’t the Malays be more like the Chinese?

Yes, I know, many Malaysia Today readers hate Tun Dr Mahathir. Nevertheless, as much as you may hate the Tun, we should not overlook the good things he has done or said even though you may hold the opinion that he did more bad than good. After all, the British were colonialists and there can be nothing good about colonialism. However, when the British left, they left behind a good education, administrative and legal system.

Unfortunately, after we took over the running of this country, we Malayans messed the entire thing up beyond recognition. Notwithstanding all that, we still need to recognise the good the British did amongst all that bad, as much as we may dislike the British. Imagine if the Portuguese, Dutch or Spanish had been our masters until 31 August 1957. Malaysia, today, would be an absolute mess and we would not need Umno to mess the county up any further.

Okay, back to the issue of the day: whacking ABIM, Umno and the Malays-Muslims as gentle as I can. Read what Imam Mohamed Baianonie said. The message is clear. And it is the message of the Quran and of the Prophet Muhammad. Do I really need to explain things further or is what Imam Mohamed Baianonie said self-explanatory enough?

What is Islam? Is Islam just about rituals? What would rituals be without akidah? And what is the foundation of Islam? The foundation of Islam is justice. Islam is all about justice and nothing but justice. Without justice there would be no Islam. Muslims talk about the syariah and about the hudud legal system. Is not the syariah and hudud about justice? Are Muslims not taught that they must subscribe to the syariah and hudud because these are God’s laws and God deals with justice?

You just can’t separate justice from Islam. Without justice there would be no Islam. Islam would not exist without justice. Islam, with mere rituals minus the justice, would not be Islam. Saddam Hussein performed the rituals of Islam. But Saddam was not just. So Saddam was ousted and hanged by the neck until he died because he just performed the rituals of Islam minus the justice that Islam makes mandatory. Justice, justice, justice. That is what Islam decrees. And a ‘good’ Muslim who performs the rituals of Islam but is not just is put to death. That is Islam and that is how Islam dispenses justice.

ABIM says we should not whack the Muslims. And since, by law, Malays are Muslims then we should not whack the Malays as well. But is it okay for Malays to whack the non-Malays and non-Muslims?

What if the non-Muslims were to say they do not recognise Islam or the Quran because Islam and the Quran have been distorted over the last 1,400 years? What if the non-Muslims were to say that Islam and the Quran have been changed and are no longer the original Islam and Quran that Prophet Muhammad introduced 1,400 years ago? If the non-Muslims say this then they would be committing a crime under the Sedition Act. The non-Muslims would face punishment because they are not sensitive to the feelings of the Muslims.

But Muslims are permitted to say they do not recognise Christianity and the Bible because Christianity and the Bible have changed and have been distorted over the last 2,000 years and are no longer the original Christianity and Bible which Jesus introduced 2,000 years ago. Muslims can openly say this in the Friday prayer sermons and it is not seditious, even if this is not sensitive to the feelings of the Christians.

And why can Muslims say this but Christians can’t? Because Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and Christianity is ‘tolerated’ as long as it stays out of the way of Islam.

Sure, there are certain beliefs in Islam and certain beliefs in Christianity and both are entitled to their own beliefs. But while Muslims can openly express their beliefs, Christians may not. And Christians may not because Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. And Muslims say that Islam is a tolerant religion and that Islam believes in justice.

Muslims do not understand the meaning of the word justice. Justice, to the Muslims, is only what is good for the Muslims. And what is not good for the Muslims is unjust. And justice to the non-Muslims does not matter. Being unjust to the non-Muslims is not being unjust. This is because non-Muslims do not have equal rights to Muslims. Non-Muslims are immigrants and immigrants are second-class citizens.

Last month, Umno Johor said that the greatest mistake they made was in giving the non-Malay immigrants citizenship in August 1957. Now that they have been given citizenship they show their ingratitude by voting for the opposition. Yes, non-Malays, even those born in Malaysia, are immigrants. And, being immigrants, they must vote Barisan Nasional. And if they do not vote for Barisan Nasional then they are ungrateful.

Yes, voting is your right. This is your right according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. Malays can vote for whomsoever they would like to vote for because the Constitution allows them to do so. Malays, therefore, can vote for the opposition. But, if you are non-Malay, then you must vote for Barisan Nasional because you are an immigrant. If you vote for the opposition then you are a traitor, you are ungrateful, and it was a great mistake giving you citizenship in 1957.

Tun Dr Mahathir’s father was born in India. But Tun Dr Mahathir can vote opposition. He can even oppose Umno like he is doing so now. In fact, he can even become the Prime Minister. He is not an ungrateful immigrant who should be sent back to India. Tian Chua, however, can’t oppose Umno. Tian Chua, whose family settled in Malaya long before the Portuguese came in 1511, is an immigrant. And if he is not happy and if he opposes Umno then he should go back to China. And Umno Johor regrets giving Tian Chua citizenship in 1957 but does not regret giving Tun Dr Mahathir citizenship.

Why? Because Tun Dr Mahathir is Muslim while Tian Chua is not. But if Tian Chua circumcises and takes on the Muslim name of Musa Bin Susah and marries a Malay woman, then he need not go back to China and Umno does not regret giving him citizenship in 1957.

The Malays have a very warped view of justice. Malays practice two standards of justice. There is one standard for the Malays and another for the non-Malays. And 90% of the tax is paid by the non-Malays and 10% by the Malays, says Tun Dr Mahathir. But 10% of the scholarships must go to the non-Malays and 90% to the Malays. And when they propose to change this to 40% for the non-Malays and 60% for the Malays, the Malays raise a hue and cry. And they call this justice. And they say Islam is about justice.

If this is an example of Islamic justice then I just shudder to think what would happen if Muslims start becoming unjust.

Bullshit Islam from bullshit Muslims

Umno and ABIM are enemies of the community. Umno and ABIM are enemies of Islam. Umno and ABIM serve the party and their own race. Umno and ABIM are not true Muslims. Umno and ABIM are bullshit Muslims. Umno and ABIM are practicing bullshit Islam.


Raja Petra Kamarudin

“Umno's interests come first, says Najib,” reported the New Straits Times today. The New Straits Times then went on to report Najib as saying, “We should always consider the party's interests above all else.”

Another New Straits Times report about the Pakatan Rakyat government offering Umno State Assemblymen positions in the Penang State Government, which of course they turned down, goes as follows:

The Pakatan Rakyat state government has again offered posts in several state committees to five Umno assemblymen. The assemblymen, who had turned down similar offers before, received offer letters from the state government last week.

They are Sungai Acheh assemblyman Datuk Mahmud Zakaria, Datuk Ariff Shah Omar Shah (Seberang Jaya), Muhammad Farid Saad (Pulau Betong), Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (Penaga) and Shabudin Yahaya (Permatang Berangan).

Azhar, the state opposition chief, said he received a letter offering him a place in the state Price Control Committee. The state Umno secretary said he was also asked to attend the committee's inaugural meeting.

"I will not accept their offer no matter what. It is against my principles. The truth is they are not sincere. All this is politically motivated."

Azhar said he had expected other Umno assemblymen to receive similar offers. "They can make us the offer as many times as they want but we will not accept them. We will continue to remain loyal to the party," he said.

And this is what Bernama reported today:

The Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) has called on the government to clarify the necessity for the Public Service Department (PSD) to increase the ratio of scholarships for non-Bumiputeras from 10 percent to 45 percent.

Abim secretary-general, Khairul Arifin Mohd Munir, said in view that the education quota issue was closely related to provisions in the federal constitution like Articles 153(2) and 153(3) it was therefore necessary that Malaysians be given an explanation for the move.

Sura Al-Fatiha is the first chapter of the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an. Its seven verses are a prayer for God's guidance and stress the lordship and mercy of God. This chapter has a special role in the Muslims' daily prayers (Salat), being recited at the start of each unit of prayer, or rak'ah.

Verse five of this sura says: You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.

There is also a verse that goes as follows: innasalati, wanusuki, wamahyaya, wamamati, Lillahi Rabbil Alamin. This means all my actions and deeds (salat or prayers included), my life and my death, are only for the God of the entire world.

Najib, however, says that Umno’s interest should be above all other interests. So Najib is not a true Muslim.

And the Umno State Assemblymen say they only serve the party. So these Umno State Assemblymen are also not true Muslims.

Meanwhile, the Islamic youth movement, ABIM, is upset that the government is not upholding racial discrimination. So the ABIM people too are not true Muslims.

Yes, that’s right; don’t get too impressed and awed by any Arab look-alike, Bin Ladin wannabe. They may dress like Muslims from the Arabian desert. They may talk like Muslims. They may sujud (prostrate) on the ground with their backsides pointing to the sky five times a day. They may go to Mekah twice a year whereas others go only once in their entire life. Their wives and daughters may be ‘properly’ covered with a tudung or headscarf. They may even let loose from their lips a few Arabic words from time to time. But they are not true Muslims. They are munafik and fasik Muslims.

True Muslims practice amar maaruf, nahi munkar. True Muslims treat fardu ‘ain as one aspect of Islam and fardu kifayah as an even more important aspect. This means you uphold good and oppose evil. This also means you serve your community in the name of God while sacrificing your own interest (plus, in particular, party interests) for the good of the community. This means you uphold the teachings of Prophet Muhammad by opposing racism and the Umnoputera ‘caste system’ that exists in Malaysia.

But Umno and ABIM do the opposite to all this. They serve the party and uphold racism. They don’t care about the community. Party interests come first even if the community suffers. They oppose and violate everything that Islam stands for. They are munafik and fasik. Remember these two words: munafik and fasik. That is what Umno and ABIM are. Yet the pretend they are true Muslims. Bullshit! This is bullshit Islam practiced by bullshit Muslims. What they uphold and practice is everything that Islam opposes.

Uphold good and oppose evil: says Islam. Do not discriminate: says Islam. Race does not count: says Islam. Serve only God and your community: says Islam. But Umno and ABIM do the opposite of this. Umno and ABIM violate what Islam stipulates. Umno and ABIM are enemies of the community. Umno and ABIM are enemies of Islam. Umno and ABIM serve the party and their own race. Umno and ABIM are not true Muslims. Umno and ABIM are bullshit Muslims. Umno and ABIM are practicing bullshit Islam. True Islam practiced by true Muslims prohibits the serving of any other than the community and God. True Islam practiced by true Muslims prohibits racism and discrimination.

How ironical. The kafir (infidel) Chinese from Barisan Nasional are prepared to work with Pakatan Rakyat for the good of the people. These kafirs that Muslims say are all going to go to hell think of the people. On the other hand, the Muslims from Barisan Nasional sabotage Pakatan Rakyat even if the people have to suffer. These Muslims that Muslims say will be guaranteed heaven do not care about the people. How ironical that the kafirs practice amar maaruf, nahi munkar, and fardu kifayah, whereas Muslims violate these Islamic requirements. How ironical that the kafirs are better Muslims than Muslims. How ironical indeed.

Oh, by the way, I challenge any of the State Muftis to dispute what I wrote and declare me ‘sesat’ or misguided. I will take on any Mufti worth his salt. Speak now or forever hold your tongue.

Separating the Malay from Islam

According to Islam, God has given man this right of equality as a birthright. Therefore no man should be discriminated against on the ground of the colour of his skin, his place of birth, the race or the nation in which he was born.

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There is an ongoing debate about Malays having lost their political power in the 8 March 2008 general election, about Malay states falling into the hands of non-Malays, and about if this continues then Malays will lose their preferential status and special rights and privileges -- which will probably also see the end of the New Economic Policy. Some (Umno-types) have accused those of us (Malays) in Pakatan Rakyat of being traitors to our Malay race and of not loving the Malays enough.

Malays are automatically Muslims, according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, and Muslims are prohibited from leaving Islam and converting to other religions. By law, Malays become Muslims, whether they like it or not, and once a Muslim always a Muslim.

But that is not the issue here. Let us not argue about whether it is fair to ‘constitutionalise’ Malays and ‘trap’ them in Islam for the rest of their lives. This is for the Malays to sort out if they are not happy about it. And just as Malays do not ‘teach’ Christians what it means to be a Christian, neither should others do the same to the Malays. What we want to discuss here is, since Malays are Muslims, can we separate being a Malay from being a Muslim? Certainly not! Since Malays are automatically Muslims, then Malays should be more Muslim than Malay because Islam overrides race. In short, you are Muslim first and Malay second. That is the Islamic way. Therefore Malays should not talk about ‘Malay interest’ but about what is required to become a Muslim, as required by Islam.

Umno is Malay. Therefore, according to the Constitution, Umno is Muslim. And since Umno is Muslim then it is forbidden to talk about the Malay race or uphold the ‘struggle’ of racism. Islam is clear about this and there is no ambiguity in the matter. To do otherwise is haram, as haram as all the other forbidden things in Islam -- be it pork, liquor, gambling, usury, extra-marital sex or whatever.

This is what http://www.islamicity.com/ has to say about Islam:

What is Islam?

Islam is not a new religion but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events that have come to be associated with their faith.

How does Islam guarantee human rights?

Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself: 'There is no compulsion in religion'. (Quran; 2:256)

The life and property of all citizens are considered sacred whether a person is Muslim or not.

Racism is incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Quran speaks of human equality in the following terms:

O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honoured of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All Aware (Quran; 49:13)

(from: http://www.islamicity.com/ )

Equality of Human Beings

Islam not only recognises absolute equality between men, irrespective of any distinction of colour, race or nationality, but also makes it an important and significant principle, a reality. The Almighty God has laid down in the Holy Quran: "O mankind, we have created you from a male and female." In other words all human beings are brothers to one another. They all are the descendants from one father and one mother. "And we set you up as nations and tribes so that you may be able to recognise each other" (Quran; 49:13).

This means that the division of human beings into nations, races, groups and tribes is for the sake of distinction, so that people of one race or tribe may meet and be acquainted with the people belonging to another race or tribe and cooperate with one another. This division of the human race is neither meant for one nation to take pride in its superiority over others nor is it meant for one nation to treat another with contempt or disgrace, or regard them as a mean and degraded race and usurp their rights. "Indeed, the noblest among you before God are the most heedful of you" (Quran; 49:13).

In other words, the superiority of one man over another is only on the basis of God-consciousness, purity of character and high morals, and not on the basis of colour, race, language or nationality, and even this superiority based on piety and pure conduct does not justify that such people should play lord or assume airs of superiority over other human beings. Assuming airs of superiority is in itself a reprehensible vice which no God-fearing and pious man can ever dream of perpetrating. Nor does the righteous have more privileged rights over others, because this runs counter to human equality, which has been laid down in the beginning of this verse as a general principle. From the moral point of view, goodness and virtue is in all cases better than vice and evil.

This has been exemplified by the Prophet in one of his sayings thus: "No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Nor does a white man have any superiority over a black man, or the black man any superiority over the white man. You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay" (al-Bayhaqi and al-Bazzaz).

In this manner, Islam established equality for the entire human race and struck at the very root of all distinctions based on colour, race, language or nationality. According to Islam, God has given man this right of equality as a birthright. Therefore no man should be discriminated against on the ground of the colour of his skin, his place of birth, the race or the nation in which he was born.

(from: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/ )

“Thank You ALL” for your Donation And Support

Dear Supporters,Readers and Members of Malaysia Today,

On behalf of Malaysia Today, I would like to thank each one of you who donated and who could not donate due to various reasons . Each one of yours support in various forms was the demonstration of the peoples will and the trust on RPK. Your commitment to helping raise the money which exceeded the purpose requirement is sincerely appreciated.

I don't know how to describe your support so far, but I could only quote what Robert F Kennedy said

“ Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or act to improve lot of others,or strike out against injustice,he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. Those ripples built a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance “

Each one of you stood up in one form or other and are still standing....

Thanks again for your generous support for RPK and the success of Malaysia Today.



Money matters

updates 09.09am 7th May 2008 - Total Donation after we call off the campaign

From CIMB bank account : RM24,500.00

From Paypal account : $4,330.10 USD

Also please Note that we have CALLED OFF this donation drive as we already collected enough fund to bail out our dearest YM RPK and that was the purpose of this donation drive.

We will publish the details of the amounts collected and spend with proper records very soon.

As the donation still keep coming in even after we deleted the account number from MT,makes it tough to close the account .



Excess Money

We are receiving few different suggestions from many of you in terms of the excess money collected

To hold the money for future scenarios as it was a politically motivated donation

Go ahead with donation to charity.

Buy laptop and maintain/improve the webpage.

This matter will be discussed with RPK ,once he is back. We also like to thank you for writing in requesting to continue donation drive and to reinstate Paypal Logo back.,but we would like to stop it here for time being. RPK has agreed for this drive only after much of persuasion. Lets not divert from the purpose at this point of time.


Site Administration

We would like to apologize to the everybody who emailed to our administrator and to which we have not responded so far. Please take this posting as my personal reply to many of yours views,suggestions and concerns.

Administrator mail box is flooded with 100's of mails and still coming in. There will be delays in membership registrations and letter to editor postings. Bear with me. It will take at least 1-2 days to recover.

We assure you that we will update you on the latest events on RPK,as and when it happens.

All the necessary actions are taken together with his family members to secure his release.



Malaysia Today Continues...



Best wishes,

Vineeth Menon

On Behalf of Malaysia Today Team & RPK's Family

BAPA, RAKYAT BANGSA MALAYSIA

You must come out of Sungei Buloh Detention!

Daulat YM RPK,

We acknowledge your principles. If not for the principles you would not be what the people are looking for in a leader. You have everything that is needed to be a leader. You are one of the "Greatest Spiritual Leaders", I have personally mixed with. You follow the Holy Koran. You don't pretend to be holy. You are not a show-off. You are never greedy nor ever desired to accumulate wealth. You hate a person who steals and tells lies. You do not mix with people who are corrupt and lustful. You are a prince but your friends are mostly the middle class man on the road. These are perhaps some of the least of the traits I am stating here, and these are more than enough for great people to admire you. The people who admire you are even from the upper echelon. More than 60% of us Bangsa Malaysians are your friends. Even MPs and State Assemblymen came to say a few words to you at the Jalan Duta Court despite their call for duty at the Parliament and State Assemblies. I heard a policeman talking outside on the road to his friend that most of them are not happy of what is happening but they are just carrying on with their duties.

We all know that your writings, touch the feelings of us the common folks. People from the Kampongs, New villages and Estates traveled many miles to hear your Ceramahs. The Malays with a cry of Reformasi, The Chinese and again The Indians with the cry of Makkal Sakti, are with a hope that someday you will lead this Nation as its Prime Minister.

Umno, who themselves are divided in camps have today lost face due to their arrogance, pride, corruption, and unfair rulings. Even the Non-Malays who were their greatest supporters voted against them in the 8 March polls. They know that you are the cause because you highlighted all these Umno crunchies in Malaysia-Today. We the Bangsa Malaysia are aware and are supportive of your fair approach. The Royalties too are aware of your cries and pleadings in support of not only the marginalised but of the depressed from the Peninsula Heartland. Their silence should not surprise us for I believe that silence is consent.

You are our leader and you are not greedy for power. We know that you were offered seats to contest but declined. You know that if you had contested you would have won hands down. We understand that you had to answer your inner calls. Today we know, this was that call. Many of my Indian friends are calling you as the Malaysian Mahatma Gandhi in the making. They are not wrong. They are not wrong because you are still fighting for the Independence of Malaysia, though not from the British but from the UMNO/BN of Malaysia. You are fighting for the independence of the Judiciary; you are fighting for the independence of PDRM; you are fighting for the independence of the ACA; you are fighting for the independence of the Attorney General's Chambers; you are fighting for the independence of the Election Commission; you are fighting for the independence of the Main Stream Media (MSM); you are fighting for the independence of the Malays from the strangle-hold of UMNO; you are fighting for the Muslims also from the strangle-hold of UMNO, yet you are fighting for the rights of the marginalised Indians, the Malays who are depressed and deprived and for the rights of the Chinese.

Your leadership is needed. Come out from the detention. Please!

It is my call that you be declared as our:

"BAPA, RAKYAT BANGSA MALAYSIA"



By Mijoan

Wife: RPK refusing to meet anyone

(Malaysiakini) Malaysia Today webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin - presently in jail for refusing to pay bail - has refused to have any contact with anyone including his own wife, Marina Lee Abdullah.

Marina when contacted this morning said she had gone to the Kuala Lumpur Remand Centre to meet Raja Petra and to ask him if he would want to post bail today.

"The officer at the registration counter (of the remand centre) have informed me that my husband has refused to see anyone including me," she told Malaysiakini.

She then said that she has demanded to see the deputy warden of the remand centre to get further information and is still waiting for the meeting.

Raja Petra was charged yesterday with sedition at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court over an article which he wrote in his website.

The article allegedly implied that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife of being involved in the killing of a young Mongolian woman.

Raja Petra claimed trial to the charge. He was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act for publishing seditious article on April 25 on Malaysia Today.

Hearing has been fixed from Oct 6 to 10 and Raja Petra was granted a bail of RM5,000, which he refused to post, deciding instead to remain in custody until the hearing date five months from today.

'What makes you think I don't have proof?'

"What makes you think I don't have proof? What makes you think I don't have documents?
"If I do submit the proof behind my writing, they will arrest me under the OSA. You think I'm stupid?" he asked the assembled journalists.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin was a celebrity at the Jalan Duta court complex here yesterday.

The 58-year-old arrived at 9.06am, accompanied by his wife, Marina Lee Abdullah, a battery of lawyers and a throng of supporters.

His well-wishers read like a who's who of Pakatan Rakyat notables, including Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Abbas, Batu MP Tian Chua, Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong, PAS Youth chief Salahudin Ayub and Pandamaran state assemblyman Ronnie Liu.

Defiant as ever, Raja Petra challenged the government to repeal the Official Secrets Act (OSA) so that he could reveal what he claimed was evidence against his charge of sedition.

"What makes you think I don't have proof? What makes you think I don't have documents?
"If I do submit the proof behind my writing, they will arrest me under the OSA. You think I'm stupid?" he asked the assembled journalists.

Declaring war on the government, Raja Petra said the government should be afraid of bloggers.

Clad in a yellow shirt and blue jeans, the Internet-based political commentator said he was not informed of the charge against him until the last minute.

When it was suggested that it seemed as if he was courting prosecution by his repeated run-ins with the law, he replied that he did not want to be charged but had been expecting it.

He refused to concede that his website's contents were seditious in nature, insisting that it was not wrong to incite the people against a "dishonest government".

Part of Raja Petra's disgruntlement was understandable. He was asked to be at court by 9.30am, but was not attended to until an hour later when he was told to go to the Petaling Jaya court instead.

Lim described the charge as harassment.

"I think this is a disgraceful and atrocious development," the opposition stalwart said.

Sedition charge on blogger Raja Petra raises more questions

Charter 2000-Aliran is appalled by the Malaysian authorities' action in charging prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin with sedition for allegedly implying that deputy prime minister Najib Razak was involved in the sensational killing of a young Mongolian woman.

The sedition charge stems from a 25 April article, titled "Let's Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell", that Raja Petra posted on his popular Malaysia Today website.

We, like many other concerned Malaysians, are shocked that such a sedition charged has been used against Raja Petra as opposed to a more appropriate action that could have been taken by the aggrieved party (i.e. Najib and wife), which is to sue Raja Petra for supposed defamation. Raja Petra now sits in remand in Sungai Buloh Prison after refusing bail, and he will remain there until 6 October, when his trial begins. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three years and/or face a fine of up to RM5,000.

Under the Sedition Act, a “seditious tendency” implies, among other things, “a tendency to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any Ruler or against any Government”. Are we to conclude that alleging complicity in a murder case on the part of a government leader is tantamount to causing the Malaysian public to go against the entire (federal) government? Would one supposedly rotten apple spoil the whole tree?

The authorities’ action only raises more questions. It raises suspicion that it is meant not only to politically bludgeon Raja Petra but also to make an example of him for the rest of the blogging fraternity and civil society.

Many Malaysians are clearly not impressed with the latest turn of events. In a sense, it reveals just how out of touch the authorities are with the new political realities after 8 March especially in dealing with an electorate that now demands greater respect for freedom of the media and of expression.

Malaysia’s folk hero Raja Petra opts for jail to prove a point

Spent the evening working with Mus on a press statement in response to the action taken against Raja Petra.

it is just three days after we marked World Press Freedom Day.

Not good. And downright depressing.

But mind you, this move could backfire. It is high stakes poker, and I guess they didn’t anticipate that Raja Petra would refuse bail. Now he is in jail and the glare of the international media will focus even more on him, the Malaysian government, the judiciary and the Altantuya trial.

Certain people are going to be shifting in their seats rather uncomfortably - or maybe having sleepless nights. They have no idea what Raja Petra is going to say in court, come October.

As Malaysiakini observes, hauling Raja Petra to court has only turned him into a legend - if he is not already one. For it was Raja Petra and his Malaysia Today website that played a not insignificant role in the fall of five states to Pakatan Rakyat.

V. David, the man who made ‘May Day’ possible

V. David is a Malaysian trade unionist who was fearless and vocal in raising issues concerning the Indian community in Malaysia. In 1958, he was arrested under the Emergency Ordinance and detained under the Internal Security Act in 1964, 1969 (after May 13 racial riots) and 1987.

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Many Malaysians probably take the 1st May holiday for granted. It is a day to stay home or for going out with the family. Or maybe it is a day to sleep in late.

Whatever today may mean to you, did you know that Malaysia did not always celebrate May Day or declare 1st May a holiday? This was because Malaysia was still at ‘war’ with the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and anything ‘labour’ or ‘socialist’ was regarded as ‘communist’. Malays were led to believe that anything ‘left wing’ is ‘budaya kominis’ and therefore an imported ideology from Mainland China and Russia, the two superpowers of those days that were sympathetic to the CPM cause. And Malays believed that communism is opposed to Islamic teachings.

Malays have of course come a long way since then, though they still have a longer way to go, and the perception of May Day is no longer one of an un-Islamic holiday associated with communism. But many probably do not know that getting Malaysia to endorse May Day as a workers’ holiday, and not a communist holiday, plus getting 1st May gazetted as a holiday, has to be credited to the renowned workers’ hero, V. David, who fought for many long years to get the Malaysian government to change its stand.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about V. David:

David V. (born 26 August 1932 - died 10 July 2005) is a Malaysian trade unionist and former opposition politician. He won a seat in the Malaysian parliament twice, representing the constituencies of Bangsar and Damansara. While in parliament, he was known to be fearless and vocal in raising issues concerning the Indian community in Malaysia.

David was a founding member and secretary of Selangor Factories Association, which he started in 1953. He was elected a Kuala Lumpur town councillor and became Transport Union secretary in 1958. In 1959, he was elected the Member of Parliament for Bangsar. In 1978, David defeated the Malaysian Indian Congress strongman, Deputy Minister S. Subramaniam, and became the Damansara Member of Parliament.

David was arrested under the Emergency Ordinance in 1958. He was also arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1964, 1969 (after May 13 racial riots) and 1987. In 1984, he became the Chairman of World Tamil Association.

To help you get a better insight into this unsung and forgotten hero called V. David, I would like to reproduced a 7 March 2004 article from the New Straits Times:

YBs (Yang Berharap) gearing up for the big day

By Ahmad A. Talib
The New Straits Times

Many years ago, when well-known labour leader V. David stood as a candidate in the general election, I would meet him and wish him luck. With his balding pate and the trademark thick spectacles and midriff, David would pace up and down the main hall of the Transport Workers Union and bark instructions to his supporters.

"Hurry up, we must get the manifesto distributed first thing in the morning. I don't have the whole day, you know!"

In 1978, David contested as a DAP candidate and won the Damansara parliamentary seat defeating the Barisan Nasional's Datuk S. Subramaniam, much to the delight of his party and supporters. As a fulltime trade unionist, David was a popular figure. It was difficult not to notice his bulk as he went from one meeting to another to get the best possible deal for his TWU members. With David at the helm of the union and Datuk Zainal Rampak as his running mate in the movement, members were generally happy with their collective agreements.

I would often drop in at the bilik gerakan of candidates I knew just to wish them good luck, and David was one of them. It was quite common to have the bilik gerakan manned by tough looking men or youths. I understand this was necessary as part of the security measures.

So, I was naturally quizzed by these toughies when I walked in to see David. In the elections of the `70s and part of the `80s, fistfights were not uncommon, forcing candidates to opt for their own security arrangement.

David's helpers were mostly Indians and they eyed me suspiciously as I looked around the hall trying to locate him. They must have been wondering why this young non-union like, skinny fellow wanted to see David. Is this fellow from the Special Branch? Or worse still, from the other political party trying to cause trouble! As they later found out, I was none of the above - just a reporter on his rounds to seek out bits and pieces for some political commentaries and news reports.

Well, that's that. The election is here again. March 21 has been set as polling day and March 13 fixed for nomination. These are days when every single member of any political party and every political leader waits for. This is D-Day! Every day in the last few months has been geared for the day when the ballot boxes are taken out, dusted and put to use again. All the homework they have done, the strategy they have formed, the plans and counter plans - they are being put to the big test.

The candidates and their supporters work just as hard to ensure victory. The adrenalin never stops pumping between the time when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced to his colleagues and the nation that the Dewan Rakyat would be dissolved to pave the way for the 11th general election. In any general election, the Prime Minister calls the shot, and Pak Lah just did, setting in motion a series of events that will climax on March 21.

On another occasion I recall the formation of a new political party, Nasma, which seemingly had the support of social activists, some intellectuals and leaders from non-governmental organisations. Nasma's introduction to the media was held at one of the city's leading hotels. What attracted much attention then was the party had a woman as president, Zainab Yang, who was then more known as the `Lorry Woman' because she was head of the Pan Malaysian Lorry Operators' Association.

There was considerable attraction to the formation of Nasma. Its proponents had high hopes but this was not backed by real political acumen and, within a few years, Nasma receded into the political wilderness, never to engage in serious battles after a brief and disastrous encounter on the Malaysian scene. The simple lesson for Nasma and other like-minded proponents - don't go into politics if you are short on resources. Politics is not a romantic journey, neither is it a trip to test one's grandiose plans and vague images of undying loyalty and worship.

Bob, an American acquaintance, asked me a few days ago how the campaign was going to be like now that the polling date had been set. "What campaign?" I asked. He looked puzzled. "Bob, in places like Kelantan the campaign has never stopped. It's like a football match - the players never take off their jerseys, and that being so, treat everyday as match day!"

House calls are known to be more personal and popular these days, partly because political rallies, in the traditional sense of the word, is a thing of the past. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, this stopping of political rallies. As a schoolboy in 1969, I saw political rallies being turned into a stage for racial name-calling and bad-mouthing with bloody consequences. It is best forgotten, really...

Personal schedules, family gatherings and even business decisions have been put on the back-burner in these couple of weeks. It's politics, morning, day and night. At the Tanglin nasi lemak stall behind the National Mosque, customers were discussing who would be dropped, and whether new Menteris Besar would emerge from some States. Isa, in between sips of teh tarik, gave his theory why Pak Lah, and the BN, would win handsomely, echoed by his friend Shah, a pensioner.

Well, we'll soon know. In the meantime, make sure you know where you are voting. Every vote counts, your candidate will tell you. All the best YBs. That's Yang Berharap, mind you, not Yang Berhormat...

CHAMPION FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN

From village hero, V David rose to become a pillar of the Malaysian workers’ movement
by K George
Aliran Monthly Vol 25 (2005): Issue 6


All his life he committed himself to the struggle for workers’ rights, social justice, freedom and democracy.

K George

Born on 26 August 1932 in a squatter settlement at the 3rd mile, Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur, V David started his life in abject poverty. His father, S Vethamuthu, had a small farm and a herd of cattle for survival. As he grew older, David had to help his father by going to houses around the area delivering milk daily. Despite this, he managed to complete his Senior Cambridge. As the years rolled by, his mother became a widow, burdened with the task of bringing up her only son.

Under the circumstances, it was only natural that mother and son became inseparably close. Even after his mother’s demise, she remained close to his heart until the last day of his life. It is no exaggeration to say that David used to visit his mother’s grave very often — not only every year on the occasion of her birthday, death anniversary, etc but whenever he stood for election, started a union, contested for leadership position and even before embarking on other important event. To him, she was a saint whose blessing he sought before undertaking any venture.

In 1954, he enrolled with the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA for a course in Economics, Political Science and Industrial Relations. At the same time, he also attended a course on Labour Unions organised by the AFL-CIO, the American National Trade Union Centre. Even when he was deeply involved in trade union and political activities, he continued his tertiary education. In 1980, he obtained a Masters in Commerce degree from the University of New Delhi. A few years later his thesis on international relations was accepted by Pacific Western University, California, USA, which awarded him a doctorate.

Compassion for the downtrodden

Even when David was in his teens, he was a hero in his village. The villagers often sought his advice and guidance. David’s compassion for the poor and downtrodden was natural, simply because of the condition in which he grew up. His first venture in 1953 was to form a trade union known as the Selangor Mill Workers Union (SMWU), which integrated with the Selangor Factory Workers Union. In 1955, the union’s name was changed to the National Union of Factory and General Workers (NUFGW). It was one of the “General Unions” that was recognised by the British colonial rulers.

On 31 August 1957, Malaya became independent. The NUFGW became so strong and popular under the leadership of the youthful V David that even the workers in the plantation industry preferred to be members of the new union. The Alliance government of independent Malaya detained David and amended the labour law to ensure the automatic deregistration of all existing general unions at that time. Since then, our 'democratic' government has never granted registration of general unions! David was subsequently released.

He became even more popular - loved by the working masses and disliked by the capitalists. Soon, he was approached by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to be its executive secretary. He travelled by truck and enrolled thousands and thousands of workers in the transport industry. Soon he was elected the General Secretary of the TWU and held on to that position unchallenged even after he had suffered two strokes.

Youngest MP at 26

In the 1959 General Election, David, already a member of the Labour Party, which formed a coalition with other opposition parties known as the Socialist Front, contested and won, becoming a Member of Parliament for Bangsar as well as Selangor State Assembly member. At 26, he was the youngest Member of Parliament – bold, vigorous and committed.

By mid 1960s, the registration of the Labour Party was cancelled. Its leaders like Dr Tan Chee Khoon, Veerappan, Tan Pock Kin, David and others decided to seek the registration of another party. I was then the General Secretary of the Federation of Armed Forces Civilian Staff Union as well as Vice-President of the MTUC and of CUEPACS. Like David, I too believed that trade unions had to involve themselves in politics. It was not an unusual phenomenon but a fact that was visible all over the world.

I was invited by the group to join and help with the formation of Gerakan. It was during this period that I grew closer to David. I am proud to claim that both of us knew what poverty was and that our commitment to struggle for the welfare of workers became a passion. David stood on a Gerakan ticket in the General Elections in 1969 and was elected to Parliament as MP for Datuk Keramat in Penang. However, being a civil servant and father of three young children, I decided to carry on with my job and union activity.

Gerakan became a very popular party and received multiracial support. In the May 1969 General Election, the party captured the state of Penang and formed the government with Dr Lim Chong Eu as Chief Minister. But within two years, it was embroiled in a leadership crisis, resulting in Dr Lim taking full control of Gerakan. Professor Alatas, Dr Tan Chee Khoon, David and other leaders left Gerakan and formed Pekemas, which contested in the 1974 General Election. Out of over 90 candidates, only Dr Tan Chee Khoon retained his seat as the MP for Kepong constituency. Pekemas did not last long. Subsequently, David joined the DAP.

He was elected to parliament on the DAP ticket in 1978 for Damansara and was successfully returned in 1986 and 1990 for Puchong. But in 1995, David did not contest because of health reasons.

Indomitable spirit

While holding the post of TWU General Secretary, he represented the union in the Executive Council and the Working Committee of the MTUC. He was elected as one of its Vice-Presidents in 1971 - a position he held until 1976. Two years later, he was elected the Secretary General of the MTUC. In 1979, he was elected to the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). He held on to this prestigious position and the post of Secretary General of the MTUC until 1992.
Apart from the above positions, he was also a Council Member of the International Transport Federation and President of the World Tamil Federation for some time.

David became the “guest” of the government for the fourth time in October 1987 along with 105 others - innocent victims of Operation Lalang under the obnoxious Internal Security Act. This time he had to spend 222 days in the Kamunting Detention Camp. It could not break his indomitable spirit which remained intact. All his life he committed himself to the struggle for workers’ rights, social justice, freedom and democracy. He had been a persistent critic of the government’s capitalistic policies and its unjust refusal to grant citizenship to the Indian plantation workers who were born in this country in spite of their pioneering economic contribution to this nation.

In his final three years, he became bed-ridden. His wife, Grace Sivapakiam, took special care of her husband until the last day on July 10, 2005. Their only son, Norman David 22, who is studying medicine in Bangalore, India, was present at the time of his father’s demise.

V David will be remembered as a pillar of the Malaysian workers’ movement for many years to come. His memory will be cherished and recalled with fondness as someone who had given his best for the workers and who had sacrificed the best part of his life in the struggle to uplift the poor and the downtrodden.