'The intention is to rock the relationship among Pakatan Rakyat parties so that BN can call for a snap election before Sept 16 if all other alternatives to ‘kill' Pakatan Rakyat fail.'
Test Water: I strongly recommend DAP-PAS-PKR assemble again 'once and for all' to clarify to multiracial, loving Malaysians that they are actually 'intact'.
Lately, the mainstream media have played up this issue to provoke the sentiment of the Malays and to create distrust among the non-Malays, who gave overwhelming support to PAS.
To me, the statement by Tok Guru that both Umno and PAS had resolved to form a new Islamic base party was to test the water as to whether Umno is sincere enough in seeking real partnership.
I personally doubt that Umno will do that.
Its intention is to rock the relationship of Pakatan Rakyat so that they can call for a snap election before Sept 16 if all other alternatives to ‘kill' Pakatan Rakyat fails.
At least they have a higher chance of winning since they already created distrust among the non- Malays.
So please, leaders of PR in particular, don't fall into the traps set up by Umno. This time around is the best time for Malaysia to reinvent itself. All our country systems are haywire now. Please. Christine: Thank the Lord Almighty for Karpal Singh's recent comments on the recent disclosure of PAS activities with Umno.
I was beginning to think that the whole lot of Malaysians who voted for PKR were beginning to slowly accept (without any objections) what PAS has done after the recent GE.
When I first read about PAS' attendance in the so called muzakarah meetings, my first reaction was akin to that of being betrayed.
How can PAS go behind the scenes with Umno after the non-Muslims/Malays voted for them in the recent GE?
Way before the GE, these very PAS leaders preached about unity for this country in which racial lines had already split right down the middle.
Chuacj: BN is trying to play the racial card again. This time, it is a double-edged sword.
If PAS does not want to meet, they will start saying that PAS is not fighting for the Malays and Islam in particular. If PAS agrees to meet, BN will use this to create uneasiness among the Pakatan Rakyat.
PAS has the right to meet anybody to fight for their beliefs. But the message has to be firm and committed to what PR is fighting for, which is a fair and clean government.
I believe PAS does not want to dirty their hands with the corrupted BN.
I hope PR will conduct more road shows with all the three major parties (PKR, DAP and PAS) taking part. Baiyuensheng: I am just wondering whether the very act by Umno is a betrayal to BN.
Just imagine if every BN component party claimed to have the right to negotiate with the other parties. It would be chaos.
I think Umno will turn its back on the other component parties when its interests are jeopardised.
Regardless of how long and strong BN was or will be, the truth is that Umno has never cared about the other races, never mind caring about the feelings of other parties within BN.
Furthermore, the PM has never really cared for all Malaysians. I may be over-generalising here, but can you blame me with all these racial things going on since I can remember?
DAP's Lim Kit Siang was right when he said that the PM has gone back on his word that he is a PM for all Malaysians.
I have a strong feeling that, eventually, Umno and PAS may set up an Islamic system soon in this country.
Let's face the reality - BN now is irrelevant, considering what Umno has done. Umno will never come up with a leader for all.
Kaisim: At last, the PM admits that Umno has a secret deal with PAS to form a Selangor government. In an attempt to hold power, Umno is not being fair to the components of the BN.
I feel that it is unethical to hold discussions with arch-rivals while dumping all your friends.
MCA has always been a good supporter whenever Umno faced party problems. MCA must have realised by now that you are irrelevant anyway.
Isn't it time for the party to look for a more reliable team? The party elections is around the corner, so make sure that a dynamic group is elected to represent the Chinese.
Try to have a secret talks with DAP and see what you get from Umno. Look around and get going before it is too late!
Kenny Gan: The leaked medical report that that Saiful has never been sodomised shows that the police acted in bad faith against Anwar Ibrahim.
Instead of dismissing the allegations immediately and charging Saiful for making a false report, the polices saw it fit to go on a wild goose chase interviewing 20 people, conducting forensic sweeps, detaining Anwar, sending him for medical examination and demanding a blood sample.
What is the point of all this farce when there is clearly no case against Anwar? Is it to damage Anwar's reputation, fabricate evidence against him or both?
The country has been dragged through political turmoil and our international reputation affected by this charade which proves beyond doubt that the police have become the lackeys of morally bankrupt politicians.
How is the police force going to maintain law and order when the public have seen that they can victimise and fabricate evidence against innocent civilians?
Let's hope the police do not demean themselves further by going after the whistle-blower who leaked the report.
The rot in the Royal Malaysian Police has gone too far. Justice For All: The plot is unraveling. Saiful told doctor that a piece of ‘plastic' was inserted into his rear end. He may have done it himself.
However, a person will not harm himself so much, hence no visible injury signs are there. Furthermore, they found a Burmese doctor hoping that, as a foreigner, he'll have to ‘play the game'.
The police, the IGP, the DPM, his wife are now having a real headache. How do they continue this awful fabrication after this? Holmes: About the hospital probe, it is clear that all that the hospital would be interested in is to find out who the whistle-blower is, and nothing more.
Most probably Anwar's old DNA has already been used on Saiful, so as to prove that Saiful has been sodomised by Anwar.
The authorities naturally would not want the public to know that the old DNA has been used. So, in order to hide it, they are asking for the new DNA in order to match it with what has already been planted on Saiful.
In order to deceive the public that the old DNA could not have been used, the authorities would have spoilt a part of it. The rest of the sample would have been safely hidden away somewhere else for some future contingencies. Dr Lim Teck Ghee: This new report - and all the doubts and questions it raises - should not be concealed or kept out of public scrutiny by the mainstream media, the government authorities or other interested parties for their own selfish interests.
Given the high political leadership stakes - as well as enormous national and international interest in the new sodomy charge against the country's most prominent opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim and indirectly against the newly-formed opposition front, Pakatan Rakyat - it is imperative that all Malaysians, in their individual and organisational capacities - raise their voices to show their concern for the full, transparent, and fair disclosure of all the facts and developments in the case, and to demand that swift justice should prevail.
Further attempts at one-sided or politically biased, manipulative handling of the case will cause the nation even more grievous damage than what has already been inflicted. Jerryloh YS: Two factors provide substantial proof that the first hospital report is genuine.
1. The hospital is making its own investigation on how the report got leaked out. If it was faked why should they waste their time as everybody knows a hospital is a very busy place short of doctors and nurses. 2. If the document was faked, why should the police confiscate the document? The police should realise that they are civil servants there to look after the interest of the people.
Why spend so much time on an issue that is only between two individuals?
In the meantime, the people are plagued by incessant traffic jams, snatch thefts, robberies and all types of insecurities.
Last but not least the police must be seen as not only upholding the law but abiding by it as well.
Bernard: Why is the BN afraid of the rule of law? As a signatory to the UN declaration on human eights, the Malaysian authorities have the duty - nay, the responsibility - of upholding the rule of law.
It is disgraceful that a former deputy PM and very likely future prime minister can be treated in such a shameful fashion. It is time for Pak Lah and his cronies to actually mean what they preach about.
Joe Fernandez: This guy seems to be hungry for cheap publicity all the time. If he can't contest in the Umno elections, why should the party allow him to contest in a by-election? He should know that and yet he persists in making nonsensical claims.
Is he trying to prove to the world that he was not planted in Umno by Anwar Ibrahim, as alleged by Mahathir?
Ezam's presence in Umno itself is a contradiction in terms. Where are the boxes of documents he claimed that he had at one time to expose the wrongdoings in the BN government?
People like Ezam, who have nothing but big egos, come and go but the nation moves on. Garry Khoo: Ezam's efficiency suddenly increased by 200% to fight Anwar compared to when he was still serving PKR.
I'm really pity Anwar who was so nice to all his subordinates but only to be repaid by the likes of Ezam and Saiful.
Ezam's joining Umno is now more understood by the rakyat as he is more suited for Umno dity tactics style.
Please Ezam, stop it. Your so-called reform are all lies. The rakyat is living in the year 2008 - not 1008.
As a veteran in politics, please do not use childish tactics to fight back.
Bernard: I find Tan's statement to be full of a personal agenda. She stated in very clear words that her personal agenda and ambition led her to remain in the MCA.
‘But now, I'm in my 50s and already have a family with children, my intentions are different. At this juncture, personal interests are no longer crucial anymore,' she added.
It is people like her - who have for reasons of personal advancement - played the game with the ruling party and that is why that party is called MCA. Money Counts All.
Can you now imagine why the country is in a mess? It is because of people like her, who have placed their personal agenda before the interests of the real people.
And these ‘Johnny come lately-s' will not serve - they want to serve when it is convenient, so that they can advance their careers. Is this so unlike the likely future prime minister, who has been shamelessly abused by BN and its cohorts for the sake of their own personal agenda? So how different is she?
CK Chim: The testimony by a FRU personnel and his insistence on non-violence during the BMC incident has further botched the integrity and credibility of our enforcement agencies.
Their dogged denials in the face of overwhelming evidence merely goes to show the extent to which these guys will go to protect their group.
Frankly, these folks are the product of years of complacency due to racial recruitment and non- meritocratic policies promulgated by the Umno-dominated government.
Such incidences will further erode the already flimsy public confidence and mistrust. There is no way out except to totally revamp the entire system.
The Royal Malaysian Police royal commission's recommendations can be a start.
It's a Catch 22 situation - Abdullah continues to rely on advice from his Umno cohorts, who are bent on self-preservation, knowing that such reforms will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
He has to display the leadership and wisdom that is demanded of his status and position to push through the reforms that are needed for our country to regain self-respect.
The current malaise and impasse either shows his incompetence or that he is part of the problem. Either he steps up or steps down. The rakyat are fast running out of patience. Ahmad Fuad: ‘I did not see it (the assault) and I believe there was no violence,' he said, maintaining this stand throughout the entire inquiry session.' One of these four things could, then, be a possibility:
1. Chang could have beaten himself to gain sympathy, especially from the international press;
2. This man, who refers to himself as a police lance corporal, suffers from severe selective amnesia, a kind of sickness that is common in Bolehland (An ex-supreme leader is known to be one afflicted by this disorder);
3. This man is a blind police lance corporal. (Not uncommon, as there are many more like him in the force); and
4. This police lance corporal is a liar (again, not an uncommon trait, as it has been admitted in court, circa 1999, that this species will lie if told to do so by superiors). Another Black Eye: Another lance corporal comes out to say, ‘I did not see it (the assault) and I believe there was no violence.'
Does it seem that the injuries on the 23-year-old mechanic were self-inflicted?
Sam: I have lived and travelled widely in Sarawak for thirty years and can comment on these dam proposals just as well as our chief minister can.
The current domestic use of electricity in Sarawak is less than 1000 megawatts, and this will only grow relatively slowly in the years to come, probably at no more than 10% per year.
These new dam proposals to provide 7,000 megawatts have nothing whatsoever to do with Sarawak's requirement for electricity, but rather with the fact that the chief minister and his family want to sell our power to aluminium smelters like Rio Tinto and other China interests.
He just wants to sell us out to the power-hungry Chinese who will get all the power and benefit, whilst poor old Sarawak will, as usual, end up with pollution and environmental degradation.
The Bakun dam alone will provide more than enough power for Sarawak in the foreseeable future, provided, of course, it is not used for aluminium smelters and is instead used to power a desperately needed public transportation system for all our major towns and cities.
The proposed aluminium smelter will provide large construction contracts for the favoured few, together with a few hundred jobs in the smelter itself, most of which will be filled by foreigners.
A public transport system will provide jobs and benefit to hundreds of thousands of Sarawakians.
But then, since when was Sarawak politics ever about serving the needs of the people over those of the avaricious politicians who rule us? Dorai Dubai: From an economic point of view, building dams to generate power is for domestic use as well as for export to neighbouring countries.
We need to carry out not only the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies but also economic feasibility studies to analyse the need for the construction of the dams compared to the inconvenience of moving the natives to another location.
As for other factors, can we artificially create forests to relocate all livings creatures which have lost their habitat?
It's not a matter of clearing the jungle and building the dams, but how much they would affect the environment.
The CM of Sarawak can talk loud about business gimmicks due to hi decision, but how are we going to rebuild the lost greeneries?
Some of the trees in Sarawak are more than 100 years old, and once we destroy them, they will take another 100 years to grow.
And what will happen to the animals, which will eventually be lost in time?
Kaisim: The latest decision to cancel Insul's concert does not speak well for DBKL and Malaysia.
Do we call ourselves responsible people, or little children playing masak-masak? The organisers have lost money and time in preparation for bringing this performance to Malaysia.
Incidents like this result in bad publicity and a poor image to the international community about Malaysia. Most of all, we are going to hurt our neighbors and their people.
It is quite obvious that our officials have not done their homework well. This cannot be a last minute decision, because it involves too much work. Knowing that our society is oversensitive to many things, it shouldn't have even been considered it in the first place when the application for permit was received. Once it is given, it cannot be revoked with lame excuses.
Why do this at the last minute? Sometimes, we suspect the corruption aspect of the case - under-the-table money is not enough?
Malaysians in general have learned to live with these unscrupulous officials whenever they have something to do with the department.
Our foreign guests will not take this matter lightly. It may be a case of ‘tit-for-tat'. We are not sure of what will happen when we have dealings with them. It's time we change.
Monard Bimley: Where's the democracy here? Where is the freedom of choice?
If you don't agree with Inul's artistic style, don't buy the ticket. At least with Inul's concert, you have a choice. With PAS, they make your choice for you.
You'd think PKR would do more to keep PAS in check, what with its recent attempts to turn our country into a fundamentalist state.
This is one more step we have allowed them to take to deny us our freedom of choice, expression and culture.
What next, dress code for non-Muslims, no drinking in public establishments, no pork? PKR controls the state. Why isn't it doing anything to stop this nonsense?
Lilian Tan: I hope I'm not the only one distressed by this report. This is a clear-cut case of persecution by the government against a marginalised group of citizens who have done no real wrong, hurt no one and cost the taxpayers of this country not even a single sen by living as they choose.
Of course, the authorities maintain that men who dress up as women are guilty of breaking Islamic law. But honestly, isn't it inhumane to force people to dress and behave against their true nature?
And how does it benefit society that the authorities spend so much time, energy and resources making sure people adhere to a dress code?
If only the same amount of effort could be spent uncovering the corruption and wrongdoing rampant in our government institutions today.
Finally, we should realise that this also doesn't speak well of us Malaysians as a country.
Most of us seem happy to live with the abominations committed by those we elect into office, and yet we say nothing and do nothing while our government continues to vilify and punish transvestites and transsexuals, whose only crime is to live honestly and dress to express how beautiful they feel and are. And they are.
Yusri Nuqman: Malaysia is a net exporter of palm oil. We produce, we consume locally, and we export the remaining. Similarly, we are also a net exporter of crude oil. We produce, we consume locally, and we export the remaining.
Why worry about declining price of palm oil? Shouldn't we be happy that there'll be less burden on the government if the price is lower?
Have we forgotten that the government told us that when the crude oil price goes up, that it can't bear subsidy anymore?
Then the government must be happy with declining palm oil prices, just as it wants the crude oil price to go down. Aren't we subsidised for the palm oil bought in Malaysia?
I remember reading once where someone pointed out that the price of a bottle of Malaysian palm oil is cheaper in a hypermarket in the UK than the in a shop in Felda itself.
Can the government's economists explain?
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'The intention is to rock the relationship among Pakatan Rakyat parties so that BN can call for a snap election before Sept 16 if all other alternatives to ‘kill' Pakatan Rakyat fail.'
