Deaths in Custody — We Don't Want To "De-motivate" The Police, Do We?

The statistics regarding deaths in police custody in Malaysia is a leaf out of the macabre: 156 persons died in police custody between 2000 and February 2011,¹ and it has been reported that there were at least six such deaths in 2012,² with this being the fifth one in 2013.³  This data is alarming, as it points to an average of at least one death in police custody per month since 2000. 

The Malaysian Bar is dismayed and saddened by the news of yet another death in police custody, involving 32-year-old N Dharmendran.  He was reportedly arrested on 11 May 2013, and died on 21 May 2013 whilst in police remand at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters. 

The death of N Dharmendran is tragic and inexcusable.  It is yet another incident that raises serious questions about the treatment and safety of detainees in police custody, and the methods of interrogation used.  It underscores the importance of the requirement for those in police custody to have immediate access to legal counsel upon arrest. 

In the case of N Dharmendran’s arrest, the protocol prescribed under the Yayasan Bantuan Guaman Kebangsaan (“YBGK”) scheme, which is an initiative made possible by Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, and supported by the Government, does not appear to have been complied with by the police.  The guidelines for enforcement officers stipulate that as soon as an arrest has been made, and before the suspect is questioned, the police officer must inform the suspect’s family (or friend) of the arrest, and must also provide details of the suspect and the arrest to YBGK, who will then despatch a lawyer to offer legal representation to the arrested person.  

However, we understand that YBGK did not receive any notification from the police about N Dharmendran’s arrest.  We regret to note that this is the second occasion that we are aware of where YBGK was not notified of an arrest, and the detainee later died in police custody.  In the first incident, 32-year-old K Nagarajan had been found dead on 24 Dec 2012 in the Dang Wangi police station lockup.

The present state of affairs has led to much public outrage and an erosion of confidence in the police.  The police must be proactive in ensuring that the wrongful actions of some amongst them do not tarnish the standing of the whole force.  Unless this is addressed, the police force will unfortunately remain a diminished institution in the eyes of the public. 

The unabated deaths in police custody reinforce the Malaysian Bar’s repeated calls for the Government to implement the recommendation of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police, in its report published in May 2005, for the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (“IPCMC”) to function as an independent and external oversight body to investigate complaints about police personnel.

It is untenable for the Government to continue to ignore the dire need for the IPCMC, in the face of continuing cases of deaths in police custody.

Read more here:

http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/press_statements/press_release_unabated_deaths_in_custody_will_they_ever_end_.html

There is no need to establish the Independent Police Misconduct and Complaints Commission (IPCMC), said Minister for Governance and Integrity Paul Low. He said there is an existing channel called the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) that would perform the same duties as the IPCMC.

“There is no need to form the IPCMC, we already have a channel that allows the public to lodge complaints with regard to the enforcement agencies called the EAIC,” he said. “There is lack of awareness. I believe that the only thing left to do is to educate the public on how one can lodge a complaint via the EAIC,” he added.

Meanwhile, Low also said he had brought up N Dhamendran’s case at the Cabinet meeting held yesterday. Dhamendran, 32, died in police custody on May 21. The post-mortem reported concluded that he had died of blunt force trauma and the case has been classified as murder.

The police headquarters in Bukit Aman has since established the case as murder and had set up an independent task force to investigate the issue. “We as the government, need to act on this issue urgently. I brought it up at the Cabinet meeting yesterday and the outcome was positive,” Low told a press conference.

He said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has agreed to cooperate and work with the relevant people. “The minister has also promised to urge the police to hasten their investigations in Dhamendran’s case,” he added. Also present at the press conference was Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) director D Ravindran, whom Dhamendran’s family accused of harassing them.

Ravindran explained that there were no conversations hinting towards a settlement nor asking the family to disengage their lawyers.

Read more here:

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/30/no-need-for-ipcmc-says-minister/

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has welcomed suggestions to suspend policemen who were involved in allegedly murdering a detainee but does not want the morale of the police force dampened.

“That’s true but we will have to re-look at regulations so that it doesn’t de-motivate the policemen. We will have to study the entire police interrogation procedure,” he said at a press conference held at the Prisons Department headquarters here this morning.

He said this in response to criticism by two Indian leaders against the police’s decision to suspend their personnel who was involved in the alleged murder of detainee N Dharmendran.

Read more here:

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/31/zahid-dont-demoralise-police-force/

French gay marriage opponents stage big Paris march

Published by Free Malaysia Today on 27 May 2013.

Several hundred thousand opponents of same-sex marriage marched in central Paris on Sunday against a reform the unpopular French government passed last month at the price of deepening political polarization. Large park grounds around Les Invalides monument were full of protesters waving pink and blue flags, while far-right activists hung a banner on the ruling Socialist Party headquarters urging President Francois Hollande to quit.

The protests, which began as a grass roots campaign strongly backed by the Roman Catholic Church, have morphed into a wider movement with opposition politicians and far-right militants airing their discontent with Hollande. Although they have failed to block gay marriage, the protesters hope their renewed show of force will help stop or slow down further laws some Socialists want allowing assisted procreation and surrogate motherhood for gay couples.

Jean-Francois Cope, leader of the opposition UMP party, marched in the demonstration and urged young protesters to join his party to keep up pressure on the left-wing government. “The next rendez-vous should be at the ballot boxes for the municipal elections,” he said, referring to local polls due next year where conservatives hope to profit from the protest movement’s unexpectedly strong mobilization.

While the rally was peaceful throughout much of the day, police said they arrested 96 hardline opponents to the gay marriage law later on for refusing to disperse or occupying private property. Once the bulk of protesters had gone home, clashes erupted between hardliners wielding sticks and riot police, filling the Invalides Esplanade with tear gas. The violence was less severe than at the end of previous demonstrations, however. Police said 150,000 marched yesterday while protest organizers said a million people took part.

Warnings of violence ignored

Interior Minister Manuel Valls warned protesters on Saturday not to bring children along because of violence he feared after far-right militants clashed with police at recent rallies. He mobilized 4,500 police to secure the event.

Many parents ignored his warnings and some picnicked with children on the lawn at the rally. “Look, it’s perfectly safe here,” said Elisabeth Huet from Orleans, who marched along with her adult daughter and three small grandchildren.

A survey published on Sunday showed 53 percent of those polled support gay marriage and adoption, indicating a slide of about 10 points since the protests began last November. It said 72 percent thought the protests should stop now. 

Plagued by economic recession, unemployment at more than 10 percent and pressure to reduce the public deficit, Hollande got some respite on Sunday from another poll showing his record low popularity had inched up four points to 29 percent this month.

While leaders of Hollande’s Socialist Party denounced the protest against a law already passed in parliament and validated by the Constitutional Council, the conservative UMP party was split over whether to continue the rallies. There were fewer Catholic priests than at earlier demonstrations. Several bishops joined previous marches, but distanced themselves as protests became more openly political.

France’s first gay wedding is due to take place on Wednesday in Montpellier, France’s self-proclaimed capital of gay culture. France, a traditionally Catholic country, followed 13 others including Canada, Denmark, Sweden and most recently Uruguay and New Zealand in allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed.

In the United States, Washington D.C. and 12 states have legalized same-sex marriage.

- Reuters

Link: 

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2013/05/27/french-gay-marriage-opponents-stage-big-paris-march/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2tvDAMmhCbY

#RCISabah: Foreigners commit 30% of serious crimes in Sabah

By Boo Su-Lyn. Published by Malaysian Insider on 23 May 2013.

Foreigners are responsible for 30 per cent of index crime in Sabah, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants heard today amid a perceived spike in criminal offences.

Sabah police chief Datuk Hamza Taib testified today that foreigners committed 15 per cent of index crimes against locals ― including violent crimes like murder, rape, robberies and theft ― and another 15 per cent against other foreigners.

“To me, it’s not that serious,” said Hamza when asked if 15 per cent was a serious figure.

Hamza also insisted that index crime has been dropping for the past three years, but did not provide figures to detail the reduction.

Foreigners have often been blamed for a perceived crime increase in the Borneo state that is struggling with an influx of immigrants.

More than a quarter of Sabah’s population are foreigners, totalling a staggering 889,000 out of the 3.2 million-strong population in the state.

News portal Free Malaysia Today reported last November that the death of a local teenage girl in Kota Marudu in November was rumoured to be linked to foreigners.

Sulu gunmen also invaded Lahad Datu in Sabah last February to stake a claim on the East Coast territory, resulting in the deaths of ten members of the Malaysian security forces.

“Understandably, Malaysians living in Sabah feel threatened and insecure as the number of foreigners keeps increasing. Incidents of drug-related crimes, burglaries and robberies are common,” former Sabah state secretary Tan Sri Simon Sipaun wrote in his June 18 article on Sabahkini last year.

“Gone are the days when we could leave our houses unlocked. Now they are like prisons. Things can only get worse if the demand for jobs is not met by employment opportunities,” he added.

Hamza also disputed today rumours that the Sulu gunmen from southern Philippines who had invaded Lahad Datu possessed Malaysian ICs.

“One hundred per cent they are illegals, but they’re being supported by locals,” said the Sabah police commissioner.

He added that he could not guarantee another foreign invasion would not happen in Sabah again, but stressed that the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone) was formed to strengthen the security of the east coast.

Hamza reportedly said last August that the overall crime rate in Sabah had dropped by 10 per cent, with street crimes dipping by 54 per cent.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said last Sunday that newly-appointed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should quit “playing politics” and focus on reducing crime instead.

Putrajaya has sought to address concerns about crime by introducing crime reduction as a National Key Result Area (NKRA), which the police and the government’s efficiency unit Pemandu said has been successful in cutting crime. But the frequency of crime reports in the news and social media has raised doubts over the drop in the official crime figures.

Link: 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/foreigners-commit-30pc-of-serious-crimes-in-sabah-rci-told/

Sedition dragnet reeks of double standard

Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, activist Haris Ibrahim and PAS’s Tamrin Ghafar were arrested for sedition today and brought to the Jinjang police station for questioning, according to reports. It is understood the trio were detained separately in an apparent police crackdown today. This is the third police investigation into sedition since the May 5 general election...

The first was student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim who was charged with sedition in the Jalan Duta court complex this morning. The 24-year-old pleaded not guilty and was released on a RM5,000 court bail with his trial set for a mention on July 2...

According to the charges read out this morning, his words had a seditious tendency and were aimed at rallying Malaysians to change the current government through undemocratic means.

His statement, in Malay: “Take my details, lodge a police report, because today, I would like to invite all those here today to gather and take to the streets to seize back our power! Can we do that? Can we do that? Can we do that? We do not have much time left, get ready, buy shoes, buy tracksuits, buy jeans, get ready to take to the streets because in a third world country like Malaysia, elections cannot topple a government. Only the people’s power can topple a government. Remember, ladies and gentlemen, this is the only opportunity we have.”

Charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948, the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris undergraduate faces a jail term of not less three years, or a fine of up to RM5,000 or both, if convicted. Adam Adli, who came to court in a black T-shirt, was represented by lawyers Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, N. Surendran, Afiq M. Noor and Shamsul Iskandar Mat Akin.

Read more here: 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tian-chua-haris-ibrahim-held-in-sedition-crackdown/

Speaking to FMT, S Vell Paari said he was concerned to learn about the arrests of Anything But Umno (ABU) leader Haris Ibrahim, PKR vice-president Tian Chua and PAS’ Thamrin Ghaffar. The trio were held this afternoon in connection with a forum on May 13, where a call was made to topple the Barisan Nasional government via street protests. Vell Paari said the arrests would anger the public further as the authorities would be perceived to be practicing double standard when it comes to enforcing the Sedition Act.

“While the likes of [Perkasa leaders] Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin; and academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah are allowed to roam free despite making incendiary remarks about race and religion, these opposition figures are however swiftly hauled up. “Even the Utusan Malaysia frontpage in the aftermath of the general election, which read ‘Apa Lagi Cina Mahu? [What more do the Chinese want], screamed sedition but our leaders chose to defend the publication,” added the MIC strategy director.

Vell Paari said this development did not bode well for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s administration. “As it is BN suffers from a severe perception crisis and these arrests would just aggravate the situation,” he warned. Vell Paari said while the police had the right to investigate those who called for street protests to topple the government, it should not resort to using draconian laws...

Talk is rife that the government’s hard stance stemmed from the appointment of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the new home minister, who is said to be reintroducing the facets of Mahathirism. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a BN source said that he would not be surprised if former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad was pulling the strings. “Najib was given his chance and he blew it. His electoral performance was worse than his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. “So perhaps Umno is now looking to its grand wizard to set the house in order,” he told FMT.

Read more here:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/23/sedition-dragnet-reeks-of-double-standard/

Sarawak lagging behind in everything

By Joseph Tawie. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 23 May 2013.

Sarawak, which is the largest state in Malaysia, has only 212 government-run clinics. According to the Social Statistics Bulletin Malaysia 2012, this included only seven rural clinics (Klinik Desa), 197 health centres and eight 1Malaysia clinics.

Expressing his surpise, Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian said in comparison Perak which has about the same population as Sarawak had 328 clinics of which 242 were rural clinics (Klinik Desa). “(Even) Pahang, the largest state in Peninsula Malaysia but with an area less than a third of the size of Sarawak, has a total of 324 clinics, 243 of which are rural clinics,” he said yesterday while debating the address of Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak.

“Whichever way one looks at it, it cannot be denied that Sarawak has not been getting her fair share of allocation, resulting in deprivation of adequate healthcare for her people. “The people deserve the same standard and accessibility of healthcare as that received by their fellow citizens in West Malaysia but it seems that this will continue to be denied to them for many years yet,” he said.

Fifty years ago, then prime minister of Malaya Tunku Abdul Rahman said that one of the principal objectives in forming Malaysia was to further the economic development of the Borneo territories so that their standards of living and technical skills might be raised, and a firm basis provided for accelerated economic growth. He announced that “measures would be introduced to accelerate industrial development in the Borneo territories, and to minimise the disqualifying effect of free play of the economic forces so that the gap between a relatively backward state and the advanced would be narrowed and not widened.”

Bian said: “Half a century after the formation of Malaysia, the ethnic communities of Sarawak are still not able to integrate into the economic system of Malaysia. “At this 50th year mark, it is appropriate that we examine the extent to which Sarawak has benefited from the economic progress of Malaysia, given that prior to the formation of Malaysia, the political leaders of Malaya made many promises, tacit or expressed, regarding the potential diffusion of socio-economic development from Peninsula Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Poverty, education interlinked

Bian also touched on the issue of poverty in Sarawak, saying that while statistics showed that the situation had improved in 2012 as compared to 2009, he was still skeptical. In 2009 poverty levels stood at 5.9%. This figure dropped to 2.4% in 2012. “Whilst I would dearly like to believe this statistics, my observations during my trips in the rural areas and in the interior of Sarawak give me reason to doubt the accuracy of this figure. “The standard of living of a population is causally related to their educational attainment, which in turn determines their levels in the occupational hierarchy.

“In Sarawak, even to this day, the indigenous people, with only primary education or a lack of formal education, are relegated to jobs at the bottom end of the occupational hierarchy such as skilled agricultural workers or elementary workers. The Labour Force Survey Report Malaysia 2010 shows that Sarawak has the second highest number of workers in the labour force with no formal education that is 94,000 workers, which accounts for 22.6% of the national total.

“The figure for Sabah is even higher, and in total, both the Borneo states account for 55.5% of the workers in the Malaysian labour force with no formal education. “Worse still, there are 242,000 Sarawakian workers with only primary education, who account for 23% of the labour force of Sarawak and 12.8% of the labour force of Malaysia. “The number of workers with no formal education combined with those who have only primary education account for 31.9% of the Sarawak labour force and 35.4% of the national labour force,” he said.

‘Illiterate workers’

He pointed out that Sarawak accounted for only about 8% of the total labour force of Malaysia, but within that small fraction, Sarawakian workers accounted for 35.4% of the country’s functionally illiterate workers. This disparity, he said, bodes poorly for Sarawak in relation to its standing and competitiveness within Malaysia.

“With such a large proportion of the Sarawak labour force having inadequate education, how can the government hope to achieve its high-income economy goal by 2020? In fact, the energy-intensive SCORE region in Central Sarawak has plans to attract 1.2 million foreign workers over the next decade or so.

“Already, there are 600,000 foreigners in Sarawak and of these no less than 240,000, it has been estimated, are illegal immigrants from Indonesia and elsewhere. This leads to various other problems, which have been brought up here before in this August house,” he said.

He said that workers with no formal education combined with those who only have primary education are classified as ‘functionally illiterate’ by the World Bank. He said the majority of them currently worked in the primary or agriculture industry and in secondary (or manufacturing) and tertiary sectors as unskilled or elementary workers.

“Whatever mechanical or technical skills they may have acquired will not prevent them from being marginalized when micro-electronic processes are introduced to their work places in the near future,” said Bian, pointing out that skills are becoming obsolete more rapidly, and the demand for continuous skill training for the current workforce will be tremendous.

He said around 51% of this portion or 123,420 of Sarawak’s labour force are less than 35 years old and would still be alive by 2040. “The government needs to provide adequate training for them in community colleges so that they can acquire some form of skills and functional literacy to survive the Knowledge-based economy of the future,” he said.

According to the Social Statistics Bulletin Malaysia 2012, there are only three community colleges in Sarawak – Kuching Community College, Mas Gading Community College and Branch Betong Community College – with a total enrolment of 182 students. “Sadly there are only three community colleges in Sarawak. I urge the government to seriously address the needs of the 123,420 workers who will need to be trained,” he said.

Link: 

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/23/sarawak-lagging-behind-in-everything/

Outrage grows over scandal-tainted Malaysia state boss

By AFP. Published by MSN news on 23 May 2013.

Taib, 77, and his family are accused of massive corruption and running Malaysia's largest state like a family business, controlling its biggest companies with stakes in hundreds of corporations in Malaysia and abroad.

A Rolls Royce and flashy jet cover his transportation, while a vast war chest has kept his political authority unrivalled in 32 years in charge of the resource-rich Borneo island state, which remains one of Malaysia's poorest.

"The amount of control he has is astounding. He has been able to dominate politics and society here for nearly four decades," said Faisal Hazis, a political scientist with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

But pressure is rising both at home and abroad for action against a man referred to by his harshest critics as the "thief minister" and viewed as the prime example of a culture of corruption fueling public disgust.

Swiss-based activists Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), citing financial records, last year estimated the 77-year-old's worth at $15 billion, which would make him Malaysia's richest person.

Such revelations are hugely embarrassing for Prime Minister Najib Razak, who faces a slide in support due in part to corruption blamed for bleeding the country of billions of dollars annually.

But Taib, a member of Malaysia's 56-year-old ruling coalition, is widely considered untouchable because the Sarawak parliamentary bloc he controls helps keep the coalition in power.

"We don't see the political will to address grand corruption like this and it could destroy the country" by crippling economic development, said Josie Fernandez, Transparency International's Malaysia director.

A 2008 US State Department cable revealed by WikiLeaks called Taib "highly corrupt" and "unchallenged", saying Taib-linked companies dominate Sarawak's emerging economy.

He and his family are accused of routinely taking kickbacks for lucrative government contracts or awarding the projects to companies they control.

A prime example dominates the languid capital Kuching -- the state-assembly building whose swooping, golden roof gleams like a crown in the tropical sun.

A Taib-linked company won the $98 million contract to build the structure, which opened in 2009 and is home to a legislature he controls. A similar story surrounds a futuristic convention centre nearby.

Taib's office declined repeated interview requests.

A member of the Melanau tribe, supporters see him as defender of the autonomy of Sarawak -- which is marked by Christian and tribal groups -- against the Muslim Malay-dominated federal coalition based on mainland Malaysia.

Taib denies wrongdoing, saying Sarawak must be developed for its 2.4 million people. His critics spout "a web of lies and half-truths wrapped around ignorance and twisted logic", he fumed last year.

But pressure grows, including in the rugged interior where Taib is blamed for decimating vast rainforests through logging and dam projects and evicting tribes from ancestral lands, sparking protests.

Philip Jau travelled for two days by road with dozens of his Kayan tribesmen to protest this week in Kuching against a mega-dam pushed by Taib on the remote Baram river despite local opposition.

"The dam is a curse from hell," said Jau, wearing a feather-strewn traditional woven cap. "Taib will benefit, but he is killing the people."

Jau fears the dam will destroy a river ecosystem the Kayan rely on, noting that tribes near the already-completed Bakun dam, Malaysia's largest, say that has happened there.

BMF head Lukas Strauman said Taib and his family are the "chief culprits in destroying one of the world's last great rainforest areas."

In December, Swiss parliamentarians called for a freeze on any Taib assets there, saying he had abused office "in a spectacular way". Swiss authorities are yet to respond.

Malaysia's anti-graft agency launched an investigation in 2011, but it is widely accused of foot-dragging.

Faisal said action is highly unlikely as Sarawak seats proved crucial to the federal coalition winning May 5 elections, showing Taib is "more important than ever" to the government. Premier Najib's office declined to comment.

Taib has gotten even richer since the polls.

Shares of Taib-linked CMS -- Sarawak's largest conglomerate -- have soared 65 percent following the ruling-coalition win, and the compliant state assembly tripled Taib's pay to nearly $400,000 on Tuesday -- his birthday.

Link: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/outrage-grows-over-scandal-tainted-malaysia-state-boss

Radio Free Sarawak Receives International Media Award In Amman

Published by Sarawak Report on 21 May 2013.

Radio Free Sarawak received the highly prestigious Pioneer of Free Media Award from the International Press Institute at its annual conference in Amman last night.

Accompanied by two London colleagues founder Clare Rewcastle Brown received the honour on behalf of the whole RFS team of Sarawak Malaysian producers and presenters.

The award was established in 1996 to honour media or organizations which have fought to ensure freer and more independent media in their countries.

The other two honours presented by the IPI’s Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie were the World Press Freedom Hero Awards, bestowed on two highly distinguished journalists, Marie Colvin and Mika Yamamoto, who were both killed in Syria last year.

In her address to the 300 guests present at the gala dinner at the Hussein Club in Amman Alison Bethel McKenzie said:

“It is my pleasure and honour to hand the 2013 IPI Free Media Pioneer Award to Radio Free Sarawak.  Radio Free Sarawak was established by journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown and started broadcasting in November 2010 and bills itself as “the independent radio station that brings you the news you want to hear not what others want you to hear”. In practice this bold mission has involved among other things on-going attempts to expose alleged government corruption in Malaysia”

Ms Bethel McKenzie outlined how, broadcasting via shortwave radio and podcast, Radio Free Sarawak’s contributors have been detained by police and accused of possible acts of sedition by ministers in Malaysia.  Along with facing accusations of spreading malicious lies and threatening unity and harmony among races.

“During the bitterly contested 2011 Sarawak elections Radio Free Sarawak and its sister site Sarawak Report were subjected to what were believed to be deliberate, if ultimately unsuccessful efforts to silence them via cyber attacks. They have refused to be silenced. Instead they continue to broadcast loud and clear, critically and courageously”

Back on air shortly

The programme, which has taken a short recess following the election, is due back on air shortly to keep up its role informing the native people of Sarawak and hearing their views.

In her acceptance speech Clare Rewcastle Brown expressed honour and thanks for this recognition and support from the world’s oldest and most prestigious institute for international press freedom on behalf of her Sarawak Malaysian team of journalists and presenters and also on behalf of the station’s longhouse listeners.

“Malaysia is not used to a free media and we have provoked very aggressive reactions. Prominent politicians have accused us of sedition, filed police reports, accused us of poisoning the minds of the Dayak people of spreading lies, of acting as a virus and this has manifested itself in extraordinary cyber-attacks during this recent election and indeed jamming attacks as well and we find it telling that our small voice has provoked such an enormous and angry reaction in Malaysia, although it has also helped to enhance our status in many ways.  It has shown that reform is needed in the media and we will carry on our work in bringing an opportunity, a platform to some of the world’s most isolated and intimidated communities, living in the jungle far away from anyone and having that jungle cut away from under them, their rivers polluted, food becoming hard to find and really not knowing what is going on around them”.

Link: 

http://www.sarawakreport.org/2013/05/17779/?utm_source=Sarawak+Report&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ca3eb925c7-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_97635b3a5d-ca3eb925c7-208017985

Sarawak Chief Minister, his Cabinet and State Assembly now get paid TRIPLE!

Published by The Malaysian Insider on 22 May 2013.

Salaries of Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, his Cabinet and lawmakers were tripled today despite the Sarawak chief minister being linked to corruption by environmental pressure group Global Witness earlier this year.

The Sarawak state assembly approved the pay rise today, but backdated to January 1, 2012. This will involve some RM17 million, state news agency Bernama reported today.

The Members of the Administration and Members of Dewan Undangan Negeri (Remuneration, Pensions and Gratuities) Bill 2013 also provides for increased remuneration for the state assembly speaker, deputy speaker and political secretaries.

The remuneration of the chief minister (picture) will rise from RM13,000 to RM39,000; deputy chief minister, RM11,500 to RM35,000; senior minister and state assembly speaker, RM9,000 to RM30,000; ministers, RM9,000 to RM27,000; assistant ministers and assembly deputy speaker, RM7,000 to RM21,000; state assemblymen, RM4,500 to RM15,000 and political secretaries, RM3,000 to RM9,000.

The last pay adjustment for the state leadership was in 1992.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said a review of the remuneration was done in view of the increasing expectations of the people.

“Sarawak is as big as Semenanjung (the peninsula) and a lot of Members of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (state assemblymen) have to cover a large territory, particularly those who serve the rural areas,” he said.

Wong said the new bill would take effect by next week.

Last month, Taib challenged Global Witness to debate him on the issue of illegal land deals in Sarawak, and accused the international environmental activist group of having a hidden agenda by visiting Malaysia’s biggest state in a “sneaky way”.

The chief minister was cast into the international spotlight last month after Global Witness released a video documentary alleging the state Barisan Nasional chief to have received millions of ringgit in kickbacks over land deals that have denuded the Borneo state.

He refuted accusations that only five per cent of forests is left in the state, saying that the true picture can be found by looking at the state using Google’s satellite images.

Google maps the Earth using periodic shots taken using satellite imagery and aerial photography in its applications Google Earth and Google Maps.

Taib had also said that he will not co-operate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) regarding his graft allegations as he believes the government body to be “naughty” and “dishonest” in its investigations.

Link: 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sarawak-ministers-assemblymen-get-hefty-pay-hike

By Joseph Tawie. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 22 May 2013.

Thirty six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have jointly condemned the International Hydropower Association (IHA) for organising its congress in Sarawak where human rights and environmental crimes are allegedly being perpetuated.

In a statement to FMT, the groups said they were “appalled” by HA’s insistence on holding the congress in Sarawak despite being aware of global pressure on Chief Minster Taib Mahmud and the state government. “The 4th IHA Congress prides itself with the theme Advancing Sustainable Hydropower, with a dedicated session discussing sustainability, which is not only making a mockery of the importance of sustainable development but also trying to pull wool over our eyes.

“IHA cannot pretend that it is not aware of the displaced and disenfranchised indigenous communities affected by Batang Ai, Bakun and the soon-to-be completed Murum dams in Sarawak. “Delegates and supporters of the Congress cannot ignore the well- documented social disruptions and dismissed the ecological destruction these dams had caused to one of the world’s biodiversity centres by justifying hydropower as renewable energy,” the statement said.

It said that the mega dams with its destructive social and environmental impacts were not a desirable sustainable energy source or option and this had been adequately argued by the authoritative report of the World Commission on Dam way back in the year 2000.

“The sustainability claim is a sham with the state government’s declared intention to construct a dozen of new dams by 2020 as part of its industrialisation programme via the regional development plan called Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) by enticing foreign investments with cheap electricity supplies.

“This admission called to question the outdated development model favoured by the state government particularly when a large part of rural communities/population in Sarawak has no access to electricity. “Furthermore, this scandalous plan threatens to flood a further 2,300 sq km of the Sarawak rainforests and directly and indirectly affects 30,000 to 50,000 natives from 235 settlements,” it pointed out.

The statement further added that beneficiaries of this ‘damn’ plan are the business fraternity especially entities that are connected to Taib and his family. “Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) – the main sponsor of the Congress and the state power monopolist – had awarded contracts worth RM680mil to three companies closely linked to the family of the Chief Minister namely Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd, Sarawak Cable Bhd and Naim Holdings.

“We would like to call your attention to the latest report by the Bruno Manser Fund on these links which are substantiated with indisputable official documents. SEB itself is controlled by Taib’s cousin Hamid Sepawi. “CMS Bhd, an infrastructure development company which holds the monopoly of cement supply in Sarawak stands to gain from the dam scheme besides benefitting from the cheap electricity through its shareholding in a ferro alloy smelting plant in the SCORE.

“SEB granted CMS subsidiary company PPES Works, a contract worth RM23mil for the construction of the resettlement site for the victims of Murum Dam. “Sarawak Cable Bhd and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Universal Cable, secured three contracts for transmission line from SEB worth RM237mil. “Similarly, two subsidiaries of Naim Holdings Bhd – Naim Land and Naim Engineering – were granted contracts related to the dams by SEB, totalling RM406mil,” it said.

Both CMS Bhd and Sarawak Cables’ biggest shareholder is Taib’s son, Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib.

“So significant is the political link of these companies that a stock rally of CMS Bhd was reported in the two weeks after GE13 where its share price rose substantially (46%) as BN Sarawak led by Taib won convincingly in Sarawak,” the statement said.

The goup further called on IHA to stop its “green-washing attempt” on behalf of the Taib’s regime that is aided by industry players closely linked to him. “We also call upon the newly-minted ministers of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE); and Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) to address this public concern that had so far been ignored by the Federal Government.“These environmentally-destructive dams are a threat to the country’s biodiversity and our commitment to fight climate change.

“Rotting biomass and organic matters that continue to be washed from upstream into the reservoir is a big source of emission of the global warming greenhouse gas,” it said. The statement also wanted Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water to explain to Malaysians, particularly Sarawakians, how the mega dams’ scheme fits into the country’s sustainable energy policy.

It also called on the World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-M), the foremost environmental organisation in Malaysia, along with several other global conservation groups such as the Nature Conservatory to clarify the nature of their support of the IHA congress. These groups have been listed as partners at the IHA congress. Said the statement: “It is incumbent upon these organisations to ensure that their involvement is not manipulated and hijacked by IHA and the Sarawak state government.

“Finally, we reiterate our demand to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the many corrupt practices of Taib Mahmud that had been amply documented. Inaction is not an option,” it said.

The statement was endorsed by Amnesty International Malaysia, Angkatan Nasional India Malaysia (AGNI),Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAMAN), Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC),Community Action Network (CAN), Damn the Dams Action Group, Education and Research Association for Consumers (ERA Consumer), Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisation (PRIMA), Himpunan Hijau, Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM), Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT), Jawatankuasa Bertindak Wilayah dan Tanah Adat Tasik Chini, Jihad for Justice, Malaysia Youth and Democratic Movement (DEMA), Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS), Malaysian Indians Transformation Action Team (MITRA),Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET), Malaysians for Beng Hock, National Indian Rights Action Team (NIAT), People’s Welfare and Rights Coalition (POWER), Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS), Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Persatuan Shing An KL & Selangor Women Section, Pertubuhan Pembangunan Wanita Malaysia PJ New Town Branch, Pusat Komas, Rakan Pakatan Rakyat (RAPAT), Respect all Race and Religion of Malaysia (RARE), Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Social-Economic Committee of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, SPNS, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Tamilar Action Force (TAF), Tenaganita, Transparency International Malaysia, Water and Energy Consumers’ Association and Women Section of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

Link:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/22/groups-slam-iha-for-%E2%80%98backing%E2%80%99-taib/

Longhouse folk without electricity.

Jangan Mempolitikkan Pelaksanaan Undang-undang

PUTRAJAYA, 20 Mei (Bernama) — Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi mengingatkan pemimpin pembangkang supaya tidak mempolitikkan segala pelaksanaan dan tindakan pihak berkuasa dalam usaha memelihara keamanan dan kesejahteraan negara.

Pihak berkenaan boleh menghadapi risiko besar sekiranya terus berbuat demikian, katanya pada sidang media selepas memulakan tugas hari pertama sebagai menteri dalam negeri.

“(Penasihat DAP) Lim Kit Siang dan (Setiausaha Agung DAP) Lim Guan Eng harus membezakan antara objektif politik, langkah politik dengan pelaksanaan undang-undang. Jangan mempolitikkan segala pelaksanaan undang-undang yang dilaksanakan oleh IGP (ketua polis negara) atau lain-lain agensi yang berada di bawah KDN,” katanya.

Ahmad Zahid berkata ketua polis negara, ketua-ketua jabatan dan agensi di bawah KDN, diberi kuasa sepenuhnya bagi melaksanakan tugas dan tanggungjawab mereka mengikut bidang kuasa masing-masing, tanpa campur tangan politik.

Sebarang tindakan yang dilakukan di bawah KDN tidak boleh dianggap sebagai tindakan bermotifkan politik, tetapi berlandaskan kepada asas-asas perundangan yang sedia ada, katanya.

Beliau mengingatkan bahawa kerajaan tidak lagi memberi amaran, sebaliknya akan mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap mana-mana pihak yang bertindak di luar batasan menjejaskan ketenteraman awam negara.

“Kami tidak akan berkompromi untuk mengambil tindakan sebagaimana yang termaktub dalam undang-undang, akta dan enakmen yang sedia ada, katanya.

Menyentuh kenyataan pemimpin-pemimpin pembangkang berhubung beberapa perkara berkaitan kenyataan beliau baru-baru ini, soal perundangan, pilihan raya dan sebagainya, Ahmad Zahid berkata perkara itu boleh dipertikai di Parlimen.

“Sebagai orang politik, kita berjumpa di gelanggang politik, gelanggangnya bukan di jalanan, bukan di padang terbuka, tetapi di Dewan Rakyat. Jangan gunakan forum di tempat lain,” jelas beliau.

Ahmad Zahid turut membidas Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang meminta beliau supaya tidak menjadikan negara ini seperti milik keluarganya

“Negeri ini pun bukan negeri bapa dia punya. Memang bukan (milik) bapa saya. Ini (pun) bukan negeri bapa dia,” katanya.

Anggota Parlimen Bagan Datoh itu dibidas kerana membuat kenyataan menggesa mereka yang tidak berpuas hati dengan keputusan pilihan raya di Malaysia supaya berhijrah ke negara di mana mereka boleh mempraktikkan kepercayaan politik mereka.

Ahmad Zahid juga berkata bagi memastikan pelaksanaan KDN berjalan lancar, cadangan, pandangan dan kerjasama padu daripada semua pihak dialu-alukan, selain kritikan dan teguran.

“Kami perlukan sokongan dan dukungan daripada masyarakat keseluruhannya, ini termasuk pemimpin-pemimpin politik, sama ada dalam kerajaan mahupun di luar kerajaan, NGO, individu dan institusi.

“Bukan sekadar memberikan maklum balas, aduan atau rungutan tetapi memberikan cadangan dan kerjasama kepada apa yang sedia ada dalam perundangan,, peruntukan yang digaris pandukan. Ia bukan untuk kepentingan politik kami,” katanya...

Asal berita :

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/newsindex.php?id=950863

Himpunan Blackout Johor Bahru: Change of Venue

IGP’s got it wrong, rally is legal

By K Pragalath. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 8 May 2013.

The Inspector General of Police is working with a wrong understanding of the law relating to protest rallies, said a lawyer today. IGP Ismail Omar’s declaration that a rally tonight by Pakatan Rakyat is illegal shows he is still working with the mindset of section 27 of the Police Act.

“Section 27 of the Police Act has been replaced with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. There is no such thing as permits under the PAA,” said civil liberties lawyer, Syahredzan Johan. He said this in response to Ismail’s declaration that the rally led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim tonight in Kelana Jaya Stadium is illegal.

“The organiser must comply with the PAA. Marching without a permit, aimed at arousing anger, is wrong according to the law,” declared the IGP. “Comply with the law and use the correct channel to apply for a permit from the district police chief,” national news agency Bernama quoted Ismail Omar as saying yesterday. Ismail added that those who took part in the rally tonight will be arrested.

Police cannot declare rally illegal

Anwar called for the rally following allegations that the 13th general election that took place on Sunday was fraught with cheating and irregularities.

Syahredzan also explained the limitations of the police under the PAA. Among others, he said the police cannot declare a rally illegal. “No rallies can be declared illegal under the PAA. The organisers can only be charged for not notifying the OCPD of the rally.” The act states that rally organisers are required to notify the police 10 days prior to the rally. “Rally participants cannot be charged for attending the rally. They are not committing an offence unless they bring their underaged children."

Link:

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/08/igps-got-it-wrong-rally-is-legal/

Himpunan Blackout 505 coming to JB!

#GE13 More clarity needed on Public Order Act: Voices

From Edwin Dai. Published by Singapore Law Watch on 8 May 2013.

Last month, it was reported that six Malaysians were investigated by the police for holding a public assembly without a permit and were warned that “foreigners should refrain from importing their domestic political activities into Singapore” (“Police investigating voting drive”, April 16).

On May 2, only days before the Malaysian general election, Mr Abdul Ghani Othman, who was contesting the parliamentary seat of Gelang Patah, travelled to Singapore, and his trip received much media coverage.

It is in the interest of the public for the police to clarify the ambit of the Public Order Act.

The definition of “assembly” under the Public Order Act, Section 2(1), refers to a gathering or meeting of persons for the purpose (or one of the purposes) of demonstrating support for or opposition to the views or actions of any person, group of persons or any government; publicising a cause or campaign; or marking or commemorating any event. It also includes a demonstration by a person alone for any such purposes.

There appears to be inconsistency in the way the two situations were handled. A plea for Malaysians to perform a national duty was deemed to constitute an illegal assembly.

On the other hand, a trip by a (now former) Barisan Nasional (BN) Member of Parliament to Singapore, where he aired his thoughts on the coming election, was given media coverage. The purpose of his visit may be reasonably construed by some as an attempt to canvass support for BN from Malaysians residing in Singapore.

There is a need for the authorities to clarify the Public Order Act and its enforcement. Specifically, it is unclear whether Mr Abdul Ghani’s visit flouted the Public Order Act or, at the very least, was in direct opposition to the police’s position on “foreigners” and their “domestic political activities”.

Link: 

http://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/slw/headlinesnews/24653-more-clarity-needed-on-public-order-act-voices.html#.UY_EWOhxnEw.facebook

Malaysia #GE13: US notes concern about irregularities

Published by The Straits Times Singapore on 8 May 2013.

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The White House on Wednesday congratulated Malaysia's prime minister on his coalition's election victory but urged the government to address concerns about election irregularities.

"We note concerns regarding reported irregularities in the conduct of the election, and believe it is important that Malaysian authorities address concerns that have been raised," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. "We look forward to the outcome of their investigations."

Prime Minister Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional coalition extended its 56-year rule but recorded its worst-ever election performance in Sunday's election. His party won 133 seats in Malaysia's 222-member parliament, seven fewer than in 2008 and short of the two-thirds majority it had hoped for.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's People's Alliance won 89 seats, a big increase from seven in 2008. Mr Anwar has said the result was tainted by electoral fraud and scheduled a large rally in Kuala Lumpur to press for electoral reforms.

The Malaysian government rejected charges of electoral fraud and has accused Mr Anwar of seeking to cause unrest with the rally.

The election was one of the most closely contested in Malaysia in years and Mr Najib is expected to face a party leadership challenge that may cost him his leadership by the end of the year because of the weak showing.

He had hoped to strengthen the ruling coalition's majority in parliament with the help of a strong economy, reforms to roll back race-based policies and US$2.6 billion (S$3.2 billion) in spending programmes benefiting poor families.

Mr Najib is now seen as having a difficult time in persuading his allies to press ahead with economic reforms and the phasing out of policies favoring ethnic Malays over other groups.

Link:

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/se-asia/story/malaysia-ge13-us-notes-concern-about-irregularities-20130508

#GE13: What happened and what it means - Written by John Malott, former US ambassador

Published by Malaysia Chronicle on 8 May 2013.

Barisan Nasional (BN), the political coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that has ruled Malaysia for over five decades, won both the national and state elections this past Sunday, May 5. But for the first time in more than four decades, they lost the popular vote. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won 52% of all votes cast, compared to BN’s 46.5%.

Both the number of voters and the turnout rate of 85% were the highest in the nation’s history, a reflection of the strong interest in this year’s elections. For the first time in history, Malaysia’s voters had a real choice between two strong political forces, with two distinct visions of Malaysia’s future. (See http://www.theislamicmonthly.com/may-5-malaysias-fate-will-be-decided/)

Malaysia’s election commission announced that BN won 133 out of 222 seats in the national Parliament, a drop of seven seats since the 2008 elections. The government also failed to attain the two-thirds majority that is needed to amend Malaysia’s constitution. However, BN’s victory means that it will hold 60% of the seats in Parliament, despite receiving less than half of the national vote. That is the result of the gerrymandering of electoral districts and also the gross imbalance in the size of those districts, which can range from less than 25,000 to over 100,000 voters. That tends to benefit rural districts, where the BN is strong, at the expense of urban voters, who favor the opposition.

In every election there are reports of voter fraud, “phantom voters,” and vote buying. The general consensus among political experts is that in past years it did not affect the ultimate outcome. This year, however, the picture is more confused. There are numerous and well-documented reports of vote buying and illegal voting. The indelible ink that the Election Commission used turned out to be easily removable.

As a consequence, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has refused so far to accept the results and says he will address the nation at a rally on Wednesday evening. The civic group Bersih, which has been leading the call for free and fair elections for several years, announced that it also is withholding recognition of the new government until its fact-finding mission is completed and public hearings are held. The group’s leader, attorney Ambiga Sreenevasan, said that the election commission “has failed to ensure a clean, free and fair election process.”

Najib lost the urban Malay vote

The ruling coalition’s victory was not good news for all its constituent parties, however. In years past the BN was seen as a multi-racial political grouping, composed of ethnic Malay, Chinese, and Indian parties. But that is no longer true. The United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, now clearly dominates the coalition. Of BN’s 122 seats, UMNO can claim 109 of them, up from 79 in the last elections, which were held in 2008.

Meanwhile MCA, the Chinese ethnic party, won only six seats; in the 2004 and 2008 elections, it won 31 and 15 seats, respectively. Gerakan, another Chinese party, fell from 10 seats in 2004 to just one seat on Sunday. The ethnic Indian party MIC won only four seats. UMNO’s Chinese and Indian partners basically are disappearing as major political forces in Malaysia.

As for UMNO, its gains came primarily in the rural areas. As before, it took a major drubbing in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and in Malaysia’s most important and economically advanced states, Selangor and Penang. For the first time, it lost seats in the State of Johor, another important economic center next to Singapore.

Although Najib and others say that they lost votes because of a Chinese “tsunami” and “racial polarization,” that is not the whole story. They also lost the urban Malay vote, just as they did in 2008. Kadir Jasin, who was the longtime editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times (which is owned by UMNO), wrote that it is not just a Chinese tsunami; it is also a Malaysian tsunami “that is centered on the aspirations and a new reality, especially among young voters.”

The opposition picked up 22 seats from the government coalition and made inroads for the first time into the states of Johor, Sabah, and Sarawak. But UMNO was able to wrest 15 seats back from the opposition, all in rural Malay areas. Rural Malaysian voters generally are seen as less sophisticated than their urban cousins, and they are less likely to have access to the internet and alternative media that the opposition used. Instead they rely on television, radio, and newspapers — all of which are under control of the government and the ruling party. They were barraged continuously with pro-government, anti-opposition propaganda and told that Malay privileges would be taken away if the opposition came to power, that Islam would be abolished as the official religion, and that a Chinese would become Prime Minister. With low income levels, they were vulnerable to the cash handouts that Najib’s government made to them, using public monies.

What happens now?

Opposition may yet have its day

Najib was sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday, May 6 and will form his government shortly. Anwar will address the nation on Wednesday, and stories of electoral fraud will continue to swirl.

Before the elections, Anwar said that if the opposition loses, he will step down from politics. But Anwar personally was reelected to Parliament, and he is likely to continue as leader of the opposition. If he quits now, it would be a major setback to the opposition.

As for Najib, his leadership of his party likely will come under challenge. Although he and the government “won,” it was their worst showing in history. The number of seats held by the governing coalition in Parliament and the state houses went down. They lost the popular vote at both the national and the state levels. Najib’s opponents within the party no doubt already are thinking about how to bring him down by the time of the party elections later this year. Behind the scenes, that could involve leaking details of the various allegations of corruption that surround Najib and his wife.

Najib’s likely successor is the current Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who famously said, “I am a Malay first and a Malaysian second.” Muhyiddin is not seen as a reformer; to the contrary, he is seen as a product of the “UMNO system.”

Because BN achieved its support this year primarily from the Malays and especially the rural Malay community, Muhyiddin and his associates are likely to resist any attempt by Najib to reach out to other ethnic communities or to ease the special privileges that so many Malays have come to see as their birth right. Utusan, the Malay-language daily that serves as UMNO’s mouthpiece, had a two page headline on Tuesday, screaming in red ink, “What More Do the Chinese Want?” Najib, who had promised national reconciliation the day before, defended the paper.

Because these same politicians have benefited from their close relationships to certain businessmen (and the businessmen in turn have benefited from their relations with the politicians), they also are likely to resist any serious efforts at economic reform. The markets clearly signaled this the day after the elections, when the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange’s composite index (KLCI) hit a record high. The KLCI is composed of just 31 stocks, most of which are the companies of the so-called “cronies.” Rather than a vote of confidence in the prospects for reform, it just as easily could be seen as a signal that the markets expect “business as usual” to continue in Malaysia, so buying stock in those companies therefore is a good investment.

Therein lies the irony and the difficulty for UMNO. If it wants to appeal to the “new Malaysia” — the Malaysia that voted against it and for the opposition last Sunday — then it has to change the very nature of its being. But if it does that, then it risks losing the support of those who have kept it in power.

All this provides yet another chance for the opposition. The demographics of Malaysia are changing in its favor. The nation is becoming younger and more urban, and more aware of what is happening in the outside world. The opposition may yet have its day in Malaysia.

http://www.theislamicmonthly.com/malaysia-elections-what-happened-and-what-it-means/

Link: 

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=98141:malaysia-elections-what-happened-and-what-it-means-former-us-ambassador&Itemid=2