Courageous Heart

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Slanderous attacks on Facebook against East Malaysians

By K Pragalath and Joseph Tawie. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 12 September 2012.

The vilification of East Malaysians seems to be taking a turn for the worse with the latest foul rantings on Facebook site ‘Semenanjung Anti-Sarawak’. The page which started two years had its first posting on May 21, barely a month after the massive Bersih 3.0 gathering calling for free and fair elections in Kuala Lumpur which saw some 300 Sarawakians taking part. However the Facebook page was removed earlier today.

All posting which were in Malay, spewed derogatory remarks about Sarawakians in general and those who lived in the peninsula. Among the milder language postings, was one on July 6, which said: “Sarawak is a scoundrel state that embarrasses Malaysia,… %^& Sarawak Idiot” and another that read “Sarawak goons, when are you getting out of Malaysia? Am sick of seeing Sarawakian idiots in the Peninsular”.

It also cast aspersions against Christianity. Sarawak has a vastly Christian population. The postings have shocked Sarawakians who’ve bombarded the page with thousands of angry comments. Many readers have criticised the writer for putting up such postings.

Meanwhile Sarawak police commissioner Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani when cornered at a function yesterday expressed puzzle over the postings. He said no reports have reached him thus far and believed that the Facebook posting were the work of irresponsible parties aiming to stoke trouble. Acryl said he would be directing the CID and Commercial Crime Department to look into the matter. “We’ll launch an investigation if the content on those pages were found to have broken laws under the Communications and Multimedia Act,” he said.

Police reports lodged

Meanwhile in another development, two component parties of Pakatan Rakyat – PKR and DAP – today lodged separate police reports against the anti-Sarawak postings. State PKR Youth wing vice president Simon Siah and Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei lodged the report at the Simpang Tiga police station for their respective parties. Also present were state DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How.

In lodging the report, Siah urged the police to look into the ‘anti-Sarawak’ postings in the Facebook which has been in existence for quite a while. “All the comments made by these people are very degrading towards Sarawakians especially our Dayak friends, talking about Dayaks very dirty and smelly, uncouth, and so on. “We know this is not true. But if the police are not going to do anything about this, the police are actually encouraging these people to belittle the Dayaks.

“This is downright and plain racist, and totally unacceptable as it will create tensions between Sarawakians and Peninsular Malaysians. “It will create problems in the efforts to integrate Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia,” Siah said in reference to postings on the Semenanjung Anti-Sarawak Facebook site. Siah also urged more people to come forward, including BN component parties, and lodge police reports against the site because “such postings affect everyone of us and is a criminal issue.”

Attack on Sabah culture

Less than 24 hours ago, a blog called Suara Pakatan Rakyat, demeaned Sabah’s Kadazan Dusun community’s traditional Sumazau dance. The blog, which claimed itself to be pro Pakatan, described sumazau as fit only for those with “low morals”.

The sumazu dance was thrust into the spotlight when Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, attempted the dance during the the first day of Aidilfitri celebration on Aug 19. In condemning Najib, the post said the dance was a “stupid looking dance, mimicking the flapping of birds’ wings” and that “we in the Peninsular are far more modern and civilised, no need to mimick birds.”

In an immediate response PKR strategy director, Rafizi Ramli denied that Suara Pakatan Rakyat had anything to do with Pakatan. “That is an Umno blog attempting to show that Pakatan is at odds with Sabah people. It even confuses our supporters,” said Rafizi.

Link:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/12/vile-attack-on-sarawakians-christianity/

Two-thirds of M'sians oppose 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower

Published by Malaysiakini on 24 Dec 2010.

A survey by independent pollster Merdeka Centre has revealed that almost two-thirds of Malaysians are against the federal government’s plan to build the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

When did it become 'okay' to bag Christianity?

By STEPHANIE BROWN. Published by www.mamamia.com.au on 11 September 2012.

The mother in my radius this week was discussing her reasons for wanting to move out of the area in which we live. Top of her list, the thing she dislikes most about our leafy suburbia, is that everyone is religious; she perceives we live in a bible belt.

She went on to talk about the large percentage of parents and children in her son’s class who were involved with a church. She vented about feeling in the minority, saying that although people didn’t talk to her about their faith, she felt they were ‘preachy’.

All in all, it seemed that there was little evidence of actual problems or encounters, quite simply she didn’t like it, she didn’t like them. People weren’t like her and this made her uncomfortable.

The reactions were mixed. Some nodded politely, and some had confused looks on their faces. Some went as far as to point out that their experience was quite different, but no one directly challenged her, and I believe she would have walked away thinking people were in agreement with her.

I sat there pondering. I couldn’t help but feel I was caught up in a moment that could be somewhat farcical. If she had said she wanted to leave an area because she didn’t like that there were a group of Asian or Middle Eastern people, it would have been met with shock.

If she had said she was miserable because there were so many homosexual people she would have been heatedly challenged. If she had singled out any other group, even any other religious group, I think it would be seen as being narrow minded and intolerant, and she would have been put in her place.

In contrast, it seemed it was socially acceptable to isolate and attach negative stigma to people involved in the Christian faith. In essence, it was stereotyping and placing prejudice on a group of people without knowing or experiencing them as individuals.

Without getting into the nuts and bolts of whether the area is in fact a bible belt, I have felt uncomfortable about that conversation. It seemed to reinforce a trend, where people with a Christian faith in Australia are free game to be joked about or spoken of negatively in the paper, on the radio and in comic sketches.

You only have to look at regular columns in mainstream papers to find numerous examples of this kind of treatment. The jokes and criticism are often entertaining, and in some cases valid, but I have some level of concern. If the mainstream media took this approach to any other group it would be inappropriate and unacceptable. So why is it tolerated in this case?

Is it because Christianity is perceived to be the institution so many have experienced and are rebelling against? Is it acceptable to generalise and stereotype because most Australians have had some personal contact and experience so, as they see it, they are insulting their own and not a vulnerable minority group? Or do people really have such horrid experiences relating to Christians that their treatment seems valid? I really don’t know the answer, but I have some hopes that things will change.

Surely we should be aiming to remove stereotyping, generalising, pulling down, slandering and discriminating against any one group completely, not just selectively. I want my children to grow up in a world where these things are never acceptable, without exceptions.

I hope this mother can learn a few things. I hope she can learn to put aside her own experiences and prejudices and treat these people like individuals without projecting a uniform typecast on them. I hope she can teach her son that although he may be in the minority in his class, he will still have many things in common with his peers and to look for those commonalities rather than the differences.

I hope she can stop publicly making negative statements about a broad group of people based solely on their belief system. I hope she can extend the courtesy and respect to others that she demands for herself.

And more than anything, at ballet this week, I hope I can find the words to challenge her, because although it sounds more politically correct when couched in an atheistic viewpoint, to be that prejudiced and generalising towards one group is still pretty ugly.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

EPF buying Felda shares as stock price hits NEW LOW

By Lee Wei Lian. Published by The Malaysian Insider on 11 September 2012.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/epf-buying-fgvh-as-shares-hit-new-lows/

The Employers Provident Fund (EPF) has been accumulating shares of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) even as shares of the plantation giant sank to a new low yesterday, closing at RM4.68 a share or just 13 sen above its issuing price. According to filings with Bursa Malaysia, the country's largest pension fund's stake in FGVH have increased 5.4 per cent since September 3, the day before FGVH plunged below the RM5 mark.

The pension fund also recently spent RM2.4 billion to take over the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) land in Sungai Buloh that will be turned into a township. It is mandatory for private sector workers to contribute to the fund, which is managed by representatives from the government and unions. EPF now holds a 6.98 per cent stake in the group, up from 6.62 per cent on September 3 and sharply higher than the 5.01 per cent stake it held on July 12.

The plantation group reported disappointing profits for the second quarter, which was down 32.5 per cent from a year earlier due to lower palm oil harvests, increases in operating costs, and lower contribution from its sugar subsidiary MSM Holdings.

FGVH was the second largest initial public offer (IPO) in the world this year and its shares rose 20 per cent in the first day of trading to RM5.46 but have been in a general downward trajectory since. The Malaysian palm oil industry has also been under pressure from low prices, which have declined more than eight per cent this year. Stock piles for the commodity hit 2.13 million tonnes, a 10-month record yesterday sending prices lower for the fifth day in a row.

FGVH could also struggle with its ageing oil palm trees that account for 53 per cent of the 320,000 hectares of oil palm estates which rank among the highest in the industry and a replanting exercise would mean even more loss of income for the group during the period it takes for trees to mature.

FGVH also reportedly suffers from a productivity in terms of tonnes per hectare that ranks as the third lowest among the major Malaysian plantations firms.

HwangDBS Vickers Research has a "HOLD" call on FGVH saying that it offers limited upside to its target price of RM5.05 but the counter also offers a steady cash flow and a 50 per cent dividend payout policy.

Malaysia is the world's second largest palm oil producer, after Indonesia which for years supplied the manpower needs for Malaysian plantations. But the flow of Indonesian workers have stopped in recent years, prompting Malaysia to revisit plans to lift a ban on Bangladeshi workers. Planters say Malaysia needs an additional 40,000 foreign workers if it was to meet this year's target of 19.3 million tonnes output.

If my friend, Pirates of Putrajaya had been a little bit more patient, he will find his views on the FGV vindicated. Probably he underestimated the will of the government to use GLCs under its control to shore up the FGV price.

Nevertheless, his views will be vindicated soon and I and millions of others hope he will come back into blogosphere to share with us, his rapier sharp analyses.

What Najib is doing right now is just putting out fires. He forgot that it all needed but a single spark to light up the prairie fire.

He has given an advance of RM15,000 each to Felda family. I hear, full payment hasn’t been given out yet. Perhaps Felda will use its gain of RM5.99 billion to pay the balance of what has been promised by Najib. Felda pays unto itself using its own money.

He has given almost RM43 million as raya bonus. Each family got around RM382. That amount was useful to buy cookies, lemang , fresh meats and maybe new curtains for the missus. Because of the drop in FGV share price, he has also announced that Felda will pay for the settlers’ purchase of FGV shares. Once again, that will probably come from the RM5.99 billion.

Finally to placate the settlers’ anger, he has announced that Felda will pay for PTPTN loans taken by the Felda children.

That is his economic strategy. We don’t have to go the Chicago, Princeton, Oxford or Cambridge to do that. Not even Nottingham.

What was the real agenda really? Maybe all this corporate bullshit was about saving FGV. It has done extensive futures trading and had incurred huge losses. That was why some brainy people came up with the idea, the only way to save FGV was to have it buy out KPF’s share in Felda Holdings and go for listing.

At closing time today, FGV share was RM 4.68, earning the holders of the stock a premium of 13 sen. If Najib hadn’t come up with the brilliant idea of ordering Felda to finance settlers’ purchase, each settler ends up with a RM94.70 loss.

Actually FGV bought out Felda Holdings to save itself. It has incurred heavy losses doing futures trading. We don’t know how much FGV got by selling its shares. There was no cash payment involved as the purchase was financed by the issue of new shares which were sold to the public through the IPO. Part of the proceeds were used by Felda to pay its EPF loan amounting to RM6 billion. Then EPF is instructed to buy FGV shares, now it owns 7% of FGV bought for RM 1.2 billion. Foreign interests are selling down to cut down losses.

What is even more pernicious and atrocious is the betrayal to Felda people. 360,000 hectares of land have been forfeited which could be used in future to create 80,000 new settlers.

It's dark days looming over Felda and no amount of PR exercise can mitigate the anger that is shoring up. There is a tsunami looming over Felda. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

Saturday, September 8, 2012

FGVH, 3rd largest IPO in Malaysia, shares dropped again!

Published by Harakahdaily on 8 September 2012.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/5684-felda-shares-drop-again-as-anak-fears-loan-burden-on-settlers.html

Share prices of Felda Global Venture Holding dropped another 7 sen today, closing at RM4.78 to continue its steady slide, and whistleblower group National Felda Settlers’ Children Association (ANAK) said the development was worrying because each settler was made to take bank loan to purchase ‘free’ 800 shares.

“Our worry is when it is losing, because then it will be borne by shareholders who bought the shares using loans which must be inclusive of the five percent interest. "Are Felda settlers prepared to take the risk?” asked ANAK chairman Mazlan Aliman as quoted by the Selangorku website.

On prime minister Najib Razak’s promise that the loans would be transferred to Felda so that settlers need to pay interest for next five years at RM50 a month, Mazlan claimed the promise had yet to be materialised. “In some complaints, when settlers queried the bank about the matter, the bank claimed ignorance about the matter (transfer of loans),” said Mazlan, adding that the situation has turned into one of confusion.

Mazlan said ANAK would write to the Agong to seek his response to the memorandum sent by the Save Felda Movement (GSF) during its mammoth rally dubbed 'Himpunan Oren' on July 14. The memorandum touched on how the listing would deprive Felda settlers of land and assets, the negative impact of the 99-year land lease to FGVH, the questionable credibility of Felda chairman Isa Samad, and settlers’ loss of income. The Agong was also urged to use his powers to scrap the listing plan and to distribute the Felda reserve land to the second generation of settlers.

This is the second largest initial public offering in the world this year after that of Nasdaq's Facebook Inc. It is also the third largest ever IPO in Malaysia. FGVH is the world's third largest oil palm operator, according to business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

FGVH's proposed listing had met with opposition from some quarters, and which Felda chairman Tan Sri Isa Abdul Samad expects to continue. “I am sure these people will continue to lie and do things to tarnish the image of FGVH,” he said. “They want our share price to drop so that they can agitate the Felda settlers,” he said here yesterday. FGVH's IPO raised RM10.4bil and attracted strong demand from both foreign and domestic investors despite the volatile market conditions worldwide.

Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Tajuddin Atan said FGVH's listing had amplified Malaysia's position in global capital markets. “Malaysia has been widely reported to be Asia's top IPO (initial public offering) destination so far this year, ahead of Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” he said. “This has strengthened our quest to become the leading marketplace in Asia.”

Meanwhile, FGVH group president Sabri Ahmad said the company had begun formulating plans and strategies to grow its business. “We will focus on our upstream business to be among the leading players in oil palm, rubber and sugar,” he added.

Cornerstone investors in FGVH include Qatar Holding LLC, Fidelity Investment Management (Hong Kong), Value Partners Hong Kong Ltd, Employees Provident Fund, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Lembaga Tabung Haji, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan), American International Assurance Bhd and Hong Leong Foundation.

Were the 5 charges against Suaram company politically motivated?

By Teoh El Sen. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 8 September 2012.

Pro-establishment Malay rights groups demanded to know why Suaram was registered as a company, Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, with a paid-up capital of RM2. Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) and Perkasa have accused the NGO of being funded by foreign powers to “destabilise the peace of the country”.

The Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) then raided Suaram’s offices and found that the company was suspected of having breached the Companies Act 1965 for carrying out activities unrelated to the purpose of its establishment as a business.

More recently, Germany’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Guenter Georg Gruber, admitted to channelling funds to Suara Inisiatif to finance specific project initiatives. In response, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman asked for an explanation of the funding, saying that it could be “seen as interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state” because the Malaysian government considers Suaram to be politically-biased.

Suaram has consistently denied any wrondoings and in defence, claim that the timing of the checks were clearly “political” as the NGO has been aggressively highlighting the suspected corruption in the Scorpene scandal, which implicates Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong has revealed that Suaram receives money from Finland, the United States, Canada and various state governments in Malaysia, as well as donations from citizens. He argues that Suaram was a registered company as the authorities have traditionally made it difficult for vocal NGOs to be properly registered as a society.

Even the Malaysia government received foreign funding but nobody has accused it of being a 'foreign agent', argues United Nations Special Rapporteur, Maina Kiai.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/08/suaram-company-to-face-five-charges/
Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) has identified five charges under the Companies Act 1965 to be made against Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd (Suara Inisiatif)... He said the action taken against Suara Inisiatif was not politically motivated, but because of the offence it allegedly committed.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Goverment’s valuation ‘too conservative’

By Leven Woon. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 7 September 2012.

Upset Pengerang landowners will engage a surveyor to revalue their properties following the state government's shocking compensation of RM2.50 per sq ft.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/07/govt%E2%80%99s-valuation-too-conservative-says-surveyor/

An independent surveyor has backed Pengerang residents in their demand for higher compensation for their demolition-bound homes. According to a land surveying firm director Tan Beng Sooi, the valuations offered by the authorities – RM2.50 and RM4.50 per sq foot – were too conservative. He said the figures did not reflect the full potential of the land.

“It is very low, and to my understanding, the valuation was done before October 2011. They did not take into account the current market value,” said the Johor-Baru based surveyor. More than 50 residents from Kampung Sungai Kapal, Kampung Jawa and Kampung Teluk Empang were the first batch of some 30,000 affected people to receive the land valuation offer.

The offer was made to them at a public hearing in Desaru on Monday. It was the first time they were told about the price offered. Their properties are to be acquired for the contentious RM60 billion Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID), a project spearheaded by Petronas.

Fuming at the shockingly cheap offer, the residents said they would engage a lawyer and surveyor to revalue their properties. Tan, in a valuation report done for Pengerang earlier this year, had pointed out that the properties should be priced between RM12 per sq ft and RM15 per sq ft.

Six weeks to decide

When contacted yesterday, he expressed surprise at the figures offered by the Johor government and district land office. “Earlier this year there was a bungalow sold at RM40 per sq ft in Taman Rengit, Kampung Sungai Kapal,” he said. Tan doubted if the authorities had taken into account the villagers who operate fish farms in the areas, who would suffer a loss of income once they are relocated.

“What about the temples and places of worship? Have they drawn a new site for relocation?” he asked. He added that the authorities should not have begun the public hearing only now, since they planned to complete the entire relocation process by April next year. The residents are given six weeks from the day they receive the offer to make a decision.

The Johor government is planning to acquire some 8,094ha of land in Pengerang for the development of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC). About 2,550ha will be developed by Petronas RAPID, while 544ha will be for the Pengerang Independent Deepwater Petroleum Terminal.

(Photo courtesy of Kampungku, Suaraku facebook page.)

Villagers affected by the land acquisition process in Pengerang will receive their compensation in cash within 14 days, following their acceptance of the award. The assurance given by the state government is for the ongoing public hearing on land acquisition award that started September 3 this year, for villagers whose land were affected by the RAPID project located within the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC).

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, in a statement today, said the first phase of the public hearing from September 3-14 will enable three villagers affected to state their case on government compensation for their acquired land and properties.

The three villagers affected are part of Kampung Sungai Kapal, Kampung Teluk Empang and Kampung Langkah Baik, he said. The public hearing implementation according to him was based on Land Acquisition Act 1960 and the affected villagers need not worry about their rights because it would be done according to provisions of the act.

“The compensation offered will be based on valuations conducted by the Valuation and Property Service Department based on prevailing market prices at the time before section 4 was gazetted. It will not be arbitrarily decided by the state government,” said Abdul Ghani. — Bernama