Bersih 3.0: Police car crash victim speaks out

By Kow Gah Chie | May 2, 2012
Malaysiakini

Coming out to admit that he is one of the four Bersih 3.0 rally protesters a police car crashed into outside the Sogo shopping complex on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman last Saturday, Su Kuang Hong said he was doing so to clear the air on the matter.

He was coming forward, Su said, because of the efforts by the police to paint the crowd as an angry mob of rioters and to refute the inspector-general of police (IGP) Ismail Omar’s statement that there was no one pinned underneath the police car after the crash.

“I was hit by a Proton Waja police car,” said Su, 25, who is warded at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

He claimed he was hit at the back and the impact threw him on to the bonnet of the car, which continued to move and its sudden stop soon after sent him crashing against a wall in front of Sogo.

As a result, Su obtained at least five injuries – on his forehead, jaw, wrist and thigh.

Su works as a service engineer with a government-linked company and is the first victim of the crash to speak up.

In an interview with Malaysiakini yesterday, Su said he lodged two police reports earlier yesterday.

He said the police officer who attended to him said he was the third complainant to lodge a report on the incident.

“I lodged the report because I want to be a piece of the puzzle so that the truth can be uncovered, and I need a record to claim my medical expenses,” Su said.

Trapped in a coffee shop for an hour

Su said he had an expensive medical bill, totalling RM6,789, because he needed treatment at a private hospital as well, with experts to ascertain if he had suffered internal injuries.

Su comes from a big family and he said on the rally day, he and 21 of his relatives went to Kuala Lumpur for the rally. Some of his relatives even flew back from Sabah and as far as China to take part in Bersih 3.0.

He said this was the first time he was taking part in a public protest because he wanted to see clean and fair elections held in the country.

Su and his relatives arrived at the city centre in the morning, and it was all over for them by 3pm and they went to have a drink at a coffee shop at Wisma Bandar on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

“Then came the attack, the coffee shop operator acted fast and closed the main door… and we saw from inside how the police arrested protesters,” he said.

“Tear gas filtered into the coffee shop. It was hot and we had to struggle to breathe… our faces and eyes were burning from the chemicals,” he said, adding that he spent one long and painful hour in the shop.

Su and his friends got back to the street to go home at around 4pm and he started looking for his other relatives who could not join them inside the coffee shop before the doors were closed.

“We went back to the Bandaraya LRT station, but it was closed, and we came under siege again, with the tear gas attacks coming from both sides,” he said.

Su said he was contacting his cousin with his mobile phone, while standing with the crowd in the middle of the closed road, when he saw a car driven towards them.

Saw the driver, but he seemed conscious

“I saw the police Proton Waja coming towards me (from the direction of Pertama Complex) and I ran towards Sogo to avoid being hit, but the car too headed the same way and I was hit,” Su said.

He was in great pain and felt dizzy after the crash, but was still conscious.

When he was taken into an ambulance van for treatment, he saw a police officer in uniform already inside and suspected he was the driver of the police car.

Some protesters, he said, opened the ambulance door and shouted angry words at the officer. A few blamed him, saying, “Itu sebab you… ada orang cedera (because of you, some people are injured).

“I was feeling physically hurt, but I felt no anger towards the police officer,” Su said.

Su noted the police officer moved agilely when asked by ambulance staff to move further into the vehicle, as the ambulance needed to fit in another wounded man on a stretcher.

The police officer who drove the Proton Waja that day, Mohamad Kamil Paimin, told the media that he had passed out, resulting in the crash, and be recovered consciousness only after receiving treatment at the hospital.

Su also showed two video clips that have been posted online after the incident with his laptop, and pointed to a man wearing a white shirt.

“That guy in white shirt, with both legs pointed to the sky, is me,” he said, pointing to the screen.

The video clip, titled “Kejadian sebenar Polis langgar 4 peserta BERSIH 3.0 depan SOGO (Real truth of police hitting 4 Bersih participants in front Sogo)”, is a one-minute clip showing the police car plunging into the crowd.

Another seven-minute clip titled “Insiden kereta polis langgar peserta Bersih (Incident of police car hitting Bersih participants)”, offers a more complete picture of the scene.

Police not entirely to be blamed

Su said the crash wasn’t entirely the police car driver’s fault for he had spotted something hit the man while he was driving.

He is also unhappy with the scene showing a few protesters attacking the police officer, saying it should have been a peaceful rally.

Asked about IGP Ismail’s denial that the police car hit protesters, Su said this was nothing unusual and from what he usually reads in news, the country’s leaders tend to distort the facts.

Su admitted he hesitated to lodge a police report and to speak up for fear losing his job. He only decided to do so on Monday.

“I am still under the six months’ probation… my company offers good welfare benefits, a five-day work week, 22 days of annual leave and insurance coverage,” he said.

“The company also partially subsidises interests on house and car loans taken by employees,” Su said.

Asked what would happen if the company sacked him, Su quipped, “Possibly I may have to look at joining politics.”

Altantuya murder: There was a "motive", but it can't be revealed or Putrajaya will crumble

By J.D Loverencriar 

The long awaited but only just concluded verdict by Shah Alam High Court Judge, Mohd Zaki Md Yasin on the Mongolian Altantuya case is not only causing a spasmodic arrest within the legal circuit in Malaysia but is also the very talk of the simpletons – Ahmad, Muthu and Ah Beng nationwide.

Legal students and practicing professionals are shocked at the Judge’s conclusion. Teaching lawyers will have nightmares in trying to make sense of the verdict that has completely negated “motive” from murders.

The learned Judge is reported to have said that “motive, although relevant, has never been the essential to constitute murder.”

Now even High School students are asking if motive is not essential then what is, in so far as a murder goes? Just the act of killing? Or just the person who carried out the actual killing?

Malaysia's legal standards under the spotlight

The Judge’s verdict also places Malaysia’s legal standards on the global legal table of scrutiny. It has far reaching ramification not only from the socio-political perspective of human rights but also from socio-economic as well as judicial dimensions.

Indeed we have with this concluding verdict demonstrated to the world in no uncertain terms that the way we interpret the law around here need not conform to what universally acceptable law books teach and how justice is dispensed in the democratic worldover.

In our own backyard, this verdict also delves a lethal blow to the government of the day. Voters will all the more connect one plus one and make three. The BN party will be the one that must now carry this yoke of suspicion transpiring from the conclusion of the judge.

Why would 2 special squad cops want to do such a thing without 'motivation'

Citizens are asking a simple yet profound and logical question: How could two trained, disciplined and uniformed members of the elite forces who are known and reputed to carry out their duties to the last letter of command have killed (murdered) a helpless, unarmed, defenseless and solitary woman?

People are asking, even the very murder was planned to completely annihilate all traces of evidence by blowing a fragile female lass with deadly military grade C4 explosives and yet “motive’ is not “essential”?

The Judge stated that ‘motive (is) relevant’. But he went on to disqualify the crucial importance of motive in this case.

And so the citizens are now asking why. Why is motive not essential in this grisly, brutal and heinous crime against humanity when all indicators bleep that motive was the cause of the murder? They are reasoning at kopitiam outlets in the big cities and the humble warongs in villages that how could two salaried, uniformed and specially tasked armed personnel carry out this murder of helpless lady with whom they had no relationship with nor knowledge of?

But there was a "motive"

People are saying that there was a motive for the act of killing to take place. And they want the law to establish that motive so that the person or persons who are party to the crime will be dealt with by the law adequately and with fair justice.

But alas, “motive” has just flown out of the window of Malaysia’s judiciary. The precedent has been set. The rakyat are drawing down their blinds. There is now a foregone conclusion in the minds and hearts of the citizens here – a verdict that will be almost insurmountable in the resurrection of Malaysia’s justice system and its reputation.

Some citizens are even going the distance to say that if this transpired in another civil and democratic nation, by now the entire legal fraternity would have downed their tools of trade and demanded right-thinking action. Will this happen in Malaysia? Only time can tell. But in the meantime the credibility of leaders and political parties and government systems have been dealt a lethal blow by this verdict on the Altantuya case.

Malaysia Chronicle

(http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=29613:when-%E2%80%9Cmotive%E2%80%9D-flew-out-of-the-window-of-justice-in-malaysia&Itemid=2)

Jessie Ooi: Vindictive or Victim?

Much has been made over the Selangor MCA Beliawanis Chief Jessie Ooi in light of her outburst against the Penang Chief Minister during the televised Chua-Lim Debate on Saturday last week. Although the debate is now history, her one-minute of fame has now given more her more notoriety than all of her previous public appearances put together.

She was not the only culprit for that evening, especially when MCA members began throwing highly charged and loaded questions against YAB Lim Guan Eng, who remained calm despite receiving tirade after tirade from the floor. However, Jessie Ooi received the spotlight not just by the aggressive nature of the question, but the content of it. The question remains as to whether it was a legitimate question out of genuine concern for the rakyat or was it completely senseless and she should have done better by keeping quiet?

"I am half a penangnite"

When one introduces oneself as half a penangnite, would one reasonably imply from that statement that she wanted to bring up an issue concerning Penang state? I do not want to go into how she is "half a penangnite", but Jessie Ooi in her own defence said that her question was misinterpreted by the public and the press. She wanted to question Lim Guan Eng as to why the Selangor State government had not reduced assessment rates (cukai pintu) when they have promised to do so. This is indeed a legitimate question, albeit posed to the wrong person and off-topic, but if it were in fact the crux of the question, why do you want bring up an irrelevant issue?

Furthermore, she would know that there are many other people who would want to ask questions and her time would most certainly be limited. If she wanted to give a ceramah and bring up all these issues, that would be perfectly fine in her own time. But to basically spend her time to ask about the MPPP towing cars after 10:30pm in Lebuh Pantai in Penang, can we reasonably expect to believe she intended to talk about assessment rates?

It is fine to be passionate about issues and it is fantastic that as a member of the Selangor state opposition, she should ask about the lack of follow-through in the policies of the state government. However, to go on a "shiok-sendiri" rant about an unrelated issue hardly does her justice. In all fairness, does that mean that Pakatan Rakyat representatives do not rant when they ask questions? Of course they do, and they do so often. However, if you want to prove to the people that you are more capable of governing, do not use the "they can do it, so why can't I?" excuse to justify raging and ranting on national television.

So let me rephrase and pose the question she failed to ask, to the Pakatan Rakyat State Government:

"The Selangor State Government has made a manifesto promise to lower assessment rates in the state in order to reduce the Rakyat's burden. However, despite these promises, the MCA is concerned with the lack of implementation of this promise. How does the Selangor State Government intend to address this issue?" 

Is this alright, Jessie?

Lack of Parking

Now let us come back to the question she did ask. Here is the transcript of her question below:

"CM Lim Guan Eng, I am half a penangnite. You just said that you want to reduce the people's burdens. Secondly, you have earned a lot of money. I want to say that you have been misleading the people. Cukai Pintu is going up and the cost of living is going up. Also at 10:30pm, I witnessed it twice. Despite there being no cars on the road, you have asked your enforcement officers to tow cars away, causing bloody fights. How do you intend to solve these kind of problems? Is this what you call reducing the people's burden?"

Yes, she had mentioned assessment rates. But why did she make an issue out of cars being towed in Penang? Of course every government wants to reduce the burden on the people, but the rule of law must be upheld. So what if it is 10:30pm at night? It is not uncommon in KL to receive summons for illegal parking at night! If it is Barisan Nasional policy to issues summons and tow cars only during the day, why not put it in their manifesto? Or is this Jessie Ooi's personal opinion? 

The MPPP has reacted by issuing a statement that they were merely carrying out their duties. When the question regarding the lack of parking was raised, this was somewhat puzzling as there are more than 1000 parking spaces in the Lebuh Pantai Area. As Jessie Ooi had already said, there were no cars around. So would it be reasonable to assume that there was ample parking available as well? 

Secondly, the brawl in question has been clarified by the MPPP to have been started by the individual, who assaulted the officer on duty. A police report has been filed and an investigation is under way. How can we equate a hot-headed individual's attack on an enforcement officer to the state government being unable to handle social ills? Incidents like these do happen, but we have laws in this country which deals with these kind of things. The government's responsibility is to ensure that the law is enforced. 

I would like to ask Ms Jessie Ooi, can she tell me how it would reduce social ills and the rakyat's burden if we allow social responsibility to be diminished? In other words, it is alright to sin, just do it after hours? Despite her moral high ground, the complete lack of respect for the rule of law is concerning and she came crashing down as a result of this. 

Deeper Problems

It would be unfair to blame Jessie Ooi's outburst solely on her. The MCA has been languishing in the doldrums and unfamiliarity of being an opposition party for the first time in history in the state of Selangor. Wanita MCA Beliawanis Chief Tee Hooi Ling has also jumped to Ooi's defence saying that netizens and bloggers have been overly obsessed about the "tow-truck" issue and should instead focus on the debate itself. 

This is a good point from Tee, but only if the MCA that day would follow their own advice. Despite the persistent, off-topic, personal attacks toward the DAP and the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng did not level a single personal attack at his opponent or the floor. It is essential that Pakatan MPs do not get sucked into gutter politics which the Barisan Nasional government is so fond of. 

MCA Youth Secretary General Chai Kim Sen also attacked Lim Guan Eng by saying the latter side-stepped a lot of issues raised including the lack of a socio-economic plan to be implemented. He went on to say that Pakatan lacked ideas as to how to govern. I say to him, all evidence points to the contrary. 

The Pakatan run states of Penang and Selangor are the top two investment destinations in Malaysia despite having their federal allocations severely cut by the Federal Government. Local developers and businessmen can testify to the incredible changes under the Lim Guan Eng government in contrast to the Koh Tsu Koon government. Singaporeans are now flocking to Penang which is now cleaner and greener than before, and the international accolades continue to pour in. 

Naturally the Federal Government downplay the statistics by saying that Penang topped the foreign direct investment list due to the hard work of the Ministry in promoting the state. Well indeed, but in that case how about the increased allocations into Johor but still the under-par performance? Why then reduce the federal allocation to Pakatan states if you want to flourish? The Barisan Nasional government are good at giving excuses and taking credit for things they do not do, and are shamed when others can prove that they are incompetent. 

The Rule of Law 

A final point to ponder would be whether or not Malaysia has gotten to the point of moral bankruptcy that flouting the law is allowable as it is now ingrained in our culture? Coffee shop conversations can revolve around the amount of the bribe one has to prepare when stopped by a traffic cop: RM20 for a Kancil, RM30 for a Saga or Myvi, RM50 for a Vios and RM100 for a BMW. 

Tony Pua has already publicly declared that he is no longer interested in corruption scandals amounting to less than one billion ringgit as he is already so busy dealing with the billion ringgit scandals! No wonder people like Jessie Ooi believes that the law is there to be flouted, because it is not just that the Barisan Nasional government believes that it is alright to flout the law, but it has become an ingrained habit!

Take Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia as an example. The oyster sauce was proven to have no oyster extract in it, the ice cream did not have enough milk fat to qualify as ice cream and the milk was ridden by E. Coli bacteria. This was all proven by the Ministry of Health to be true. 

So what action was taking against Mydin? None whatsoever. No fine, no trial, no investigation. Why? Because the Ministry felt that since Mydin decided to recall the product, and no harm was done, it is all ok. How can we accept this or stand by this? What happens if there was an outbreak of E. Coli and people suffer and die from it? Or we have a repeat of the China Melamine scandal in Malaysia? The Health Ministry and Liow Tiong Lai would sweep it under the carpet simply because Mydin is an Umno crony? 

Because of the millions of ringgit in contribution which Ali Ameer Mydin gives to Umno-BN, he gets free publicity, a RM40 million subsidy and ensures that the Umno politicians are in his pocket to prevent free market competition in the hypermarket industry. In short, we get screwed while he lines his pockets. Who's interests do they have at heart? Their own! 

When Jessie Ooi's boss Liow Tiong Lai is as impotent as any other MCA minister to uphold the rule of law, how can we possibly give our trust back to them? They are not even consistent or constructive with their criticism! 

My message to the MCA is to pull yourselves together, uphold the rule of law, develop a work ethic and get back to work in restoring the people's trust. As for Jessie, please get comfortable being the opposition as I fear you and your colleagues would soon be sitting on the other side of the fence come the general elections.

Published in the Malaysia Chronicle (23rd February 2012) and Free Malaysia Today (24th February 2012)
(http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=28601:jessie-ooi-victim-or-vindictive?&Itemid=2)
(http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/02/24/jessie-ooi-vindictive-or-a-just-victim/)

I am not Anti-Government

It has been a while since I have written a piece. Yes, there have been plenty issues of issues cropping up over the political landscape since Chinese New Year. There was the Sharizat leave of absence, Dr Chua Soi Lek saying that the Chinese owe their prosperity to BN, Ibrahim Ali handing out 'pak kam' as ang pows to elderly folk, 1Care and the epic debate between Dr Chua and Lim Guan Eng. Despite all of these juicy topics, I did not feel the inclination to write, and I'm sure that my fellow colleagues in the online media world have done a brilliant job.

However, I want to tackle an issue which has been bugging me since I began writing as a columnist, and also campaigning actively for the Opposition, and in particular, the DAP. I have been frequently asked why many young people and myself are so anti-government, and so intent in causing trouble and instability. I believe that is a fair question which deserves a fair explanation.

"Evangelis DAP" 

I make no secrets of my political affiliation. I am proudly and unashamedly an active member of the DAP and I believe in what the party does and in their plans for our nation, where every citizen is treated fairly regardless of race, language or creed. Does this mean by any stretch of the imagination that I believe the DAP is perfect? Certainly not. No political party can claim to be free from corruption, cronyism or favouritism. However, the concern would be the severity of these political vices and whether it would severely impact the ability to govern a nation effectively.

When I wrote on the DAP National Convention, I was roundly criticized by Helen Ang who accused me of being an "Evangelis DAP" (Evangelist for the DAP) and also condemned me for my faith. She wrote that people like me spew out an extremely one-sided and unbalanced view and that our country would descend into Nazism and Communist dictatorship if left unchecked.

Despite finding her article to be generally offensive, I could not help but laugh at the irony of her comments. I did not respond initially as I did not believe that I should dignify her comments with a response. But I would like to make a point that the reason why I think and write this way is because I have intimately seen both sides of the coin and formed my own conclusion.

Justified bias?

Was I biased when I wrote my article on the DAP National Convention? Of course I was. Was it one-sided? Most definitely. Why did I do this? The reason is simple. Politics is perception. Journalists are supposed to frame up the truth in a manner which is supposed to be even-handed and impartial. The fact of the matter is that we are human. We would tend to favour one side over another. Is this correct? In an ideal world, perhaps not, but we do not live in an ideal world.

In the world of the free press, differing opinions of political events offer the reader a variety of view points and allows the individual to make up their own mind on the matter. In the United Kingdom, The Guardian is a well known conservative paper, The Times is more politically in the centre and The Daily Mail is unabashedly right-wing.

How does this compare to our situation here in Malaysia? The Star is the mouthpiece of the MCA, and the New Straits Times is so blatantly pro-UMNO it has to be given away to schools and hospitals for free! Then there is the blatantly divisive Utusan Malaysia and the Metro Harian carries their opinions derived from Bernama. The only semblance of favourable reporting towards the Opposition parties come from the Chinese press including the China Press and Sin Chew. But even then, the political leaning would always be more towards BN.

So how about The Rocket, Harakah Daily, Suara Keadilan, Malaysia Today, Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today, The Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Chronicle? As party newspapers and online news portals, do they even attempt to offer a balanced point of view? Or is our desire for free media driven to the extent that it would appear that we have to write articles to the other extreme? Is this necessarily in order for opposing viewpoints to meet in the middle in the mind of the reader?

Anti-government rhetoric?

The fact of the matter is that in the arena of press and broadcast media, it is simply not fair. The Opposition's only saving grace is the Internet for the dissemination of information. Despite all of this, and despite the argument for a fair media, is the Opposition and pro-Opposition journalists like myself guilty of disseminating misinformation? To a certain extent, yes we are all guilty of this.

Does this make us anti-government at all? No it does not. Until today, as the UMNO-BN government has been in power coming to 55 years, Malaysians are unable to distinguish between the Barisan Nasional party and the government. We cannot really be blamed for saying things like "The Opposition control Penang, Kelantan, Kedah and Selangor." As a matter of fact, this statement is fundamentally wrong. When the Opposition becomes a state-government, they are no longer the opposition, but the ruling coalition.

This idea is incredibly difficult to grasp, as Malaysia, like Singapore, is an example of an extremely successful pseudo-democratic system. The reason behind this is that no other party or coalition has ever governed these countries in their short histories. Furthermore, UMNO-BN holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest serving party or coalition in any country which calls itself a democracy. This is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but it throws up serious questions of accountability.

My Government, My Country

I sincerely believe that not a single citizen of this beautiful country wants anything but the best for our country. When we have a government that does the right thing, and operates efficiency and professionally for the betterment of our lives, why would we not have any reason to support this? At the end of the day, it is the goal, not the political party, which is the ultimate concern of the Rakyat.

Though there are indeed anarchists, hardcore Perkasa supports and die-hard DAP supporters, the vast majority of the country wants a government which puts our collective interests first, before the interests of any individual groups, lobbies or parties.

What we want is a sincere, accountable and transparent government that implements policies without favour which would stimulate a more competitive, market-driven economic environment, eradicate poverty and ensure sustainable and practical social advancement. Barisan Nasional was incredibly successful in doing all these things for many years, but with mounting financial scandals, unchecked spending, a ballooning subsidy bill, mounting government debt, immeasurable capital outflow and excruciating inflation, I would now call their governing ability into question.

Can the Opposition govern? They have been incredibly successful in Penang, moderately successful in Selangor and consistent in Kedah and Kelantan. Does this mean that they can take the reins of power at the Federal Government? No, it is not an automatic entitlement. Running a country is dramatically different from running a state.

Many members of the public are driven to political apathy by the sheer volume of politicking and finger pointing both sides engage in. Pakatan Rakyat, need to take the manifesto promises and resolutions they have made and actively put it into action now. Wakil Rakyat have to eat, drink and sleep around the interests of the Rakyat. With all the anti-Opposition propaganda being expounded, the final resort is roll up their sleeps and tie up their sarongs and get to work with the personal touch.

Would I vote for Barisan Nasional if they truly had the people's interests at heart? Absolutely 100%. I am not anti-government, nor shall I ever be anti-government. But I do think it's time for a change, don't you?


Published in The Malaysian Chronicle (20th February 2012)
(http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=28403:i-am-not-anti-government&Itemid=2)
Free Malaysia Today (3rd March 2012) 
(http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/03/05/i-am-not-anti-government/)
Malaysiakini (23rd February 2012)
(http://malaysiakini.com/letters/190040)
Malaysia Today (5th March 2012)
(http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/47812-i-am-not-anti-government)

The story of a prime minister

By Zairil Khir Johari

FEB 17 — This is the story of a man who became prime minister not very long ago.

This man had not, however, been elected into the premiership, and consequently never earned his own governing mandate. He had succeeded into the job when his predecessor was forced to resign under internal pressure. While the coup was not entirely of his own orchestration, this prime minister had played an important albeit implicit role in facilitating it.

His predecessor is an altogether different story. Initially elected with much fanfare by a buoyant nation on a platform of hope and change after years of rule by an authoritarian and right-of-centre leadership, his premiership had by its tail-end been reduced to a lethargic disappointment.

Though heavily criticised and the subject of mass ridicule, he was still able to pull through with a mediocre win at the general election. Remaining defiant, he announced that he would fulfil the mandate of the people and see through his term as prime minister.

However, his own party members had other plans. Disenchanted with his leadership, the internal politicking began. New pacts were formed, loyalties shifted and deals were cut. Attention now turned to our protagonist, the then-deputy prime minister, a man long known for his loyalty and methodical methods.

Convinced that the gamble would pay off, he began to make his moves. Though his actions were not overt, the die was cast and the message was clear. In the end, faced with open revolt and under immense pressure, the incumbent prime minister had no choice but to announce that he would step aside within a year. Even that was too long and before the year was up, his premiership had crumbled to an abrupt end.

Expectations were high for the new prime minister. In an elaborate campaign to both distinguish himself from his predecessor and spruce up his public image, he took on the mantle of a statesman with vision for leadership and change.

This led to a popularity high and favourable approval ratings. Soon, the opportunity for snap polls presented itself. With the benefits of a honeymoon period still lingering, it would have been the perfect time to call it. Yet an indecisive itch overcame him and he decided against it at the last minute. Instead, he thought it best to wait for a better opportunity.

In hindsight, that was perhaps his biggest mistake.

As days went by, the public began to realise that a man who has been a part of the system for so long is really incapable of change. His promises of a better future began to ring hollow amidst growing economic uncertainty.

The longer he was into his administration, the more problems unravelled. Financial irregularities and scandals involving his party members made dimmer and dimmer the prospect of a desirable moment for a general election.

Yet the prime minister kept waiting and waiting, until by the time he knew it, his government’s term of office was up. In the end, what was supposed to have been snap polls that would have leveraged upon his then-popularity and caught his opponents by surprise had become an exercise that was easily predicted by all and sundry.

Having rigorously prepared for so long, the hungry opposition wasted no time in pouncing aggressively. Without the element of surprise, the prime minister had lost the upper hand and soon found himself on the defensive. Election Day came and the nation delivered its result. Though not very conclusive, it was certainly very clear about one thing: the people had rejected the prime minister.

After a short period of denial and desperate attempts at forming a coalition, the prime minister had little choice but to accept his fate. Indecisiveness, poor decision-making and the inability to carry out necessary reforms are traits that will characterise his legacy as a short-lived prime minister who had never won his own mandate.

This is the story of the former British prime minister, Gordon Brown.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

MP slams DBKL over lack of transparency

Written by  Douglas Tan, Malaysia Chronicle
Saturday 21st January 2012

Segambut Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng today slammed DBKL over the lack of transparency by their refusal to reveal the details of the recently approved RM2.3 billion DBKL Budget for 2012.

At an open consultation meeting on Thursday 19^th January, with the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad bin Ismail, the mayor informed YB Lim that he was unable to provide a detailed copy of the budget, and that only a “ringkas” (summary) was available. When asked as to why the full budget could not be made available to the public, the mayor remained silent and refused to give an answer.

“This is outrageous,” Lim exclaimed. “Why are DBKL unable to provide us with a detailed copy of the budget? As wakil rakyat, we have the responsibility to report back to our constituencies as to how the money is being spent!”

Where is the People First?

The DAP MP was quick to point out that this went against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s pledge to ensure greater transparency and accountability, consistent with the principle of “Rakyat Didahulukan”.

“Even in parliament, we are given a full copy of the national budget before it is debated,” he said. “How come we are unable to get a copy of the DBKL budget, especially after it has been approved?”

YB Lim lamented that although he was a member of parliament in Kuala Lumpur, DBKL is accountable only to the Prime Minister’s department, and is not answerable to elected representatives. “It insults the intelligence of the people of Kuala Lumpur when a local government refuses to disclose how they want to spend the taxpayer’s money, especially as they are appointed not elected. I call on the Prime Minister to show his sincerity for reforms by forcing DBKL to release their full budget to the public.”

A check on the DBKL website on Saturday 21^st January showed that no details of the 2012 budget were available. The 2012 DBKL budget is almost 44% larger than the entire budget of the state of Selangor which is RM1.6 billion.

Malaysia Chronicle

Ubah Sekarang, Bersihkan Malaysia!

DAP National Convention: A Positive Start

There is nothing better than starting the week, and 2012, with a massive surge of positive energy. The DAP National convention on Sunday in Shah Alam was certainly a focal point, and the delegates and leaders alike approached the gathering with hope, excitement and great expectation. Those in attendance who came in with open hearts and ears did not leave disappointed.

A Bang of a Convention

The convention kicked off with veteran DAP Chairman Karpal Singh prophetically declaring that he had no doubt in his mind that Anwar would be acquitted. Many of us hope the second part of his prophecy would come to pass as well, which is that he would become Prime Minister.

With an attendance exceeding 1000 branch representatives and observers, the entire hall exuded a huge amount of optimism and expectation. The VIP list included the likes of the Mentri Besar of Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, PAS Vice President Mat Sabu, PKR Vice President Azmin Ali and PSM President Dr Nasir Hashim. What was more remarkable was the presence of the ambassadors of the French and New Zealand High Commissioners as well as ambassadors from the Singapore, Australian and Japanese Embassies, clearly this was an event to watch!

Despite being wheelchair bound and clearly battle scared, Karpal Singh's message was not lacking in fire or zeal. The DAP is now in the position, in partnership with Pakatan Rakyat to sweep 9 states and Putrajaya at the next general election. He spoke of closing ranks, effective for burying the 'warlord-godfather' hatchet.

He went to great lengths to persuade the delegation present that Anwar is indeed a man of substance. Although, the applause in response to these comments were less than enthusiastic, one could feel that attitudes towards the embattled opposition leader are indeed improving. DAP members are beginning to accept the idea of Anwar becoming the next Prime Minister as they are now, more than ever, determined to rid the Barisan Nasional regime from Putrajaya.

A Veteran's Dream


Former Party Chairman and current DAP Party Adviser Dr Chen Man Hin took the microphone and emphatically reminded that he was still around and not dead! Indeed, this is a legend of a man, who was one of the pioneers of the party along with Karpal Singh and Lim Kit Siang. Another war-torn warrior, he echoed the message of hope to all present.

His dream along with the other leaders of the party is for Malaysia to be a democratic, fair and equal society. Today, he believes that this dream is coming closer and closer to being realised. "Our might is because we believe," he proclaimed to cheers from the delegates. Indeed it is this belief, hope and dream that the party clings tightly on to.

A candid reminder was addressed to the members that the DAP was a party which had a heart for the people and wanted to serve. "If you want to become a minister, don't join the DAP. If you want to serve the people, then we call you one of us!" It is the fervent hope that the DAP would maintain the party's integrity and commitment to the service of the people.

With an inspiring flourish, he concluded by calling on members not to fear anything in pursuit of the final goal. "Do not worry anti-DAP elements. Stick to our principles and we shall win!"

The Epic Keynote


Perhaps the highlight of the event was the speech delivered by Party Secretary General Lim Guan Eng. In the most pumped up speech I have seen him give to date, he outlined the party policy as well as the goals of the party come the general election.

After acknowledging delegates from ever corner of Malaysia, he proceeded to attack the issues one at a time. Never lacking in energy or zeal, Lim Guan Eng preached that the success of the DAP government in Penang was due to the uncompromising commitment to moderation and peace. As a result, Penang is cleaner, greener and safer than any other state in Malaysia. With this already having been achieved Penang, it is now the mission of the party to made all other states cleaner, greener and safer.

The DAP, along with PKR and PAS, is firmly committed to the vision of a country which the government is free of corruption and progressive. He reiterated to achieve this, Pakatan Rakyat cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of Barisan Nasional, and the values of integrity and incorruptibility must be exemplified by the leaders.

Pointing out the issue of inflation, rising costs and money lost due to misappropriation, Lim Guan Eng declared that this would be what the party would concentrate on during the run up to the general election. This is in order to realise the Malaysian dream in which we cannot be "a police state but a policy state". The DAP is committed to a minimum wage which would be adjusted as according to the rate of inflation, and promises to abolish the toll on the North South Highway.

The battle lines was drawn out in Sabah and Sarawak, where PR would have to gain 19 seats in order to win over Putrajaya. With party unity, this goal is certainly attainable. Concluding by saying "Let us dare to dream the Malaysian Dream", each delegate present was filled with the renewed hope that after 46 years of struggle, the impossible would become a reality.

Despite the clear references to the BN government, the Party Secretary-General was tactful and gracious, avoiding any direct attacks or slander of any BN component party. This is in stark contrast to the UMNO General Assembly which had effectively turned into an anti-DAP mud slinging rally. It is remarkable that by concentrating on tackling core issues and avoiding negativity, the leaders of the party had maintained their stance and integrity.

Bersihkan Malaysia


With the acquittal of Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the celebrations rage on. With the celebrations it is a renewed hope, and a renewed optimism.

Although it is clear that many, including Anwar himself, was expecting him to be heading back to Kamunting, the jubilation of the supporters would create waves of positive momentum for the opposition parties now that this farce of a trial is done and over with. The show of solidarity was indeed there, with PAS and DAP leaders standing alongside the opposition leader.

However, now the real work starts for Pakatan Rakyat. Indeed, putting Anwar in jail would have been political suicide for Prime Minister Najib and his government. If they had made him a martyr, it would have polarised support for the Opposition by arousing public sentiment. At least by acquitting him, the government can now claim that the judiciary is independent and that the reforms placed by the Prime Minister are actually bearing fruit.

Now the playing field has again been levelled. However, PR has to stick to their guns, get their noses to the grindstone and work hard in order to sway a fickle population. Issues such as massive corruption, graft, incompetence, media suppression and racially divisive policies have to be the fodder for PR.

A warning to BN would be in the words of Shakespeare: "A swallow does not a summer make". Just because Anwar was acquitted does not mean that all is well in the nation. Nevertheless, PR has their work cut out for them by convincing the public that they are the required and promised change the nation needs.

As PR no longer has a martyr to glorify, this would now turn into sword to sword combat. As for the DAP, we are ready.

Published exclusively for Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/01/12/pumped-up-dap-ready-for-combat/)