AMBIGA AGREES TO MEET COMMISSION 

PETALING JAYA: Bersih co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has agreed to meet with the Election Commission.

She agreed to this during a debate with Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin when he extended an invitation to her to do so together with himself and other members of parliament.

Ambiga had initially been reluctant to do so when Khairy first brought the matter up during the "Electoral Reform: Is Enough Being Done?" debate between the two.

"I ask you as a Malaysian to a Malaysian, let's go to the EC together with all MPs and look at the cases one by one, sit down and get the answers from EC.

"No more PCs (press conferences), no more shouting at each other. Please be reasonable, I offer my hand in friendship... let's go," said Khairy.

Ambiga replied that she did not have confidence in the commission but later relented.

"Have us there so we can explain what we mean and have them there so they can respond," she said to Khairy.

During the debate, Khairy took Ambiga to task for insisting on going ahead with the Bersih sit-in protest on Saturday, saying it was "pre-empting and prejudicial of" the reforms that were now taking place following the setting up of the parliamentary select committee on the matter.

He said seven of eight Bersih demands had been met.

After the debate, Ambiga described Khairy as a "formidable adversary" while the latter said the debate would ensure that the public heard and understood both sides.

The debate was the second in The Malay Mail's "Spark The Debate" series. - NST


KD: This is a better way than sitting in a street to protest...

A PROTEST AGAINST PROTESTS

By Chok Suat Ling | sling@nst.com.my

COURTING TROUBLE: Why do people these days resort to rallies and protests at any given opportunity and for every conceivable reason?

LATE last week, I received a sheaf of notes from my children's school, a high-performance smart school located in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.

They informed parents of several upcoming events, and the cancellation of one. A field trip the kids had been looking forward to -- to Muzium Telekom and Menara Kuala Lumpur this Saturday -- had been postponed indefinitely.

The brief note, which elicited disappointed wails from my children and their friends, stated that the postponement was because of the "situation around the city that day which might not be conducive towards the safety of participants".

It further stated that the decision had to be made following concerns raised by parents and teachers.

So, what is happening in the city that day? Is teen idol Justin Bieber flying in and the school authorities anticipating a tween stampede along Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad? Are they bracing themselves for the big earthquake seismologists have predicted could happen "at any time"? None of the aforementioned apparently.

April 28 would have been just any other swelteringly humid, lazy Saturday if not for the planned Bersih 3.0 "duduk bantah" sit-in in the middle of the city, within the historical enclave, that is Dataran Merdeka.

Despite some wrangling over the suitability of the venue picked for the sit-in, Bersih (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections) organisers have been insistent that it should be held in Dataran Merdeka as "there is not enough time to change the venue and most of the people expected to attend the rally have been informed".

In days pre-social networks, that would have been an acceptable excuse, but not now when missives and directives can be disseminated in real time not just around the country, but to the furthest reaches of the planet.

As it is, an Internet meme of the "ridiculously photogenic guy" getting a permit from City Hall to participate in the Bersih rally is already making its rounds in cyberspace.

And so it has come to pass. Disappointed schoolchildren, tourists, traders and taxi drivers aside, journalists are also bracing themselves for what would inevitably be a long working day. But journalists are made of hardier stuff and not known to react normally in the face of adverse situations.

Most people know what Bersih is fighting for, even if they might not comprehend it.

After all, wasn't the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms' report, which had 22 recommendations, just passed by the Dewan Rakyat last Tuesday?

"When the report was tabled, there were no dissenting views from the opposition," PSC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said on TV3's Soal Jawab programme last Wednesday.

So is Bersih protesting just for the sake of it? Is it merely hoping to stoke the people's ire and give a negative picture of the political situation in the country to the outside world? That it has refused to budge from Dataran Merdeka to more conducive venues such as the Cheras football stadium or Stadium Titiwangsa as proposed by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail is rather telling.

Are they hoping to be water-cannoned or tear-gassed, and have those images twittered across the globe?

Anti-gay protesters last weekend complied, even though at short notice, and demonstrated peacefully at a stadium in Universiti Putra Malaysia to denounce free sex and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender practices.

Regardless of the venue, however, all these demonstrations raise a question -- are they at all necessary?

Why do people these days resort to rallies and protests at any given opportunity and for every conceivable reason?

Dissenting mobs gather on any issue, and it no longer matters what these issues are. Some are still Occupying Dataran. Others have gathered over everything from community marginalisation to the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English.

Even the gentlest people in the land -- the Orang Asli -- are resorting to protests to make their views heard. They have protested in Puchong, Johor, Putrajaya, and two weeks ago, Kota Baru.

Kelantan Orang Asli Villages Network head Azmi Badul, who acted as spokesman for the Orang Asli, said their protest followed the indifference shown by the state government towards their previous memoranda of demands.

It is disturbing that so much energy is being invested in what only inflames when there are other more pressing matters to attend to. One of which is to clean up the electoral roll, ensure the process is open and continuous, and to make the electoral system as good as it can be. - NST

CHINESE VOTES UP IN THE AIR

By Rita Sim  | rita.sim@cense.my

VULNERABLE: Voting in petulance or frustration can cause the exact opposite result of what is intended

EARLIER this month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak appeared on ntv7's Mandarin talk show, Chat Time, where he urged Chinese fence-sitters to support his national transformation agenda.

In recent months, he has made overtures to the Chinese, reaching out to them through various channels and addressing issues important to them.

During the ntv7 interview, Najib tackled controversial topics, such as the Lynas rare earth refinery in Pahang, the MYRapid Transit route through Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur, and Chinese education problems.

He also indicated that he was confident of increased support from the Chinese following the reform agenda and his efforts to engage with them.

However, his sentiments may not be shared by other politicians in Barisan Nasional and parties or individuals aligned to the ruling coalition, whose words and actions often unravel the goodwill fostered by Najib's initiatives.

Many second-, third-, fourth-generation Chinese and onwards are frustrated at being labelled as pendatang (immigrants) whenever they ask that all races be treated fairly in terms of services, education, jobs and allocations.

These generations of Chinese identify themselves more than ever as Malaysians. They have never known any other country as home and they want inclusiveness to be the way forward for Malaysia.

If they feel that their vote is what it takes to make their voices heard, they will turn out in droves the next election to make an impact.

They know that it is only at the ballot box that there is no quota imposed on anyone. Each individual's vote speaks for itself.

The question is: will they vote for meaningful change for all Malaysians? Or will they vote out of desperation and even risk choosing the unknown?

Many political pundits have predicted that the Chinese vote will swing towards the opposition. The opposition coalition certainly recognises the power of this electorate and is doing its best to exploit the vote to its advantage, whether by aligning itself to Chinese interests or attacking ultra groups for being racist against the Chinese.

If the trend of the 2008 election continues, we will likely see more Chinese voting for a 180o change in the country's leadership.

It is a risky move, but the Chinese rationalise it by saying that if the new leadership does not deliver, they can be voted out again in five years.

This puts the country in a precarious situation. When people use their vote as a defensive manoeuvre, they may elect leaders who tell them what they want to hear, but who won't necessarily deliver what they need.

Some people have taken exception to the fact that the country is being "held hostage" by the Chinese vote in this way.

But the majority need not worry about being threatened; if anything, it is the Chinese that is more vulnerable than ever.

Everyone is playing on the emotions of Chinese voters, using threats, promises, sincere or otherwise, and guilt.

This should make the Chinese wary of how they are being courted. Will any of these promises be kept?

Who will treat them fairly? Who will address the real issues facing the community, not the politicised issues but ones that affect everybody, such as education, corruption and the economy?

Chinese voters are facing a dilemma.

They have to ask themselves whether voting for the opposition will really change the system in their favour, or whether they should give certain aspects of government leadership a chance to improve the country.

A vote is a powerful thing. Cast in petulance or frustration, it could end up causing the exact opposite result of what was intended.

Therefore, the Chinese have to think carefully about how to use their vote to contribute to Ma-laysia's future, and not just impose another brand of racism on the country. -NST 


KD: Your vote is your voice, but make a wise choice!!!

SHE’S ‘UNFIT TO LEAD BERSIH’

KUALA LUMPUR: A leader of a local non-governmental organisation has labelled Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan as unfit to lead the Bersih rally.

Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Ismail Mina said that Ambiga was not pro-democratic as she was trying to impose minority views on the majority.


"On the basis of democracy alone, she is unfit to lead the movement.

"She is forcing the views of a few against many," he said yesterday.

Ismail said Ambiga was also a strong advocator of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender), which was also a minority.

"If she is a strong supporter of minority views, how can she claim to have the support of the majority?"

Read more: She’s ‘unfit to lead Bersih’ - General - New Straits Times 


KD: This is a second and same opinion after Pas leader..

CONTROVERSIES DOG PAS-LED KEDAH GOVERNMENT

By Noor Adzman Baharuddin  | noadzman@nst.com.my

STEERING COMMITTEE: What is it doing about it?

Although nearing the end of this term, considering the general election is around the corner, the Pas-led Kedah state government has attracted yet another controversy.

This is no surprise since the rookie Pakatan Rakyat state government has been dogged by controversies since the March 2008 general election.

They ranged from causing an outrage of the Chinese community over the demolition of a pig abattoir, to forcing entertainment outlet operators to settle their licensing fees a full year in advance.

The latest to dog the Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers in Kedah is the introduction of Section 22A of the Mufti and Fatwa (Kedah) Enactment. The section states that a fatwa (religious edict) decided by the mufti or fatwa committee, whether gazetted or not, cannot be challenged, appealed, reviewed, denied or questioned in any civil court or syariah court.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak bragged that Kedah was the first state to enact such a ruling.

He explained that the new enactment was not intended to stop differing or opposing views on a fatwa, but aimed at preventing the fatwa from being challenged in court.

He argued that it was not right for a non-Muslim judge to hear and decide a case involving a fatwa.

Even a syariah judge, he argued, is not an ulama and his job was only to interpret enactments and make decisions based on provisions.

He stressed that any fatwa involved syarak and syariah issues and any confusion should be referred to the mufti or fatwa council and not civil or syariah judges.

Many quarters, both Muslim and non-Muslim, found the new enactment disturbing.

Among the first to raise his concerns was Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya. Without mincing his words, the religious scholar charged the new enactment was against Islam.

He also charged that the state government was moving towards a theocratic state and, worse still, the section could be perceived as intending to impose beliefs on others.

Azizan was quick to rubbish Juanda, chiding him for failing to fully understand the "issue" and said he had "simply jumped the gun after reading about it in the newspapers".

Azizan also said that non-Muslims should not be worried since the amendment did not apply to them.

There has been a little support online, mostly from pro-Pakatan Rakyat bloggers.

However, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang begged to differ and described the amendment as Taliban rule in Kedah.

Also supporting Tan is Bar Council constitutional law committee chairman Syahredzan Johan who told an online news portal that the enactment was unconstitutional.

And businessman Tunku Monsor Tunku Kassim, a member of the Kedah royalty, has lodged a police report.

He fears that the amendment would allow the mufti or fatwa council to usurp the powers of the sultan as head of Islamic religious affairs.

The DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat have, however, been keeping mum over Section 22A, just like they did when the state Pakatan Rakyat government was rocked by a coup attempt by two of Azizan's most loyal lieutenants -- the biggest controversy to dog the Pas-led state government to date.

A five-member steering committee was set up by Pas leadership as part of the "settlement". It was to advise Azizan on major issues, including the explosive controversy involving the proposed demolition of Madrasah Sahiliah for a RM500 million shopping-cum-residential complex.

Considering the public clamour over the latest fatwa changes, surely Section 22A should be a major concern of the committee.

Azizan had said that the bill to amend the Mufti and Fatwa (Kedah) Enactment was planned two years ago. It was learnt the matter was not referred to the committee since the bill was to be tabled two years ago, but was delayed. But surely the DAP and PKR have opinions on the matter.

Taking Juanda's fears of a possible creation of a theocratic state, DAP veteran Karpal Singh must surely have an opinion on Section 22A in light of his famous "over my dead body" war cry over Pas' plan then -- and which appears to have since been abandoned -- to turn the country into an Islamic state. But his silence is deafening.

The committee is also silent on this and their role to keep Azizan away from trouble.


Read more: Controversies dog Pas-led Kedah government - Columnist - New Straits Times 

THOUSANDS EAGERLY AWAIT EVENT

KUCHING: TENS of thousands of people in the Sarawak capital and surrounding areas will have the opportunity to meet Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Jelajah Janji Ditepati carnival and expo this Saturday. 

The prime minister will be launching the two-day state-level carnival, which will begin at 8am at the Wisma Bapa Malaysia car park in Petra Jaya.

The government's programme is aimed at fostering closer ties with locals and engage more with the public.

"At the same time, it would also give the people a chance to learn more about the government's initiatives in a more interactive setting," said Primeworks Studios business development and operations general manager Azhar Borhan, who is also the project coordinator.

Read more: Thousands eagerly await event - General - New Straits Times

US TRADE CHIEF SEES MALAYSIA AS INVESTMENT MAGNET

Putrajaya: US trade chief Ron Kirk described Malaysia as a magnet for investments and its ongoing economic transformation plan enhances its attractiveness.

And, the benefit of that all is the Malaysian people, he said.

American businesses want to be in Malaysia as they are comfortable in this country, which is one of the reasons that the US wants to engage with Malaysia in the multilateral Trans Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement.

“We heard from businesses here that if we can do this well with the structured engagement that we have now, imagine how dynamic it would be if it’s fully liberalised,” he said in an interview with Business Times yesterday.


Read more on: US trade chief sees Malaysia as investment magnet