Even before a full year, the Najib premiership is more than fraying at the edges – showing a serious schizophrenic personality. The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak proclaims the slogan and vision of 1Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, however invokes a different image – a divided Many Malaysia! I was struck by this [...]

I thought the crowd of thousands for this Semboyan Halilintar ke Putrajaya ceramah perdana in Seremban to commemorate the second anniversary of March 8, 2008 political tsunami would dissolve away when the full blasts of the rain came, but the indomitable spirit of several thousands who stood their ground despite heavy rain is a potent [...]

Sounds like it’ll be fun! :)

Here’s your chance to make a film! The annual KOMAS FREEDOMFILMFEST film competition is back!

All you need to do is submit a film proposal (2-3 page) on any social issue which you are passionate about. The best three proposals will receive a grant of RM6,000 and support form KOMAS to produce that film!

Come and join us at the official launch to get more information about the FreedomFilmFest!

Date: 11 MARCH 2010
Time: 8 PM – 10 PM
Venue: Theatrette, Main Building, HELP University College

The launch ceremony will be followed by the premiere screening of KOMAS’s latest documentary, “SELEPAS TSUNAMI” (After The Tsunami)

FILM SYNOPSIS

The 12th general election did not only result in the change of government in four states or the lost of Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in Parliament.

It brought along many practices never seen before in the government system.

In Selangor a body under the state assembly was formed to monitor the use of public funds.In the federal Parliament the increase presence of opposition representatives has resulted in more serious debates.

Today Umno and Barisan Nasional has started speaking the language of change.

However, the real reform process is not as easy as voting on polling day.

This documentary discusses the meaning behind those promised changes.

For reservation of passes, please SMS to 017-3749887 or e-mail freedomfilmfest@komas.org with the following details:
1) Full Name
2) HP Number
3) Amount of Passes

For competition details, please click HERE.

The assurance by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that no Malaysian would be sidelined in the New Economic Model (NEM) is not convincing when from all indications, the NEM has been hijacked by Neo-NEP Umnoputras like Perkasa, forcing another delay in its announcement. When Datuk Seri Najib Razak became Prime Minister last [...]

Looks like Najib is wasting no time in the question of local elections.

“We feel it will increase politicking in the local (govt) level.

“We want to improve services for the rakyat. By having the (local government) election, the focus will be more on the political process.

“Those contesting will be more focussed on campaigning,” he told reporters after attending the National Civil Service Convention here Tuesday.

What idiocy.

This represents a fundamental disrespect for the ideals of democracy.

If there is ‘too much’ focus on the political process, why bother with freakin’ elections at all?? Might as well become dictator for life, which will of course give you all the time in the world to focus on ‘improving services’ for the rakyat right?

(I think in Najib’s case, he’s more keen on being serviced by the rakyat :P )

Yes, democracy is flawed and people sometimes spend too much time worrying about votes. But there is a reason people remember Churchill’s “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”.

The essence of democracy is competition and choice – the empowering of the rakyat to remove their leaders. Without true democracy, power and impunity (and what impunity we have in Malaysia) continue to corrupt absolutely.

At its best, local elections ensures competitiveness in service delivery, in which as always the consumer benefits the most.

So Dtk Najib, you can take your cronyism and tyranny and shove it.

ps- Why did we stop local elections in the first place?

Local government elections were first held in 1951 before Merdeka but abolished in 1965 during the Confrontation with Indonesia.

The then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman promised it would be restored after the situation improved.

Yes, and unless I’m very much misinformed, I do believe Konfrontasi is over? Denial of local elections is becoming like the NEP and the ISA – dinosaurs meant for another time.

You gotta love the mainstream media’s penchant for twisting.

Observe the headline: “New censorship guidelines to allow local movie-makers more flexibility”

Observe the 2nd para: ““For the first time, scripts can be submitted to the Film Censorship Board before shooting, to be screened for offensive content so that changes can be made accordingly,” said Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam.”

So umm… how does this give movie makers more flexibility? By requiring script approval?

A perfect example of 1Malaysianess – spinning one (usually “liberal”) thing, while blatantly doing the exact opposite. Haihz.

By Kee Thuan Chye There was a lot of optimism right after March 8, 2008. There was a sense that things would get better. But has there been much change two years since that day? Instead of seeing multi-racialism being freely accepted and manifested in government policies, we find ourselves becoming more divided along racial lines. [...]

I feel great satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment at today’s opening of the RM800,000 Kuching DAP premises as it is the culmination of the blood, sweat and tears of DAP leaders, members and supporters in Sarawak in the past 32 years since 1978 when Sarawak DAP was first formed. We pay tribute to the Chairman [...]

In yesterday’s pathetic 56th MCA Annual General Meeting attended by only 25% of the eligible MCA delegates and boycotted by the majority of the MCA Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MPs and State Assembly members, MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat suggested his present troubles were caused by his investigation of the nation’s biggest financial [...]

This is something positive that can be emulated by other schools. Not easy to do, but with support from companies and parents, can be done. EIGHT-year-old A. Dominiq from SJKT Java Lane in Seremban could not hide the wide grin on his face when his father showed up at school and played the guitar for him [...]

This is indeed an interesting news. The location would be logical since it was a landing area (port) for the travellers from India to make inroads into other parts of South East Asia if they arrive by sea. So, Indians and Hinduism were here as early as 1AD? Well, won’t make much of a difference [...]

Today being International Women’s Day, I would like to share the articles below which appeared in the Star yesterday, here and here). Its about a very brave woman who scaled great heights in the Malaysian police force. A role model for us, Mrs Chandramalar. A role model OVER the years, with safer and better-paying careers to choose [...]

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is fighting a losing battle for his 1Malaysia slogan and concept when a rational and level-headed Umno leader like the Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohd Hanadzlah could make a racist remark when he is under the influence of Penang Umno. DAP MP for Jelutong Jeff Ooi has [...]

Plenty of comments for recent events, but for now, just happy Woman’s Day, and happy March 8th (as I recall, also: happy b’day samy vellu :P )

Also: thank you to each and every one of you who purchased a copy of Where is Justice this last weekend – truly appreciate the support!

Reproduced is my piece today from TMI:

A renaissance of hope

MARCH 8 —When Zhou Enlai was asked in the mid-20th century what he felt about the French Revolution of 1789, he replied: “It is too early to tell.”

I do not propose to wait until the mid-23rd century to offer meaningful comment on March 8th, but I think it’s safe to say it will take at least until the 13th General Election to truly know how much of an impact was made.

In the meantime, I think there are still clear signs of change in Malaysian society that stem directly from this historic event.

I like to consider the first and foremost a renaissance of hope.

After a long two weeks manning the office while my colleagues were running for office, I remember well how I spent that fateful Saturday.

I woke up to vote (for the first time, admittedly) with my family, got a badly needed haircut, shower and nap, and spent the rest of the day playing computer games (Call of Duty 4, if memory serves).

I expected we would win some seats here and there without seeing any major change, and in all likelihood return to business as usual on Sunday.

By evening I was getting calls requiring me to report back to work — we were apparently taking over Selangor.

Clearly, much of Malaysia was similarly surprised. The first test we faced in our minds was whether Malaysia would now be faced with instability and violence on the streets. After all, May 13th happened directly after a similar election victory.

It still makes me proud to say that we passed that first test with flying colours. No one took to the streets in anger, and we saw as clear as day that Malaysians have not the appetite for political violence.

Not only did we see then that change need not bring danger and unstable upheaval, but that change was even possible.

Barack Obama’s election may have suffered from overwhelming hype, but the truth remains: when he took that oath of office, Americans of all backgrounds saw for the first time in history a theoretical possibility made real.

The effect of such phenomena cannot be understated. Knowing something is conceptually possible has nowhere the same effect as actually seeing it happen for the first time.

Breaking BN’s two thirds majority was exactly the same — not many thought it was possible, and even those that did may not have believed it until they saw it.

For decades, Malaysians were made to believe that BN’s grip on absolute power was unshakeable — that theirs was the only possible model for Malaysia.

By March 9th, the eyes of millions of Malaysians had been opened to new possibilities and horizons. The hearts of those same millions which had been conditioned into apathy and despair moved from a winter of discontent into a springtime of new hope.

All of a sudden, a new direction was possible for what many believed was a sinking ship. Malaysians started to believe that their vote could make a difference — that perhaps our nation could be pulled from the brink after all.

In the two years since March 8, that is perhaps the most tangible difference in Malaysia’s politics I have observed — an empowerment of the rakyat.

The discourse was no longer about whether Malaysia was worth trying to save, but rather how to save it. We moved away from debates about whether it was worth getting our hands dirty in the lost cause of politics, and into debates on how to shape Malaysia’s new political paradigm.

In two years, we have yet to lose the vibrancy of political discourse that gripped the nation in 2008. Malaysians do not by any means agree on all (or any) things political, but with the advent of a two-party system, there were now actually two clearer sides to the debate — and it was no longer just whether we should migrate or not.

Malaysians became excited that perhaps we could now try KFC after a lifetime of McDonalds.

Few serious analysts are likely to be sure which of two will eventually prevail in the long run, but it’s good to know we now have the choice — a choice it is our duty to continue defending.

At the core, March 8 was about hope and having meaningful political choices. Some may feel that a few Malaysians might be placing too much hope even, in the new entity that is Pakatan Rakyat.

What is clear to my mind, however, is that hegemony and monopoly has never ultimately served the interests of a nation (addition: even Singapore!). Equally, I believe that an attempt for Malaysia to buck the global trend in a feeble attempt to remain wed to race-based politics will only plunge us even further back in time.

So for now, let us ride this new wave of hope and take a step in the right direction — towards meaningful political competition, greater social maturity, and a new dawn for Malaysia.

By M. Bakri Musa [Presented at the Third Annual Alif Ba Ta Forum, “1Malaysia Towards Vision 2020,” Rochester Institute of Technology, NY, December 5, 2009, organized by Kelab UMNO NY-NJ. The presentation can be viewed at www.youtube.com (search under “Bakri Musa RIT”) or through this link] Part Five of Six: [...]

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By Neville Spykerman | The Malaysian Insider SHAH ALAM, March 7 — Veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang today predicted the Pakatan Rakyat will have an easier time at the next general election if the government jails Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy. “If he is jailed, our motto will be free Anwar, vote PR!” said [...]

The Penang State Executive Council has made a historic decision to restore local government elections for Penang which was suspended 45 years on 1st March 1965 because of Indonesian Confrontation which ended in the latter part of 1966. If elections to the two Municipal Councils of Penang, the Municipal Council of Penang Island (MPPP) and the [...]

Joe Fernandez | Malaysiakini DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has distressed BN leaders in Sabah no end with his Feb 28 statement in Kota Kinabalu that the KadazanDusunMuruts (KDMs) – the largest indigenous group in the state – are the biggest losers under the ruling coalition. The reverberations are still echoing throughout the state and is likely [...]

Sentul OCPD ACP Zakaria Pagan up on stage to declare the party over. – Picture by Choo Choy May By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — Police put a stop to a dinner and ceramah organised by the Kepong DAP here tonight. The function, which features star speakers from Pakatan Rakyat like Datuk [...]