Dari TV Selangor
Oleh Sharifah Azmawati Syed Abdul Aziz

Kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) tidak lagi mampu menangani merebaknya bantahan antarabangsa yang mempertikai kewibawaan sistem kehakiman negara, kata Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Demonstrasi yang didalangi Umno BN di kedutaan Australia 17 Februari lalu tidak mungkin berulang kerana semakin banyak negara menyatakan bantahan termasuk Amerika Syarikat, Kanada, Turki dan beberapa negara serantau.

Dengan nada tegas, Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) itu mengingatkan semua pihak supaya mengambil kira bantahan antarabangsa terhadap amalan sistem perundangan di Malaysia. (more…)

Sila klik di sini untuk ke MediaRakyat

Dari MalaysiaKini
Oleh Hafiz Yatim

Pakatan Rakyat telah bersetuju agar semua pertandingan dalam pilihanraya negeri Sarawak yang akan datang adalah pertembungan satu lawan satu antara Pakatan dengan BN.

Setiausaha agung PKR, Saifuddin Nasution berkata, Pakatan telah mula membuat persiapan untuk menghadapi pilihanraya negeri itu yang dijangka diadakan beberapa bulan akan datang, kemungkinan antara bulan Jun dan Julai ini.

Pilihan raya negeri Sarawak – yang terakhir berlangsung pada 2006 – mesti diadakan dalam tempoh 16 bulan ini. Sarawak merupakan satu-satunya negeri di Malaysia yang tidak mengadakan pilihanraya negeri serentak dengan pilihanraya Parlimen.

Saifuddin berkata, strategi satu lawan satu itu – yang telah menghasilkan kemenangan besar kepada pembangkang dalam pilihanraya umum 2008 – akan digunakan dalam pilihan raya negeri Sarawak kali ini. (more…)

28 Februari 2010 (Ahad)

12.00 tghari – 2.30 ptg

Majlis Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina PKR/DAP Sabah

Lokasi: Sekolah Menengah Kian Kok, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Ucapan oleh:

1. YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
2. YB Lim Kit Siang
3. YB Dr Hiew King Chu

2.30 – 3.00 ptg – Sidang Akhbar di SM Kian Kok

3.30 – 5.00 ptg – Perjumpaan dengan Majlis Pimpinan PKR Negeri Sabah (more…)

From Aliran

Anwar can forget about getting justice from the Malaysian judicial system. Rules can be bent, rules can be ignored, rules can be overlooked when it involves Anwar. This is what the man in the street is saying.

We witnessed this nauseating so-called judicial process in both the trials concerning Anwar’s sodomy and corruption trials in 1999. In the first sodomy trial the charges were amended three times because the authorities did not know the definite date to conclusively state when the so-called sodomy was believed to have taken place then.

In the corruption trial, the presiding judge made it so difficult for the defence to mount a serious challenge to the charge. The judge even decided that he should be convinced of the relevance of the point before the defence was allowed to question the prosecution witnesses. It was so outrageously unjust that it led Malaysians to believe that Anwar had to be convicted no matter what.

(more…)

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s second trial has pushed sensationalism to new heights and propelled homosexuality into mainstream conversation in the majority Muslim nation.

From LA Times

By Mark Magnier

February 26, 2010

Reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The coverage is exhaustive, the politics bare-knuckle, the details lurid, all played out in a majority Muslim country. Malaysia’s sodomy trial 2.0, in which the government is accusing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of engaging in a homosexual act with a 25-year-old former aide, has pushed media sensationalism here to new heights.

Sodomy, even consensual, is a crime in Malaysia under laws dating to British colonial rule. And the case, some analysts say, has desensitized the public to a once-taboo topic, especially the younger generation, in a society that has long prided itself on modesty and conservative values.

Late last week, the judge declined to recuse himself from the case, rejecting the opposition leader’s claim of bias. Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah agreed to postpone the proceedings for five weeks, however, so Anwar’s lawyers could appeal.

This is the government’s second sodomy case against Anwar, 62, a former deputy prime minister who fell out with the nation’s long-in-power leadership in the late 1990s. Malaysia’s main newspapers, most of which are owned by the government or parties in the ruling coalition, have often led the graphic coverage.

Recent testimony by former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who says Anwar forced him to have anal sex at a condominium in June 2008, was heard behind closed doors. But details have leaked to the newspapers.

The extensive reporting has made it difficult for citizens to avert their gaze, even if they want to, amid detailed depictions of men’s underwear, lubricant tubes, swabs and stained clothing.

(more…)

PRESS RELEASE

MALAYSIAN ECONOMY: THE WORST IS YET TO COME

The latest declaration by the Prime Minister that “the worst is over” when the country’s GDP grew at 4.5% in the last quarter of 2009 is not only premature but irresponsible.

It is clear that the supposedly stronger growth was due to the massive pump priming by the government over the last year. Propping up the sagging economy is at best a stop gap measure. Pump priming by definition cannot be permanent. I am deeply concerned that the continuous reliance on massive spending will take us down the road to economic serfdom. And that may not be too distant in the future.

Since 1998, the Barisan Nasional government has implemented only one economic policy i.e. increasing public expenditure (most of the time unnecessarily through massive projects that were subjected to leakages and inflated costs) to make up for the dramatic decrease in private spending.

The data on private investment trending since 1991 should serve as a reminder of the path to economic damnation that BN has dragged us into. While private investments grew at the compound annual growth rate of 16.2% between 1991 and 1997, this has dropped severely to a marginal growth of 1% between 1998 and 2008.

Translating this into private investments in real terms, between 2005 and 2008, private investments into our economy stagnated at RM20.3 billion each year. This is even lower than the private investments figure in 1991, nearly 20 years ago.

While Barisan Nasional remains clueless about rejuvenating the economy for the long term, private investments have plunged from the pre-1997 days when it constituted 40% of the gross domestic products (in real terms), to an average of 28% in the last decade.

That is why Pakatan Rakyat will not jump too quickly to declare that the economy has recovered, because there are still structural problems with the economy that have to be addressed urgently if we do not want to continue to fall behind.

Trumpeting a 5% growth for 2010 is disingenuous at best. What the Prime Minister does not say to the people is that even if our economy grows by 5%, Malaysia will continue to fall behind Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and even Vietnam in 2010.

The latest economic forecast by IMF published in October 2009 shows that in 2010, Malaysia is expected to perform the worst among all these countries even as the world economy shows signs of recovery. Vietnam is expected to double our growth rate while the rest will outpace Malaysia by an average of 50%.

The Barisan Nasional government must own up to the fact that our economy is the way it is because of the years of mismanagement and corruption perpetrated by the powers that be.

The future wealth of our country can only be guaranteed by a government that is accountable to the people where transparency and good governance are absolutely essential.

That is why Pakatan Rakyat will remain relentless in the pursuit to offer the people an efficiently managed economy that will sustain the livelihood of future generations.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Parliamentary Opposition Leader

26 February 2010

KENYATAN AKHBAR

EKONOMI MALAYSIA: RETAK MENANTI BELAH

Pengumuman terbaru oleh Perdana Menteri bahawa “senario ekonomi terburuk” negara telah berakhir kerana KDNK berkembang pada kadar 4.5% dalam suku terakhir 2009 bukan sahaja dikira terlalu awal tetapi juga tidak bertanggungjawab.

Apa yang jelas, pertumbuhan itu sebenarnya dipacu oleh perbelanjaan besar-besaran oleh kerajaan sejak setahun lepas. Suntikan pakej rangsangan, seperti yang diketahui oleh mana-mana ahli ekonomi, sebaiknya adalah langkah sementara dan tidak boleh dilakukan secara berterusan. Oleh sebab itulah, saya amat khuatir kerana kaedah pergantungan yang berterusan kepada perbelanjaan kerajaan secara besar-besaran seperti yang diamalkan Barisan Nasional, akan membawa kita ke kancah permasalahan ekonomi yang sangat serius. Saat apabila ekonomi negara yang kini retak akan terbelah dan berkecai sebenarnya sudah hampir tiba.

Sejak 1998, kerajaan Barisan Nasional hanya tahu satu dasar ekonomi sahaja, iaitu menaikkan perbelanjaan kerajaan (melalui projek-projek besar yang tidak diperlukan dan membazir kerana melibatkan kepentingan kroni) untuk menutup kegagalannya menarik pelaburan individu dan swasta yang telah jatuh merudum.

Data pelaburan individu dan swasta sejak 1991 menjadi peringatan bagaimana Barisan Nasional telah mengheret negara ke lembah kehancuran ekonomi. Kalau sebelumnya di antara tahun 1991 hingga 1997 pelaburan individu dan swasta meningkat setiap tahun pada kadar 16.2%, selepas 1998 hinggalah kini kadar ini hanya menokok 1% secara purata sejak 11 tahun lepas.

Mengambil kira kesan inflasi, maknanya di antara tahun 2005 sehingga 2008, pelaburan individu dan swasta kekal tidak berkembang pada tahap RM20.3 billion setiap tahun. Jumlah ini adalah lebih rendah dari jumlah pelaburan individu dan swasta semasa saya mula-mula menjadi Menteri Kewangan dalam tahun 1991, iaitu hampir 20 tahun lalu.

Pada ketika Barisan Nasional terus hilang punca untuk menghidupkan kembali ekonomi bagi jangka masa panjang, kadar pelaburan individu dan swasta menjunam berbanding dengan tahapnya sebelum tahun 1997. Pada ketika itu, pelaburan individu dan swasta menyumbang 40% kepada KDNK. Malangnya sejak sedekad yang lalu, sumbangan pelaburan individu dan swasta terus merosot secara puratanya kepada kadar 28% sahaja daripada KDNK.

Oleh sebab itu, Pakatan Rakyat tidak akan membuat pengisytiharan yang cuai seperti Perdana Menteri bahawa ekonomi kita sudah pulih, kerana masih terlalu banyak masalah pokok yang perlu diselesaikan dengan segera sekiranya kita tidak mahu Malaysia terus tertinggal di belakang.

Tindakan Perdana Menteri merwar-warkan anggaran pertumbuhan 5% bagi 2010 sebagai sangat baik sebenarnya kurang berhemah. Apa yang tidak diwar-warkan oleh Perdana Menteri disebalik anggaran pertumbuhan 5% itu adalah hakikat bahawa pada kadar tersebut, Malaysia ditinggalkan jauh oleh negara-negara seperti Korea Selatan, Singapura, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Filipina malahan juga Vietnam dalam tahun 2010 kelak. Malaysia pada suatu ketika adalah setanding dengan Korea Selatan dan Singapura dan jauh lebih maju dari negara-negara yang lain.

Anggaran terbaru yang dikeluarkan oleh IMF pada Oktober 2009 menunjukkan bagi tahun 2010, Malaysia dijangkakan akan tumbuh pada kadar yang paling lembap berbanding kumpulan negara-negara tadi, walaupun ekonomi dunia dijangka akan mula pulih. Vietnam dijangka akan tumbuh pada kadar 2 kali ganda lebih baik dari Malaysia dan negara-negara lain akan berkembang pada kadar yang secara puratanya 50% lebih pesat dari Malaysia.

Kerajaan Barisan Nasional perlulah bertanggungjawab dan menerima hakikat bahawa ekonomi kita tersangkut di dalam perangkap seperti yang diumumkan Menteri Kewangan Kedua suatu masa dahulu; adalah disebabkan oleh salahguna kuasa dan rasuah oleh mereka yang berkuasa sejak sekian lama.

Kemakmuran negara pada masa hadapan hanya boleh dijamin oleh sebuah kerajaan yang memikul amanah yang diberikan oleh rakyat dengan rasa tanggungjawab yang tinggi. Maka, persoalan ketelusan dan amalan pentadbiran yang baik adalah prasyarat untuk memulihkan ekonomi negara.

Oleh sebab itu, Pakatan Rakyat akan terus bekerja keras untuk menawarkan kepada rakyat pentadbiran ekonomi yang telus, tulus dan berkembang secara sihat bagi jangkamasa yang panjang demi generasi akan datang.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Ketua Pembangkang

26 Februari 2010

Wall Street Journal

“The Leopard,” Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s celebrated novel about the crumbling feudal order in 19th century Sicily, made famous the line, “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” That pretty much sums up the predicament of Malaysia’s ruling elite today.

BY ALICE LLOYD GEORGE,

The sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim drags on in Kuala Lumpur, with the opposition leader’s freedom and political career hanging in the balance. But the true significance of this anachronistic case does not depend on the outcome in the courtroom. The political assassination of Mr. Anwar aside, Malaysia is witnessing the death throes of a political machine that has run the country for over five decades. Mr. Anwar is a skilled politician who holds together an unlikely alliance of opposition parties—his conviction would certainly be a blow for the prospect of real political pluralism in Malaysia. But he also serves as a vessel for wider social forces and a disenchantment with the country’s leadership. Another figure would surely take his place at the head of the reform movement.

The ruling coalition was founded on the principle that the three main races—Malays, Chinese and Indians—participate in politics through their own parties. Coupled with an elaborate system of affirmative action, this has allowed the United Malays National Organization to maintain a lock on power by protecting Malays from the winds of competition. After the opposition made unprecedented gains in the March 2008 elections, desperate tactics were called for, hence a rather tired repeat of the homosexuality charge first brought against Mr. Anwar a decade ago, now dubbed “Sodomy II” by a skeptical public. The government has denied that the trial is politically motivated.

That the political system and patronage network are under increasing stress is clear, but the prognosis is not yet apparent to all. Some in UMNO, like Prime Minister Najib Razak, think they can maintain the old system by merely tinkering around the edges. Mr. Najib has gestured toward loosening long-standing affirmative-action policies, but any good intentions are obstructed by entrenched interests in UMNO’s conservative wing—to date the repeals have been cosmetic at best. Others are coming to a different realization—Malaysian society has matured and even Malays now recognize that outdated and discriminatory policies must give way to a more transparent and accountable system.

One such leader is Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister of royal blood. Mr. Razaleigh has re-emerged as an outspoken critic of the government in recent weeks, though he strongly denies any intention of switching to the opposition. The 73-year-old party veteran has a history of challenging the leadership; in 1988 he left UMNO and formed a rival Malay party before returning to the fold in 1996.

Sitting in his Kuala Lumpur home—a remarkably exact replica of the White House’s Oval Office—Mr. Razaleigh argues that UMNO politicians have not been responsive to calls for reform. “The young want to see a really multiracial organization, fighting on egalitarian issues, without having to fall back on race,” he explains. “Unless the party system and the political system are reformed exhaustively, I think we are going to be pulled back into the same boat we have been in for the last 50 years.”

Mr. Razaleigh believes that Malaysians want to move beyond identity politics, but UMNO is unable to break away from its Malay nationalist roots. Most recently, the government appealed a court ruling that allowed the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. Though UMNO called for calm, the prime minister’s statement that he couldn’t stop protestors from expressing their opinions only served to fan the flames. The ruling was followed by a spate of desecration and arson attacks on churches and mosques. Mr. Najib further undermined the government’s response to the crisis when he flew across the world for a 10-day tour of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India, taking key cabinet ministers and senior officials with him.

By contrast, in a milestone decision, the opposition Islamic party PAS—which only 10 years ago campaigned to create a theocratic state with Sharia law—took a more moderate stance, urging Malaysians to respect the court ruling. The irony is that while UMNO continues to play race politics to out-Islam its opponents, PAS is appealing to a more progressive voter base.

Part of the reason for the electorate’s change of heart is the realization that Malaysia risks being left behind economically if it doesn’t climb out of its middle-income trap and eliminate the inefficiencies inherent in racial policies. These policies were formulated in the 1970s, when Malaysia was a tiger economy. Now its growth lags behind Southeast Asian neighbors like Indonesia—the new “i” in BRIC—and China and India increasingly pose competitive challenges.

The country has suffered from an acute brain drain over the last decade, as individuals seek education and employment in countries where talent is better rewarded. Now it faces capital flight, too, with foreign direct investment dropping to $2.7 billion in 2009 from $8.1 billion the previous year, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates. One reason is the fear that UMNO will continue to play the race card and stir up tensions to keep itself in power. Another is the government’s failure to undertake much-needed institutional reforms and address issues such as corruption, civil liberties and judicial independence. Malaysia’s risk index, as calculated by Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, rose to 5.4 in January from 5.24 in December on a 10-point scale.

If there is a silver lining here, it is that even as UMNO has stoked tensions, by and large Malaysians have refused to be provoked—a stark contrast to the May 13 Incident in 1969, when rumors of ethnic slights quickly snowballed into massive riots and emergency rule. And that is one more indication that leaders like Mr. Anwar and Mr. Razaleigh are right that Malaysian society is ripe for change. If the current UMNO elite is to stand any chance of remaining in power, it needs to focus on remedying the very real challenges on its doorstep, rather than felling the opposition. Societal reform based on equality of opportunity is a change that is long overdue.

Ms. Lloyd George is a Princeton in Asia fellow at The Wall Street Journal Asia.

From The Globe And Mail

Anwar Ibrahim is a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia. After having differences of opinion with prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998, he was removed from office, charged with sodomy and corruption – charges condemned worldwide as an attempt to remove him from politics – and imprisoned for six years. After his release in 2004, he became the leader of a coalition of opposition parties that is successfully challenging the ruling coalition’s power. Mr. Anwar has now been charged again with sodomy, a charge that has again been condemned worldwide.

I have known Mr. Anwar well since the period when we each served as finance ministers for our respective countries. He is deeply committed to democracy, justice and the rule of law. And I have watched with horror how he has been treated in Malaysia because of that commitment. His initial imprisonment was seen worldwide as politically motivated. Amnesty International regarded him as a prisoner of conscience, jailed for the non-violent expression of his political opinion. After his release in 2004, he redoubled his campaign, attracting thousands to his public rallies, with the result that the historic 2008 election returned an unprecedented number of opposition candidates to Parliament. He now poses a threat to the government in the next national elections, expected in 2013 – the real reason for the latest charge.

His trial, which began Feb. 2, is widely seen as not meeting international standards for a fair trial. The former Anwar political aide who is making the sodomy accusation was reportedly seen with leading ruling coalition figures prior to the filing of the charge; Mr. Anwar’s lawyers have been denied access to vital prosecution documents; and the trial has been transferred to a higher court whose judges are seen as linked to the ruling coalition’s main party. It is small wonder that Michael Danby, chair of Australia’s parliamentary subcommittee on foreign affairs, has charged that Malaysia’s legal system is being manipulated to drive Mr. Anwar out of politics. Mr. Danby has said that Asian democrats were “flabbergasted” by the charges and that “everyone in Malaysia, and everyone in the international legal community, knows that Anwar is innocent of these charges.”

The presence of so many foreign embassies attending Mr. Anwar’s show trial is a clear expression of international concern. This is an issue on which the world must speak out.

If his country is to take its place among the progressive nations of the world, it is crucial that the politically motivated charge against Mr. Anwar be dropped and that he be free to pursue his vision of a democratic Malaysia, properly respectful of human rights and international law.

Paul Martin is former prime minister of Canada.

Satu ketika apabila ditanyakan kepada Sayidatina Aisyah ra, “bagaimanakah akhlak Nabi SAW itu?”

Dijawabnya, “akhlak Nabi SAW itu Al Quran.”

Pastinya pada diri dan perjalanan hidup Muhammad SAW itu ada mutiara-mutiara bekemerlipan yang meruntun kita mengutipnya buat keberhasilan dan keberuntungan semua.

Keyakinan ini diperkukuh dengan ayat Al Quran bahawa Nabi SAW itu adalah ikutan yang baik; “uswatun hasanah.” Baginda telah membentangkan kepada kita umat manusia petunjuk dan pedoman agar menyeru ke arah kebaikan serta menolak kemungkaran.

Kedatangan Baginda seumpama arus deras, menyerbu fitnah, sirna kebejatan, sekaligus membawa keamanan kepada mereka yang berlomba-lomba mendapatkan kebaikan.

Selawat dan Salam buat Rasul junjungan serta ahli keluarga Baginda.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

MAKLUMAN MEDIA
Tarikh: 25 Februari 2010

SIDANG MEDIA BERKENAAN KONVENSYEN PAKATAN RAKYAT NEGERI SELANGOR – “BERMUAFAKAT MENJUNJUNG AMANAH RAKYAT”

Pakatan Rakyat Selangor akan mengadakan Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat Selangor yang bertemakan “Bermuafakat Menjunjung Amanah Rakyat” pada 7 Mac 2010 (Ahad) di Dewan Jubli, Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah mulai jam 8 pagi hingga ke 6 petang.

Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat Selangor sempena Ulangtahun ke-2 Pakatan Rakyat mentadbir Selangor ini merupakan kesinambungan daripada Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat peringkat nasional pada 19 Disember tahun lalu untuk merangka strategi mengukuhkan sokongan rakyat terhadap kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat Selangor.

Majlis ini menjangkakan kehadiran 1,500 perwakilan daripada akar umbi ketiga-tiga Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, dan Parti Tindakan Demokratik di seluruh Selangor.

Sehubungan dengan Konvensyen ini, satu sidang media akan diadakan pada:

Tarikh: 26 Feb (Jumaat)
Masa: 11 pagi
Tempat: Tingkat Bawah, Ibu Pejabat Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Tropicana, Petaling Jaya

Sidang media ini akan dihadiri oleh Tuan Syed Shahir (Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pelaksana Konvensyen), YB Tony Pua dan YB Dr. Che Rosly (Timbalan-Timbalan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pelaksana Konvensyen) untuk menerangkan aturcara Konvensyen dengan lebih lanjut, serta persiapan dan pengisian yang akan diketengahkan semasa Konvensyen.

Diharap pihak tuan/puan dapat hadir untuk meliputi sidang media ini.

Sekian, terima kasih.

SEKRETARIAT PAKATAN RAKYAT SELANGOR

Dari MalaysiaKini

Mahkamah Persekutuan hari ini mendengar sama ada untuk membenarkan semakan keputusannya pada 29 Januari, yang menolak permohonan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim memperolehi bukti-bukti utama tambahan seperti rakaman CCTV, laporan perubatan dan kenyataan saksi pendakwa.

Semakan itu didengar oleh panel tiga hakim yang diketuai oleh Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin. Dua lagi hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan ialah Datuk Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff dan Datuk Heliliah Mohd Yusof. (more…)