Looking back at the events of the past few weeks, the Malaysian Government must realise and accept that neither random arrest, nor preventive detention, nor water cannons, nor tear gas, nor rain, nor the threat of any of the above and more, can quell the spirit of the people to exercise their rights to the twin freedoms of assembly and expression. The two rallies held on 9 July 2011 are eloquent testimony to the will of the people in the face of Government repression and police aggression.

The Malaysian Bar denounces the Government’s over-zealous and excessive show of power in its blatant determination to crush the people’s exercise of their Constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights. According to media and eyewitness accounts, the police used arbitrary, improper and disproportionate physical force, including assaulting some participants physically, wantonly arresting hundreds of individuals and recklessly using tear gas and water cannons on unarmed participants who were gathered in a peaceful and disciplined manner. (more…)

1. Anggaran Perbelanjaan Bekalan Tambahan di bawah Maksud B29 Perbelanjaan Am sebanyak RM81.1 juta termasuk RM61.6 juta untuk bayaran bil air percuma dan cetakan kupon bagi tempoh September sehingga Disember 2011 ekoran kedegilan Kerajaan Pusat untuk mengambil sikap bertanggungjawab bagi menyelesaikan isu ini yang berlarutan sekian lama dan membebankan rakyat.

2. Kerajaan Pusat tidak langsung menunjukkan minat untuk peduli terhadap kebajikan rakyat Negeri Selangor sebaliknya lebih cenderung untuk melindungi kepentingan kroni dan memperkayakan kroni-kroni pimpinan UMNO.

Pinjaman Kepada SYABAS

3. Pada Suku Tahun Keempat 2010, Kerajaan Pusat telah memberikan kemudahan pinjaman kepada SYABAS sejumlah RM320 juta. Syarat-syarat pinjaman pula berat sebelah (lopsided) dan berpihak kepada SYABAS.

Antara syaratnya ialah :
a. Pembayaran balik akan hanya dibuat selepas tahun yang ke-20. Sekiranya SYABAS mengalami masalah kewangan dalam tempoh 10 tahun dari sekarang, Kerajaan Pusat akan menyerap (absorb) pinjaman ini.
b. Bagi lima tahun yang pertama, tiada faedah dikenakan ke atas pinjaman yang bernilai RM320 juta tersebut.

4. Skim ini lebih berupa sebagai satu geran dan bukan pinjaman.
5. Dalam keadaan belanjawan Negara semakin menguncup, Kerajaan Pusat masih meneruskan amalan membantu kroni sejumlah RM320 juta.

Kedudukan Kewangan Negeri Selangor Kukuh (more…)

New York Times

Police officers arrested almost 1,700 people and fired tear gas at protesters here in Malaysia’s capital on Saturday in an attempt to prevent an afternoon rally by advocates of an overhaul of elections.

Officials said that protest leaders were among those arrested.

Demonstrators were seen scattering as the police fired tear gas on Saturday afternoon. In one late-afternoon skirmish, the police volleyed tear gas at thousands of protesters near the city’s Central Market. The Associated Press reported that the police also used chemical-laced water to disperse some demonstrators.

Roads leading into Kuala Lumpur, as well as some streets in the city, remained closed late in the afternoon as helicopters hovered over the city center.

The confrontation was the culmination of weeks of tension, as activists have called on Prime Minister Najib Razak to change the way elections are conducted. The next vote must be held by mid-2013, but there is speculation it could be called as early as this year. (more…)