Town councils accountable to residents for money

Good news. From henceforth, town councils will be accountable to the residents for how they spent their money!!!

Darn, unfortunately too good to be true! That statement above was a statement by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan reported in the Straits Times. Sure Malaysia have a Straits Times, but it is called the New Straits Times after that fateful kicking out of Singapore from Malaysia. True, Malaysia too have Ministers, but unfortunately we do not have a National Development Minister by the name of Mah Bow Tan. I always thought that Singapore was a City State. I alway thought that Singapore was one large City on an island. Never knew Singapore had towns.

DNA Identification Bill flawed - sent to selection committee

The forum on the proposed DNA Identification Bill organized by DAP had 4 speakers - Lim Kit Siang, Sonya Liew of the Bar Council, Gobind Singh of DAP and MP for Puchong and Dr. Koh Chong Lek, Head DNA Center @ NIE Singapore. Followings are the video tape of their speech:

Dr Koh Chong Lek expert on DNA Identification Bill Part 1

Lim Kit Siang on DNA Identification Bill Part 1

Lim Kit Siang on DNA Identification Bill Part 2

Gobind Singh on the DNA Identification Bill Part 1

Gobind Singh on the DNA Identification Bill Part 2

Gobind Singh on DNA Identification Bill Part 3

Sonia Liew on the DNA Identification Bill Part 1

Sonia Liew on the DNA Identification Bill Part 2

Chief Justice Zaki Azmi lied? bribe?

Did Chief Justice Zaki Ahmad lied? Did the Chief Justice of Malaysia commit corruption by bribing court officials? According to New Straits Times November 8, Chief Justice Zaki Azmi at a conference in Kuching was quoted as saying:

"What I am telling you is not fiction but based on my own experience in private practice," he said at an integrity convention here.

Recalling an incident in 1987, Zaki said he was "blacklisted" when he complained to the chief registrar of two missing files belonging to his clients.

"It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were being attended to.

"That was my personal experience, and I am telling this to all the clerks and all the registries to stop this nonsense and I know this is happening, even as late as last week... a lawyer came to see me."

He added that the clerk asked the lawyer to come the next day to collect the file after saying "tapi jangan lupa, ya", signalling him to come with cash.

Source: New Straits Times, Nov 8 2008: Stop it now, corrupt court staff warned

Zaki Azmi denied he made that statement. However, Karpal Singh claimed he have a recording of what Zaki Azmi said at the convention. If that is true, then the Chief Justice of Malaysia has committed 2 wrongs - bribery and lying.



Karpal Singh has given Zaki Azmi one week to resign as the Chief Justice of Malaysia, failing which he would move a motion in Parliament against him under Article 127 of the federal constitution "for having misled the country with his so-called clarification". What will come out of this development? Let us wait one week.

Photos courtesy of Malaysiakini

Scam alert - mobile credit card reader

Below is a scam alert I received from an email forward:

---

Hi everyone,

I want to let you all know that (name deleted for privacy) and I have been the victims of credit card fraud this week and felt I should warn you all about the clever scam. It works like this:

Last Wednesday I had a phone call late morning from Express Couriers to ask if I was going to be home as he had a delivery for me. He said he would there in roughly an hour. He turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and wine. I expressed my surprise as I wasn't expecting anything like this and said I was intrigued to know who was sending me such a lovely gift. He said he was only delivering the gift and the card was being sent separately (the card has never arrived). There was a consignment note with the gift.

He went on to explain that because the gift contained alcohol he has to charge the recipient $3.50 as proof that he has actually delivered to an adult, and not left it on a door step if the recipient is out, to be stolen or taken by children. This seemed logical and I offered to get the cash. He then said that the company required the payment to be by Eftpos so he's not handling cash and everything is properly accounted for. Frank was there and got his credit card and "John" swiped the
card on this small mobile machine that also had a small screen upon which Frank entered in his pin number. A receipt was printed out and given to us.

Between last Thursday and Monday $4,000 was withdrawn from our credit account at ATM machines in the north shore area. It appears a dummy credit card was made using the details in the machine and of course, they had Frank's pin number.

The Bank has stopped our cards and I've been to the Police this morning, where they confirmed that it is a definite scam and many households were hit during the first 3 days of October.

So PLEASE be wary of accepting a gift you're not expecting especially if the card is not with it. We've all received gifts like this and would never dream that it could be such a despicable act. Please also let other female friends and relatives know. Hopefully, these fraudsters have ceased this activity by now but you never know. I wanted to warn all my friends.

(Name deleted for privacy)

P.S. I don't think I'll ever drink the wine - I'd probably choke
on it!

Speeches Civic Center Anti-ISA Candlelight Vigil

Video of the First Civic Center Anti-ISA Candlelight Vigil 16^th November 2008 for those unable to attend:

25 year old Edward Ling talk about how everything ranging from petrol prices to road toll is related to politics and how impossible it is not to have political speeches, one of the conditions attached to the first Police Permit for the PJ Civic Center Anti-ISA candlelight vigil 16^th November 2008:



KJ John speaking about Rosa Park, Martin Luther King, Obama, about how because Rosa Park resisted an unjust law, a chain reaction was started that eventually led to Obama being elected as the first black President of the United States:



Haris Ibrahim of People's Parliament describing what one should do the Police order to disperse and what one should do if under arrest:



Richard Yeoh, PJ City Councilor, describing the ridiculous conditions attached to the first Police Permit for the PJ Civic Center Anti-ISA candlelight vigil:



Pretty Hannah Yeoh speaking at the Civic Center Anti-ISA candlelight vigil:



Teresa Kok, Seputeh Member of Parliament, speaking at the Civic Center Anti-ISA candlelight vigil:

Sing a song of freedom for Malaysia

Video with images of the Walk for Justice, the BERSIH rally and HINDRAF, a message to all freedom loving Malaysian accompanied by Sing a song of freedom:



As I look around me
I see the world in a different light
Everything is changing
and it happened overnight
Changing for the better
and it starts with you and me
So we'll sing our song together
and forever we'll be free

Sing a song of freedom
Everyone join in
People come together
everybody sing
Sing a song of freedom
each and everyman
People come together
all across the land

If you're looking for an answer
it's very close at hand
Just take a look around you
and then you'll understand
Clap your hands together
and let me hear the sound
It's the time for liberation
so pass the word around


Lyrics | Cliff Richard - Sing A Song Of Freedom lyrics

PJ Anti-ISA candlelight vigil as usual - even a little boy was not afraid

This Sunday Anti-ISA candlelight vigil is the first candlelight vigil with a Police Permit. The Police permit came with ridiculous conditions however. Among the conditions were participants cannot hold lighted candles, cannot wear Anti-ISA T-shirts, no banners, no leaflets, etc. The authorities must have thought that by arresting a few last Sunday, the others would be afraid. However the people were not afraid. You can see a good crowd in the photo below. The vast majority of the demonstrators did not know about the issuance of a Police permit and they came despite knowing that previous demonstrators had been arrested. They refused to be cowed by the authorities. They wore NO TO ISA T-shirts and lighted candles. You can see some No to ISA T-shirts and lighted candles in the photo below:



Bernard Khoo with KJ John. This was the first time I saw KJ John at the candlelight vigil. Not only KJ John joined the protesters, he also gave a great speech where he spoke about Rosa Park, a black women refusing to give up a bus seat to a white. And because Rosa Park refused to give in to unjust laws and regulations, others like Martin Luther King followed and Obama was elected to become the first black President of the mighty
United States of America. Our small actions of bravely attending peaceful candlelight vigil will eventually lead to the abolishment of the hated ISA (Internal Security Act).



We hope that more Malaysians will come forward to be counted. There is nothing to be afraid of. Even this little boy with a lighted candle is not afraid:



This round everyone, young and old, were given encouraged to speak. Below are photos of some who bravely stood up to give a speech. Here is a photo of Pastor giving his speech:



Here is a man giving his speech. If I did not mix him up with another, he said he is all the way from UK:



A young Edward Ling also gave a stirring speech. I don't have a photo, but I have a video of Edward Ling giving his speech together with other videos which will be embedded in this blog later.

Richard Yeoh announced speaker corner for PJ

Petaling Jaya will soon have a speaker corner where city dwellers can express their views without fear of getting arrested, and that speaker corner will probably be in or somewhere near Civic Center or PJ City Hall. This was announced by PJ City Councilor Richard Yeoh. However, I think this thing about not getting arrested may have been mis-stated. What Richard Yeoh probably meant was I think that one can give speeches and city dwellers are probably free to assemble to listen to the speeches without having to worry about whether the assembly is an illegal assembly.

If you have more information about what exactly Richard Yeoh meant, please let us know by leaving a comment. In the meantime I will try to get some information from another city councilor I know.

Dian Abdullah described how she was brutalized by police

They say it is better late than never. I had this video taping the press interviewing Dian Abdullah at the Section 8 Police Station after that infamous event police brutality at Civic Center uploaded to Youtube but for various reasons took my own sweet time to embed it into this blog.

Anyway here is Dian Abdullah describing how on that fateful night she was singing Negara Ku with her son and others when the police arrested her son, pulled her from behind causing her to fall and injured her head causing a cut that needed 4 stitches:

Winds of Change - Let us pray

Things are not getting better for Malaysia. The authorities seem to be getting more ruthless with Police detaining an innocent singer-guitarist Paula after the peaceful end of a candlelight vigil in the Esplanade, Penang. Will there be further arrests tonight at the Petaling Jaya candlelight vigil at the new venue Civic Center?

Let's hope not. What can we do? All we can do is to pray for changes. Positive changes. In the meantime, let's listen to the song Winds of Change by the Scorpions:



And with positive changes, let's hope there will be freedom to assemble peacefully in this land of ours. Let's sing a song of freedom"

Gerakan more extravagant than DAP

Gerakan demanded that DAP (Democratic Action Party) which now ruled the state of Penang account for the expenses for their business trip to South Korea. Thanks to Jeff Ooi, they got more than they bargained for. Jeff Ooi provide a comparison between what Gerakan under Koh Tsu Koon spent for a business trip to India in 2007 and what DAP under Lim Guan Eng spent on the trip to South Korea recently:



From the comparison table above, the number of delegates were almost the same at 55 for Gerakan and 53 for DAP while Gerakan went for only 3 days while DAP's trip was 5 days. Note that India is a lower cost of living country as compared with South Korea. The cost of accommodation for the Gerakan trip should be lower. Yet the comparison table showed that Gerakan's accommodation were 4.4 times more expensive.

The flight mileage from Malaysia to Chennai India is 1610 miles or 2591 km. while the flight distance from Malaysia to South Korea is 2565.80 miles or 4130 kilometers. Since India is nearer to Malaysia, the airfares for the business trip by Gerakan should be lower than for the airfares for the business trip by DAP. The comparison showed that Gerakan spent 1.8 times more on airfares than DAP.

Overall, Gerakan spent 2.6 times more for a business trip to a lower cost and nearer country for fewer days. This showed that Gerakan is more than 2 times more extravagant than DAP for a business trip that should have cost less.

Malaysia country of law breakers because of Police Act 1967

Article 10 of the Police Act 1967 make assembly of 3 or more people in a public place without a police permit a "criminal?" act. Just look around you. Every second of the day, there are lots and lots of people gathered together in a group of 3 or more in public places. All these people are committing an offence under the Police Act. Can you name any able body Malaysian citizens or residents who have never assembled in groups of 3 or more in a public place?

This ridiculous act not only make law breaking a daily affair in Malaysia. It has made lots of events an illegal affair. Not only that, the Police are selective in their enforcement of that ridiculous act. Assembly of people sympathetic to the ruling government are allowed without hindrance. Assembly of people to voice dissent are nearly alway disrupted and not infrequently, participants arrested.

Is Malaysia a Police State. I think it is almost one.

Police Chief lying regarding BERSIH candlelight vigil at Civic Center

This is not the first time and definitely will not be the last time. Police lied through their teeth that they charged at peaceful Malaysians singing Negara Ku. Read what the Selangor Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar has to say as reported by Malaysiakini:

---

Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has denied that the police moved in on participants at a candle-light vigil last night while they were singing the national anthem.

“That is what they (participants) are claiming,” Khalid told reporters at the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters about midnight.

When told that there was a video recording of the police action, Khalid replied: “I am denying it.”

---

Compare it with a video shot during the melee:

Police brutality don't respect National Anthem

The Malaysian Police showed their brutality and lack of respect for the National Anthem. The first video will show peaceful Malaysians singing Negara Ku before dispersing. The second video will show the FRU charging at peaceful Malaysians while they are still singing Negara Ku.

Video 1: Malaysians commemorating the anniversary of the historical BERSIH rally in front of Amcorp Mall

Peaceful Malaysians gathered at Amcorp Mall after being dispersed from Dataran Petaling Jaya (Padang Timur). Haris Ibrahim led participants in singing Negara Ku before being dispersed.

Peaceful Malaysians singing Negaraku being suddenly charged at by Malaysian Police

This video showed the FRU (Federal Reserve Units) charging at a peaceful crowd singing Negara Ku at Civic Center, MBPJ (Majlis Bandaran Petaling Jaya)

Police brutality BERSIH Remembrance rally cum anti-ISA candlelight vigil

Will rearrange, edit and update later. Going to Police Station Section 8 Petaling Jaya to check how those who were arrested are faring.












Tonight is a night that Malaysians should not forget. It is a night when police acted brutally against peaceful Malaysians. Malaysians had gathered peacefully at Dataran Petaling Jaya (Padang Timur) but were driven to Amcorp Mall. At 9.30pm Haris Ibrahim dispersed the crowd so as not to clash with the FRU gathered there. However, a group marched separately to Civic Center (MBPJ) where they gathered to sign the National Anthem Negara Ku and to release balloons. Before they could finished, the FRU charged and dispersed the crowd. The police has no respect for our national anthem. They charged at the crowd while they were still singing Negara Ku. They arrested a number of the peaceful Malaysians gathered there. I read at Malaysiakini Tony Pua was not only arrested, he was man handled and thrown into the FRU truck.

For heaven sake, these are peaceful Malaysian gathered for a good cause. Shouldn't they be better deployed to catch Mat Rempits, robbers, rapers, swindlers?

Forum: DNA Identification Bill - Are we ready?

There will be a public forum on the proposed DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) Identification Bill organized by DAP next week. All are invited and welcomed. Details below:

Date : 12 November 2008, Wednesday
Time : 8.00 pm
Venue : KL-SCAH (Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall),
Jalan Maharajalela,
Kuala Lumpur

Speakers :
1. Sonya Liew, Bar Council Human Rights Committee
2. Dr Koh Chong Lek,(Head, DNA Centre @ NIE, Singapore)
3. Lim Kit Siang
4. Gobind Singh

Location map of KLSCAH (click to enlarge):

Corrupt Judges should be tried

What we had suspected all along is now fact. Chief Justice Zaki Azmi admitted that 2 judges were corrupt. Now the big question is, how come corrupt judges are not charged for corruption and tried in court?

Source:

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Frontpage/2396402/Article/index_html

Candlelight vigil at Dataran PJ

Below are my album of photos taken at the candlelight vigil at Dataran Petaling Jaya. You can view the whole album at Candlelight vigil album:

Flags of USM and USA

Look at the 2 flags above. Don't you see a similarity? They are the "flag of USM" and flag of USA.

Now all will know what country is USA. That is the United States of America. That is a country which witnessed a historical event, the election of the first black President to head their country. A country which used to practice blatant racialism and racial discrimination. A country which have left their sordid racial history behind and voted into office a President based on merits, not on the color of the skin.

But what on earth is USM? Is it Universiti Sains Malaysia? No, it is a new country United States of Malaysia (in my dreams anyway - sarcasm), a country which like USA had a blatant racial past but which too had put its sordid racial past behind and elected its first Prime Minister who is not from the Malay Muslim majority but from a minority group and who have renamed Malaysia as the United States of Malaysia (USM) to distinguish the old racial Malaysia with the new progressive Malaysia.

Is that impossible? No, not if you believe Abdullah Badawi, the current lame duck Prime Minister of Malaysia, for after all, Malaysia's Constitution did not specify that the Prime Minister of Malaysia must be a Malay Muslim. Let us keep the dream alive.

Celebration RPK freedom cum BERSIH anniversary

This is jumping the gun as we do not know yet if the Police will rearrest RPK (Raja Petra Kamarudin) but let us be optimistic. We have reported that the Shah Alam High Court have ordered the release of RPK from ISA detention and we also have announced the BERSIH anniversary celebration cum Anti-ISA candlelight vigil. Let us make a a celebration of RPK release from ISA detention cum BERSIH anniversary celebration. No, let us go 1 step further since there are still many, especially the HINDRAF 5, still under ISA detention. Let us make it a 3 in 1 event - Celebration of RPK freedom cum BERSIH anniversary cum Anti-ISA candlelight vigil. Make sure you come to Dataran Petaling Jaya this Sunday 9 November 2008 at 8.00pm

RPK to be freed at 4pm: court order

RPK (Raja Petra Kamarudin) will be freed this evening at 4.00pm. This is ordered by High Court Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad at the Shah Alam High Court. The judge ruled that the detention of RPK under the ISA (Internal Security Act) was illegal and ordered that he be immediately released. The judge ordered that RPK be produced at the Shah Alam session court at 4.00pm today and thereafter be immediately released.

Source: Malaysiakini

Indonesia Bill Against Racial Discrimination

Indonesia on Wednesday 5 November 2008 passed a Bill Against Racial Discrimination, classifying racial discrimination as serious crime punishable by imprisonment. Leaders of public institutions which adopt discriminatory policies would face jail sentences. With a single bold step, Indonesia has now spurted ahead of poor Malaysia whose government practices racial discrimination.

Source: Jakarta Post

Bersih Anniversary cum Candlelight Vigil at Dataran Petaling Jaya

Puzzled where on earth is this Dataran Petaling Jaya? It is what others called the Jalan Timur Padang. It is the open field beside the A&W Drive-in and opposite Amcorp Mall and very near to the Taman Jaya LRT Station. I spotted the signage that gave this not widely known name for Jalan Timur Padang. There will be a very special event there this Sunday 9 November 2008. Monday 10 November 2008 is the first anniversary of the historical BERSIH Rally. This will be celebrated one day before this coming Sunday 9 November 2008 at Dataran Petaling Jaya jointly as an Anti-ISA candlelight vigil. The BERSIH anniversary will probably be at 8.00pm while the candlelight vigil will probably commence at 9.30pm. I will be there with my BERSIH T-shirt. Hope to see you there. Location map below:

Click to enlarge

Candlelight Vigil Abolish ISA Ipoh

There will be a candlelight vigil in Ipoh this Sunday 9 November. Candles will be provided but bring your own umbrellas in case it rain.

Abolish ISA, Free all Detainees

Date: 9 Nov 2008 (Sunday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: Taman D.R. Seenivasagam, Ipoh

Contact
Jong: 017-5781153
Sugu: 017-5677276
for more information.

Location map of Taman D.R. Seenivasagam, Ipoh

Click location map to enlarge

Goodbye most world unfriendly President ever

Great news. Barrack Obama is now the President-elect of the United States of America. Say goodbye and good riddance to the most world unfriendly President ever and also the world's most environmentally unfriendly President.

Obama sense full citizenship

Will we anak-anak bangsa Malaysia ever experience a sense of full citizenship like the like the previously disenfranchised citizens of the United States of America are feeling right now after the historical victory of the first black President elect of USA?

"The first thing Obama's presidency means for black people is, at least momentarily, a sense of full citizenship,' said Dr Melissa Harris-Lacewell, a political science professor at Princeton University"

Source: Straits Times Singapore

Amy statement is relevant to issue: Najib next Prime Minister of Malaysia?

The statement by Ms Burmaa Oyunchimeg (Amy) that she has seen a photo of Najib together with Abdul Razak Baginda and the late Altantuya is relevant to the issue of whether Najib is fit to be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia or not. This statement had never been disputed and if it had never been disputed, one must assume that what Amy said is true, that Najib had a dinner with Abdul Razak Baginda and the late Altantuya.

Video regarding Private Inspector Bala Statutory Declaration:

Video regarding Private Inspector Bala Statutory Declaration: