"Sacrifice", My A$$!!

She has been guilty of graft, corruption and nepotism.

The reason she had to leave is because it became public knowledge and people were harping about it.

UMNO didn't want to be associated with the stink she left behind. So they asked her to leave. Pergi main jauh-jauh.

It was done to appease the voting public.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why it is a "sacrifice".

Because there was a RM2.2 billion Kinrara-Damansara Expressway concession awarded to a crony who helped topple the state of Perak and return into UMNO hands. That is a bigger sum than what Shahrizat is accused of helping herself to, and yet no one's head rolled over it.

Frankly, the cattle, condos and cars are all .... chicken feed in comparison to what goes on in UMNO.

At the end of the day, all of them are guilty of one thing or another, but one lamb needs to be sacrificed to silence the baying of the wolves.

Hence, the word, "sacrifice".

"Political Muscle"

My first reaction was: What is Najib smoking?

Consequently, I wondered: Could I have some too?

But then I thought for a bit more. And I suspect this means they have devised an underhand method to win the next general elections.

That's not good news.

Translating The Gobbledegook

Razak Baginda may have motive to kill Altantuya but...

... the answer hangs in the air. Or in a 70-page judgment.

Most people don't believe he did it anyway.

They tend to believe someone else was responsible.

After all, you don't summon military commandos to resolve a civil matter of blackmail and stalking. You call in the police.

Of course, you certainly don't erase or confiscate all immigration records of her entering or leaving the country. Not when there are photographic evidences documented all over.

You don't get rid of the nuisance by blowing her up with government-owned C4 explosives. You file a police report or maybe even press charges in court.

Which is why most people tend to look in the direction of the defence minister at that time.

But hey, I'm not saying anything. No more than the 70-page judgment.

Glass Houses And Stones

No doubt the Daily Mail is just a rag.

And they love sensational news and quotes from anyone who's willing to offer any.

But in the case of Ashraf Rossli's parents, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

‘The system in Britain makes people lazy. In Malaysia, if you want to earn money, you have to work. And if you want to earn more money, you have to study hard.

‘In Britain, people who work pay tax and it goes to people who do no work. I don’t understand that.’

You don't understand that?

Like it never happens in Malaysia where one race gets the benefits without putting in the effort?

Do we not have our own brand of thugs on bikes called Mat Rempits? Have we no UMNOputras who plunder our riches -- timber, oil & gas -- and sell us off to Australian rare earth companies in exchange for huge sums of money?

And if we had to get personal, did their son really deserve the scholarship to study in the UK, to begin with? Was it based on merit or skin colour?

I don't believe in Britain's system of giving away handouts and benefits. But I don't believe in Malaysia's institutionalised racism either.

Lite Break

1. One midnight, Najib had a tiff with Rosmah. Annoyed, he set off alone for supper. On the way, he bumped into a robber.

"Give me all your money!!" the robber demanded.

Najib was very angry, "How dare you? I am the honourable Prime Minister!"

The robber said, "Well, then ... return all my money."

************

2. One fine day, Najib, Muhyiddin and some MPs were on the way to a meeting when they all got into an accident and were rushed to the hospital.

The reporters were waiting at the hospital waiting room, when the doctor came out and shook his head, "We have done our best to rescue the PM but ..."

The reporters asked, "How about Muhyiddin?"

The doctor replied quietly, "We were unable to rescue him either ..."

"Then who have you saved?" the reporters wanted to know.

The doctor exclaimed, "Malaysia!!!!"

************

3. Samy Vellu visited the psychiatric hospital. All the patients cheered and clapped for him but there was one patient who ignored Samy.

Samy: Why does he not welcome me?

Doctor: He is now normal and waiting to be discharged today.

Lynas: Introspect Of Why

A CRANKSHAFT reader, Walla, has some valid concerns which he has kindly compiled for the benefit of all readers.

Some preliminary concerns on the project:

(a) where is the environmental impact assessment on the Gebeng refinery, especially with regards the disposal of the waste?

If the Australian government can make public to its citizens two environment impact assessment requirements for the Lynas mining operation where the rare earths are merely to be concentrated for final processing, why can't we have the environmental impact assessment requirement for the final processing phase where toxic waste and harmful byproducts will be deposited?

Ref: http://is.gd/lzD4zj and http://is.gd/7PoRXI

The government has suggested that the waste be shipped back to Australia. A moment's thought will tell you if Lynas is willing to ship it back to Australia, they would not have set up the plant in Malaysia in the first place.

Furthermore, the very fact the government can make that suggestion says as much it is not confident of defending any environmental impact assessment in its hand.

So we come to the next question:

(b) why did Lynas not set up the last segment of the refining process in its complex in Laverton Western Australia in the first place since that would have reduced their costs of having to pre-concentrate the ore, pack it, transport it by road and rail to their loading port, and ship it all the way across the ocean to Kuantan to be offloaded and transported to Gebeng to be processed whereupon ship back the rare products minus the waste to be sold and exported?

There can only be one answer. Yes, they don't want the waste in Australia. So what cause does Malaysia have to want it as well? Can anyone in the Malaysian Cabinet furnish a reasonable answer?

Which brings me to another matter:

(c) Pahang gets monsoonal floods. Gebeng is in Pahang. The Lynas plant is in Gebeng. The plant is being constructed on flat land open to floods (remember Thailand).

We can see for ourselves how flat and low-lying the site is:

http://is.gd/E6BdNa

In a bad case scenario, your conclusion then will be that our locals will be having their seafood impregnated with the sodium sulphide reagent used to concentrate the lanthanide ore that has come all the way from Mt Weld of Western Australia. That they will also be losing their hair and teeth at the same time cannot be entirely excluded.

So it remains to take one more step back on this matter:

(d) why all the rush?

Lynas is pushing the project through as quickly as possible. It is finalising its phase two expansion of its extraction plant where output is to be some 22,000 MT/year. In fact, 5,000 MT is ready to be shipped over.

Maybe the answer for the rush is geopolitical. Japan is 97% dependent on China for rare earth elements necessary for its high-tech products.

That was why the Japanese trading house SojiTz Corporation with the full and eager blessing of the Japanese government had pumped into Lynas Corporation USD325 million just in time to shore up the company after it had suffered ten years of financial distress including the collapse of one funding deal after it had acquired the Mt Weld rare earths mine at the height of the global financial crisis.

For that investment, Sojitz Corporation will get marketing rights to at least 8,500 MT of rare earths a year over 10 years and Lynas expects to corner at least 8% of the world's rare earth supply.

Also note that the main processing unit are the rotary kilns in the Gebeng plant. They are supplied by Toyo-Thai.

It therefore seems this Lynas plant in Gebeng has nothing to do with Malaysian interests. After all, the planned headcount is only some 300 locals, and the value-add to our trade figures will be marginal since we won't own the final product. Only Japan and Australia will own the final product. Malaysia will only be the dumping ground, and like Malawi the other country where Lynas has an operation, probably the two M's will be left with the dishwater.

Maybe Lynas just went through the list of countries starting from A down to L, and then when it reached M, Malawi and Malaysia said "yes". The question is - why did everyone else say "no"? If Japan was so eager for the Lynas supply to proceed, why not have the refining on Japanese soil if it has been assured to be safe?

In the end, Japan will get another source of rare earths for its high technology, Australia will gain traction from the US as a new world source of rare earths, Lynas Corporation will see its share price rise in value, its shareholders will disdain their usual lobsters for caviar, and the citizens of Malaysia, especially those who live and work in the vicinity of Lynas Malaysia will get:

Note the photos of the Gebeng plant. It's not high-tech at all. More like, you know, something for Syabas or Alam Flora. Say, radioactive sewage?

The government of this country owes the rakyat of Malaysia a full restitution on the matter.

Together with all the other issues like the NPC, Felda and 1Care, this Lynas issue will sink BN in the forthcoming GE13.

Himpunan Hijau 2.0 -- How Many Were There?

It's safe to say that there were at least 5000 in Kuantan.

And in KL, the numbers were massive. Any KL blogger's site would be testament to that.

Lynas is an easy issue -- it's about pure unadulterated greed of politicians and using Malaysia as a dumping ground for toxic waste that even Australia wouldn't put up with.

It's about time we begin to agree on other issues like race and religion as well.

Forum: Institutionalized Racism in Malaysia

Public Forum on Institutionalized Racism in Malaysia by HINDRAF and KL Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Rights Committee

Date: 17 January 2012
Time: 7.30 pm
Venue: KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

The speakers are:
1) Mr.N.Ganesan - National Advisor to Hindraf
2) Dr. Kua Kia Soong - Director Suaram
3) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azmi Sharom - Law Lecturer and Activist

Chaired by: Dr Lim Teck Ghee - Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives

Racism in Malaysia is developing into a subtle, pervasive and increasingly aggressive form of racism.

What started as a defensive affirmative action program is now fast degenerating into an aggressive form of institutionalized racism. This is sapping the potential of Malaysian society. The future on this trajectory is disastrous for all Malaysians. It will bring ruin to all of us.

The political, legal and administrative structures of our country – the anchors and sources of this institutionalization need to be fundamentally revamped. For this to happen, the public view of what is truly happening must become sharper. This is not an easy task - given the resources at hand for the beneficiaries of this racist system.

Public opinion must first be aligned with this developing reality, before any change can happen. With the kaleidoscope with which we all view Malaysia the perceived reality now, is not disturbing enough to galvanize people to action. This needs to be addressed.

HINDRAF and the Civil Rights Committee (CRC) of the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall are taking upon themselves to educate the public to address the needed paradigm shift . Together we embark on the first of a series of fora to highlight and educate about the structures and processes that entrench racism into our system, the impact to the nation and to the future of the nation if this is all left unchecked. And also to inform of some early stage activities in this respect.

This is the first time this topic is being broached in a public forum. We wish to push this topic into the foreground of political discourse in our country. – in its barest from. This is part of the campaign of HINDRAF and CRC to bring an end to racism in the country. We have been browbeaten to accept the status quo of this racist regime – but it only continues to reduce us as a people and as a nation. It is time we stood up and said no to institutional racism and begin the process of change.

We have an interesting evening planned at the forum. We invite all concerned Malaysians to attend this forum. At the forum besides what the panel of speakers plan to share, we also look forward to tapping the wisdom of the participants in the form of thoughts about attaining a racism free Malaysia.

18 Months

It's a long time.

9 months is the period of gestation for the average human baby. 18 months is double that.

18 months is the age at which a child, from birth, has learned to roll, sit, crawl, walk, run, eat solids and maybe even talk.

A lot of learning can happen in that span of time, be it for a baby or a university student.

Adam Adli is having 18 months of his formal education put on a hold by the authorities for disapproving of the Prime Minister.

For purely political reasons, a young man is being punished.

Because at the end of the day, the university authorities are at the behest of UMNO and are at its beck and call.

Politics and democracy gone very wrong in Malaysia.

Related: Opinion: Let them sing their songs of change

John Mallot On Acquittals and Reforms

By John R. Mallot – The Wall Street Journal 11th January 2012

If electoral reforms don’t happen soon, the post-acquittal joy may quickly sour.

The not guilty verdict handed down last Monday in the sodomy trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim made both sides, Prime Minister Najib Razak and the opposition, happy. Mr. Najib gets an immediate political boost by claiming a victory for the rule of law and an independent judiciary, while Mr. Anwar can focus on the election ahead. This good feeling, however, is likely to be short-lived. Serious challenges lie ahead.

The first test of the post-verdict era will be whether the government chooses to appeal the acquittal. Defense experts successfully demolished the government’s DNA evidence, but the judge said during the trial that Mr. Anwar’s accuser was credible and reliable. With parliamentary elections looming, the government might conclude that forcing Mr. Anwar back into the courtroom will distract and pull him away from the campaign trail. On the other hand, an appeal would be polarizing and cost the government the support of centrists and independents.

The second test will be whether the government implements key electoral reforms before elections are held. Mr. Najib’s government cracked down in July on Bersih 2.0, a coalition of organizations calling for free and fair elections. This demonstrated the ruling party’s fear that genuinely fair elections could cause them to lose power for the first time since 1957. However, after strong domestic and international criticism of its heavy-handed treatment of the marchers, the government backtracked and created a select parliamentary committee to propose election reforms. Among the proposals are using indelible ink to prevent voter fraud and allowing the opposition to have access to government-owned television and radio, which now act as propaganda outlets for the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

The trouble is that so far, none of the proposals have been carried out. The only thing worthy of note is a court decision earlier this month ruling that the one million Malaysians who reside overseas have no right to vote. Expatriate Malaysians, it should be noted, are generally believed to lean toward the opposition.

If UMNO fumbles electoral reform and squanders its newly earned goodwill, the opposition will get stronger. The growing pains and ideological differences that plagued the opposition coalition in years past have largely been overcome, and Mr. Anwar and his political associates express confidence that they could take power in a fair contest.

In contrast, Mr. Najib faces a constant uphill battle. Many of the economic and political reforms that he proposed were not implemented because of right-wing opposition from inside his party. He is regularly undercut in public by criticism from Malaysia’s very vocal former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and in private by some of his most senior cabinet officers.

The public sees corruption on the rise and feels that UMNO supporters increasingly believe making money from government contracts is business as usual. Many Malaysians now use the word “kleptocracy” to describe their ruling class. This perception further undermines Mr. Najib’s calls for reform, making it seem as if no UMNO leader wants to crack down on this abuse, given its importance to maintaining the support of their political base. This perception is compounded by the fact that Mr. Najib has remained largely silent on the latest scandal, in which one cabinet minister’s family allegedly used public funds, targeted to increase cattle production, to buy luxury condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

These weaknesses compound UMNO’s fear of losing power and increase the risk of over-reaction. The party will not go down without a fight, and neither will its supporters in the bureaucracy, media, and business worlds, who fear losing access to the financial gravy train. Because of the high stakes, those who benefit from corruption will make an all-out effort to keep the opposition from coming to power. A return to Mahathir-style strong-arm tactics should not be ruled out.

All this will make the coming election the most important in Malaysia’s history—and also its dirtiest. The international community needs to pay attention and hold Mr. Najib to his promise of political and electoral reform. Mr. Anwar’s acquittal is only the beginning of the country’s fight against political abuse and corruption.