Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:15 PM PDT

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed has criticised the three new proposed laws on national unity to replace the Sedition Act, saying they would cause inequality among Malaysia's three major ethnic communities.

He said that if passed, the new bills - National Harmony Bill, National Unity Bill and National Unity and Integration Commission Bill - would erase all remaining efforts to balance the economic standing between communities through the New Economic Policy (NEP).

This, he said, is because the new laws would end discrimination based on ethnicity and introduce the principle of meritocracy in giving out government contracts, jobs and university scholarships.

"Of course this is quite fair. But there is a huge possibility that a race that is poor, who does not have an environment that fosters learning, who cannot afford private schools, who does not get enough to eat... this race will not have merit to get and will not get anything.

"They will not even get called to interviews (for such opportunities)," Dr Mahathir wrote in his latest posting on his blog chetdet.com.

The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) last week revealed details of three separate bills to replace the Sedition Act, including one to promote harmony and another prescribing mediation as a means to resolve disputes.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had in 2012 announced that the government would repeal the controversial Sedition Act, a preventive law that critics said have been abused to silence dissent.

Dr Mahathir said that after the three Acts are passed by Parliament, the NEP, which is supposed to reduce economic inequality between races, cannot be implemented any longer. He claimed that the NEP was still necessary because of the different economic achievements of different communities.

"The achievements of all races are different with the Chinese being ahead of the Indians and Malays and the Indians more or less being ahead of the Malays."

Dr Mahathir slammed those who claimed that things were bad in Malaysia because the government practised cronyism and discrimination that benefitted certain parties.

He referred to tycoon Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, who last week said Malaysia must address cronyism, racism and religious intolerance if it wanted to compete internationally.

"Was he born rich enough to go and do business in countries that have no cronyism or did he accumulate enough capital in this country first before going overseas to enjoy the benefits of working with a government that does not practise discrimination?" asked Dr Mahathir.

Yeoh was severely criticised by pro-Umno media over his remarks. They claimed Yeoh had benefitted from lucrative independent power producer (IPPs) contracts from the Barisan Nasional government.

"We know that this country is so bad that it gave him the opportunity to accumulate so much capital to go to other countries," said Dr Mahathir in his trademark sarcasm.

"If he received opportunities, is it wrong for other people to get opportunities from this not-so-good country to get some of the same benefits that this icon also received?"

Alamak, PMO!

Posted: 11 Jun 2014 06:48 PM PDT

I don't understand why the PMO issued the statement (below), explaining PM Najib's position in protecting the freedom of online media, his defamation suit against news portal Malaysiakini and merits of the case.

And I am equally dismayed at how his media advisers assumed that such a statement would put more weight to the suit and draw people's comprehension.

Frankly, it sounds so apologetic, defensive and pathetic! Also, stupid!

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- The defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak against Malaysiakini news portal and its top two editors does is not indicate any wider agenda, the Prime Minister's Office said in statement today.
The statement said, in a speech at the National Press Club here on May 26, Najib had said that he welcomed criticism which is informed and constructive.
The statement quoted the Prime Minister as saying in his speech:
"In a democracy, there will always be people who disagree with your policies or disapprove of your government. I welcome criticism which is informed and constructive.
"There is a difference between legitimate criticism and defamation. It is my legal team's opinion that recent allegations by an online news portal overstepped the line. They have therefore issued a legal notice. I want be very clear that this does not indicate any wider agenda.
"That it is not part of any crackdown; it is not an attempt to silence critical voices. It is a matter of acting on specific accusations which cross the line from fair comment into slander."
In the same speech, Najib also noted that both government and opposition leaders in this country have taken legal action against organisations which they believe have breached the law and that is not unusual in democracies, legal action against alleged defamation in the media is an appropriate recourse.
"It is part of another balancing act. The balance open to constructive public criticism whilst holding public office and the fundamental right to protect your dignity and your good name from being recklessly attacked as a result of political beliefs," he said.
On May 30, Najib filed a defamation suit over the publication of two articles entitled "A case of the PM reaping what he sows" and "How much will Najib spend to keep Terengganu?".
The statement added that these articles, which were based on readers' comments, selected and then re-published by Malaysiakini made a slew of false and defamatory allegations against the prime minister, including insinuating his involvement in serious crime.
After the articled were published, the prime minister's team wrote to Malaysiakini and requested that the articles be removed and an apology issued but Malaysiakini refused and instead published the private legal letter and further articles, it said.
"Malaysia has free and open online media. A cursory glance at the online media shows its independent-news portals frequently criticise both the prime minister and the government and engage in robust political debate.
"The prime minister has frequently stated his commitment to protect the freedom of Malaysia's online media. The defamation case does not undermine this commitment," the statement added.

What's the point? You may issue thousands of similar statement but the opposition and their 'cocky' foreign friends still label the suit as containing an agenda to stopgap his critics. No matter how defensive and 'clean' we are, they say it's not right for PM to sue Mkini.

Only the oppositions have the rights to sue news portal, drag newspapers and bloggers to court, banning reporters from official functions and burning newspapers. Call it double standard but everybody knows what kind of skunk mentality they have.

My advice, just fight the case in court!

No need going around avowing our legitimate rights to do so!

Malu lah macam ni! General election is still far away...

Zahid 'slaps' Teresa Kok

Posted: 11 Jun 2014 04:08 AM PDT

Bingo!

DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was dejected by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's reply at the Dewan Rakyat today that there was no 'criminal case' for the police to act on an NGO that offered RM1,200 to slap her earlier this this.

Teresa, DAP and the Opposition were also taken aback by the 'legal terminology' used in the minister's written answer to her question.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 ― No action will be taken against the Malay NGO which offered a reward to anyone who assaults Seputeh DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok by slapping her and records the incident Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
In a parliamentary reply to a query by Kok on the matter, Zahid said that the threat was not a criminal offence as it was not a genuine physical attack with malicious intention.
"It is a principle in criminal law that a criminal offence can only occur when there are two elements coinciding with actus reus (act) and mens rea (malicious intention).
"As such, referring to the Yang Berhormat's question, there was never any criminal offence committed because (the threat) does not fulfill the legal principles," the reply read.
The police had earlier recommended a charge of criminal intimidation against the two men who offered a cash bounty for anyone who successfully photographed themselves slapping DAP MP Teresa Kok.
The men were part of a Malay NGO which calls itself The Council of Islamic NGOs which in February offered a RM1,200 for the physical assault on the MP for a Chinese New Year video she had made, lampooning various national issues.
Kok has been charged for sedition for her satirical video.
The Seputeh MP, however, has defended the video, saying that the 11 minute clip was not intended to incite hatred.
The six Muslim groups alleged to have been involved in the protest are Pertubuhan Permuafakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia (Permas), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam dan Dakwah (Pekida), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Insan Bakti Malaysia (Perkib), Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) and Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM).
The group also held a protest over Kok's video, slaughtering and splattering the blood of chickens over portraits of opposition leaders while making the cash offer to anyone who manages to assault her.

I guess Teresa would not want to accept it and will instead try other avenues. There are so many lawyers in Pakatan Rakyat who would love to help her pin down Zahid, the police and the NGOs.

However, not easy maaaa!!!

Better slap your own face!

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