Bersih rally revealed lots of truth

Jeswan Kaur

| July 10, 2011

Going into denial seems to be the only way Najib could think of in reacting to the Bersih 2.0 rally.

COMMENT

The rakyat who turned up for the Bersih 2.0 rally yesterday were no criminals. Yet, the police and the Federal Reserve Unit officers treated them as such, kicking and punching some of the supporters of the rally.

An eyewitness shared an incident where a young man in his 20s was pounced upon by no less than 10 policemen who wrestled him down, twisting his arm.

The ambience that day was one of fright and intimidation with the police going berserk in preventing the huge crowd from walking up to the rally venue, the historical Stadium Merdeka.

Everywhere, the environment was polluted with tear gas and water cannon which the cops splashed with gay abandon at the crowd to force them to disperse. But all these failed to scare the people.

Indeed, conundrum would best describe the July 9 scenario in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur. The palpable chaotic situation was certainly not the people’s doing. The rakyat had turned up in good faith to support the Bersih 2.0 ‘Walk for Democracy’. The event was messed up by none other than the police.

Bersih 2.0 in respecting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin’s call to maintain peace and harmony agreed to keep away from the streets and take the rally indoor, to Stadium Merdeka. But no thanks to the lies and manipulation by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the Bersih 2.0 organisers were refused all access to the stadium.

The police meanwhile at the 11th hour offered to issue Bersih 2.0 a permit for the rally provided it was held outside Kuala Lumpur. Why did Najib and his ‘boys’ stab Bersih 2.0 in the back, an act typically reserved for the cowards?

It is not the Bersih 2.0 coalition but the Barisan Nasional government under Najib and the police who are to be blamed for the chaos that shrouded Kuala Lumpur for over eight hours on July 9.

From the streets to a closed environment – Bersih 2.0 was cooperating with the call to stay away from the roads. In fact, Ambiga even asked the police to map out the routes for it to walk on July 9 but the thuggie-styled police refused to cooperate.

Was Bersih 2.0 asking for much by requesting that the police cooperate with it? Why did Najib turn the entire rally into a topsy-turvy affair and get the Bersih 2.0 key players including chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan arrested?

Had Ambiga harboured malicious intentions, she could have ambushed the government and sprung a surprise by bringing her supporters to the streets to rally.

However, for all intent and purposes, the ‘Walk for Democracy’ was paved with good intentions, that of wanting to raise public awareness and call for a reform of the electoral system.

Stop blaming Bersih 2.0 The mainstream media went to town reporting how businesses in the city centre were paralysed because of the rally. Motorists stuck in traffic jams were quick to blame Bersih 2.0 for the endless hours of delay they had to endure.

The truth is Bersih 2.0 is not to blame. The truth also is that the entire scenario was scarred by the police, when it blocked all entry points to Kuala Lumpur.

How could Najib forget that all Bersih 2.0 wanted was to walk in solidarity and hand over their memorandum for reforms to the electoral system Yang di-Pertuan Agong?

The fact of it all is that all that happened on July 9 was dictated by fear, that too on the part of the BN government and Najib. The fear of not being able to manipulate the electoral process and find themselves losing out to their arch enemy, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat prompted Najib to undertake the least intelligent measure to halt the rally.

Had the coalition been allowed to use the Stadium Merdeka, there would have been no complaints from traders of businesses being affected. Why then conveniently pass the blame to Bersih 2.0 and ask the coalition if it would shoulder the losses suffered by the traders?

Also, had the police the decency to oblige Ambiga and plan out the route for the walk, the supporters of democracy could have been spared the tear gas, water cannons, punching and kicking. Bersih 2.0 rally a success

The Bersih 2.0 steering committee estimated that 50,000 people had turned up for its ‘Walk for Democracy’. Maybe such a huge turnout is too much of a failure for the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to admit, so he went on to claim it was a mere 6,000 who showed up.

To Najib, the number was small. Just how did he deduce this, when the entire city of Kuala Lumpur had come to a standstill and the IGP had to bring in just about all his men to unleash their terror on the supporters?

Going into denial seems to be the only way Najib could think of in reacting to the Bersih 2.0 rally. Instead, he heaped praise on participants of the National Cooperatives Day 2011 held in Putrajaya and said:

“It’s obvious that the thousands present today are against the illegal rally planned by a section of our community. If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan.”

But what a surprise that the premier could not even reveal the number of participants who attended the National Cooperatives Day 2011. Yet, it pleased him that they stayed put in Putrajaya, maybe against their will.

A lot of the truth which the Bersih 2.0 rally has revealed will never be acknowledged by the Najib administration. One truth is that the Bersih 2.0 rally succeeded in getting its message across to the rakyat.

The other truth is that the people are no willing to tolerate the abuse and corruption the BN government indulges in during elections.

Another truth is that the persecution and repression used by Najib to get things his way is now passé. The rakyat is all out to seek the truth and as the July 9 walk showed, the truth is out there.

The chaos and fear of July 9 was all Najib’s doing. His band of Umnoputeras were out to create nothing less than ruckus, as seen from the showdown at Menara Maybank between Umno Youth and Bersih 2.0 on the day of the rally.

Likewise, all talks that the ‘Walk for Democracy’ was spearheaded by the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is bullocks. It was a walk to reclaim what rightfully belongs to the people, an electoral system free of manipulation.

As far as Bersih 2.0 is concerned, it is innocent. And it has succeeded in its mission, all thank you to the rakyat who turned up in full force yesteday.

Paralympics RM4 million poser

Paralympics RM4 million poser

RM4m 'investment' comes as surprise to many

HARESH DEOL

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 11:27:00

PETALING JAYA: Why was a staggering RM4 million invested by the Malaysian Paralympics Council (MPC) in a company helmed by its president and his sons?

This is the poser raised by several council members upon learning of the investment recently.

A probe by The Malay Mail revealed that in 2008, MPC had invested RM4 million in an events management company, Paralimpik Ventures Sdn Bhd.

Our investigations showed a cheque for RM2 million was issued on April 4, 2008, and another RM2 million was transferred about two weeks later, on April 17, 2008.

The cheque and telegraphic transfer were allegedly signed off by MPC president Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin and its then treasurer, Liew Yoon Loy.

It is understood the money was derived from donations and fund-raising activities carried out by the MPC over the years. Sources claimed nothing on the hefty investment had been heard of since.

A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia revealed Zainal and his sons, Idi Irwan and Ilia Ikhwan, were listed as the directors of Paralimpik Ventures.

One person not amused by this episode was MPC council member Prof M. Chandra Sekaran, who said the issue had raised more questions than answers.

"Who allowed the investment? Was it documented? How much have we made? Most importantly, who will be held responsible if the investment goes wrong?" he asked.

Chandra claimed he was approached by Zainal to invest some money in the company in 2008. Chandra was the treasurer for the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) then.

"We were told it was a new scheme by Bank Negara Malaysia that promises to double the investment within a year but we at the MAB did not agree to it.

"Millions have been channelled out of MPC but it has not been documented. Such an investment requires the approval of two-thirds of the council, not just a handful of people."

He said there was no letter of undertaking by Bank Negara on the investment. "The manner the investment was done is unethical and we have been kept out of the loop for far too long.

"Now, where is the money?"

Chandra said he was eager to raise this issue at the much-awaited annual general meeting (AGM), which could be held soon.

It was learnt the MPC had not conducted its AGM since 2005 and was only registered with the Sports Commissioner’s office in May 2008.

MPC executive board member Lee Sheng Chow, a blind national para athlete, said the revelation caught him by surprise. "This is news to me. We had had many meetings in the past, yet this was never brought up," Lee, who is also founder and president of the Malaysian Disabled Persons Sports Association, said.

"This has to be clarified. Such dealings must be done in a transparent manner."

Zainal, however, maintained the money was secure and kept aside for the possible construction of MPC’s new headquarters.

Meanwhile, Sports Commissioner Datuk Yassin Salleh said MPC would be hauled up to explain the matter.

"We were not privy to such information before but once this is reported to us or even published in the newspapers, we will surely investigate.

"I don’t want to jump the gun but we need to know why such a thing was done in the first place and who had consented to the deal."

This latest controversy has been deemed a "double whammy" for the MPC, which was in the limelight earlier this month after several national para athletes cried foul when their monetary rewards were significantly "slashed".

On June 16, The Paper That Cares front-paged a report on Malaysia's paralympic athletes, whom despite finishing sixth out of 51 countries in last year's Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China, only received 30 per cent of what able-bodied athletes got in cash incentives.

Special athletes used to earn RM80,000 for a gold medal, RM40,000 for silver and RM20,000 for bronze at the regional games but when the incentives were presented to them in April, the winners only received RM24,000 for gold, RM12,000 silver and RM6,000 bronze.

The National Sports Council (NSC) clarified, however, that the para athletes would be better taken care of under an incentive scheme introduced this year.

'Cash in good hands'

MALAYSIAN Paralympics Council (MPC) president Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin admitted to having channelled RM4 million to Paralimpik Ventures Sdn Bhd in 2008.

However, he was quick to add it was for a good cause.

"We were promised a plot of land by the government a couple of years ago but we were informed last year the land is actually a forest reserve and we would be given another suitable location.

"We invested the money as we needed the cash to grow. We just can’t dump the money in fixed deposit as the interest rates are ridiculously low."

Zainal admitted there was some form of “deal with regards to the RM4 million but declined to elaborate. He also did not mention the government agency that had promised the land.

"Our members are well aware of this project. This is an internal matter which we plan to make public once we get the approval (on the land) from the government. The money is there, rest assured. In fact, it has grown."

He did not specify the amount of money projected from the investment, but acknowledged it was obtained through donations and other MPC activities in the past.

"Let this not be a situation where a good deed will be seen as bad. I assure you the money is there and has grown. This will be a starting point for our building committee. Four million ringgit is not enough to build a headquarters in Kuala Lumpur."

When told several MPC members claimed they were unaware of the matter, Zainal said: "We have just obtained the approval from the Sports Commissioner’s office after rectifying our constitution two months ago and will be holding our annual general meeting soon. We will discuss this matter."

Zainal said MPC had been struggling to find its "own place". It is renting an office block in Brickfields now.

"We want our new place to be a symbol of Malaysian para athletics," he said.

Consumer ‘drills’ for justice

G Vinod

| June 27, 2011

Despite filing a RM400,000 lawsuit against Carrefour for injuries sustained due to a faulty drill, the High Court only awarded V Sundrum RM10,000 with no costs.

PETALING JAYA: A consumer from Kulai, Johor has cried foul over a faulty electrical appliance bought from multi-national hypermarket which caused him to lose his hearing.

Adding salt to injury, the Kuala Lumpur High Court merely awarded him RM10,000 for his injury despite filing a RM400,000 lawsuit.

Relating his ordeal, V Sundrum, 53, said he purchased the MAC 500W impact drill in May 2005 from a Carrefour hypermarket branch in Johor Bahru after seeing its advertisement in an English daily.

The product, which was certified by the Energy Commission, however, went bust when Sundrum used the appliance the following day.

“The drill bit bent and hit my face, injuring my left eye and ear,” he said.

He then sought treatment at the Puteri Medical Centre after being assured by Carrefour that it would bear the cost but nothing came forth.

Though his eye recovered, Sundrum, who was a former sales manager for a toy company, lost his hearing in the left ear, rendering him dependent on a hearing aid.

Angered by the accident, Sundrum then checked the details of the drill with the Energy Commission in June 2005 and found that its registration number was false.

“The registration number attached to the drill ’3930/02′ was registered for a Hyundai television receiver,” he said.

Sundrum then urged the Energy Commission to take action against Carrefour for allegedly using a fake registration number on its product.

“However, the commission has yet to take any action against the hypermarket,” he added.

In the same month, Sundrum also took his case to the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC), an agency under the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives Ministry, but was advised by the agency to seek legal redress.

“And the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) also advised me to file a law suit against Carrefour,” he said.

In search of justice

In May 2006, Sundrum filed a lawsuit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court against Carrefour claiming RM400,000 in damages.

However, the court’s verdict on September 2010 was less than satisfactory for Sundrum, who is now registered with the Welfare Department as a disabled man.

“I was only offered RM10,000 for the injury I sustained in my left eye. I was not offered any compensation for the injury to my ear,” said Sundrum.

The reason, he said, was because the court refused to accept the medical reports issued by Kuala Lumpur General Hospital (HKL) and Puteri Medical Centre pertaining to the injury to his ear.

Sundrum, who is currently unemployed, related that he was also badly represented by his counsel during the court proceedings, a lawyer recommended by Fomca itself.

He said the court even asked him to demonstrate how he used the drill after the defendant’s lawyers queried his ability in operating the power tool.

“I’m a certified technician. Besides, the drill is commonly used at homes so there is no need for anyone to have a special qualification to handle the drill,” he added.

Sundrum then filed an appeal in November 2010.

“I’m now jobless and yet to receive justice. If I fail, I do not know what else to do,” he said.

Friday June 24, 2011

Group wants disabled in all local councils

PETALING JAYA: Members of the disabled must be appointed in all 12 local councils to ensure better representation and a voice to champion issues affecting them, said Inde­pendent Living and Training Centre President Francis Siva.

He said the centre wanted to see more disabled people in the local councils.

“Now, we just have two representatives – one in Petaling Jaya City Council and the other in Klang Municipal Council – compared to three earlier. Our Kajang councillor was removed with no reason given after the 2008-2009 term.

“In 2008, Pakatan Rakyat’s election manifesto promised better representation for the disabled. But now, we have been shortchanged,” he said.

He added that their representatives in Petaling Jaya and Klang helped to create awareness among town planners on the need to have disabled-friendly facilities.

While urging state exco for local government Ronnie Liu to look into the representation for the disabled, Francis said the group did not want Selangor to think that it was doing them a favour.

“We want Selangor to remember that we have equal rights like the others.

“We are not second-class citizens and we are not interested in dirty politics,” he said.

Friday June 24, 2011

Liu: Difficult to keep NGO quota pledge

PETALING JAYA: State exco member Ronnie Liu has admitted that 61 so-called independent councillors in Selangor are actually members of Pakatan Rakyat parties.

He said it was difficult for Pakatan to honour its promise of having a 25% quota for non-governmental organisation representatives and professionals without political affiliations.

“It is very difficult for these representatives and professionals to be appointed to the council. However, we still have 25% representatives from NGOs and professionals.

“We cannot stop NGO members or professional town planners from joining political parties as it is their right. We also cannot stop politicians from being members in NGOs.

“For example, Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali is a politician, who is also the chairman of a Malay rights group and NGO, Perkasa. So, what’s the fuss?” he said

Friday June 24, 2011

NGO reps in Selangor feel cheated over broken promise

By EDWARD R. HENRY
edward@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Municipal councillors representing non-governmental organisations in Selangor are outraged that there are now only 10 of them.

They feel cheated as they were promised a quarter of or 72 council seats after Pakatan Rakyat's victory in the state in the 2008 general election.

Instead, only 17 NGO councillors had been appointed.

Now, although Selangor boasts that there are 71 such councillors, only 10 of them are truly independent.

Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations and Professional Appointed Councillors (Conpac) chairman Tan Jo Hann said the Pakatan state government had backtracked on its election promise to engage people through NGO representatives not aligned to political parties.

“We were promised 30% during the election campaign but after Pakatan came into power in Selangor, 25% of the 288 posts in 12 local councils were agreed upon.

“But the 25% or 72 NGO councillor quota never materialised,” he said, adding that the 72 councillors must be free of political influence.

He said that for the first term of 2008-2009, only 17 NGO representatives were appointed councillors, and the number was maintained in the 2009-2010 term.

“However, representation shrank to 10 councillors for the term running from 2010 to December 2011.

“The people can see for themselves that the percentage in the first two terms was 5.9%. Now, it is 3.5%, and not 25% as announced in state government brochures,” he said.

Tan, who is also a Subang Jaya municipal councillor, said the interests of ratepayers could not be served with the current representation if NGO councillors did not toe the line with political appointees in local councils.

He said political representatives might be more concerned with other “political matters” than issues that were considered more central, such as the people's livelihood.

“Our NGOs always feel we want the best for the people we represent, be it assessment rates or efficient services,” he added.

“I am sure the state government will retort that Conpac is not aware of other NGO appointees' in different councils. Our contention is that as long as the state does not come clean with the profile of these appointees', we will not know if they are political appointees using the NGO cover to pass off as NGO candidates,” he stressed.

Councillors, whose terms will expire in December, have begun to “campaign” because an assessment will be carried out for all 288 of them in August an indication of who will be axed.

In a brochure, Achievements Local Government, Research and Studies Standing Committee, distributed since January, state executive councillor Ronnie Liu claimed that 25% of councillors in the state were from NGOs.

Subang Jaya Municipal Council NGO representative K. Arumugam, who is also Suara Rakyat Malaysia chairman, said Selangor must be accountable and transparent in the appointment of NGO and professional councillors.

MPSJ councillor Dr Loi Kheng Min, who is also a Transparency International Malaysia exco member, said NGO representatives must not be affiliated to political parties.

“For the quota under NGOs and professionals, we must have six in each council, making up the total of 72 as agreed upon in 2008. Councillors must also come from neighbouring areas and not be parachuted' in from another place,” he said.

Friday June 24, 2011

Selangor Government backtracks on appointment of independent councillors

By EDWARD R. HENRY
edward@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor Government boasts that 71 of the municipal councillors in the state are independent and represent NGOs but the actual figure is only 10.

According to the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations and Professional Appointed Councillors (Conpac), the other so-called independents are actually members of political parties that form the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government.

This is the third time Pakatan had gone back on its election manifesto promise to allocate 30% of councillor positions to independent people.

State executive councillor in charge of local government Ronnie Liu dismissed the Conpac claim. But he admitted that 61 of them were members of political parties which make up the Pakatan government