At the much-watched PKR national congress, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali fired the first salvo at arch rival Umno, warning them not to resort to "filthy sabotage" to jail Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and derail the Pakatan Rakyat's goal of wresting the federal government at the coming general election, widely expected to be held in January.
“This is a strong warning to Umno. Whatever conspiracies they may cook up to imprison Anwar Ibrahim, the PKR Youth and Women divisions will rise to break through the cruel walls of prison to free him," Azmin said when opening the Youth and Women's meetings on Friday.
related article http://suarakeadilanmalaysia.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/mahathir-the-home-minister-gave-a-black-eye-umnos-police-abuse-the-new-era-of-oversigh
Azmin also reiterated what Pakatan leaders including DAP secretary--general Lim Guan Eng has recently said. Anwar would be Prime Minister if the Pakatan wins, whether or not BN throws him in jail.
Guan Eng had made the comment in response to political egging from the BN hoping to drive a wedge amongst the 3 Pakatan parties. Both Guan Eng and Azmin were also stating the stand agreed on by the Pakatan top leadership, and sending a message to Prime Minister Najib Razak that his "dirty tricks" would not stop the Pakatan from its stated goal of delivering the Malaysian people from the current corrupt and oppressive BN regime.
“Pakatan Rakyat is resolved to make Anwar Ibrahim the seventh prime minister,” Azmin said to loud cheers that reverberated around the packed hall.
24 ceramahs, a panicked Mentri Besar and a conniving MCA
On Saturday, a host of other top Pakatan leaders will join PKR president Wan Azizah at the main summit in Pulai Springs, Johor. They include DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh, PAS president Hadi Awang and Nik Aziz Nik Mat.Both Azizah and Anwar, the de-facto head of PKR, are expected to zoom in on GE-13 and how the party must get itself ready and going in the race against Umno-BN. A total of 24 ceramahs or political lectures have been planned across the state, and Johoreans are expected to flock to there to meet their political heroes.
So worried is the BN that Umno Mentri Besar Ghani Othman was reported to have asked advisers to brainstorm for ways and means to derail the Pakatan's ceramahs for fear the momentum would swell against his lacklustre administration, which has often been accused of widespread corruption.
MCA president Chua Soi Lek and his son Labis MP Tee Yong have also been accused of plotting to derail the ceramahs. Johor is the political bastion of the MCA and pundits have predicted the party was likely to get wiped out in GE-13.
Respect the people's wishes for a 2-party system
Azmin also flayed the BN for refusing to respect the people's wishes for a two-party political system. All of the Najib administration's efforts have gone into hatching conspiracies to destablise the Pakatan, rather than to invigorate the economy or to to introduce long-term structural reforms, said Azmin. This was why Malaysia today was in a state of decline, he added.He also took a potshot at former PKR FT chief Zaid Ibrahim, a former Umno Law Minister, who was accused of trying to sabotage PKR during its historic one-member one-vote internal polls last year.The effort failed but at that time, it had rocked PKR nearly to the core. But the party has shown resilience rebounding much more strongly than anyone had expected.
“The rakyat must reject those who collude with the enemies of democracy. They are nothing more than political eunuchs,” said Azmin.
Zaid is now the head of his own KITA party and recently lavish respect on the Umno president and deputy presidency by declaring his party would not be contesting their Pekan and Pagoh seats.
Umno betrayed the Malays, look at NFC and how they wasted the people's money
“To the younger generation, Umno is known as an old party which is anti-democracy, anti-intellectual, anti-human rights, anti-worker, laden with the politics of slander and supports corruption. Umno prolongs the enslavement of souls through its neo-feudalism and fails to nurture independent souls,” said Azmin.
Don't be afraid, go for excellence not mediocrity
He urged Malaysians, especially the Youth to reject Umno and BN, for pursuing mediocrity rather than excellence and fostering a culture of dependency and fear of all that was modern and progressive.“To ensure their hegemony, young voices must be buried and their minds shackled. Those who dare to think are enemies of Umno. As the Malay saying goes, a cow is held by the rope, a man is held by his word. Maybe now we have to hang on to a cow,” he said in an apparent dig at the shocking news that the NFC had splurged millions on two super-luxury condos rather than on building satellite farms or enhancing the project itself.
Azmin, a youthful looking 47-year-old Mathematics and Economics graduate from a US university, also pledged to increase the number of Youth candidates in the general election.
He warned students not to trust the word of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who a day ago had promised to allow students above 21 to take part in the country's politics. Yet in the next breath, Najib insisted on continuing an appeal against a Court verdict that ruled the government ban on students in politics was unconstitutional.
“I have received the nominations for candidates from the state leadership councils - both Youth and Women. I am happy that the young have been trusted as candidates. I will bring this issue up to the president and political bureau, to allow the young and women members to play an important roll in the 13th general election," said Azmin.
Southeast Asia has unfortunately earned a reputation for not being a safe place for journalists. The threats? Pick a card. They range from imprisonment for crimes in outdated libel and slander laws, detention without trial, violence against media personnel, and impunity in the killing of journalists.
It is no coincidence that journalists who face risks are those whose stories have exposed weaknesses in the governance structures, lopsided distribution of resources, and the absence of accountability and transparency. These weaknesses affect the ability of citizens to enjoy all other fundamental rights, such as the rights to life, housing, public health, education, and livelihood, among others.
Typical advice given to journalists is that there is no story worth risking one's life. But lives have been lost in the course of journalists doing their jobs. Only a small portion of the murders have seen the light of day in the courts because of the extent to which the culture of impunity has taken root.
The Barisan Nasional is not a stupid government. After 50 over years in government, it is fair to say that it is very experienced in playing with terms and words especially in formulating paper-work that supports its less than transparent activities.
The government has insisted that it did not pay any commissions to company Perimekar Sdn Bhd, which acted as a go-between for the purchase of the Scorpene submarines from French arms giant DCN. Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad himself said on Wednesday that finding any documentary evidence of such would mean the government is “stupid”.
“You think the government would write down that it paid commission to Perimekar? That means the government of Malaysia is stupid! Why don’t you use your brain?” Abdul Latiff, the MP for Mersing, said.
Arrogance and the writing on the wall
These brash and arrogant words were said to Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar during the winding-up of the debate on the Supply Bill 2012. Pushed again if the government could confirm that it had never paid a single sen in commission to Perimekar, Abdul Latiff emoted: “Benar, benar, benar dan benar!” (True, true, true and true!)
Words that are bound to return to haunt him if he lasts in Malaysia's fast changing political scene, but given his performance and lack of polish so far, he seems headed for the has-beens heap
Yes, indeed, as Abdul Latiff had unwittingly albeit rudely pointed out, it is a case of 'Catch us if you can. Certainly, we won't be so stupid as to print it out in black and white for you to use against us. Find your own proof. In the meantime, as far as we are concerned, we have never paid a sen in commission!
Corruption is corruption, whatever you call it
Shocking? But sad it may be, this is the depth that BN has sunk to. They seen to have lost all their orientation and moral bearings, grasping and grabbing at straws to stay politically alive.
No, Perimekar - an obscure firm linked to Najib's close friend Abdul Razak Baginda - was not paid commission but was instead paid 114.96 million euro (approximately RM574.8 million) for “coordination and support services” for helping the Malaysian government seal the RM7 billion Scorpene submarines deal.
In the wording of their agreement, the money paid out was not a commission. Yet, to all intents and purposes it was a commission - whether the Najib administration cares to admit it or not.
Permekar brokered the deal for the submarine purchase and for that, it was awarded a contract to provide coordination and support services, when they had no experience in the given field. What guarantee do the Malaysian public have that Perimekar did not negotiate to be paid RM574.8 million for their part in securing the deal?
The use of the term “coordination and support services” as opposed to “commission” is little more than smart accounting. Something the current BN government is very good at, it is apparent. This can be seen in the NFC scandal, its justification in the purchase of 2 super-luxury condos, another ministry's purchase of overpriced binoculars and in the government's bloated spending bill.
Source of the money hidden by fancy accounting?
Whatever it is, Abdul Latiff’s reply in Parliament at the very least confirms that RM574.8 million was paid out to Perimekar and call it what you may; that money was paid out. The source of the money still remains somewhat of a mystery. Did the money come from the people's coffers or was it channelled from outside funds paid to the government?
You see, if the source was public money, then the Malaysian public should know how was the money spent in supporting the two submarines which now lie off the coast of Sabah.
If the money came from outside sources, for example the government was merely a conduit for DCN, i.e. in the form of a 'commission' paid by DCN, then government must clarify and state it to be so. But of course, it won't and this is what Abdul Latiff is resisting with all his might.
It must also be noted that DCN has a track history of using government conduits to channel money to facilitate its business - this was evident in the DCN-Pakistan scandal.
But no matter what, a sum of money was inappropriately expended and for a most immoral purpose - which was to close the Malaysian purchase of the two subs from DCN. Who paid out the money and how the paper trail has been worked out is the next issue and this is what Abdul Latiff and the BN are determined to keep hidden to themselves.
The consolation is that no matter how complex, a top-notch independent audit firm, such as the one which uncovered the RM12.5billion PKFZ scandal, will be able to unravel the layers given time.
The truth will come out, no one can escape retribution
With the French authorities closing in on the issue of the RM574.8 million; it is logical that the Defence Minister who approved the deal to purchase the submarines will be called to testify and this is personality is not the current Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; who appears to be more than than willing to be summoned to testify in a French court.
Instead, the Defence Minister in question is the sitting prime minister but we all know his track history with court summons. Yes, Najib Razak, who together with his wife Rosmah Mansor, shirked a subpoena to testify in the sodomy trial against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is likely to pull the same irresponsible stunt, leaving Zahid and other Umno colleagues to pick up the mess.
The Scorpenes scandal shows the depth and breadth of how the current Malaysian government is willing to hide the truth, which indicates the likelihood that individuals involved in the scandal are not limited to a mere handful of people.
Instead, it seems that the conspirators could be the entire BN government and its apparatus since everyone is all out to protect the truth from coming out by hiding behind legislation and the authoring of creative financial and legal documents.
But commission or not, as stated in government documents, RM574.8 million did change hands and it also caused the death of a Mongolian national. Her name was Altantuya Shaariibuu and like the rest of Malaysia, she is waiting for the truth to be uncovered, slowly, painfully but surely.
In the end, both she and the Malaysian people can expect justice to be dealt out for sure, for no one is ever safe from God's wrath and retribution.
Impunity is when the perpetrators of killings, be that of journalists or human rights activists or lawyers, are not investigated or brought to justice. That violence and impunity are staking a claim in peaceful democracies should make us jump out of our seats and stop them in their tracks here and now. Its a zero sum game: every unpunished crime means a win for the killer, representing powerful individuals or the state or businesses; and zero for the public, now deprived of its right to information. The cold-blooded murder of Ms Marlene Esperat in the Philippines in 2005 is a case in point.
As a member of the local ombudsman's office and then as a journalist, Esperat was persistent in her fight against corruption, and obviously came too close to the truth. Esperat, who had worked with the Department of Agriculture in Central Mindanao, in the Philippines, went into journalism and wrote for the local Midland Review, and had exposed a fertiliser scam and other wrongdoings involving the agriculture department. She was killed in front of her children while having dinner at home on March 24, 2005. The suspects in the murder admitted they were hired to kill her. The price for the kill was $3,000.
After six years of back and forth court haggling, finally the masterminds in Esperat's case will face trial. It's still a long way away from closure for her family, but a step in the right direction nevertheless.
Yet the darkest day in Asian media's recent history was November 23, 2009, in the Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines. Some 58 people - including 32 media workers - on their way to register election candidacies were brutally massacred by the paramilitary of the politically entrenched Ampatuan clan. To date, close to two years after the worst incident of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines' history, 196 people have been charged. Of these, only 93 - including several members of the Ampatuan family - are currently detained and 64 are standing trial, proceedings which have been marred by delays, the deaths of witnesses, alleged bribes and threats to the plaintiffs in a bid to have them drop charges.
The killings forced not only Filipinos, but the international community, to see the extent to which we have collectively sanctioned crimes against the media. The impact on families and societies linger years after the crimes have occurred, and deeply entrenches the culture of fear.
But the Philippines is not the only country with the problem of impunity. The conditions that lead there - widespread corruption, a weak judiciary, poorly developed enforcement agencies, and weak legal frameworks - exist throughout the region.
In Thailand, two foreign journalists - Hiro Muramoto and Fabio Polenghi - were killed while covering the political conflict in 2010, but those responsible for the deaths have not been prosecuted. Cases of disappearances and extrajudicial killing of human rights lawyers, environmentalists and labour activists point to a bigger problem in Thailand, with the inability or lack of political will of the state and its enforcement agencies in bringing criminals to justice. In Indonesia, 63 per cent of journalists murdered in 2010 were believed to have died at the hands of government officials - and 75 per cent of the cases remain unsolved, according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The solution to the threat of impunity does not lie solely with governments and politics, although much is in their hands. Media owners are as much responsible for the safety of their staff as the individual journalists themselves. Above all, the fight to end impunity is a fight of the people who must hold their governments accountable and demand for justice in these heinous crimes.
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