FMT News |  |
- Time for Indians to seek change
- PAS to re-visit Malay ground
- BBC launches disciplinary measures over abuse scandal
- Asia’s mega-cities more vulnerable to disasters
- Study: Africa is world’s fastest growing mobile market
- Najib: Batu Caves will be preserved
| Time for Indians to seek change Posted: 13 Nov 2012 03:00 PM PST
The Chinese have made up their mind to vote for Pakatan Rakyat while PAS is gaining ground among the Malays. The urban folks in Sabah and Sarawak will support the opposition and now all that is left is the Indian vote. Some reports have put the Indian vote as 50:50 while other reports have put it as 54% in favour of Barisan Nasional. Whatever it is, it is still not solid. It seems that the Indians are still in two minds whether or not to give their vote to Pakatan. “The Indians must realise that MIC is already irrelevant. Otherwise, why is [Prime Minister] Najib [Tun Razak] instructing Nazri to talk to Hindraf in regard to obtaining Indian support? MIC must preserve its dignity by leaving BN,” said M Manogaran, DAP’s Teluk Intan MP. Manogaran said that it is surely a great blow to MIC when Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has been given the task to negotiate with Hindraf instead of MIC leaders. “BN must be really desperate enough to woo Hindraf now,” added Manogaran. It must be said, however, that Indians gained more recognition from Pakatan than from BN. Consider this list of DAP’s Indian MPs and state assemblymen: MPs 1. P Ramasamy (Batu Kawan, Penang) 2. M Kula Segaran (Ipoh Barat, Perak) 3. M Manogaran (Teluk Intan, Perak) 4. Charles Santiago (Klang, Selangor) 5. John Fernandez (Seremban, Negeri Sembilan) State assemblymen 1. P Ramasamy (Prai, Penang, Deputy Chief Minister II) 2. A Tanasekharan (Bagan Dalam, Penang) 3. RSN Rayer (Sri Delima, Penang) 4. A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong, Perak) 5. V Sivakumar (Tronoh, Perak, former Perak Speaker) 6. A Sivanesan (Sungkai, Perak) 7. M Manoharan (Kota Alam Shah, Selangor) 8. S Veerapan (Rapah, Negeri Sembilan) 9. K Arumugam (Rahang, Negeri Sembilan) 10. P Gunasekaran (Senawang, Negeri Sembilan) The Teluk Intan MP may also be moved to a Kuala Lumpur seat in light of DAP stalwart Karpal Singh’s "one-man one-seat" proposal. Time to make a choice There are also Indian lawmakers from PKR. As for PAS, it has fielded an Indian candidate in Johor in the previous general election but she lost. It is time that the Indians realised that although MIC had helped them a lot, that was a long time ago. The time has come for the Indians to make a choice for something better and those who are among the hardcore poor should come to the realisation that piecemeal assistance will not lead them out of poverty. While many Chinese youths who are jobless will resort to going overseas in search of jobs in orchards or supermarkets, we seldom hear of this type of venture among the Indian youths. The reaction of the Indians is predictable. They will make some noise to air their grouses and when the government says, “We will look into it,” they will quieten down and things will be as before. Things will never change if it is the same old government with its same old way of administration. The situation can only be improved if there is a change of guard. Indians must be brave enough to make a choice for change because continuity with the present incumbent government leads nowhere. As it is, corruption is rife and crime is rampant. Not only the Indians but all Malaysians must be courageous enough to change their mindset. There is no need to fear the unknown. In fact, Pakatan is not really an alien entity as it is the state government in Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Selangor and also for about 11 months in Perak. Still marginalised Here is a short story this columnist came across some time ago by an anonymous author advising us not to be deceived when making important decisions. Roughly it goes like this: A man who has died was asked by God if he wanted to go to Heaven or Hell. He said that he was unsure and wanted to take a look at both places first before making a decision. So he was transported to Heaven where he saw an idyllic village life: boys were playing football in the field and people were chatting happily in the al fresco foodstalls by the roadside. Women were drying out their washing and everything was very ordinary. Next, he was transported to Hell. There was fine dining in an expensive restaurant with lobsters and caviar on the menu while pretty and sexy young ladies with plunging necklines were the waitresses. Then it was time to make a decision. “Where do you want to go?” God asked the man. “Hell,” he replied firmly, thinking that Heaven was too boring a place for him. “Are you sure?” God asked him. “Sure, I am absolutely sure,” he answered. “Really, really sure?” God asked him again. “Of course, I am 100% sure,” answered the man without any hesitation and a little bit annoyed at being asked the same question again. And so he heard a loud bang and he landed in Hell. But what he saw was parched, arid land with big cracks and small fires here and there. There was no food or water in sight except some very smelly rubbish. There were also many demons hopping around. He called the Devil and asked for an explanation, “What is the meaning of this? I was in Hell earlier and there was fine dining and sexy ladies but now it is totally different. Can you explain what is going on?” The Devil replied, “What you saw earlier was our campaign to you.” It is time for Indians to see the real facts and figures. After 55 years, many Indians are still marginalised although there are Indians who have made good in the law and medical professions. Do Indians want to wait another 55 years? |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2012 03:00 PM PST
For the first time, this Islamist party will be more worried about the Malay electoral ground than the non-Muslim ones. Since 2008, PAS has been accused by its opponents of abandoning its principles and religious credentials. The party has also faced questions over how it had managed issues confronting Muslims in Selangor, Penang and Perak (where Pakatan Rakyat was briefly in control). This has resulted in a belief that PAS has suffered an erosion of support among the Malay/Muslim ground in the peninsula. Some by-election results also indicated that the Malay ground has either reversed into a stagnant position as a sign of protest towards both PAS and Umno, or shifted back to Barisan Nasional. A perception was sowed that PAS has become subservient to the liberals in PKR and DAP when handling Islamic issues and that it was inclined to take a muted stance when faced with the congregation’s concerns. One of its harshest critics is its own member – the former Penang PAS Youth head Mohammed Hafiz Nordin, who said that he remains loyal to PAS as it is the closest organisation towards advocating Islam. However, he is also critical over how PAS reacted to issues, saying its lack of leadership in Penang and Selangor as well as its unwillingness to speak up on the proposal by non-believers to use the “Allah” (God) word, has cast a shadow of doubt over PAS’ ability to uphold Islam’s non-compromising principles. The lingering faultline in the party between the ulama (clerics) and technocrats (professionals and academicians) is also a source of friction in the party. The highlights in the past year were the controversial sacking of its former Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Hasan Ali as well as the emergence of critical voices such as its ex-deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, who had openly expressed unhappiness over how PAS responded to issues of faith and Islamic policies. Such issues will likely reverberate on the sidelines when some 3,000 delegates converge in Kelantan for the respective ulama, women, youth and supporters’ club assemblies with the highlight being the main body’s gathering from Nov 16 to 18. Ageing leadership Established in 1951 with over one million card-carrying members, PAS is now considered the senior party in its strategic election link-up with PKR and DAP, in what is now called Pakatan Rakyat. One grouse likely to be on the whispering rounds among the delegates, is the party’s ageing leadership as well as its seemingly unwillingness to engage issues confronting the Muslims. Its revered spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is 82 and ailing while its president Abdul Hadi Awang is 65. Below the rung are a group of leaders aged in their 50s, who have yet to strike a similar chord with the electorate as Hadi and Abdul Aziz have done for the past three decades. Deputy president Mohamed Sabu’s credential is questioned as he is not a traditional ulama while vice-presidents Mahfuz Omar, Husam Musa and Sallehuddin Ayub are said to be too cautious to the liking of the grassroots, who are growing anxious by the day to see the future course of the party. Here, two PAS activists provide their input and expressed their hopes on what the party can achieve in the muktamar. Former Perak PAS commissioner Awang Ahmad agrees that PAS needs to revive its momentum for the Malay ground to complement the fact that non-Muslims remains solidly behind Pakatan. Awang said this coming general election is the most important one in the Malaysian electoral history. “It is a do or die for the ruling BN coalition. As for Pakatan, there is no better time to take over the country than now. If we lose, it would take a long while to regain support for another serious attempt at winning Putrajaya.” This must be emphasised at the muktamar. He said PAS must also build on the support among non-Muslims by embarking on preaching programmes to enlighten them about Islam. On the polemical issues of ulama versus professionals in the party, Awang said the definition of ulama cannot be restrictive in PAS. A normal definition of an ulama is a graduate from the religious institutions of higher learning, preferably Al-Azhar in Eqypt. This should now be expanded to include professionals who are learned in Islam, such as Sallehuddin who is an agriculture expert. According to Awang, Sallehuddin deserves to be classified as an ulama, especially since he was schooled in PAS’s internal training (tarbiah) and has digested well the teachings of Islam. PAS Supporters Club Assembly adviser Hu Phang Chaw said Awang was spot on in saying that the party needs to focus on Malay votes. This is because the non-Muslims are supporting the party now, he said, adding that everywhere he went, he saw large groups of non-Muslim supporters at activities organised by PAS. He said the fear factor which had gripped the non-Muslims about PAS has now changed to open support as the party is part of Pakatan. The focus is back onto the Malay ground, Hu said, adding that in 1999, the Malays for the first time shot down BN and that feeling has remained over time except for the 2004 general election where a feel-good factor had overcome the country. Now, the Malays are under siege somewhat because Umno transplanted a perception that everything Malay about the country may not continue to thrive under Pakatan’s rule, Hu said. These are all Umno’s lies, he said. Pakatan respects the Federal Constitution where the rights of the Malays and Islam are protected, he added. Among the young leaders expected to emerge from this muktamar, is Nik Abdul Aziz’s only politically-active son, Nik Abduh, who is the PAS Youth’s deputy head. Expect the lad to voice out issues concerning the party’s direction. Also, expect the party to consolidate its stance that the struggle to implement the hudud (Islamic criminal enactments) shall continue as it is part of the fundamentalist struggle of PAS. |
| BBC launches disciplinary measures over abuse scandal Posted: 13 Nov 2012 03:04 AM PST
The world’s largest broadcasting organisation, which marks its 90th birthday tomorrow, reportedly wants an outsider for its new director-general who could overhaul an unwieldly management culture. The “Beeb” is under a pall caused by two programmes – one smearing Conservative politician Alistair McAlpine, which was broadcast, and another which was shelved but accused late star Jimmy Savile of being a paedophile. An internal investigation yesterday found “basic” journalistic failures led the flagship show Newsnight to run the story falsely saying that former Tory treasurer McAlpine abused children at a care home in Wales in the 1970s. The probe into the programme, carried out by the BBC’s Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie, “will be used to inform disciplinary proceedings, which will begin immediately,” the BBC said in a statement. The BBC has not yet said who will be punished but it took the unusual step of saying that Peter Johnston, Director of BBC Northern Ireland, had been involved in the decision to run the programme. The botched Newsnight report and the BBC’s response to the Savile scandal has led to calls for a changes to the annual “licence fee” that all Britons with a television must pay, and even a possible break-up of the organisation. Publicly funded under a Royal Charter, the British Broadcasting Corporation has nearly 23,000 employees and a global audience of around 239 million people, according to the BBC’s own figures. The furore has already claimed the top job at the organisation after director-general George Entwistle resigned on Saturday after just 54 days in the position. His temporary replacement, Tim Davie, has pledged to “get a grip” of the crisis but the former PepsiCo executive has only been at the BBC for seven years and gave a shaky performance in television interviews yesterday. Most serious of crises The Times newspaper reported that Chris Patten, who heads the BBC Trust, the broadcaster’s governing body, wants a new chief who was not a BBC “lifer” like Entwistle. It mentioned the name of Royal Opera House chief executive Tony Hall. The current favourite for the job is Ed Richards, head of British broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, at odds of 10/11, followed by Davie on 2/1, former BBC chief operating Caroline Thomson on 5/2 and Hall at 5/1, bookmakers William Hill said. Other heads have also rolled at the BBC, with head of news Helen Boaden and her deputy Stephen Mitchell being asked to “stand aside” yesterday pending an internal review into the way the claims against Savile were handled by Newsnight. Police now say they believe Savile abused more than 300 victims over a 40-year period. He died last year at the age of 84. The BBC has also found itself embroiled in a row over the revelation that Entwistle would receive a £450,000 (US$715,000) payoff – the equivalent of a year’s salary. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg added to the pressure today, telling the BBC that the sum was “hard to justify”. Former director-general Mark Thompson, who took up his new job as chief executive of the New York Times yesterday, said he was “very saddened” by the crisis at the BBC. Thompson took the reins of the BBC in 2004 after another crisis, when his predecessor and the then-chairman resigned following a judge-led inquiry into the death of Iraq weapons inspector David Kelly, which strongly criticised the BBC. The BBC will on Thursday mark 90 years since its first ever radio broadcast with a three-minute transmission on its domestic radio networks curated by British rocker Damon Albarn. Nicknamed “Auntie” in Britain, the BBC was established in 1922 by a Royal Charter and now operates eight domestic TV channels, 54 radio stations, its famed World Service and one of the world’s most visited websites. - AFP |
| Asia’s mega-cities more vulnerable to disasters Posted: 13 Nov 2012 02:45 AM PST
Floods, earthquakes and other disasters claim tens of thousands of lives a year and cost billions of dollars in the region’s cities and urban areas, but not nearly enough is being done to improve their defences, the bank said. “The region has borne the brunt of the physical and economic damage of the sharp rise in natural disasters [globally] since the 1980s,” the ADB said in a statement accompanying the release of a new study. “Its people are four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than in Africa, and 25 times more likely than in Europe or North America,” it added. Floods are the most common peril and have become three times more frequent across the Asia-Pacific in the past 30 years, the report said. It found that the impact of storms on cities and urban areas has worsened due to chaotic urban planning and environmental degradation, as well as poorly-managed urbanisation and deforestation. Meanwhile, millions of people are leaving safer rural areas for low-lying coastal cities, often driven to the economic hubs by poverty. More than 152 million people in the Asia-Pacific are now vulnerable to natural disasters every year, up from 24 million in the 1980s, the study found. Deaths from natural disasters across the region increased to more than 651,000 between 2000 and 2009, compared with fewer than 100,000 in the 1980s, it said. Vinod Thomas, director-general for independent evaluation at the Philippines-based ADB, said governments in the region spent two thirds of disaster funds on restoring damaged infrastructure. But only a third was spent on making these areas more disaster-proof. “We have thought for too long that natural disasters come and go, that they are just an interruption to development, and that they can simply be dealt with after they strike,” Thomas said. “However, there is growing international recognition that the incidence and impact of natural disasters are increasing for a variety of reasons: persistent poverty, population growth, and climate change. “Policymakers need to recognise that investments in disaster risk management are an essential means to sustain growth.” - AFP |
| Study: Africa is world’s fastest growing mobile market Posted: 13 Nov 2012 02:39 AM PST
Pushed on by the continent’s robust economic growth and an increasingly competitive marketplace the number of subscriptions in Africa is set to hit one billion by 2015, London-based Informa Telecoms & Media said yesterday. The group forecasts that the African market will have grown 18% by the end of next year, against the world average of 11%. “Africa’s mobile market continues to grow robustly, driven by competition among mobile operators, the availability of new data services and strong economic growth on the continent,” said Africa and Middle East analyst Matthew Reed. “And substantial opportunities for further growth remain, because the rate of mobile penetration in Africa is the lowest among major world regions and fixed networks are under-developed or absent across much of the continent.” Africa is the world’s second largest mobile market behind Asia, but penetration by end-September was only 68% against a world average of 91%. Informa forecasts 1.13 billion subscriptions by the end of 2017. The continent’s biggest mobile market Nigeria, with 100 million subscriptions, is set to rise to 169 million. Mobile data is also on the increase, said the firm. Industry association GSMA said last year that the industry on the continent accounted some 3.5% of total GDP, or US$56 billion of which mobile operators made up the largest chunk. - AFP |
| Najib: Batu Caves will be preserved Posted: 13 Nov 2012 01:36 AM PST
He said if the Barisan Nasional was able to re-capture Selangor in the coming general election, it would annul the 29-storey condominium project in the area and instead, propose for Batu Caves to be declared a world heritage site. Najib said Batu Caves was close to the hearts of Hindus not only in Malaysia but also abroad as they considered it to be a holy place. “We do not want development in this area to threaten the future of the Batu Caves complex,” he said when addressing the crowd that had thronged the Deepavali Open House organised by MIC at the Batu Caves Complex here. Many quarters have objected to the implementation of the proposed condominium project, planned to be built near the limestone hill at the complex. On the move to make Batu Caves a world heritage site, Najib said the matter would have to be brought to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation (Unesco) after Malaysia completed its term as a member of the World Heritage Commission in 2015. This effort will be made through the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry. “We cannot submit the application now because there may be a conflict of interest. Our term ends in 2015 and after that we will submit our official request for the Batu Caves Complex to be declared by Unesco as a world heritage site,” he added. In his speech, Najib also announced that the Deepavali public holiday would also be observed in the Federal Territory of Labuan. “Although Labuan does not have many Hindus, but because Labuan is also part of the Federal Territories, it is also eligible to observe the day as a public holiday,” said Najib. He regarded the Deepavali Open House organised by MIC, held at Batu Caves for the second time, as a merry one and the crowd gathered at the premises as a reflection of the 1Malaysia spirit. “The 1Malaysia spirit which is supported by mutual respect among the races, religions and cultures which has been nurtured for so long is the pillar of our country,” he added. Najib later attended the Deepavali open house organised by the Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) at Rumah Puspanita here where he was greeted on arrival by MAICCI president KK Eswaran. Present were Chief Secretary to the Government Dr Ali Hamsa, Raja Nong Chik, Liow, Koh and Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil as well as Najib’s son Nor Ashman. Before leaving the event where guests included orphans and underprivileged children about 45 minutes later, Najib cut a three-tiered Deepavali cake and received a garland of flowers from Eswaran. ‘Indians can’t complain anymore’ Meanwhile, Eswaran urged the Indian community to give its full support to the government and the prime minister, and stressed the importance of practising the 1Malaysia concept. He said under Najib, the government extended assistance which allowed more Indians to participate in the business sector including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “The Indian business community can’t complain any more and must give full support to the prime minister because he has shown his concern towards us,” he said, citing the RM180 million special allocation for Indian entrepreneurs as an example. Najib then headed for the Federal Territory People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Deepavali do in Jalan Sentul here which was attended by PPP president M Kayveas, Federal Territory PPP chairman A Chandrakumanan and party senior vice-president Maglin Dennis D’Cruz as well as other Cabinet members and politicians. Bernama |
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