Urgent Request to make Representations to the Government of Malaysia on the possible violence by PERKASA, UMNO sponsored NGO on Human Rights Advocates

William J.Burns
The Under Secretary for Political Affairs
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Rt.Hon. William Hague MP
Foreign Secretary
Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street,
London.
SW1A 2AH

Ms Heidi Hautala
Chair of the Human Rights Sub Committee
European Parliament
Rue Wiertz
Wiertzstraat
B-1047 Brussels

Richard Ottaway MP
House of Commons
Foreign Affairs Committee
4 Millbank
City of London SW1P 3JA


Ms Navanethem Pillay
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland
+41 22 917 9656
civilsociety@ohchr.org

Mr. Githu Muigai
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: racism@ohchr.org

Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: urgent-action@ohchr.org

Gay McDougall
Independent Expert on Minority Issues
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: + 41 22 917 9006

Mr. Frank La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: freedex@ohchr.org


Gabriella Habtom
Human Rights Officer and Secretary of the Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Human Rights Treaties Division
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Tel. +41.22.917.9193 - Fax +41.22.917.90.08
e-mail: ghabtom@ohchr.org / tb-petitions@ohchr.org
Palais Wilson - 52, rue des Pâquis, CH-1201,
Geneva, Switzerland

Frank William La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
UNOG-OHCHR
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 93 32
Fax: +41 22 917 90 22


Amnesty International
1 Easton Street
London
WC1X 0DW, UK
Telephone: +44-20-74135500
Fax number: +44-20-79561157
Email: activism@amnesty.org.uk

Human Rights Watch
Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Tel: +1-212-290-4700
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
email: spiegem@hrw.org

Minority Rights Group International
54 Commercial Street
London E1 6LT, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7422 4200
Fax: +44 (0)20 7422 4201
Email: minority.rights@mrgmail.org

Front Line –
The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Head Office, Second Floor, Grattan House
Temple Road, Blackrock
Co Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 212 3750
Fax: +353 (0)1 212 1001
E-mail: info@frontlinedefenders.org

OSCE Secretariat
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 1 514 36 6000
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6996
E-mail: info@osce.org


NAACP
Washington Bureau
1156 15th Street, NW Suite 915
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 463-2940
Fax: (202) 463-2953
Email: washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org

European Union External Action Service
Menara Tan & Tan, Suite 10.01
207 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel.: +6 03 2723 7373
Fax: +6 03 2723 7337
E-mail: delegation-malaysia@ec.europa.eu

US Embassy Malaysia
Mr Brian D. McFeeters - Political Counselor
376 Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel No: (03) 2168-4946,
Fax No : (03) 2168-5165,
Email : mcfeetersbd@state.gov


Rainbow Push Coalition
National Headquarters
930 East 50th Street
Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 773-373-3366
Fax: 773-373-3571
Email : info@rainbowpush.org

National Action Network
House of Justice
106 West, 145th Street,
Harlem ,NY 10039
Tel No: (212) 690 3070
Fax No ( 877)- 626 4651
Email : rachel@noerdlingermedia.com

23rd June 2011.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Urgent Request to make Representations to the Government of Malaysia on the possible violence by PERKASA, UMNO sponsored NGO on Human Rights Advocates and the general public on the BERSIH 2.0 public rally for free and fair election in Malaysia on 9th July 2011.

I write to you with the utmost urgency for your attention on the above matter.

BERSIH is a coalition of NGOs’ that advocate free and fair elections and intend to march peacefully with the public in Malaysia on July 9, 2011 in line with the fundamental rights contained in the Malaysian Federal constitution under Article 10.The purpose of the march is to express the collective desire of the malaysian people for a free and fair election in the forthcoming General Election.

PERKASA is a Malaysian NGO and is a tool used by the UMNO led Malaysian government in extending its ugly hands into politically extreme policies topped up by fear inducing methods to ensure that whatever is sacred in the Federal Constitution for the good of the multi-ethnic polity is compromised through this fear and state sanctioned threats from a seemingly independent organisation -PERKASA..

Malaysiakini, one of the few independent online news portals reported on June 19th 2011 quoting PERKASA as saying, “Imagine, ladies and gentlemen, if the Bersih rally is not called off and they go ahead with it - if they don't cancel it on July 8 or 9 - I believe the Chinese community, many of them, will have to stock up on food at home."Anything can happen on that day”

On 13th of June 2011 Malaysiakini quoted PERKASA chief as saying said they are ready to "fight to the end" (lawan habis-habisan) to stop the rally if the organisers insist on taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur on July 9. "(If they proceed) there will be a clash (pertembungan). If that happens, it is for the better," he told a press conference in the Parliament lobby.”

The insinuations above falls short of an orchestrated attempt to riot or to promote some form of violent action by UMNO sponsored PERKASA against the public for their participating in this peaceful march on July 9, 2011 just for free and fair elections.

The fear of the Malaysian community is real and should not be underestimated or downplayed at this crucial moment as state sponsored gangsters PERKASA and its allies PEKIDA (another organization of ex-police and army personnel) & 3 Line ( a known large street gang) blatantly come forward in this aggressive and belligerent manner against what is a natural and legitimate grievance of the people. This march is nothing other than an expression of a collective voice of Malaysians.

The international community whilst accepting Malaysia as a member of the United Nations cannot sit in silence when such threats and fear mongering methods are pursued by fascist elements in the ruling party with the implicit sanction of the UMNO led government.

Your public statement in opposing this tendency of state sponsored violence against its people is of paramount significance as it is a fundamental human rights issue and not just political theatre. The minorities, marginalized and discriminated face these kind of human rights abuse daily through the racist and fascist agenda of the Malaysian government..

I write to urge you to make urgent representations to the Malaysian government that the BERSIH rally should be allowed to proceed unhindered and the peaceful protesters be provided protection from any untoward violent reactions by the state sponsored PERKASA, PEKIDA and other fringe elements..

P.Waytha Moorthy
Chair
HINDRAF
+447502289313(Mobile)

RPK'S LONG AWAITED EXPLANATION ABOUT HIS TV3 INTERVIEW

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dear Najib, I sokong you. Well, to be exact, I sokong your statement below as reported by Bernama.

Yes, politics is about perception, not reality, as you said. I am glad you now understand this. In fact, your people have been using this tactic themselves.

You see, recently I gave an interview on TV3 and they very cleverly presented it as if I am now endorsing you and supporting you and that you have bought me off and I am now an Umno Trojan horse.

That may be just the perception created by Umno or TV3. But many believed this because, as you said, politics is about perception, not reality.

Let me give you another example. Many believe you are somehow, directly or indirectly, involved in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder. Whether this is true or not does not matter. That is the perception and, as you said, politics is about perception, not reality.

Many also believe that Anwar is innocent of both the Sodomy 1 and Sodomy 2 allegations plus he is not the man in the porn video. Again, whether this is true or not does not matter. That is the perception and, as you said, politics is about perception, not reality.

So you see, just on these two issues alone you and Umno lose. And I am yet to go into other issues like your wife’s handbags that run into millions of Ringgit. And I have not even gone into her shoes, clothes and overseas shopping expenses yet. Your wife makes Imelda Marcos look tame by comparison. That, again, is the perception and can never be erased as much as it may be denied.

If I really wanted to get you, Najib, there are hundreds of issues I can raise. However, to be fair to me, I have picked and chosen only a few issues here and there. I have not really launched a crusade against you. If I did, you would suffer what Abdullah Ahmad Badawi suffered and you would go the way of the last Prime Minister -- into forced retirement.

The fact I have not attacked you enough is the reason why many say you have bought me off. But then these people are political novices who think they know politics but actually know nuts. That is why we need not bother with these dim-witted people. I call them bodoh sombong. Dah lah bodoh, sombong pulak.

Let me tell you why I do not wish for you to be forced out of office like Pak Lah before you. No, it’s not because I love you. It is because I know that you are surrounded by stupid people. And I personally know many of these people. We used to hang out together in the days of the pre-March 2008 GE.

If you were to be forced out, then Muhyddin Yassin would take over as Prime Minister. And this would be more dangerous for the opposition.

I would rather you remain as Prime Minister until the next general election. Then the opposition has a better chance. If Muyhiddin takes over as Prime Minister before the next election then the opposition may suffer.

So you see, Najib, what you said is true. Politics is about perception, not reality. And you need to be good at perception management. But your people are not. They are too arrogant and they think they are smart. I alone canmakan all your people. Yes, Raja Petra Kamarudin alone can take on your entire team.

So please don’t flatter yourself when your people tell you that I am now your supporter because I no longer attack you too much. I don’t attack you too much because I don’t want you to fall and for Muhyiddin to take over as Prime Minister.

I personally know Muyhiddin’s people. They are clever. I also personally know your people. They are not. So better we deal with you than with Muyhiddin.

Tell me, Najib, what is the best your people can do? So far they only know how to shout BABI. That’s all, BABI -- Brother Anwar Bin Ibrahim. You think just by shouting BABI the opposition is going to fall?

Dear Najib, if you want to survive then you had better sack all your so-called advisers. Semua ego besar. Kepala bapak dia orang. Find better people or else you are finished. Remember, you said it: it’s all about perception.

By the way, the answer is no! I do not wish to work for you if you sack all the idiots around you, not even if I come directly under Rosmah….if you know what I mean (pun intended).

A whopping RM 12.59 billion for “Kementerian Idris Jala” in 2011-2012?

Media Statement by DAP MP for Bukit Bendera Liew Chin Tong on 19^th October 2010

A costly “new ministry” emerges from Budget 2011. Let’s for the moment call it “KIJa” or Kementerian Idris Jala which runs the various activities around Datuk Seri Idris Jala who is Minister in Prime Minister and also the CEO of Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU).

The total cost of KIJa is approximately RM 6.19 billion for 2011 with an additional RM 6.4 billion for 2012. Of the amount, RM 11.86 billion are allocated for National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) projects over a two-year period of 2011-2012 under development budget while another RM 729.4 million for 2011 comes under operating budget, which has mostly been channelled to international consulting firms.

While PEMANDU has two drivers, namely Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon and Datuk Seri Idris Jala himself, it is well known that the latter is firmly in the driver’s seat, with the help of numerous consulting firms.

KIJa or Idris’ outfits are responsible for the preparation of Government Transformation Plan (GTP), the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) and various other Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for ministers, ministries and federal government agencies. The ETP has allegedly usurped the role of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), which was tasked to prepare the New Economic Model.

Costing almost RM214 billion (the Prime Minister’s figure of RM212 billion is questionable), Budget 2011 is the most expensive budget ever in Malaysia’s history. The previous record was set in 2009 when the total amount was RM209 billion.

At RM 15.86 billion, the allocation for the Prime Minister's Department is also record-setting. The previous record was set in 2010 at RM 12 billion.

The various transformational programmes organised by Datuk Seri Idris Jala failed to curb the continuous rise in government expenditure. Rather, KIJa or Idris’ various outfits are themselves now big spenders, as shown in Budget 2011:-

· Officially, PEMANDU is given an allocation of RM 20, 67 million in 2011 (Item 310000, Pg 134).

· An additional item of RM 897,800 under “Dasar Baru” or new policy is given to PEMANDU (Item 320800, pg 135)

· There is also a “one-off payment” of RM18.43 million for PEMANDU (Item 331800, pg 136 ) and I suspect substantial amount under the label of “emolumen kakitangan kontrak” or emolument for contractual worker (Item 332000, pg 136) from the Prime Minister’s Department amounting RM136.87 million is utilised by KIJa or Idris’ outfits.

· National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) are indeed a group of costly alphabets. NKRA for crime fighting was allocated RM9.1 million, education, RM 22 million, and 1Malaysia, RM 38.42 million. (Items 331300, 331100 and 331200, pg 136).

· In addition to that, the delivery task force of NKRA for Low Income Household costs RM 265 million (Item 332200, pg 135). If only cash grant of RM1000 are distributed, 265,000 low income families would have been aided. Clearly, it is a move that is set to benefit the consultants.

· Meanwhile, the operation cost of NKEA is even costlier than NKRA, receiving a shocking amount of RM355.9 million! (Item 332100, pg 136)

· Under the development budget, NKEA will be allocated a total of RM 11.86 billion in 2011-2012 (Item 94000, pg 139), in which the estimate for 2011 is RM5.4 billion - more than 10 percent of the entire development budget for 2011.

So what do all these numbers mean? All I can say is that “KIJa” is indeed a very costly affair. It’s time for the KPI minister to disclose his own KPI score card to the people of Malaysia.

Liew Chin Tong

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety.

Wednesday, 08 September 2010 Combat

By John Malott

“She may well turn out to be the fresh young voice of conscience and courage… at a time when Malaysia needs a gentle, clear voice.

Without question, racial tensions in Malaysia are higher today than at any time since the 1969 riots. A high school principal makes racist remarks to her young students but goes unpunished by the government. A Chinese Malaysian rapper makes an offensive video claiming that Malaysia's wealth is thanks to the Chinese, insulting not only Malays but also Indian workers who have toiled on Malaysian plantations for generations.

A right-wing Utusan Malaysia columnist writes that those who disagree with his extremist views on the unwritten social contract can “go home” to China and India. When some Malays parade the severed head of a cow to protest against a Hindu temple, they are greeted as heroes by the home minister.

Fearful of losing political support, the government's actions have been selective - criticising statements coming from the opposition, while remaining silent when the racism comes from their own quarters. The prime minister's failure to provide leadership to deal with this growing racial and religious crisis and his inability to go beyond the sloganeering of 1Malaysia do not portend well for Malaysia's future.

Against this backdrop, Nurul Izzah Anwar, the MP for Lembah Pantai, has written a courageous and fascinating two-part article, 'Malaysia or Malaysaja?', calling for a constructive dialogue with Perkasa to discuss how to interpret Article 153 of the Constitution. She has said that she is willing to engage with other concerned Malaysians as well.

Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali dismissed Nurul Izzah's challenge to a debate, calling her 'small fry'. And in a snub, he said that if she wants to debate, she can talk to the head of Wiranita, the Perkasa women's organisation.

For reasons that most people understand, the publicity-seeking Ibrahim does not want to share a microphone with anyone, let alone Nurul Izzah, who clearly is his intellectual superior.

As expected, Perkasa and its allies responded in typical fashion – not by countering Nurul Izzah's well-considered arguments, but by engaging in bluster, name-calling, and threats, filing a police report against her.

Nurul Izzah, not one to be intimidated by bullying, responded by writing another article, even more forceful and detailed than the first.

What Izzah has called for

Let us consider what Nurul Izzah said and did not say – and why her proposal for a constructive debate on the meaning of Article 153, and how it has been implemented over the years, has merit.

First, Nurul Izzah did not call for the repeal or amendment of Article 153. So the hot heads of Perkasa, as well as Home Minister Hishammuddin Onn, should back off. There is no element of sedition here. She also did not challenge Malaysia's unwritten social contract.

Nurul Izzah correctly pointed out that Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa are wrong when they insist that the words “Malay rights” appear in Article 153. They do not. The Constitution refers to the “special position” of the Malays and other bumiputera, but not to any inalienable rights.

Pardon me for talking briefly about my own country to make a point. Soon to be 223 years old, the US Constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world. Over the years, the US Supreme Court has been called upon countless times - now between 75 and 100 times each year - to interpret the meaning of the Constitution and whether specific actions and laws of the government conform to it.

So as an American, I think that debating the meaning and implementation of specific articles in the Constitution is a legitimate part of the political and governing process in a democracy. Even after two centuries, we still have that debate. For example, the question of placing an Islamic Centre near Ground Zero in New York raises constitutional issues of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Nurul Izzah is doing the same. She says, let's have a constructive debate about what Malaysia's constitution means in practice when it talks about the “special position” of the Malays.

Discounts on fancy homes a 'right'?

For example, nowhere in the Constitution does it say that bumiputera citizens should be given discounts when they buy fancy condominiums. Those are policies enacted by the government of the day, which are not enshrined in the Constitution.

While the civil service, scholarships, and business permits are mentioned in Article 153, housing is not. But when DAP MP Tony Pua recently suggested that the Selangor state government should abolish the bumiputera discount for purchase of houses costing more than RM500,000 (in a state where the average cost of housing in 2009 was RM267,000), an Umno Youth leader filed a police report and said that Pua's suggestion not only challenged Article 153, it was an offence under the Sedition Act. Of course, it is not.

Question: Should bumiputera residents be given discounts when they buy housing? If so, what should the percentage be? Do you have a “right” to a 10 percent discount as opposed to 5 percent?

Should there be a means test – that the discount is only given to people whose incomes are below a certain level, or when the value of the housing is below a certain level? If poor Malays are to be given housing discounts or subsidies, then should they not also be given to poor Indians and others? These are all legitimate questions to discuss.

If in the future the government decides that bumiputera may receive a 30 percent discount when they buy a Proton, but others may not, isn't it only fair to discuss this? If the government decides that 100 percent of the civil service has to be Malay, or that only Malays may head corporations in Malaysia, isn't that something that should be debated?

If others want to question such policies, they should not be told that they are violating Article 153 and are subject to arrest for sedition.

Bumi equity target has failed

Let's consider the policy of bumiputera ownership of 30 percent of the equity on the Bursa Malaysia. Article 153 talks about making special provision for bumiputeras to acquire licences and permits to engage in trade and business. But it does not talk about setting aside a special allocation of new stock issues for Malays and others, let alone how the value of the stock should be measured.

If the goal of the NEP is to raise the economic status and living standards of the Malay people, then how does this specific programme – setting aside 30 percent of stock issues – do that? If it were an effective programme, then why after all these years do so many Malays - and especially those in the rural areas - still live in poverty?

Why, as the New Economic Model (NEM) report pointed out, has the gap between rich and poor widened? Why has income for the bottom 40 percent of Malaysian households grown the most slowly over the past three decades?

Judged by these results, clearly the 30 percent equity policy has failed to do the job. Are there not better and more effective policies to raise the economic levels of the Malays and people of Sabah and Sarawak? And as others have pointed out, who decided what individuals could buy these shares? Where was the transparency? Why were the recipients not required to keep the shares, rather than sell them to others for a quick buck?

When MCA head Dr Chua Soi Lek called for ending the 30 percent quota, Perkasa's economic bureau director called for Chua to be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for “disregarding national interests.”

In 2006, Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) issued a report that said when the actual market value of stocks is used (the way that all of us determine our current wealth), rather than the artificially-determined par value, then the 30 percent target already has been reached. But under pressure, Asli withdrew the report.

'A fresh young voice'

In summary, even without challenging Article 153, it is perfectly legitimate to have a discussion of:

1) how that article has been implemented and should be implemented through government policies and actions;

2) how successful past and current policies have been in meeting the goals of Article 153; and

3) how success should be measured.

In a democracy, none of these topics should be "off limits."

On a personal note, I have known Nurul Izzah for 12 years, and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow into the remarkable woman that she is today. No one should underestimate her. Everyone sees her beauty, but I can attest that she also has brains, determination, and courage. And all of those characteristics are on display right now.

Perhaps an anonymous comment on the Internet, in response to her article, says it best: “She may well turn out to be the fresh young voice of conscience and courage… at a time when Malaysia needs a gentle, clear voice.” - Malaysiakini

(John Malott is the former US ambassador to Malaysia)

Some of you are supporting the proposal to cut govt subsidies.... some of you are not sure... so, please read the following......

PEMANDU and Idris Jala are actually right to say that cutting subsidies could lower Malaysia ’s debts, but the cuts will ONLY BE successful if leakages from corruption are plugged first.

For example, govt. subsidies are being given to Independent Power Producers (IPP), so that they can supply electricity to TNB and earn profits. The govt subsidies to the IPPs are worth RM13 billion every year. These include cheaper Petronas gas supplied to them.

There is a 20-year interest free loan of RM 320 million given to SYABAS, the Selangor water company. SYABAS is also a privatized company, why does the govt subsidise it by giving it 20 years of loan, free of interest?

The total deficit the government need to cover amount to RM47 billion. The total subsidy is about RM74 million. Removing the subsidies will NOT help reducing the deficits a lot, but a lot of poor and middle-class Malaysians will be affected.... Details of subsidies are Social (RM42.8 billion), fuel (RM23.5 billion), Infrastructure (RM4.8 billion) and essential food (RM3.4 billion). If this amount includes subsidies for health services, then PEMANDU must review the market price of medicine and pharmaceuticals and compare that with the price the Ministry of Health is buying.

In 2008, global price for crude is about USD140 per barrel, and the fuel subsidy the government have to bear was RM17 million. Today the global price for crude is about USD70 per barrel, yet the govt. fuel subsidy is RM23.5 billion. Why? Have we forgotten that recently the govt has spent RM8 billion on purchasing armoured vehicles and tanks? And another RM3.4 billion for the submarine that could not dive? Idris Jala claimed Malaysia consume more fuel per capita than many countries. That is correct. But, has the government made serious effort to combat the fuel subsidy leakage? Take fishing fuel subsidy in Sabah as example. There are 1,200 trawlers registered with the Fisheries’ department. However, there are only 200 real trawlers (physically present), this means there are 1,000 phantom trawlers enjoying fuel subsidies. How sure is Idris Jala that similar phantom trawlers do not exist in Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia (LKIM) registry throughout the country?

And the govt is telling you that it is subsidising RM12,900 per household per year! Have we also forgotten the Auditor-General's Report that revealed the govt. actually spent RM500 to purchase 1 unit of screwdriver, or the same govt car being pumped to full tank twice in just 1 minute apart, or Port Klang Free Zone's project that has ballooned to over RM4.6 billion from original budget of RM1.1 billion?

Today, when you drive thru Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), you pay RM 1.60. The govt said that you get 50 sen subsidy, else it should be RM 2.10. But, LDP was built with RM 1.42 billion, with a concession period of 1996-2030. And, the govt. is paying out RM 2.6 billion every year in subsidy to the highway company. So, if the govt subsidy is removed, you will pay RM2.10 each time you pass thru LDP. So the question is, who approved and signed the contract with the highway company? Who agreed with such toll rates?

In the UK , British students paid subsidised university fees. International students there paid fees between 8000-10,000 pounds per year. In Malaysia , local students took PTPTN loans of about RM21,000 for 3-year undergraduate studies. Foreign students paid only about RM15,000-RM17,000 for the entire 3 year of studies. The govt. is subsidising foreign students so that we can become the education hub. Why use taxpayer's money to subsidise foreign students? Why foreigners can get subsidised medical care at govt hospitals?

And, it's not just govt is proposing to reduce our subsidies, we are actually already subsidising govt projects! Let's take ERL (express train from KL Sentral to KLIA) for example. Did you know that each time you use LCCT in Sepang, RM5 of your airport tax actually goes to subsidising the ERL?LCCT passengers like yourself who don't use ERL are subsidising the ERL train service! I am not bluffing you, this has been confirmed by the Finance Ministry. Why are you paying subsidy to something that you don't use?

The govt spent RM1 billion in sugar subsidy in 2009. But let's don't forget, Malaysia 's sugar is now controlled by govt's BERNAS after Robert Kuok sold off his entire sugar monopoly. So, that RM1 billion subsidy is actually for BERNAS's profits, which of course means "come out from left pocket, go to the right pocket". But remove the sugar subsidy means most food prices will go up. Our sugar price may be lower in the region, but our fresh graduates salary is also among the lowest in the region! And our food prices is already among the highest in the region. Just ask any tourist in KL if they find Malaysian foods are cheap or not.

According to Idris Jala, the government debt stands at RM362 billion and rising and may reachRM1.158 trillion by 2019 and the possibility that Malaysia may go bankrupt after the Greece footsteps. Actually this is against the statement made by Najib recently where he assures the nation that Malaysia is not affected by the Greece contagion. Why the contrast?

Actually, it is true that Malaysia is one of the most subsidised nations in the world. But think again,where else in the world that you can find so many tolled roads in every corner of the city?Where else you can find foreign students subsidised in universities? Where else you can you find a govt spending billions here and there, and tell you that "we are going bankrupt" because of subsidies?

Last week, we were told that Malaysia is 10th most competitive country in the world. But has anyone told you that 2 days ago, Malaysia has been ranked 102 (out of total 152 countries) in terms of average Internet speed? We are 18 times slower than South Korea ! ( Thailand at 63rd, Philippines 90th, China 76th, Spore 31st, Taiwan 36th). Do you really still want your subsidies to be cut?

Finally, Mahathir concedes he screwed the merit system

Finally, Mahathir concedes he screwed the merit system Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad in a statement (FMT Sept 4, 2010) finally admitted that he and the Umno government intentionally discriminated against innocent non Bumiputra students by denying their educational rights as enshrined in the Constitution. He said: "If we use the merit system , half of the university students (Bumiputeras) don't qualify..." What one can gather from his statement is that the education system over the past 53 years has failed to produce Bumiputera students to meet the set requirement by Umno's own higher educational qualification merits. Despite the billions spent to improve the educational achievements among Bumiputeras, citizens of this country are now been told by this longest serving Malaysian Prime Minister that Bumiputera students in Malaysia can only survive upon discrimination against their fellow non Bumi students. What a shame! The former Prime Minister also revealed the truth on why local public universities are constantly dropping in international standard ratings. He admitted that half of the undergraduates did not qualify for entry into universities but were nevertheless granted places merely on race considerations. I wonder how he justifies such brutal educational injustices. The moment a government tolerates such discrimination, it is actually planning to fail the country and its citizens over the years to come. By implementing this racist based policies, thousands of fully qualified non Bumiputera students are cruelly denied entry into matriculation courses , local public universities intakes as well the PSD scholarships. To summarise Mahathir's statement, he as the former prime minister and those in power ruling this country today clearly do not implement meritocracy in local university intakes, half of our university students are actually non qualifiers for higher education. Fully qualified non Bumiputera students are oppressed and suppressed by the implementation of racially biased educational discrimination. The Umno-led Barisan Nasional government over the past 40 years have conveniently violated article 8 and 12 of Federal Constitution. Article 8 by clause (1) provides that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to its equal protection. Clause 2 states: “Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, gender or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.”

In respect of education, Article 12 provides that there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth (i) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees and (ii) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside Malaysia).

In respect of religion, Article 12 provides that (i) every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for the education of children in its own religion, and (ii) no person shall be required to receive instruction in or take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own and that for this purpose the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parent or guardian.