'How easily Perkasa gained its publishing licence from the keris-waving, cow-head endorsing Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.'

Perkasa gets green light to launch own publication

Tan Kian Khim: As someone commented a few days ago, Umno appears to be outsourcing its 'Ketuanan Melayu' ultra-right wing agenda to this rabid mob of Perkasa fascists. How easily Perkasa gained its publishing licence from the keris-waving, cow-head endorsing Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

Eugene : Hah! Ibrahim Ali says Malaysiakini is "selective"? It's more likely that Ibrahim is selective with his own narrow-minded racial views. It's a big world outside of that coconut shell where ‘racial rights' are empty words.

It's ironic that the Home Ministry was so quick to approve Perkasa's publishing permit. I guess they need to fulfill their key performance indicators.

Not confused: What sensitive issues does Malaysiakini touch on? Would it be the blatant corruption within government ranks that is apparent almost daily? Would it be the double-standards being exercised by the BN government? Would it be the judicial decisions handed down by a compromised and emasculated judiciary? Would it be the plain and obvious injustices being perpetrated on the rakyat repeatedly?

The list can go on for the length of this column.

Lucia: What now? Another ala Utusan Malaysia publication? The Home Ministry agrees (super fast) to their permit for this publication. We all know why, of course. So that now Perkasa is given another channel to voice their racist rants. How wonderful!

Playfair: Will it be of any value if I as a registered member of Perkasa lodge a ‘polis' report against Suara Perkasa for anything seditious contained in its newsletter? Or is everything fair game as it is for Utusan Malaysia .

Rayfire: I didn't know Umno practice outsourcing as well. While Najib parades around preaching 1Malaysia mantra, the work of Malay supremacy is carried out by its subsidiary Perkasa. So now Utusan Malaysia can export its racist editors to Perkasa as well.

I am beginning to wonder, will they ever come out of their coconut shells and see the world in a broader scope for what it is now? Why this unfounded fear?

Ibrahim Ali, you are endangering the whole nation for your political ambitions and sadly endorsed by none other than TDM (Tun Dr Mahathir) and Selangor sultan. I am sad, very sad indeed after all this years people keep moving back in time and become segregated in their own community as the result of unscrupulous self-minded politicians! Please Malaysians, wake up and stop this madness.

Freemsia: This is truly shocking and incredible. Let me get this right... Najib shouts 1Malaysia but Umno actually allows the issuing of a printing permit for this bunch of racist bigots. 1Malaysia = 1Farce!

Pakatan's stance on Islamic issues 'not suicidal'

Gk: Anwar, I salute you for saying this: "I have expressed my view that you can't fight Umno racism by using the same racist overtones or rhetoric because there will be backlash. But we can counter the Umno racist agenda by having multicultural policies."

We are actually witnessing 'backlashing' from their own doing. For example, the recent incidences involving cow's and pig's heads, vandalism of churches, suraus and Sikh temple. Stick solidly with multiracialism and diversity, and this will neutralise Umno's racism.

Go deep to Malay heartlands to convince them about multiracialism, diversity and governing principles in accordance with true value of Islam, then, Pakatan can go far and reach Putrajaya, stay in power for long, long time to come. By then, Malaysians will be voting on multiracialism and diversity, not on racial overtone.

C ala: Anwar said: "When it comes to the issues of theology, (and) the issues of faith, it's not a political decision. It is the correct decision."

First, Anwar's argument sounds similar to what an Enlightenment thinker John Locke said about religious tolerance.

Secondly, to John Locke, no one should use force to compel uniform beliefs on others, for doing so would invariable lead to social disorder. Allowing diversity is the key. In the West, the running of government is not dependent on the views of their churches. It is the people who get to decide on things through their elected government.

Thirdly, the Nobel prize co-winner for economics in 2009, Oliver Williamson, argued that the customs, traditions, ethics, social norms, and religion embedded into a society will not change in the short run. Therefore, it would be unwise for anyone to believe that man-made laws can alter them overnight.

In sum, hence, Anwar has passed another test with flying color, I thought.

Jiminy Qrikert: What Malaysia needs right now are more Malays leaders - political, community, religious - to step forward and speak the truth. When honest leaders are willing to acknowledge 'the Muslims did it...', it obliterates any credibility that racist bigots like Muhyiddin Yassin may have in their attempts to whip up the emotions of the race and adherents of the faith.

Each time a respected leader of the Malay community speaks up and speaks the truth to Umno's lies, Umno's abilities to poison the heart become increasingly ineffective as truth forces the mind to rule the heart. The more Malay leaders speak up with honesty, the more Malay and Muslim minds will rule the heart.

Let's us all pray to Allah to embolden speakers of truth to set Malaysia free from the emotional bondage practised by Umno.

Mass protest against GST when Parliament resumes

Doc: I agree strongly with Protes that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is not the best way for the government to earn income, especially at the rakyat's expense. What about curbing corruption which has run and continues to run into billions? How about looking into reducing rampant wastage of public funds? How about the government being more prudent with management of assets - Petronas, GLCs, etc?

Just taxing the rakyat and bleeding us is not the answer or a quick fix to resolve the government's financial deficit. Remember, the French royalty taxed their poor and their desperate citizenry to finance their string of fiascos and to maintain their lifestyle. The citizens fought back which lead to the French Revolution.

Kgen: There will be a lot of leakage in GST collection. It is much harder to collect GST from a large number of businesses than to sales-tax a small group of manufacturers and importers. Many businesses will collect GST but will not remit it to the government. Even in developed countries this is a problem.

The administrative cost of collecting GST is also much higher than sales tax. Hence, there will be a big shortfall in GST collection which will have to be covered by hiking the GST rate. The four percent is just a starter and is not sustainable.

Hospital private wings - clear conflict of interest

Lahore san: There is always the issue of affordable healthcare and the government must take the lead in ensuring it is accessible to all. We don't even have enough dialysis machines and centres, yet, we spend so much money on "health". I wonder where the money has gone.

Another issue is the supply of drugs to government hospitals. Pharmaniaga still supplies 70 percent of the medicines after privatisation and have driven prices sky high!

Katak: This article illustrates an excellent example of the problem with healthcare in Malaysia. But it doesn't solve the problem. Malaysia must realise that healthcare is a very big and expensive problem what with advanced technologies.

If this government had liberalised the private sector ages ago, market forces would have driven prices down and the government could have easily bought services instead of trying to manage hopelessly inefficient, stone-aged government hospitals and wasting taxpayers' money. Money should be saved for treatment.

A hospital is only as good as the experience of its specialists. Building monstrous, sometimes empty, hospitals with a skeleton staff or inexperienced specialists make them nothing more than glorified nursing homes.