‘Instead of moving the nation ahead in these turbulent economic times, our political leaders and their party machinery are more obsessed with power grabbing.’
On 2 Perak excos 'missing', PKR fears defection
JD Lovrenciear: The heightened covert and covetous operations within the political corridors of power involving enticement and party hopping is indeed extremely worrisome if not a crisis yet.
The on-going political drama thickens as individuals and representatives elected through the due process of democracy, suddenly vanish into thin air.
We have two elected members of governance out of the party radar and unreachable even by close family members. Such drama was only heard of in far away lands during the forsaken times of the 'iron curtains'.
If one leaves a party fold out of exasperation and dismay, it is admirable. But if one is attracted to mala fide bonus offers of more power and control or wealth, it is disgracefully shameful. Such people can only deserve eternal damnation.
What is most worrisome is that instead of moving the nation ahead in these turbulent economic times, our political leaders and their party machinery are obsessed with power grabbing. For the love of this nation, its rulers, people and God, please stop this dangerous covetousness.
The covert political party games are costing this nation far too much. And if the rulers and people are going to sit back and throw their arms up in hopelessness, this nation can only sink further.
Why in the first place are these politicians not able to respect and honor the outcome of the General Elections? Why are the winners and losers of the elections unable to honor the rakyat's exercise of democracy?
For the love of this nation, Mr Honorable Prime Minister, why are you too pitting in your fair bit in these disgraceful defections and exploits?
If you profess t hat we are a democracy, why is it that as we fast approach our first anniversary since the last general election, we are still stuck in this muck of party enticing, covert politicking and covetous desires in an all out war to thrash the opponent off?
Should you not as the PM of the day be governing through leadership and conduct?
On 'MACC officers punched and kicked me'
Francis T Rozario: The allegations made by the Umno Maran division committee member, Halimi Kamaruzzaman, that he was punched on his head, stomach and shoulder, and kicked in the ribs and knees to force a confession out of him seems to lend credence that officers in the MACC are working in cahoots with some higher ups in Umno itself.
His allegations that he was also forced to strip naked and roll on the floor, choked and pushed against the wall and threatened that his wife would also be arrested and forced to strip if he did not agree to confess that he had given money to Umno members are all similar to the tactics used by the South African police force in the dark days of apartheid.
According to Halimi, they even asked him to implicate Umno supreme council member Norza Zakaria, a close associate of Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in law of the prime minister.
The fact that Khairy and indeed his father-in-law are not liked characters in Umno is a well-known fact.
This is why the MACC must be accountable to Parliament and not just to one person.
The allegations made by Halimi are of grave concern. From his allegations, it seems that MACC has decided to go one step further, by not only being the judge in a case but also executioner. What is the police going to do about this case?
On English issue: 30 activists gather to protest
Dennis Madden: I've often said that Bahasa Melayu should be fostered as a language of literature and poetry, because if its not, then it will completely disappear from the lexicon of world languages.
The activists at this demonstration would appear to support this approach. Any language that is only spoken by 27 million people is doomed to extinction, especially so as Bahasa Melayu has abused so many other languages, especially the language of science and English, in its effort to stay relevant.
With globalisation and the universal use of English for science and business, any country which does not embrace English is doomed to further relegation to the third world
Bahasa Melayu was introduced under the guise of nationalism, but in fact the hidden agenda was to limit Malaysians’ access to writings and literature from overseas and to further isolate Malaysia from mainstream development.
Fairplay: The issue is not Kugan and whether or not he was a criminal. The issue is about a death in a police lock-up. Nothing more nothing less.
If the death was natural, nothing more can be said. If it's not, then we have a murder on our hands, plain and simple.
The police have a duty to investigate Kugan’s death and if it's found to be unnatural and caused by certain people, then these people, irrespective of whether they are police personnel or not, must be punished for taking the law into their own hands.
Why has Kugan's death become such a big issue? The answer is simple.
Malaysia is not a third world country and there are just too many deaths under police custody of late and the reasons given for these deaths have not satisfied concerned citizens and they want answers.
As taxpayers they are entitled to satisfactory answers.
Kugan is neither a hero or a criminal but a person whose death has epitomised the sad state of things in our country.
On Settlers accuse Felda of embezzling funds
Dr Collin Abraham: I wish to express my regret that the association itself seems to have failed to take direct action to address and indeed to try to overcome this problem.
In fact, without going in to too much detail, on the basis of my research and experience, the association has done little, if anything, to enhance a forceful settler response against the indiscriminate Felda management empire-building plans and projects.
This had, and continues to have, a negative impact on developing viable settler communities, as originally intended when this massive land development scheme for the landless was first initiated.
With respect, I need to point out that my research projects resulted in the establishment of the Settler Development Division in 1970, and has continued to involve many constructive criticisms over the years that had even included my response to Felda being legally convicted of cheating settlers!
My research was highlighted by being appointed to the first ever such UN project as lead Consultant to the Social Impact Assessment of Felda (2002).
Very unfortunately, none of our recommendations to enable greater settler involvement in management and participation in decision making were ever implemented.
It seems to me that, at a time when the government has committed itself to reforms, the Felda Settler Association should demand that the entire Felda Authority be restructured, also to fulfil the prime minister's promise that settlers should be rightfully listed on the stock exchange.
