ARTICLE 1
67th session of UNGA :World leaders to debate on Syrian crisis, terrorism – Un general assembly – 19 Sep 2012 12:05:47 PM IST – Last Updated : 19 Sep 2012 12:05:47 PM IST
The Syrian conflict ,peaceful resolution of international disputes and an efficient global coordinated response to terrorism were the important issues that will dominate the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that started on Tuesday at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Vuk Jeremic, the former Serbian foreign minister who was elected president of the 67th UNGA session on June 8, said in an opening address that the General Assembly is “the only forum where all (UN) member states come together as sovereign equals to advance the aims of the UN Charter.
Jeremic said: “I look forward to engaging with all delegations, in furtherance of shared goals and objectives.”
“Having consulted widely on the matter, I have chosen bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means as the overarching theme for our work over the next 12 months,” he added.
Over a 100 world leaders and policy makers will arrive next week for the annual general debate that will run through September 25 till October 1 and would focus on the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
“We are living through a period of unease. These are times of rising unemployment, rising inequality, rising temperatures and rising intolerance,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his remarks at the opening of the UNGA
session yesterday.
“We are also seeing incidents of intolerance and hatred that are then exploited by others. Voices of moderation and calm need to make themselves heard at this time. We all need to speak up in favour of mutual respect and understandingof the values and beliefs of others.
“The United Nations itself must rise to the moment,”Ban said. He said the UNGA faces a long and urgent agenda,where “the deteriorating situation in Syria will be foremost in our minds.”
Other important high-level meetings and initiatives on energy, women’s health, nutrition and education, peace and security challenges would also dominate the discussions of the world leaders.
“This organisation is being asked to do more than ever before. People want results in real time, not years.That is why we will also be working together during this session to deepen our efforts to strengthen and modernize the United Nations itself,” Ban said.
President of the 193-member body Vuk Jeremic, who took over from Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, outlined the main areas of focus for this year’s session, with the main theme being the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
“Peace and security is a prerequisite for the stability needed for global economic growth, sustainable development and social progress,” Jeremic said. Jeremic also highlighted the importance of making progress on arms control and disarmament, strengthening UN peacekeeping, improving a global coordinated response to terrorism, and promoting human rights in the international arena during the next 12 months.
He stressed that the Assembly should focus not just on achieving the eight anti-poverty targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but also on the post-2015 agenda. In addition, he emphasized that the rule of law would remain one of the main priorities on the Assembly?s agenda. “Close to 800 years after the Magna Carta was promulgated, many people around the world still do not enjoy the fundamental rights enshrined in that seminal documentrights that protect individuals, while enabling countries to
develop in peace and security, as sovereign equals,” he said.
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Domestic ‘political terrorists’ among MPs have seized power from near 40% of the population since the 1970s as well as East Malaysia’s Orang Asli, and hijacked Malaysia’s parliament by not granting :
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
Will the UN take action on this form of political terrorist by demanding of the Malaysian government via blackballs or expulsions of pro-apartheid-Malays who refuse to CLEARLY STATE their denunciatuion via ‘Statuary Declaration’ from all world bodies linked to UN, to ensure the end of apartheid and free the people of Malaysia by granting the above 3 items? The Magna Carta does not allow the form of apartheid as the Malaysian regime today enforces by threat of fines and imprisonment and refusal to amend laws and constitution.
ARTICLE 2
Focus is on preventing, correcting homosexuality, says deputy minister – by Hafidz Baharom – September 20, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the government will push forward in educating parents on how to prevent, overcome and correct symptoms of homosexuality in children.
But he told The Malaysian Insider today that there will be no published guidelines to identify gay and lesbian traits, saying that the Education Ministry was not involved in hosting the “Parents Handling LGBT Issues” seminars including one he launched in Kedah earlier today.
Mohd Puad (picture) did not however elaborate on what the government would do to “correct” or “prevent” homosexuality.
Gender equality advocates have attacked Putrajaya for sending the wrong message about sexuality and social conformity by endorsing controversial “guidelines” aimed at helping parents recognise “symptoms” of homosexuality in children.
The groups had demanded the federal government retract its endorsement, saying the descriptions are misleading and may lead to discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community.
Putrajaya had reportedly endorsed a list of identifiable gay and lesbian traits that was distributed to schools and parents, published by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd and Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations.
The guidelines are ostensibly aimed at preventing the “spread” of the phenomenon among teenagers, especially students, according to media reports last week.
Education Ministry officials had subsequently denied endorsing the list, which says that gay men have muscular bodies and like to show off by wearing V-neck and sleeveless clothes, prefer tight and light-coloured clothing, are attracted to men and like to carry big handbags similar to those used by women.
Lesbians are said to be attracted to women, like to eat, sleep and hang out in the company of other women and have no affection for men.
“There are no such published guidelines and I was only invited to officiate these events by the non-government organisations involved,” said Mohd Puad today.
“We in the Ministry of Education look at this LGBT issue seriously, and all we wish to do is to educate people, parents especially, on how to overcome this issue, how to prevent it as well as early corrective measures,” he said.
He added that these seminars were “not an attack” on the LGBT community in Malaysia.
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Could the UN condemn and counter this abusive action by Puad and the PTA here? The UN needs to speak with a very clear voice to Malaysian or fundo state abusers, that abusive policies and discriminative policies that discriminate any and all persons will be disallowed. Which Universities have Alumnis or have awarded all APARTHEID persons in goverbnment in places like Malaysia? WITHDRAW all these abusers’ degrees and make these bullies jobless and bar all individuals from UN offices as persona non grata apartheid monkeys or pro-apartheid lapdogs.
Identify all Embassy workers for a start and begin expulsions of the same, not tacitly approve the LGBT APARTHEID promulgated by these nations by allowing them to have an Embassy presence. Bravo Canada for making clear on Iran, though a less obvious state that does not appear civilisationally at war with another would be better to target. How about expelling Malaysian Embassy from Canada after clarifying with the Education Ministry first Canada? Some of us do not even have the option to consider LGBT lifestyle regardless of our preference. Life is a jopurney of experience, no so-called ‘Education Ministry’ or ‘Religious/Moral
Police’ or ‘Fundo Religion’ (more like a NAZI style Propaganda ministry) has the right to decide how any person lives, or back the same illo treatment with jail terms and fines. Some of us have endured inhumane levels of abuse from society and psychiatric establishment chemical poisoning alongside religious fundamentalist actions to fight for any to have a right to have a choice, UN has the capacity and netwotrk to prevent the abusers from being affiliated with responsible Universities or having standing in the WHO and Pychiatric establishment at least. Will the UN not act for UN principles of Humanity and equality, end of APARTHEID?
United Nations Foundation – The Time Has Come for LGBT Rights (Then condemn and remove the offenders from civil and polite and educated society degreee holder lists as suggested above at once. End APARTHEID in Malaysia as well!)
http://www.unfoundation.org/blog/the-time-has-come-for-lgbt-rights.html
UN Report Calls for LGBT Rights Worldwide | Montreal Gazette
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/12/16/un-report-calls-for-lgbt-rights-worldwide/
http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home/index.html
I was unable to send through the UN site, so I am using this ‘anonymous mail’ service to inquiries2@un.org, Error message below :
Contact Us – Technical Questions
CDONTS.NewMail.1 error ‘80020009’
The application your are attempting to access is currently being reset. Please try your request again.
/apps/incNews/send_email.asp, line 22
BORN FREE AND EQUAL
United Nations Releases New Guidelines To Promote LGBT Safety And Equality
The United Nations Human Rights Office has released Born Free and Equal, a new publication outlining international human rights laws for LGBT people. The 60-page booklet focuses on five core obligations requiring national attention:
protecting people from homophobic violence, preventing torture, decriminalizing homosexuality, prohibiting discrimination, and safeguarding LGBT people’s freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
Think Progress outlines the major policies:
– Protect people from homophobic and transphobic violence.
– Include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics in hate crime laws.
– Establish effective systems to record and report hate-motivated acts of violence.
– Ensure effective investigation and prosecution of perpetrators and redress for victims of such violence.
– Asylum laws and policies should recognize that persecution on account of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity may be a valid basis for an asylum claim.
– Prevent the torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of LGBT persons in detention by prohibiting and punishing such acts and ensuring that victims are provided with redress.
– Investigate all acts of mistreatment by State agents and bring those responsible to justice.
– Provide appropriate training to law enforcement officers and ensure effective monitoring of places of detention.
– Repeal laws criminalizing homosexuality, including all laws that prohibit private sexual conduct between consenting adults of the same sex.
– Ensure that individuals are not arrested or detained on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and are not subjected to baseless and degrading physical examinations intended to determine their sexual orientation.
– Prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
– Enact comprehensive laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds of discrimination. In particular, ensure non-discriminatory access to basic services, including in the context of employment and health care.
– Provide education and training to prevent discrimination and stigmatization of LGBT and intersex people.
– Safeguard freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly for LGBT and intersex people. Any limitations on these rights must be compatible with international law and must not be discriminatory.
– Protect individuals who exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association and freedom of assembly from acts of violence and intimidation by private parties.
While these guidelines are necessary steps toward inclusiveness of LGBT people, blogger Nancy Polikoff of Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage, notes that there are no provisions for same-sex parents:
The UN report does have a chapter about discrimination (and says it is bad), but nothing in that chapter mentions discrimination in adoption or access to assited reproduction or child custody. The report lists some areas of concern when it comes to discrimination, naming employment, health, and education. There is mention that States need not allow same-sex marriage under international human rights law but that same-sex couples should prevail on anti-discrimination grounds when it comes to such matters as pensions, inheritance, and other partner circumstances. This makes it especially odd that the report does not mention LGBT parenting when international human rights law definitely does contain a nondiscrimination principle in that area.
Click to access BornFreeAndEqualLowRes.pdf
ARTICLE 3
Sabah: Still a ‘fixed deposit’? – Friday, 21 September 2012 Super Admin
Sabah will be a focal point in the coming general election, especially after the defections of two BN MPs. If the opposition can avoid contesting three-cornered contests then Sabah’s status as a BN ‘fixed deposit’ state could hang in the balance, writes Arnold Puyok.
ALIRAN
The upcoming 13th General Election is sure to be a hotly contested election. It will be a litmus test for Prime Minister Najib Razak who is banking on his “transformational agenda” to return the BN to power.
Indeed, to restore the BN to a two-thirds majority. For PR, the election is seen as Anwar Ibrahim’s last chance to take over Putrajaya after the alleged September 16 coup failed. Even though many of the seats contested come from Peninsular Malaysia, the real battle will be in Sabah and Sarawak.
In the 2008 General Election, the 54 seats from East Malaysia ensured BN a simple majority win. Without the 54 seats, BN would have lost power to the opposition, in the event of party crossovers. Consequently Sabah and Sarawak are considered as BN’s “fixed deposits”.
This article is an attempt to look into the prospects and challenges of the 13th General Election in Sabah especially in light of the withdrawal of two Sabah leaders from BN – Wilfred Bumburing of UPKO (United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Association) and Lajim Ukin of Sabah UMNO (United Malays National Organisation).
With the persistent attacks on Sabah Chief Minister, Musa Aman for his alleged involvement in an international money laundering scandal and the Wilfred-Lajim factor, BN is expected to face a tough challenge from the opposition to retain Sabah. The article argues that if the opposition is able to form a strong alliance and avoid contesting against each other, it could affect Sabah’s fixed deposit status. Similarly, failure on BN’s part to address the perennial Sabah issues such as the illegal immigrant problems and state autonomy will affect its chances of returning to power.
Categorising the seats contested
For analytical purposes, all the 60 state and 25 parliamentary seats contested in Sabah will be divided into three categories: “safe” BN seats (where BN has more than an 80 percent chance of winning), “marginal” or “50-50” seats (where electoral support can go either to BN or the opposition) and “opposition” seats (where the opposition has more than an 80 percent chance of winning). This prospect is based on the following two factors: 1) Changes in the number of registered voters according to age and ethnicity and 2) Less multi-cornered but more one-to-one contests in the “marginal” areas. The opposition here refers to PR comprising PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), DAP (Democratic Action Party), and PAS (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia). The other local-based opposition parties are STAR (State Reform Party) Sabah and SAPP (Sabah People’s Progressive Party).
The safe BN seats
There are 42 safe BN state seats and most are Muslim-majority. At the parliamentary level, there are nine safe BN seats with a large number of Muslim Bumiputera voters and they all belong to UMNO. (See Table 1 & 2) With the absence of alternative Muslim-based parties, the majority of the Muslim electorate will remain in UMNO. Among the weapons used by UMNO to maintain Muslim support are the persistent championing of Islam as a religion that unites the Muslims and the practice of on-the-spot development funds allocation.
The Muslim-majority areas will be BN’s key seats that will help maintain the party’s grip on power. PKR appears to fail to take the Muslim support from UMNO. One of the reasons is the lack of credible and popular Muslim leaders in the party. The present Sabah PKR chief, Ahmad Thamrin is not popular among the Muslim electorate while another well-known Muslim leader, Ansari Abdullah, does not have strong Muslim support beyond his base in Tuaran.
There is also the assumption that UMNO is falling apart due to the factions formed by supporters of Musa Aman and Federal Minister, Shafie Afdal. However, the so-called factions do not affect UMNO that much. So far, Musa has been able to keep the Muslim support in UMNO intact. Musa has also successfully defused the Bajau challenge led by Salleh Said, a former Chief Minister and currently Sabah UMNO deputy chief.
Despite the attacks on Musa for his alleged involvement in a financial scandal, Najib seems to be mindful not to pursue the case with intensive investigations. Najib knows that Musa has the clout to decide the fate of BN in Sabah.
Asking Musa to resign before the election would put Sabah BN at great risk. The question is, if Musa resigned, who will be the most likely candidate to replace him? Many people believe that Najib has an eye on Shafie, his loyal ally from Semporna, Sabah. But others have mentioned Salleh Said, Musa’s number two in Sabah UMNO. Salleh is considered more liberal, in tune with the times and therefore, potentially, acceptable to Najib. Another possible candidate is Hajiji Noor, a senior UMNO member in the Sabah Cabinet.
The marginal or 50-50 seats
There are 10 marginal or 50-50 seats at the state level. Of the 10 seats, three are currently held by Gerakan (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia), two each by LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah), and SAPP respectively,
and one by UPKO. The three seats currently held by Gerakan previously belonged to LDP (1) and SAPP (2) previously. After an internal party conflict, Peter Pang, Au Kam Wah and Raymond Tan left their parties and joined the Gerakan.
The three seats are considered as marginal as they were won under LDP and SAPP tickets. There is a high possibility that the voters might change their support to the opposition as a mark of protest over the decision of their leaders to join the peninsular-based Gerakan. The two state seats currently held by LDP, Tg. Kapor and Merotai, were won by Teo Chee Kang and Pang Yuk Ming after the opposition failed to agree on a one-to-one contest in 2008. The opposition’s chances of winning the two seats from BN are high in the upcoming election if it can avoid multi-cornered fights.
The other two marginal seats are in Tandek and Kadamaian. The PBS won the two seats in 2008 by marginal majorities. Grassroots sentiments in the two areas seem to indicate that the voters are unhappy with BN over its failure to address a number of local issues such as Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and poverty. The BN’s handling of the Tambatuon dam in Kadamaian has also been strongly criticised. Many people are also calling for the incumbent BN representatives to step down and to allow “winnable” candidates to take over. There are several lobby groups in Kadamaian that call for the incumbent Herbert Timbun Lagadan to make way for a younger candidate.
Likas and Luyang are regarded as marginal seats simply because both were won under SAPP when the party was still with BN. With SAPP now outside the ruling party, the opposition has raised its stakes in the two areas. The SAPP’s victory in the two areas in 2008 with marginal majorities shows that the opposition is highly popular there. In fact, had the DAP and PKR agreed to co-operate, SAPP would have lost in the 2008 election. The voters’ mood in the upcoming election will depend on SAPP’s next course of action.
So far, SAPP has not made any decision as to whether it would re-join BN or remain with the opposition. SAPP appears to have a “game” of its own. SAPP’s neither “here-nor-there” stance has not been well received by other local-based opposition parties even though its leaders could be seen attending political rallies organised by other opposition parties. SAPP’s future will depend on how well it can lobby to contest in Chinese and mixed areas. But again this will be difficult as DAP has strongly indicated its desire to contest in Chinese-majority areas. Unless SAPP and STAR Sabah are willing to compromise, they will have to contest against each other in mixed areas.
There are 13 marginal seats at the parliamentary level. Four of the seats are currently held by UPKO and UMNO, three by PBS, and two by SAPP. Most of the marginal parliamentary seats are non-Muslim Bumiputera-majority. The prospect of all 12 seats remaining with BN is dependent upon the reaction of the voters to the RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry) to investigate the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah and leadership issues.
Three of the main parties representing the Kadazandusuns are PBS, UPKO and PBRS (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah). Joseph Pairin Kitingan, the president of PBS, is now regarded by the Kadazandusuns as an ineffective leader who is not as aggressive as before in fighting for state rights and autonomy. Pairin has defended PBS’ “accommodative” and “census-building” approach but the Kadazandusuns see it as a sign of weak leadership.
Bernard Dompok, the president of UPKO is also in a dilemma after the withdrawal of his deputy, Wilfred Bumburing from BN. It is believed that more UPKO members will leave the party, if not sooner, then later. Dompok, who was previously praised for speaking against the banning of the word “Allah” in Catholic churches, is now slowly losing influence in Penampang. Joseph Kurup who leads another Kadazandusun-based party, PBRS, could lose his seat in
Pensiangan if he fails to address local sentiments there. He won the seat uncontested in 2008 after the candidacy of the opposition candidate was rejected on “technical grounds”.
The performance of the Kadazandusun-based BN parties will be seriously affected given the negative perception of the Kadazandusun electorate towards Kadazandusun leaders. The Kadazandusun voters have the habit of “kicking” their leaders out of office. This was evident in 1995 when many of the Kadazandusun leaders (for instance, Bernard Dompok and Jeffrey Kitingan) who left PBS in 1994 were voted out. In fact, BN lost in all the non-Muslim Bumiputera seats in 1995.
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Kadazandusun voters have the habit of “kicking” their leaders out of office.
A respectable and democracy enhancing trait if anything. Term limitless and nepotistic leaders lead to Libyas, Tunisias, Egypts and Syrias etc.. That is why dictatorships fail That is why elements of dictatorship like term limitlessness and nepotism harm democracy. That is why when DAP terms 20% as equality, Sabah and Sarawak might as well secede when Sabah and Sarawak should be given 100% to dispense as they see fit. Finally the non-Muslim AND genetically non-Malay ORANG ASLI of East Malaysia are not Bumiputra and have ceased being 1st class citizens since East Malaysia joing Malaysia. Any non-Muslim is not a 1st class citizen. this amounts to RELIGIOUS APARTHEID which is ILLEGAL in Islam and ILLEGAL by UN standards. Think and demand your right as EQUAL Humans as granted by UN signatorues and Islam, equality via the 3 items below Orang Asli, all non-Muslims and non-Malays in your own country Malaysia!
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (Article 1 Human Rights Charter)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (Article 18 Human Rights Charter)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75)
ARTICLE 4
Like a trapped animal (part 1) – THE CORRIDORS OF POWER – Saturday, 22 September 2012
My friends told me I was crazy. “What are you going to do if your prediction does not come true?” they asked me. “Well, I suppose I will quietly leave the country,” I joked. “Never fear, though,” I told them. “There is such a thing called a self-fulfilling prophecy. If enough people believe it, it will happen.”
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My friends told me I was crazy. . . (oh great, starts with a negative NLP . . . bravo RPK for more b.s.)
Didn’t even bother to read from this dis-affirmative paragraph . . . on believing in what is right no matter the odds and attempting to make a change for the better. Throughout history, numbers did not matter and still never do. Try MLK’s ending of slavery AND apartheid in USA. Try the Prophet Mohammad’s near destruction of almost all all unique faiths in the Middle East. Try China’s beating off of near half the world which had invaded China. Try Mahatma Gandhi’s ending of COLONIALISM in India. Try the Stonewall Club in USA for LGBTs! These were single men who started from nothing, even when RPK’s ‘enough people’ refused to think for something better but something worse. Still using that intellect to oppress and suppress LGBT indirectly? Dhimmify non-Muslims? This is why Islamophobia exists. When supposed educated Muslims like RPK slither around in this manner writing in this manner, the world will know that Islam is a faith of segregation and disenfranchisement, of narrow communalism.
Now when ‘RPKs’ and ‘NikAzizs” (2 sides of the good cop bad cop coin?) also promote limb hacking hudud as well, Islam’s credibility goes out the window frightening everyone who is even semi-civilised and even galvanises the world to put an end to what is Nazi-Zion type mindsets that must never be allowed in government or UN. Though private clubs and even city districts with majority for extreme Hudud Islam RPK/Nik Aziz style for certain are a ‘right’ – which so far in Malaysia are still a no go because Hudud and who knows even Islam hold no appeal to most modern Muslims and Malays, who are not even Muslims to begin with but are spiritually colonized by the Middle Eastern ‘centre of Islam’. Be fair and think fairly Muslims.
The above facts are logic and an indictment on Islam’s non-viability and somehow or other, fringe encouraging outlook cynically perhaps as Shiites would claim, Sunnite and Arab encouraged behaviour with the Iranians Zoroastrians originally while Arabs worshipped 1 god for every day of the year . . . RPK wants to say ‘If enough people believe it, it will happen.’ well the Prophet decided alone (with Spirit Jibril), that Islam was to replace every religion in the Middle East. So if ‘If enough people DID NOT believe in Islam,’ WHY even speak in this manner? Bumiputra Apartheid must end if Malays are to raised to the status of an ‘equal’ race, and the issue is neither about enough people or a single person’s beliefs, but the logic behind the action – and logic behind LGBT liasons is that there is no difference between recreational sex between any or either genders. Procreational sex being the issue though the Quran does not state any prohibitions on the former. The way Malaysian Muslims think is akin to throwing sticks and stones at the faith they supposedly love so much. Every time RPK speaks, the shallowness of logic becomes even more evident. Islam is not a tool of control, and Malays have not appreciated the spirit of Islam, even as non-Muslims already understand what the Quran was teaching!
Instead of trying to end individualism and critical thought, try a more sincere and humanitarian approach to thinking first. Will shame Islam and Muslims less. RPK does not represent a good Muslim, but an authoritarian minded mob minded bombast (pun not intended, incidental). Is the animal a trap or is the trap an animal? RPK is certainly too busy sounding intelligent to nake any sense anymore.
ARTICLE 5
Penang CM pays for own house rent, says aide – by Ida Lim – September 22, 2012
Lim was paying 20 per cent of the rental using his salary, said Ng. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 ― Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng partly pays for the rental of his house from “his own pocket”, political secretary Ng Wei Aik said today.
Gerakan had attacked the DAP secretary-general and claimed that he owns the property, Ng said.
Refuting Gerakan’s allegation, Ng said Lim was renting the “fully-furnished” house at the rate of RM5,000 a month.
“As CM (Chief Minister), he is entitled to RM4,000 housing allowance paid by the state government every month.
“It means that CM has to fork out another RM1,000 from his own pocket to pay the rental,” said Ng in an email today, adding that it “cannot be considered as luxury property as it has no swimming pool.”
“We have practised the highest degree of integrity all this while, even to the extent [of making] public the tenancy agreement even though this is only CM’s rented property,” he said, adding that the agreement was shown this morning.
Earlier today, Ng pointed out that leaders from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition need not to explain their purchase of houses, citing the former Selangor mentri besar Mohamad Khir Toyo as an example.
“On Gerakan’s attacks on CM’s rented house, it seems that Lim Guan Eng is the only CM or MB (mentri besar) in Malaysia who is asked to explain [his] renting a house to stay as compared to BN leaders who need not to explain, even though they buy houses, some like palace resort owned by Khir Toyo,” he said at a press conference.
Ng said that Lim had decided to rent the “fully-furnished” house three years ago after discovering that repairs to the chief minister’s official residence would cost an estimated RM500,000.
The official state residence, Sri Teratai, “was in a very bad condition and infested with termites,” the Komtar state assemblyman said.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took over Penang from the BN component party Gerakan after Election 2008.
BN Penang has increasingly attacked Lim’s administration as the 13th general election draws near.
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So clever! (am being sarcastic, but thick skinned politicians would misrepresent anything, so here the clarification for the unwary or liars . . . ) Yeah right. Paying one’s own rent is nothing to be proud of. Pay that rent out of the MP’s salary that the taxpayers are already handing over this 750 CM moocher! All that money comes from taxpayer funds. All people barring certain government civil servants pay 100% of their own rent. Do the taxpayers even want to pay any of CM Lim Guan Eng’s rent at all? Does YM CM Lim Guan Eng ask the taxpayers if they preferred not to pay for the CM’s rent so as to make amendments to have any future CM pay out of his own pocket than presume to keep taking that money from the taxpayers?
1.5 terms up. Time for a 1 man 1 vote for who becomes the next CM as well as stopping payments from taxpayer monies to whatever future CM (mush less 750K funerals) Mr. Undemorcratic Beneficiary of Nepotism! GTFO of Dewan!
ARTICLE 6
Ngeh: Apology over Twitter remark enough, move on – by Ida Lim – September 22, 2012
Ngeh’s remark had led to hundreds of police reports being lodged against him. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 ― Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham said today he believes his apology should sufficiently calm Muslim anger over his recent tweet asking if the protests against the anti-Islam clip “Innocence of Muslims” were a waste of “time and energy”.
The prime minister had earlier questioned Ngeh’s sincerity, reportedly saying: “If it is that easy, we can also pass remarks, insult and ridicule other religions and later apologise.”
According to Bernama Online today, the police may investigate Ngeh for his remarks, which had sparked off protests among Muslim leaders here who accused the leader of being insensitive to Muslims worldwide.
But Ngeh told The Malaysian Insider today that it was time to bury the hatchet and move on to more important issues.
He had on Thursday said that he had not meant to hurt Muslim sensitivities or belittle Islam with the offending message on the Twitter microblogging site.
“Forget the past and focus on the future and other issues that are more important,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.
“Because there are many other things like the economy, social problems and the difficulties faced by the people that I need to solve,” he said.
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, an Umno minister, had yesterday called for the police to probe Ngeh over his remarks.
Yesterday, DAP’s Lim Guan Eng said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not be “uncharitable and small-minded” over Ngeh’s apology.
He pointed out that Ngeh’s apology and retraction yesterday proved that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders were more gracious and willing to admit to their mistakes or shortcomings, unlike the politicians in Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN).
Lim also told Najib to look at his own members in BN before passing any judgment against Ngeh, pointing out that many in the ruling coalition who made offensive statements in the past had not found it necessary to apologise later.
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The people will not move on, until DAP completes the 90% failed campaign promises that won DAP whatever seats in GE12. Until then expect every single tweet and twit in DAP to be hammered all the time. Where are the MP assset declarations. Where are the Local Council Elections (meanwhile the EXCO are taking taxpayer funds)? What happened to those small trader confiscated gas tanks? Have the amendments to failures in democracy within DAP’s nepotistic party and state laws been amended? No? Then NEVER ENOUGH until DAP falls in all states! Vote 3rd Force only! Ngeh has been around for more than 2 terms. Remove this oligarch who refuses to declare assets that is wasting the Rakyat’s time and money!
ARTICLE 7
LIFE WITH THE LEES: Nanny shares memories of working for Kuan Yew & family – by enorth.com.cn – Saturday, 22 September 2012 10:52
94-year-old Ouyang Huan Yan, Yan Kou, from Shunde, worked for Singapore’s first family as a nanny for four decades.
Yan Kou, when she was 18, came to Singapore with her sister. She started work with famous overseas Chinese Tan Kah Kee’s family for nine years. After the war, Lee Kuan Yew’s mother employed her to work for the Lees.
After working for the Lees for 1 year, Lee Kuan Yew returned from his overseas studies in the UK.
Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs, his wife would go to office every day, his young children were taken care of by reliable Guangdong maids. Yan Kou is one of them. While with the Lees, Yan Kou started with doing the laundry, shopping and other chores. Yan Kou worked for the Lees for 40 years until 1986 when she and her sister returned to Shunde.
Recently, reporter Weng Shuxian visited Yan Kou to listen to her memories of working as a nanny for Singapore’s first family.
Simple wedding
Yan Kou also remembered that after Lee Kuan Yew became the Prime Minster, she would often bring the children to the Istana after school in the afternoon. Lee Kuan Yew would entertain foreign dignitaries at the Istana, but continued to live at his Oxley home with his family.
Yan Kou would often prepares a simple breakfast at the home, Lee Kuan Yew usually drank a glass of Ovaltine, ate 2 pieces of bread and 2 eggs. Mrs Lee worked in the day as a lawyer, but in the evening after work she continued to do house chores, take care of the children and prepare dinner.
When Yan Kou first met Lee Kuan Yew, he just came back from his oversea studies in the UK, he was not very well versed in Mandarin then. But in person, Lee Kuan Yew was not westernized, instead he was rather traditional. When Lee Hsien Loong was only a few years old, Lee Kuan Yew brought a set of long sleeves mandarin jacket for his son during the Chinese New year.
A strict dad
Yan Kou revealed that Lee Kuan Yew was strict with the children. The children were also obedient, humble and not proud unlike children from other well to do families.
When Lee Kuan Yew disciplined the children privately in his room, no one was allowed to enter, even Mrs Lee was not allowed to intervene, or enter. The children would not dare to talk back. Although Yan Kou and the workers have never seen how Lee Kuan Yew disciplined the children, they would know from the children’s expression when they came out.
Yan Kou remembered once Lee Hsien Loong was third in his class. Lee Kuan Yew was not satisfied with the result and called his son to his room. Then Lee Hsien Loong was frightened, Lee Kuan Yew told his son to get first next time.
Since then Lee Hsien Loong would get first almost every time. Lee Kuan Yew was equally strict with his daughter who scored 10As.
Lee Kuan Yew also forbade the nanny to accompany the children to school. When Lee Hsien Loong was in Primary 3, he asked to go to school in the school bus (instead of being driven). At first Yan Kou was concerned Lee Hsien Loong would not be able to keep up with the school bus, but Lee Hsien Loong told her that he would dash to catch the school bus once the school bell rang. Lee Kuan Yew respected Lee Hsien Loong’s decision, and let the children learn to adapt.
No airs
In addition, when the children turned 21, they were expected to be independent. Very often the children would ask the workers to buy stuff for them, Mrs Lee would insist the children pay for it themselves and would not pay on their behalf.
While working for the Lees, Yan Kou would address Lee Kuan Yew as Mr Lee even after he became the prime minister. His children were also very causal, and like their parents, have no airs. The workers would call the children by their names only.
Mr & Mrs Lee liked to drink coffee, eat beef, spicy dishes and curry, but that’s not to the liking of Yan Kou who likes fish and Chinese dishes. So Mrs Lee would let the workers prepare whatever food they liked too.
Yan Kou said working for the Lees, was like staying at home. She only needed to inform the Lees before she went out. Sometime, she also invited her friends to her work place. Mrs Lee treated the workers well. In the past, the employer and employee contributed equal share to the employee’s CPF. The Lees would pay for her share too.
When Yan Kou decided to leave the Lees, Mrs Lee requested for her to stay for some more years. Unfortunately Yan Kou’s sister was in poor health.
Her home town did not have any telephone, but Lee Wei Ling would write to Yan Kou to keep in contact. Lee Wei Ling also sent a photo of the “whole family” to Yan Kou. When Lee Wei Ling’s friend visited China, she would ask her friend to visit Yan Kou on her behalf.
Bad Lee! Bad Lee! Nepotism bad! Democracy good!
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
Milkiing every bit of goodwill from even an aged family helper will do nothing to change the voter’s need for democracy or the reality of democracy that disallows a feudal style oligarchy of family blocs in Parliament! 2 terms over. GTFO of Parliament all nepotists. Voters in Singapore, know what to do? Which taxpayer wants to keep paying that 4+ million salary of UN illegal posts? MM? SM? B.S. . . . democracy is the last thing Singapore is. ‘Google’ Nepotism images and the first person that appears will be LKY’s term limitless MP oligarch family.
malaysiandemocracy 