New secrecy law will cow future whistleblowers, warns NGO (copycat)

New secrecy law will cow future whistleblowers, warns NGO

Paulsen argued that the amendment, which will see a brand new Section 203A added to the Penal Code, would effectively shield all information and documents deemed official, without needing such classification under the existing Official Secrets Act 1972. — AFP picKUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 —

Putrajaya’s latest attempt to tighten secrecy laws here would only frighten away future whistleblowers, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) warned today as it pleaded with federal lawmakers against passing the law amendment in Parliament.

LFL co-founder Eric Paulsen said in a statement here that the proposed amendment to the Penal Code was merely the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s “knee-jerk and undemocratic” reaction to stop all future exposes of incriminating information that could potentially hurt the administration.

“Lawyers For Liberty is appalled,” he said.

“The proposed amendment is so widely drafted, it is scarcely believable.

“But the severity of this odious amendment being passed as law cannot be overstated.”

Paulsen argued that the amendment, which will see a brand new Section 203A added to the Penal Code, would effectively shield all information and documents deemed official, without needing such classification under the existing Official Secrets Act 1972.

“This would mean any information on scandalous issues such as the NFC, and Scorpene submarines would no longer be legally accessible to the public & whistleblowers will be punished severely while the wrongdoers will be protected,” he said.

Paulsen was referring to the RM250 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC) cattle-farming controversy, a major scandal uncovered by federal opposition lawmakers that was found to have links to a senior Cabinet minister.

“This amendment is certainly more oppressive than the OSA which at the very least requires a process of certification by a minister before a document is deemed ‘restricted’ under the act,” he added.

“We therefore call for all parties – MPs, opposition, civil society, the Malaysian Bar to oppose this amendment, if passed, would effectively turn Malaysia into a nightmare Kafkaesque secret state not unlike that depicted in G.Orwell’s 1984,” he said.

Paulsen was responding to reports of the Bill that is expected to be tabled in Parliament this week, which will effectively criminalise the act of unlawfully disseminating information and punish officers who dare to release such information with a maximum fine of one million ringgit or a year imprisonment or both.

PKR lawmaker N. Surendran had told Putrajaya to stop its plan to table the amendment yesterday, saying it would only create a law even more restrictive than the OSA.

“This provision is unprecedented in any modern democracy; and is more suited to one-party states such as North Korea.

“With this provision, the BN is dragging Malaysia further into the dark ages. Why does the BN government need such an stifling and undemocratic law? What do they want to hide from the public?,” the Padang Serai MP was quoted as saying in a report on Malaysiakini.

The first-term parliamentarian pointed out that unlike the OSA, which views only certain information classified by the minister or his agents as secret, Section 203A sees everything as restricted information.

“This provision is clearly intended to prevent the public from obtaining information that can expose corruption, financial scandals and mismanagement by the BN government,” he said.

The federal opposition have long campaigned against the OSA, which they argue have been abused by the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership to hide excesses and mismanagement in the government.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/new-secrecy-law-will-cow-future-whistleblowers-warns-ngo#sthash.n1JDQ5H9.dpuf

My comments:

The Official Secrets Act as against the principals of Cat in the rules of democracy is the product/brainchild of an evil and sick mind who has created the said Act with all the evil intentions.

It has proved to be the breeding grounds for evil and wrong doings.  The Act serves the purpose to conceal the evit acts of the autocrat and his cronies in evil transactions.

 

‘No-confidence vote against PM vital to save country’ (copycat)

‘No-confidence vote against PM vital to save country’

October 20, 2015, Tuesday

KUCHING: Miri MP Dr Michael Teo hopes BN MPs will come to their senses and stand with Pakatan Harapan MPs if the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak came to a vote.
State PKR treasurer Dr Teo opined this was important to save the economy and the country from being pawned.

“If we look at the numbers, there is no way Pakatan Harapan MPs can do it alone. It is unlikely PAS will support this motion. MCA and MIC will want to safeguard their cabinet seats, so it is up to Umno MPs,” he said in a statement yesterday.

PKR’s Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian’s no-confidence motion against Najib has been accepted by the Dewan Rakyat. This was confirmed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri
 Azalina Othman, who said the motion had been listed as the 25th order under the Dewan Rakyat’s Standing Orders and Motions.

However, at press time, Hee’s motion was withdrawn, with opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail confirming she would submit the motion on behalf of Pakatan Harapan “within the next few days”.

Dr Teo said a failure in the no-confidence motion might be seen as a moral victory for Najib.

“There is a hearsay that he (PM) called for a meeting at the prime minister’s official residence. This is very tricky and suspicious to us. The calling for this meeting goes to show just how scared Najib is. He’ll probably strongly encourage BN MPs and senators to do the ‘right’ thing.”

“Maybe the RM2.6 billion will be used during the meeting to change the course of the no-confidence vote against the prime minister. We, the opposition, have walked the talk by sending the highest message of no confidence to parliament,” he said.

“We hope this will reveal to more Malaysians and fence-sitters that it is time we vote for an opposition that can stop the scandalous Umno-BN regime from stealing from us.”

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/20/no-confidence-vote-against-pm-vital-to-save-country/#ixzz3p5UhAzSn

Baru appalled by Najib’s hollow platitudes (copycat)

Baru appalled by Najib’s hollow platitudes

October 20, 2015, Tuesday

Baru Bian

KUCHING: Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian is appalled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s effrontery in continuing to make statements which he claims the rakyat are tired of hearing and which only the most gullible die-hard BN supporter would believe.

Baru, who is state PKR chairman, said Najib’s latest advice about not making 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) a political football would be funny if it were not so offensive.

“How can the public have any confidence in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) investigations into 1MDB when Najib has stymied the PAC hearings by removing the chairman of the committee and replaced the Attorney General?

“This new Attorney General has shown himself to be an Umno man by his refusal to accept Bank Negara’s recommendations on 1MDB and insisting that 1MDB has done nothing wrong,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

Baru said there is now concern that Najib is trying to interfere with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)’s insistence on compliance with financial rules and regulations and demanding answers from 1MDB.

“As pointed out by the BNM governor, an international task force called the Financial Action Task Force is also probing 1MDB’s affairs. The people of Malaysia are entitled to know the truth about Najib and why

1MDB is mired in astronomical debts, not to mention the RM2.6 billion that ended up in Najib’s personal bank account. “

As for Najib’s *claimed that they were democratically elected, Baru said the former must not forget that 52 per cent of the population voted for the opposition in the last general election.

“The rakyat did not choose him to be the Prime Minister of this country, unlike the Presidents of the USA and Philippines. Even his party leaders and members have lost confidence in him and are demanding answers from him. Here is a prime minister and party leader who feels that he is above the principles of accountability and transparency.”

On yesterday’s papers carrying a report that Najib had finally said that Malaysian Chinese are not ‘Pendatang’, Baru questioned Najib why did he said this at Gerakan’s conference and at Christian gatherings but not at the Umno General Assembly, or at any of the Umno division meetings?

“Why does he not say these things to Perkasa’s face? Why does he let Malay supremacist groups spout their hateful prejudices? He should have the courage to choose the correct audience for his ‘Chinese are not Pendatang’ remarks. But Malaysians already know that to wait for him to show courage would be an exercise in futility.”

Baru said Najib’s attempt to portray himself as a moderate and democracy-loving prime minister might have fooled some Western countries, but he had shown himself to be a hypocrite in Malaysia.

“His words and actions have no consistency, and his audience-selective platitudes ring hollow. Najib is an embarrassment and a liability to Malaysia, and he must go.”

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/20/baru-appalled-by-najibs-hollow-platitudes/#ixzz3p5TPR5FX

My comments:
From his reactions towards different colours and situations, Najib shows his true self openly to all for perusal and cross-examinations.  No one in his right mind will take his words seriously anymore.  No!  He is too 'playful' as PM to be trusted. 

A bridge too far? (copycat)

A bridge too far?

October 18, 2015, Sunday Thomas Ong, thomasongadv@yahoo.com

It is a pleasant ride in the tambang, Kuching’s iconic river taxi, across the Sarawak River.

For generations it has been that way to cross the river from the north to the south and vice versa. If the tide is high the ride may be wobbly but it is generally a pleasant ride.

Early morning, they come across from the north shore to market at the Gambier Street bazaar. Students would also stream across to get to school at St Mary’s, St Thomas as well as St Joseph and St Teresa’s.

Sarawak River dissects Kuching into old Kuching city to the south and Petra Jaya to the north.

Rivers were the lifeblood in Sarawak but it has changed. Roads have displaced much of the rivers’ roles for Sarawak economy.

But the proposed four hundred-metre S-shaped Golden Bridge across the river will be the new integrator.

If we follow the authorities, it will be a new icon for the city. It will integrate the people from the north with the people of the south of Sarawak River.

It will be a tourism draw. It will be a hit for the city. The Golden Bridge will be the pride of the city.
But would it be so?

It is first, only a pedestrian bridge and if that is the case, we must ask why it does not go directly to where the pedestrians are.

Looking at the map, there is no kampung (village) near to the State Legislative Building.

Kampung Boyan and Kampung Gersik are about a kilometre to the east and Kampung Bedil

Besar is of the same distance to the west.

At the north shore, the bridge arrives at the east of the Astana and to the west of the DUN building. Behind the DUN building is the Orchid Garden.

Both the Astana and the DUN building lord over and into the river front, meaning pedestrians will have to walk the whole way to the end of the road, get to the main road and make a round behind these parcels of land to get from the bridge to the kampungs.

If the houses were further away into the kampung, the residents will have to walk a further kilometre or so.

Unless you have feeder transport, from these points, to the kampungs it is a rather long walk – about two kilometres away from the bridge.

That is the first portion.

If the bridge is to target the students of City South, then the schools such as St Thomas’s and St Mary are at least about five hundred metres further from the south end of this bridge.

That is the second portion. And the bridge is about three hundred metres long. Add all the three portions and we have a distance of about two to three kilometres.

If it is to serve pedestrians why not direct the bridge to where the kampungs are?

If the bridge is to integrate the north and south, then why not keep the Gambier Street wet market where there were numerous numbers coming from the north to do their morning marketing there at the south.

The wet market was a hive of activities, and was a show of economic dynamism, which is always better than an icon of desertion as the replaced section of that part of Kuching Waterfront where the market once stood is sometime wont of showing.

By demolishing the wet market the numbers coming from the north to the south has been drastically reduced.

Thus the wet market which has been demolished had served what the bridge now tries to achieve to serve.

As a tourism draw, the wet market is any time a better draw than the bridge.

There are enough interesting bridges across the Thames or along Paris or Seoul or any of the other big cities. To say that a bridge per se will be a tourist draw is a little premature to say the least.

The argument that there was congestion and traffic jam caused by the market could have easily been controlled by the regulation and reduction of licensees within the market. But the die has been cast.

Would you, after doing morning marketing, with a load of three-four kilos in hand, walk the distance across the pedestrian bridge back home?

What many people do not know is that there is a proposal to construct a causeway further up river around Sungai Maong Paroh. How will a causeway affect the downstream? Do we still need a pedestrian bridge then?

Further, in the original masterplan of Kuching there was already an allocated space for the construction of a pedestrian bridge across Sarawak River.

That is located at Pengkalan Abok nearby the Petanak Market at the south end.

Would not a pedestrian bridge here better serve those from the north to do their marketing at Petanak Market?

The north end links right into Kampung Gersik and Surabaya. However, this is admittedly far away for those to go to schools in St Thomas’, St Mary, St Joseph’s or St Teresa.

As an aside, one would have to ask if the soon-to-be demolished Petanak Market also suffers from congestion and therefore has to be demolished. Does the city want desolation instead of economic dynamism? These structures serve as economic pulses for the city.

Would a pedestrian bridge per se achieve the objective of integrating the north and south shores?

It may be interesting to walk the bridge once or twice after coming into commission. But would it really bring out an integration of the two sides of the river?

Of course it will be an architectural icon. Every time a building is built with fanfare some politician has to say it will be a tourism draw as well as an architecture icon.

The Kuching Civic Centre, the DBKU building, the MBKS building and the DUN Building. Haven’t one politician or another said that these buildings would attract tourists and yet others said that they would be the town’s icon?

Before we begin to sound like cynic for cynicism’s own sake, it must be said that the bridge does look good.

But the purpose of this article is to refine our thoughts, relook our city.
It is of an ‘S’ curve and with steel cable suspensions holding the main structure and a small loop at each end to create the height clearance over the river for river traffic.

Another consequence of this bridge is the livelihood of the tambang operators. Can they survive? If no one wants to walk the bridge, then they may survive.

Otherwise, this will be another nail to the coffin. Perhaps the RM30 million would have been better served to sustain, and even to thrive the tambang icon (and here is really the icon) of Kuching.

It is a cheap means of transport at 50 sen each way. Given the number of embarkation/disembarkation points, it is more a door-to-door transport service that the bridge will never be.

Then again, I believe the speaker of the DUN august house has a secret agenda. For any recalcitrant YBs in the house that has to be sent out, he now can send the recalcitrant to stand in the hot sun in the middle of the bridge! Yes, just like in the days when students get sent by their teachers to stand under the hot sun in the middle of the padang. What nostalgia this bridge will bring!

Better still, let them walk the plank! Yo! Ho! Ho! And a glass of rum!
Write Straight, Write Sharp!

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/18/a-bridge-too-far-2/#ixzz3otEsJgjS

My comments:
Is it not another white elephant project ex-CM Taib Mahmud and his cronies created to feed their fancy in the air-conditioned room?

I wonder how much people's money will be squandered and embezzled in the process.

Tweets 18Oct2015

Tweets 18Oct2015

这个国家，做正副首相，正副首长，州元首，。。教育部长，。。内政部长，。。，各高级官员，等等等等。 没有一个有受专业训练就坐上高高的职位，指令1切。 反而是教师不时不时要接受专业训练。 我看到各种各行业都有年龄设限，只有。。首相，州元首，首长，教育部长，内政部长，。。。。完全没有年龄限制，这是很多问题的根源。

像Dr。M 做了22年多的首相。 烧了大概RM1000亿去搞了很多白象计划。我不知道他就在其中捞了多少。他是出了名的10%man.  从RM1000亿抽佣10%，会是多少？ 当然也包挂那些 [我给你工程，你给我家人股份]等等等等的好处。 2003年被时势所逼不得不下台。 从2003年下台后，念念不忘 ，无法释怀的还是做首相又做财长享受的种种好处的连续。 还有[看头] 可得。

大道公司变相成大盗般的肆无忌惮的不时不时的涨过路费都有够理由的去起价。为什么有如此便利大道公司。这合约协同其中的种种条约对人民利/不利，做代表的部长先生，小姐或女士们是否有很认真，又有耐心的好好去读完几遍，还有，还有，深深的考量各方位的利益关系。 有吗？ 我想象到/心眼看到的是那一幕幕的政官商3者之间权益的交易。

谁敢手拿可兰经/圣经/佛经发誓说根本没有这么一回事。国阵政府首相，首长，部长，高官等等等等们的作业模式都是很[黑箱]的。这是众人皆知的事。嘿。。。。嘿，Dr M从中捞多少？ 查查他的儿女们的财富就知道了。 他有两个儿子Forbes榜上有名，不是吗？ 我真的不知道他的两个儿子有什么真本事。年纪轻轻就有如此亮丽的成绩。他本身是半马来人和印度人，可是他说得出[只有马来人可以做首相]和常常挂在嘴边的就是[马来人特权]。。。。

结果，只有一小撮的人很SatuMalaysia[享尽特权]的种种方便和便利.  查看从1981年到2003年获得无可数财富的官爷们，不就知道了吗？不要忘了[Port Klang Free Zone /PKFZ]种种丑闻。这臭味已经消散了吗？ 走近Port Klang 是否就勾起种种联想呢？ 国阵政府的种种恶臭的丑闻 都把他们串在一起当做每个人提醒物/reminder.

很多官爷们像林良实，陈广才，张庆信。。。。都在PKFZ中获得不少的财富。1MDB一开始，大家应该早就有这种的预知。 国阵政客们/2348的作业模式就是那么样的。只要他们操纵的任何工程交易都跟[贪污舞弊滥权/3428]是脱不了关系的。 只要他们触碰的工程都跟[贪/3428]相连。 很像有个故事讲有一个国王如愿从小神那里获得魔力只要他触碰的东西就会变黄金。 结果。。。。

Tweets 15/10/2015

Tweets 15/10/2015 
“诗巫建新路失败 火箭要负最大责任”这是新闻标题，逼我不得不重提。问这到底是什么logic? 是那一门的道理？ 课税，课税，课税。。。。后，嗯。。嗯，钱可是咱们人民的哦。这是国际认证宪法注明是民主国家。人民就是有咱们的自由要选哪一党。我们选了对立党。可是税金还是执政党拿了。这是人民的血汗钱勒！

那里像黄部长所言，不投我党就别想有拨款。这真的是患[兵/民家大忌]。这肯定是[死定]。这年代是崇尚高层次思考/逆向思考。走向[翻转教育]以学生为主位的年代。民主就像做生意，一切要以顾客的需求为考量。不然就得[关门大吉]。 道理就是这么简单。拨不拨款，发不发展，这些牌子，已经失效了。 这么霸权思维/M-minded是会被人民吐痰/唾弃的的。真的哦！

花钱买票当部长，咱们人民知道得很清楚，这些部长的的思维和作为总是[天大地大，只有霸权最大。] 所以完全是为霸权把关。为什么不是劝导霸权要[以民为本，绩效为先]好好做人和做事，这才可以[赢得民心，赢得天下]。是那门生意，货品还没有形影，就要顾客先付钱。这年代，很少人会像2006之前，那么[天真]了。 有了各种媒体的方便和便利，贪污舞弊滥权腐败的案件见证了这么多。

或者说拿了钱，拿不到货，这是很严重[犯法]的问题。就你们说人民除了感到无限[愤怒]外，还有什么感受。这真的是太严重的问题了。黄大人[始终如1]站在有如狠豺虎豹的霸权为他们把关。这咱们人民已经很清楚知道怎么一回事。砂邦也是有无数无法好好向人民交代的款项。这黄大人应该比任何人都清楚。

就你们说人民还会那么天真的伸出双手和双脚人任你们捆绑/自投罗网吗？时代真的不一样了。这套餐，又贵又没有营养，谁要呢？民主国家，我重复就好如做生意， 一定要对顾客有很高的认识和认知，不然就要面对[关门大吉]。真的要看清这实相。以往，个个部长大人们可以耍出各种手段，不[更新小贩执照]，不这样，不那样来逼迫人民。现在，还可以吗？ 敲敲自己头，好好想想。这时代人民是要，也会[翻转]很多事。

再说，现在砂邦还有90%100%支持国阵政府的地方，他们的发展如何？ 还是要带黄大人到处去看看做做比较。这是怎么一回事？以往/2006年之前，多少%不支持国阵政府的？有多少发展？又有多少拨款到场？国，州议员每个人每 年有多少个别拨款？钱的总数应该是够漂亮了。为什么个个部长先生，小姐和女士们还是无法帮独中和华小多少？

以往的一切作业模式正是100% M模型。现在，人民很清楚再M下去就是[自己做贱是活该！]。现在人民知道W模型才是[王道]。人民才是这国家的主宰。那里像黄部长制造的遐想和假象：就是要支持国阵才会有发展拨款。其有此理！用人民的血汗钱来惩罚人民。是哪一门生意和logic?

从2006到今天砂邦政府“供款给批准的代理机构基金户口已汇人将近RM142亿5000万。 平均每年花掉RM14亿2000万。有关财务报告只有1页。 随意列出几排字，就算交代开销” 这是我从诗话日报天地线15/10/2015。 请问黄部长这不是真的吗？ 请证明给我们人民看这是假的。 这不是踏着可兰经/圣经/佛经做人做事吗？ 黄部长常说[朝里有人好办事]。是啊，但是，我不清楚是办谁家的事呢/啊！

诗巫建新路失败 火箭要负最大责任

诗巫建新路失败 火箭要负最大责任

October 15, 2015

• 南砂新闻

●砂联民党部分执委与受惠者们开心合摄。（本报古晋14日讯）砂高级部长、第二财长兼地方政府与社区发展部长拿督斯里黄顺舸直指行动党，应对诗巫新路无法落实负起最大的责任，因为是在他们掌握最多议席之后，诗巫兴建新路的要求开始不被接纳。


他说，行动党柏拉旺区州议员黄培根抱怨诗巫近年没有建设新路，等同承认行动党议员的当选，对诗巫的发展毫无贡献。
黄顺舸今天针对黄培根率行动党议员向首长要求7千万令吉兴建诗巫新路一事，召开新闻发布会。

他们赢了 拨款没了
他指出，行动党目前在诗巫囊括历来最多议席，既然他们在竞选期间口口声声可以为人民带来改变，就应兑现承诺，包括为诗巫人民实现新路，而不是推卸责任，或者反而把矛头指向别人。


“目 前来说，诗巫两个国会议席以及五个州议席，只有我和土保党的安华拉比依分别握有巴旺阿山和南甲州议席，其余3个州选区以及2个国会选区，都是由行动党领袖 当选为议员。遗憾的是他们个人的当选，却造成诗巫发展拨款的惨痛流失，包括我们在第十大马计划提出的4条新路建议，一概因为以上议席落入反对党手里而全数 遭到拒绝。”

他披露，他们在第十大马计划（2011至2015年）提出的4条新路是南兰律上段到机场路、格盟央到巴塞祥路、乌鲁双溪美拉到格盟央路，以及双溪美禄、杜杜斯、史布迪、甘榜文岸、甘榜槟榔路。

他忆述，2006年州选，人联党出战19个议席，其中8个议席落败，那一年是行动党史无前例高奏凯歌，但也是人民面对发展拨款大大流失的开始。国阵团队在2006到2010年的第九大马计划，为诗巫提出建设5条新路的要求，不料因为行动党大胜而告吹。


他指出，黄培根的言论以及上述事实证明行动党议员的当选与选区发展停顿脱离不了关系。

无奈经常孤掌难鸣
他说，2006年之前，诗巫国州议员主要是由国阵代表出任，也就是国阵宏愿队伍阵容最强的时期，他们成功落实了众多新项目，包括实现3座跨江大桥即（芦仙大桥、伊干大桥、阿山港大桥）、兴建诗巫新机场、全面提升诗巫主要大路至双线大道，以及争取丹绒玛尼大道等等。

“虽然现在我是诗巫唯一的国阵华人代议士，常有孤掌难鸣的无奈，也面对反对党大胜造成痛失发展的局面，但是，对于争取诗巫的发展，我还是持之以恒，全力以赴，所以在明年开始的第十一大马计划，我再次提出了建设7条新路的要求。”


他透露，献议的7条新路包括阿曼路到机场路、格盟央到巴塞祥、乌鲁双溪美拉到格盟央路、双溪美禄到南甲杜杜斯路、双溪美禄到巴当拉刹路、丹章玛尼到冷岸路，以及兰岛邦章到拉骚路。

“虽 然过去两期的大马计划，我们没能如愿争取新路，但是，通过我们在政府当中的管道，特别是我还是州内阁部长，我们才能替诗巫争取到提升道路的拨款，包括 2011年1千00万令吉、2012年与2013年各1千600万令吉、2014年2千万令吉，以及2015年3千600万令吉。”

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