October 22 2015, a date that will live in infamy!

My apologies for not blogging of late as I have been held back by work and if that was not bad, I was brought down by the haze, again.  Feeling much better today,  the first thing I would like to address is Lim Kit Siang's suspension from Parliament.

Now this is what Liew Chin Tong has to say.

Kit Siang's battle is not over yet.

Over the course of the last half century, numerous attempts by the ruling elite to silence Lim Kit Siang had failed. The latest – suspending him from Parliament for half a year – will not silence Kit Siang’s voice for the nation.

On the contrary, 50 years after he started as a political novice with a yet-to-be-registered party then – the Democratic Action Party – Kit Siang is not done yet. The powers-that-be still want to silence him because they know many Malaysians listen to Kit Siang. The people trust Kit Siang more than they do Barisan Nasional.

So, what did Kit Siang do at the Parliament this week? He was merely doing his duty as a Member of Parliament, i.e., to voice his opinions and to state facts. He was commenting on Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin’s role in preventing the Public Accounts Committee to hold its meetings after chairperson Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed was elevated to the government’s frontbench.

The PAC was at the height of investigating the 1MDB scandal with the troubled company’s past and present CEOs were about to appear before the Committee. The hearings never took place.

The series of moves by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak – sacking of Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and a strategic cabinet reshuffle – were aimed at averting a crisis that could possibly lead to Najib being charged in court.

Four Barisan Nasional MPs who sat on the PAC were promoted to the front bench in an attempt to stall the investigations into the 1MDB scandal. They are Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.

The Committee has still a Deputy Chairman and nine MPs who could still form the quorum for the Committee to carry on its investigation. At that critical juncture, Tan Sri Pandikar prevented the PAC from meeting and carrying out its duties.

Nur Jazlan could have resisted the offer and continue to lead the PAC. Speaker Pandikar could have ruled in favour of those who want to see the Parliament playing its true check-and-balance role by not preventing the PAC to function.

Jazlan and Pandikar lack a sense of history. They could have changed the course of history for our nation. They could have sided with the rakyat, and not with scandal-ridden Najib. They missed their date with history.

Whereas Kit Siang has proven his worth. He is but one of many casualties of the 1MDB scandal; from Gani to Muhyiddin, to Tony Pua, MACC officers, former Special Branch Deputy Director, and many more.
The veteran DAP leader has said, “What I said when I sought clarification from the MP for Sepang, Mohamed Hanipa bin Maidin who was speaking on the debate on the appointment of the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee was whether he agreed that the Speaker has no powers under the Standing Orders to stop the Public Accounts Committee, in the absence of a PAC Chairman, from continuing with its 1MDB investigations and which was therefore an abuse of power.”

Speaker Pandikar’s usual refrain is that MPs can move a motion against his decision “which is ultimate”. In a Westminster Parliamentary setting in which the Government has majority, the Opposition would not have the number to censure the Speaker.

Even if Kit Siang were to be subjected to this ordeal, he should be given due process through a Committee of Privileges hearing. DAP Legal Bureau Chief Gobind Singh explained to Parliament that it is clear that in the case of alleged contempt of Parliament such as the case of Kit Siang, the Speaker cannot bypass the process of an inquiry by a committee.

Standing Order 80A “Notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80 relating to the Committee of Privileges, in any case where it appears to the House that there has been the commission, whether by a member or by any other person, of any acts, matters or things as are made punishable as contempt under the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance 1952, the House may appoint a committee to summarily enquire into such a case and appropriate action in accordance with the said Ordinance.”

I told Parliament that the Speaker should reverse terrible precedents set by this Parliament previously that a member could be “summarily executed” through the brute force of Government majority in the form of a motion and a vote in the House.

Lest we forget, Opposition MPs such as Fong Po Kuan in the year 2000, Karpal Singh (2004), Gobind Singh (2010), Anwar Ibrahim (2010) and N. Surendran (2013) were suspended in this manner.

In the more democratic Westminster parliaments, suspensions are generally meted out for several days to maintain the order of the House if it is relating to the conduct of MPs in the House. In the British parliament, suspensions are also used against MPs who were involved in financial improprieties, not for exercising free speech without fear or favour.

In Malaysia, suspension is just a punitive tool to silence members of the Opposition. But Kit Siang will not be cowed. He told Parliament that his sacrifice would not be meaningless because it would make the people more aware of the embarrassing 1MDB scandal.

Fifty years in politics, he is still the man the powers-that-be feared and still the ultimate symbol of defiance and anti-establishment. Barred from entering Parliament for half a year, Kit Siang is on a new journey to meet Malaysians of all walks of life.

Plans are underway to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of DAP on 18th March 2016, as well as the 50th Anniversary of Kit Siang’s entry into politics on 1st December 2015, and his 75th birthday on 20th February 2016.

We shall not be moved. We shall remember the words of Thomas Paine, an 18th century philosopher activist, “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph”.

So you want to sue me, Najib? Challenge accepted. See you in court. Now we see who has the balls.

Tajuddin Abdul Rahman may have 'slapped' up a storm

Umno’s Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman should carry out his promised threat to slap an ethnic Chinese if he is willing to face the consequences, Taman Tun Dr Ismail DAP member Zulhazmi Shariff said today.

In the wake of the interracial storm, Zulhazmi told the deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister to be mindful of his influential position as the people will hold him to his promises.

“My personal stand, I ask that he slap first. Don’t just talk, slap first, then we’ll see what happens,” the DAP man challenged Tajuddin in a news conference here.

Zulhazmi called on Tajuddin to rein in his personal sentiments if he wanted to be seen as a “leader and as an administrator”.

Also at the same news conference was Pahang DAP chairman Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji, who called on the Perak mufti to advise the Pasir Salak MP on the dos-and-don’ts as a Muslim leader.

Yesterday, Tajuddin was recorded by news portal Malaysiakini as issuing a warning to Chinese Malaysians that they were asking to be slapped for complaining about issues in the country to a third-party, ostensibly in response to the aftermath of last month’s “red shirt” rally that prompted China’s ambassador to Malaysia to comment that Beijing would not hesitate to speak out against any threat that may affect the country’s ties with Malaysia.

“I want to warn the Chinese Malaysians, don’t think when you have a problem, you want to complain — just a little bit also complain — that there will be people to protect them.

“Nak kena lempang macam itu,” the deputy minister was quoted as saying.

Earlier today, MCA also said that it will issue a formal protest note to Barisan Nasional and was also seeking an apology from Tajuddin as the latter’s statement had “seriously” insulted the Chinese community.

However, Tajuddin has since accused Malaysiakini of misquoting him in its article, which had translated the Bahasa Malaysia portion of his remarks to mean that he was threatening to slap the Chinese.

[Souce: MMOnline]

This is truly UMNO politics

I hope our dudheads know what they are doing ....

So, the China Ambassador to Malaysia, H E Huang Hui Kang, has been summoned to appear at our foreign ministry office today to explain for his presence and the statements made by him during his recent visit to Petaling Street.  Knowing these dudheads, they might just screw up the meeting. As a reminder ...

The nation must thank Jibby's servant, Jamal Yunus, for adding another feather in Najib's cap.  Already with local lawsuits, foreign media jabs (with evidence), the haunting of the Altantuya's murder, Sirul's revelation; UK, Swiss, USA and French enforcement investigations, and now ..... CHINA??  This guy truly must be having a death wish of sorts.

No more public demonstrations?

Street demonstrations should not be repeated as they are not Malaysian culture", so said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Helloooo ..... Malaysian street demonstrations against the government of the day were not the brainchild of Bersih, DAP, PKR or PAS. Rightly or wrongly, it was you people in UMNO who started it when you demonstrated against the British proposed Malayan Union, but then we added colour to it that's all, and you guys followed.

250,000 at the Red Shirt rally. Must be the figment of someone's imagination.

Annuar Musa claimed that there were 250,000 present at the Red Shirt rally yesterday, but this report proves otherwise.