By Mohandass Karamchand

The Indian protest in Kuala Lumpur has been a great success because it made a very loud noise. But the Indian protesters forgot to shout Daulat Tuanku. Instead they showed allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II by carrying placards that had Queen Elizabeth’s picture. Others also carried pictures of Mahatma Ghandi.

According to the NST, Hindraf legal adviser P. Uthayakumar said that they would 'get a second bite at the cherry' when they go to London in mid-January to present a memorandum to the Queen of England. But the Queen is reported to suffer constipation and some flatulence during cold winter months like January – a predicament inherited from her ancestors who avoided the privy in winter because they had no internal plumbing. She may not be disposed to receive Uthayakumar. But there is some confusion. The NST reports: "We don't want to rely on Indian-based parties anymore. We want to go directly to Umno because it is they who hold power," said the lawyer who was in the midst of the illegal gathering yesterday. So is it Queen Elizabeth or UMNO? Unfortunately for the Indian community, all roads to UMNO go through Samy Vellu’s office.

This appeal to Queen Elizabeth and Mahatma Ghandi is a mistake. The banners scream 'We are Malaysians'. To the other Malaysians, it seems to be that the protesters are Indian Hindus first and Malaysians second. The ethnic, religious identity is pushed forward. The name ‘Hindraf’ is also exclusive. It excludes Indians who are Christians, Sikhs and Muslims.

Why call it Hindu Rights Action Front? Why not just Indian Rights Action Front (INDRAF)? Why associate with religion? This is what some NGOs said - the Hindu Indians are making a mistake of projecting a narrow Hindu image.

However, the grievances and the protest by the Indian Hindus is real and justified.The BN Gomen's failure to uplift the Indians is real. It is a big failure. The BN Gomen does not really care for them. UMNO says they want to be the payung for all Malaysians. This is a lie. They are the least bothered about the fate of the Indians. Uthayakumar’s idea that he wants to go directly to UMNO may earn him a Datukship, but the Indians will not get anything else.

Hindu Tamils are now treated like fourth class citizens by the BN Gomen. Parties like MIC and PPP just get by on handouts for their community. The Tamils can be ignored by the UMNO boys. Why should the UMNO boys respect the Indians? While the Hindraf was protesting on Jalan Ampang, Nallakaruppan was hosting the founding of his new Indian political party called Malaysian Indian United Party (or Muniandy) at the Istana Hotel. In his speech, Nallakaruppan pledged allegiance to the BN. He said that the Muniandy party would support all the BN’s policies. Just a few months ago he was dancing on stage with Anwar Ibrahim in Ijok, hoping to be Keadilan’s candidate against the BN at the by-election. But since Anwar dropped him in favour of a Malay, Nallakaruppan is now dancing to the UMNO-BN tune.

The Indians cannot depend on the BN Gomen or anyone else to uplift them. They have no choice but to uplift themselves. Like the Chinese, any community (including the Malays) that does not depend on the BN Gomen will become richer and more successful. This is because the BN Gomen itself does not have any idea how to uplift the people. This is a Gomen that is groping in the dark. The blind cannot lead anyone to light. They cannot see.

Historically, the majority of Indians came here as very poor people. But the Indians in India and Malaysia are not one uniform body. Indians are a small minority in Malaysia – making up less than 10% of the population. Numerically they are becoming even more irrelevant.

But this small minority is divided into so many sub-minorities almost all of whom are far richer and better off than the Tamil Hindus – the largest Indian group who were also the people protesting on Sunday. The Sindhi and Gujerati Hindus are business oriented. They may not even acknowledge that Tamil Hindus are human. In their belief the Tamils are children of Hanuman, the dark-skinned monkey god who helped their white-skinned god Ram rescue their white-skinned princess Sita Devi from the clutches of the dark-skinned Ravan.

Then we have the Ceylon Tamils. An irate Indian Tamil woman once said that the Ceylon Tamils in Malaysia are ashamed to say that they are also Indians or Tamils. So in official application forms where they must state their race, they put themselves under ‘Lain-Lain’ or Others, not as Indians. Few people may be aware of this but the Ceylon Tamils are by far the most successful racial group in Malaysia, whose per capita incomes may be higher than the Chinese, Gujeratis, Mamaks, etc. There are more millionaires per thousand people among Ceylon Tamils than any other race in Malaysia. The richest man in Malaysia is a Ceylon Tamil billionaire known as Ananda Krishnan.

There are the Sikhs who have their own axes to grind against the Hindus. The Sikhs have also done very well in Malaysia. They may have started as jagas and susu lembu sellers but now they are among the best doctors and lawyers in the country. Money lending is still their forte. In a nutshell, they are doing much better than the Tamil Hindus.

Then there are the RSS sympathizers in Malaysia. RSS stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Nathuram Vinayak Godse, the Hindu extremist who murdered Mahatma Ghandi in 1948, was a member of the RSS. The RSS in India is led by Brahmins whose main purpose is to preserve the Hindu caste system and thereby preserve their positions. They do not look kindly at Mahatma Ghandi and none of them will have a picture of Ghandi in their homes, let alone hoist Ghandi’s picture at a public rally.

There is very little love lost between all these Indians. There are extremely very few intra-Hindu Indian marriages. It is almost impossible to see a Ceylon Hindu marry an Indian Hindu or a Gujerati marry a Telugu. You will not find any of the RSS Brahmins marrying any of the Hindraf people. It just does not happen. On the other hand, in Malaysia, there are thousands of marriages between Malays and Indians of all types and castes. This Sunday, 9th December, a extraordinarily beautiful and quite rich Malay woman is marrying a Hindu Tamil (who of course had to convert). The wedding will be held at a major hotel and will be reported in the Malay media. The Indian media will never cover such an event.

The RSS sympathizers did not support the Hindraf protest. Instead, they released a statement to the media that said: “the MIC and the Government had helped to fund, build, repair as well as settle relocation and land issues for temples nationwide.” In other words: what is there to complain about? There are enough temples. Caste and inter-Indian race differences are great. The discrimination and prejudices within the Indians is greater than from without. But that does not really affect the bread and butter issues that were the main reason for the protest on Sunday.

It is also mind-boggling that many Hindu success stories have come to a tragic end through outright murder. All too often Indians suffer violence at the hands of fellow Indians. This is not unlike the case with the African Americans and Mexican Americans who suffer tragic violence at the hands of their own people.

In Penang recently, a well known and very senior Tamil Hindu lawyer by the name of Annamalai was brutally stabbed to death by two Indians, most likely hired killers, in broad daylight. I knew Mr Annamalai who was over 60 years old and was a polite and gentle man. The killers have not been caught and neither is the motive known. A few years ago, a young Hindu woman who owned three beauty salons in Klang was also brutally murdered by Indians. After being beaten and stabbed, her body was repeatedly run over by her own Pajero. The crazed intensity of the violence against her was unimaginable. Again, her killers were not found and neither was the reason for her murder known. Earlier to that, a young Tamil Hindu geologist who ran a very succesful geological services company in Bukit Mertajam was killed by Indians. His head was cracked open by an axe. His killers were never caught and neither was the reason for his murder known.

These were among the cream of their society in their own neighbourhoods - Indians who had come up in life through hard work and against much odds. They all suffered violent death at the hands of Indians. It could be any number of reasons why they were killed but often it is pure jealousy by Indians against fellow Indians. It is okay if a Chinese or Malay is succesful, but when an Indian makes good, any number of other Indians may become extremely jealous. And if there is even a hint of an insult or injury, real or imagined, it may be enough to trigger murderous action. So the Indians do not need extra enemies from outside to keep them down. They can be their own worst enemies.

First of all, the Indians must realise that holding up posters of Ghandi or Queen Elizabeth is brain dead. It would have been better if they held up posters of the great Tamil hero Veerapandian Kattaboman. But since no one knows what Veerapandian Kattaboman looked like, they could have even held up posters of the great Tamil movie hero MG Ramachandran or MGR who once portrayed Veerapandian Kattaboman in a Tamil movie. But why Ghandi and why on earth Queen Elizabeth II? This only proves that the Indian Tamils may have their feet planted here, but not all their thoughts are fully settled here.

The time for pussyfooting and endless talk is over. Indians must 'bite the bullet' and take decisive and practical action to help themselves. Since all the protests have been made, it is now up to the Indians to put forward what they really want to do.

Do not expect the Barisan Nasional or the UMNO boys to help you. They do not even know how to help themselves. After 50 years they do not even realize the main problem that is holding the Malays down – their religion and their total disregard of the English language. So how are they going to figure out what are the real issues facing the Indians? Even if they want to help the Indians they will not know what to do.

Some simple-minded Indians have suggested that the Indians be exempted from all university racial quotas. This is a beginning but it does not solve the problem of the poor Tamils in the estates and the rural areas. The MIC has set up the Tafe College, taken over private law and accounting colleges (Vanto Academy) and set up medical schools yet the plight of the Tamil Hindus in the estates and rural areas has not changed much.

In Semeling in Kedah (in the Merbok constituency), the MIC has built the most modern medical campus not only in Malaysia but maybe in the whole of Asia, Europe and the US. Please Google 'AIMST'. One minute you are driving through oil palm plantations then suddenly you turn a corner and almost run into a group of huge UFO spaceship type buildings rising out of the oil palms - this is the Asian Institute of Medical Science and Technology. Yet only the guards and gardeners at the AIMST are Indians from the surrounding rubber and oil palm estates in Semeling. Most of the Indian students at AIMST are from well to do Indian families from outside Kedah who can afford the almost RM300,000 fees at this private medical school. Increasingly now, more Chinese students are also enrolling at AIMST.

So even if all the protests work and the Barisan Nasional Gomen offers Indians unlimited entry into universities, it is the children of educated, urban, west coast Indians who are going to gain admission. The Ceylon Tamils, the urban Tamils, Punjabis, Gujeratis, Tamil Muslims, etc., will take advantage of the opportunities. The Indians from the rural areas and the estates are never going to make it, or at least not any time soon.

Dont believe me? Here is my proof. Before the NEP, before 1970, it was status quo. The playing field was 'more' level then. Or was it ? The Ceylon Tamils monopolised senior Gomen jobs, teaching jobs, doctors, lawyers, etc. The Telugus were mandors at the estates while the Tamils were the labourers. The Sindhis and Gujeratis monopolised the textiles business. The Mamaks ran the sundry shops. The Tamil Hindus were at the lowest rung of the ladder. Who really cared for them? But that was the 'level' playing field available at that time. It is by sheer effort and perseverance that many of the Tamil Hindus have come up in life to become the Uthayakumars and the Selvams of today. But these are so few, the exceptions.

So even if the BN Gomen completely opened up all the university opportunities to Indians it is the minority within the minority ie the Ceylon Tamils, the Gujeratis, the Punjabis, the Tamil Muslims, etc., who are going to take full advantage of these opportunities. The majority Indian Hindus in the estates are going to end up no better than before.

The solution seems obvious enough. The Indians must demand that Indian Hindus from the estates and the rural areas must be given super priorities at university entrance. This has been done for the past 37 years in Malaysia where poor Malay children from the rural schools and rural areas are given preferences over urban kids. So, if an Indian Hindu child from the estates has lesser grades than a child from the urban centres, the rural Indian child must be treated differently. But will the Indian community agree to this? How many of the urban-living Hindraf protesters from Sunday will agree to this idea?

The Indians must also demand for a 100% Government-funded special boarding school system where poor Indian Hindu children from the estates and rural areas are provided free schooling and board from Forms 1 till 5 and beyond. If the Malay kampongs were not conducive for Malay children to become the sons and daughters of the NEP, neither are the estates conducive to make successes out of Indian children. It is just not going to happen. There are exceptions where estate children have gone to earn PhDs but lets cut the crap, okay? We are not concerned with exceptional cases. We want to democratize opportunities for the Indian poor in the estates, the vast majority who are not exceptional but just ordinary poor people. There is a catch though. These Indian boarding schools must be taught by Malay and Chinese teachers only. The students must be weaned away from the negative, crude and pessimistic attitudes and language of the estates. Indian teachers may unwittingly delay this process. Lastly, these boarding schools for Indians must be located in largely Malay localities like in the East Coast states. They must be totally isolated from their estate environments and learn to fit into a more Malay and Malaysian environment. This way, if they have to protest again, they will not hold up pictures of Ghandi or Queen Elizabeth. They may learn to hold up posters of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, Hang Kasthuri, Hang Lekir, Tun Ali, Abdullah Munshi, and so on who were all Tamils.

As for the other poor Indian Hindus, the Indian community must demand that the Gomen provide them unlimited entry into all the vocational training institutes, especially the Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara or IKBN, plus the MARA Skills Institutes. Surprisingly, it is Nazri Aziz as Minister in charge of MARA who has opened some MARA Skills Institutes to Indians.

The Indian community must also demand Gomen-funded housing for all poor Indians, those in the estates and rural areas as well as in the urban areas. They can either rent or buy these houses from the Gomen through any number of rent-own schemes, etc. The housing must not be the cheapo, two-room, one-bathroom type pigeon holes. They must be decent-sized houses with at least three sleeping rooms and two bathrooms. Even if they cost a bit more, the housing must be comfortable. Safe and comfortable housing is important to break the poverty cycle and bring Indian Hindus into the mainstream of our society.

Indians must also demand access to the Amanah Saham investment fund. Not the Amanah Saham Nasional that is open to all races and is priced at market prices but the RM1.00 per share Amanah Saham Bumiputra where your RM1.00 per share is guaranteed by the Gomen. Then, all the Banks’ special Amanah Saham financing packages (since the RM1.00 per share is guaranteed by the Gomen) that are available to bumiputras will also be made available to Indians. This will be a major help to the Indian community.

Then here are more important but even more difficult things that the Indian community must do. They must listen to Mr SM Idris of the Consumers Association of Penang who has been campaigning all his life to abolish toddy shops on the estates. Indians and drinking must part company because it has been proven time and time again that Indians and alchohol do not mix well. Ban alchohol on the estates and the Indian community will save a lot of heartache.

There must be an end to Tamil schools in the country. Tamil is a great language. It has a long history and is a beautiful poetic language. But Tamil will keep the Hindus in the poverty cycle in Malaysia. In Malaysia, Tamil will make you poor. Believe me on this one. Ban Tamil schools and send all the Tamil kids to Gomen schools or Chinese schools.

Then, more importantly, to curb gangsterism, completely ban all Tamil movies, especially through Vanavil and other TV stations. They are absolutely brain-dead and a bad influence on already brain-dead Indian youngsters. Tamil movies are of zero cultural and moral value. Unfortunately Indian Hindus can riot (they did) to buy tickets for Rajni’s latest movie ‘Boss’. It was another useless Tamil movie that cannot win an award even at the Blind Movie Producers Awards. Endless fighting, beating, crying, killing, dancing, singing, marrying, seducing are the staple of brain-dead Tamil movies which have a strong and significant impact on the Indian population. Two Tamil movie actors, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalitha, have been elected as Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu just because of their movie acting. (No you cannot compare them to Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Large numbers of Indians know more about Indian politics than what is happening in Malaysia. They may not know the names of Malaysian Cabinet Ministers but they will know the names of Indian Chief Ministers and other Indian politicians. This shows that, after 150 years, many of the Indians have not fully grafted their roots to the local conditions. This must change. The Indians are ready to migrate to Australia (or to the Queen of England’s kampong) and sing Waltzing Matilda in English to earn Australian citizenship. Why not remain in Malaysia and learn to speak Malay properly?

Finally, the Indian Hindus, all of them, including the RSS, the Punjabis, the Gujeratis, the Brahmins and the estate Indians, must get together and propose to the Barisan Nasional Gomen to pass laws that make it illegal and a crime to practice any kind of caste system in Malaysia. This means that all Hindu temples must be open to all Hindus, irrespective of caste. Any Hindu, and not just a Brahmin, can become a priest at the Hindu temples.

The RSS will definitely not agree to this suggestion. The RSS is the vanguard of the caste system and seeks to protect the position of the Brahmins. More than the BN Gomen, more than the conditions in the estates, more than Tamil schooling or Tamil movies, the caste system is the single most backward and degrading force that holds back all Indians. Whether Sindhis, Gujeratis, Punjabis, Tamils, Telugus, RSS, etc., they are all negatively affected by the really stupid and false caste system. Get rid of the caste system and the Indians will bloom to become a great people.

And the Indians in Malaysia definitely do not need 17,000 temples for three million Hindus. What for? Each temple needs a Brahmin priest, a commitee and it spreads more religious prejudice and anger. The same with suraus and mosques. Why do we need so many mosques. Over the past 15 years thousands of suraus and mosques have been built. Each one now has its imam, committee, etc. Each one is spreading religous prejudices. We do not need so many mosques or Hindu temples. Enough is enough. Only the RSS and PAS boys are interested in temples and mosques because they can control the temples and mosques. Temples and mosques bring in money. The more temples there are, the more money accrues to the brahmins.

But this initiative can only come from the Indians. The Malays and the Gomen will not even know where to begin on this one. They have no idea of the caste system. So the Indians cannot expect any help in this area from the Gomen. It is the Indians who must move this initiative. There will be plenty of resistance from the RSS and gang but you must all get together and kick this caste sucker into the sea. Otherwise it is all a complete waste of time. The Indians must be the inheritors of Thiru Valluvar, Bagat Singh, Ranjit Singh and Bharatiyar. They were real heroes. Ghandi was confused. Godse was a nut.

Penipuan pilihan raya, Anwar tunjuk bukti kepada PM, SPR

Wan Nordin Wan Yaacob Wed | Nov 28, 07 | 1:24:29 pm MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Nov (Hrkh) - Mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini mengecam kepimpinan Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) yang menafikan berlakunya penipuan dalam perjalanan pilihan raya di negara ini.

Sambil melaungkan kekecewaan terhadap pemimpin Islam Hadhari itu beliau menyatakan bahawa penafian berterusan ini hanya akan menjejaskan imej Malaysia.

Anwar berkata demikian ketika mengadakan sidang media di pejabatnya di Petaling Jaya hari ini.Turut serta ialah, Pengerusi Mafrel, Abdul Malik Hussin dan Pegawai Khas Anwar, Din Merican.

Ini buktinya!

Anwar yang juga Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KeADILan) mengemukakan dokumen-dokumen yang disebut sebagai bukti yang baginya 'mustahil' bagi SPR dan PM tidak mengetahuinya.

Anwar mendakwa telah menyerahkan satu surat kepada Perdana Menteri pada Jun 2006 berhubung bukti penyelewengan pilihan raya beserta laporan 'Sham Democracy' yang dibuat KeADILan mengenai penipuan pilihan raya 2004.

Laporan tersebut disokong dengan bukti yang telah pun ada dalam pengetahuan SPR sendiri seperti daftar pemilih yang tidak bersih dan tempoh berkempen pada pilihan raya 2004 yang paling pendek dalam sejarah pilihan raya di negara ini.

Anwar melampirkan bukti-bukti yang baginya adalah satu alasan kukuh SPR dan kerajaan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi perlu melihatnya dengan serius dan melakukan perubahan segera.

Antara bukti yang dinyatakan Anwar ialah :

1 : Pada tahun 1999, SPR mendakwa mereka tidak 'mempunyai masa yang mencukupi' untuk meluluskan daftar pengundi yang mendaftar pada Mei untuk pilihan raya yang berlansung pada November.Kelulusan katanya mengambil masa tiga bulan.Ini jelas sekali satu usaha yang terancang untuk menafikan seramai 680,000 pengundi baru ketika era reformasi (1998-1999).

2 : Pada tahun 2004, daerah mengundi tidak wujud ditemui di Parlimen Gombak, di mana wujud dua daerah mengundi dengan nama yang sama (Kemensah 098/18/04) tetapi memberikan dua keputusan yang berbeza.

3 : Pada tahun 2004 juga, rekod mencatatkan Ali Bin Omar (No.K/P 280903-02-5057), iaitu bapa kepada pemimpin KeADILan, Azmin Ali yang telah meninggal dunia pada tahun 2001 hadir mengundi pada tahun 2004 dengan mengundi BN.

4 : Pada pilihan raya 2004 juga, 37.6 peratus daripada pengundi di kawasan Parlimen Lembah Pantai didapati mempunyai alamat yang tidak boleh dikesan.Menurut daftar pengundi seramai 141 pengundi mendaftar di satu alamat iaitu di sebuah kedai kecil beratap zink di lot 4742 Bukit B, Kampung Kerinchi.

5 : Pada pilihan raya kecil Dun Ijok, sebanyak 142 kertas undi tidak dipulangkan dari Peti Undi 4 daerah mengundi di Pekan Batang Berjuntai Bestari Utara.

6 : Oktober 2007, di kawasan Parlimen Ipoh Timur yang merupakan kubu kuat DAP, didapati wujud 8463 pengundi baru dalam kawasan itu dalam masa hanya tiga bulan sahaja.Sebelum ini Parlimen tersebut mempunyai 48,000 pengundi berdaftar dan pembangkang memenanginya dengan majoriti 9774 undi.

SPR dan PM tahu?

Bagi Anwar, semua bukti ini sebenarnya diketahui SPR dan pembangkang antaranya PAS, DAP dan KeADILan telah beberapa kali menyerahkan laporan penyelewengan kepada SPR.

Namun kata Anwar, semua laporan itu tidak dijawab oleh SPR sebaliknya Pengerusi SPR, Tan Sri Abdul Rahsid Abdul Rahman menyatakan bahawa 'tiada bukti'.

Menurut Anwar, 100,000 rakyat baru sahaja melepaskan rasa tidak puas hati mereka pada 10 November lalu bagi membantah penyelewengan pilihan raya, tetapi kerajaan masih meneruskan reaksi angkuh mereka meneruskan penipuan yang ada.

"Kami menuntut penilaian penuh dasar dan prosedur SPR agar mereka menepato tahap ketelusan antarabangsa sebelum berlangsungnya pilihan raya umum akan datang," kata Anwar.

ISA zalim, kata Anwar

Dalam hal lain, Anwar menyelar kenyataan PM bahawa kerajaan tidak teragak-agak akan menggunakan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) kepada peserta himpunan aman.

Baginya, seorang pemimpin Islam Hadhari tidak seharusnya berkata dan bersikap demikian dalam melayani tuntutan dari pelbagai pihak termasuk golongan pembangkang atau minoriti.

Baginya, penggunaan ISA jelas sekali menzalimi rakyat, dan ia telah terbukti dalam kes saman Abdul Malik Hussin (bekas tahanan ISA yang menang RM2.5 juta) bahawa ISA digunakan dengan cara yang paling kejam sekali.

Sebagai seorang pemimpin negara dan Islam Hadhari, PM seharusnya mendengar dan menghalusi tuntutan rakyat dan Islam sendiri tidak menegahnya.

Dalam hal perhimpunan aman pula, Anwar menyelar sikap PM yang tidak membenarkan perhimpunan aman diadakan di negara ini.

Baginya himpunan sedemikian rupa adalah satu amalan biasa di negara lain yang mengamalkan demokrasi, kerana ia adalah hak paling 'basic' kepada rakyat untuk menyatakan pandangan.

Bagaimanapun di negara ini ia tidak diamalkan, sebaliknya hak berhimpun ini boleh hanya kepada Umno sahaja, kerana Umno telah beberapa kali mengadakan himpunan memprotes pelbagai isu. - mks.

GMI dakwa wujud tempat khas seksa tahanan ISA

Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (Suhakam) akan menyiasat dakwaan bahawa tahanan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) diseksa di tempat khas semasa di dalam tahanan. Pesuruhjaya Suhakam, Datuk Khalid Ibrahim berkata, mangsa tahanan ISA perlu memberikan bukti kewujudan tempat khas untuk menyeksa mereka. "Ahli Suhakam tidak pernah memasuki bilik yang dikatakan menjadi tempat tahan diseksa itu. Kita hanya melihat secara kasar sahaja. "Bagaimanapun, Suhakam menentang sebarang bentuk penyeksaan ke atas tahanan ISA, malah menutup mata mereka semasa soal siasat sudah menjadi satu kesalahan," katanya di pejabatnya di ibu negara hari ini. Beliau berkata demikian sebagai menjawab dakwaan kewujudan bilik khas untuk menyeksa tahanan yang ditimbulkan oleh seorang isteri tahanan ISA. Sebelum itu, Khalid menerima memorandum dari Pengerusi Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (kiri) di pejabat Suhakam di ibu negara hari ini. Memorandum tersebut meminta Suhakam menyiasat mengenai kewujudan bilik menyeksa tahanan ISA dan terhadap anggota polis yang melakukannya. Pindah tahanan Beliau berkata, Suhakam akan menghantar surat kepada Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Musa Hassan supaya mengambil tindakan terhadap anggota polis yang mendera tahanan ISA. Khalid berkata, jika tiada bukti, Suhakam sukar untuk menjalankan siasatan kerana bukan semua tempat tahanan yang boleh diperiksa oleh suruhanjaya itu. "Untuk membawa kes ini ke mahkamah tentu sekali memerlukan bukti dan ini yang diperlukan oleh Suhakam," katanya lagi. Khalid berkata, Suhakam juga boleh memohon kepada mahkamah untuk mendapatkan pendengaran awam apabila mangsa dicedera atau disiksa semasa dalam tahanan. Mengenai dakwaan bahawa tahanan ISA yang sakit dibebaskan, pesuruhjaya Suhakam itu mengakui kebenarannya. Sementara itu, Khalid berkata, Suhakam akan menyiasat laporan bahawa tahanan di Penjara Simpang Rengam, Johor telah dihantar ke Kem Tahanan Kamunting. Beliau berkata, pihaknya ingin mengetahui posedur yang digunakan kerana tahanan di Simpang Rengam tidak sama dengan tahanan ISA Kamunting. "Ada perbezaan tahanan yang ditahan di bawah Ordinan Darurat di Simpang Rengam dengan tahanan ISA di Kamunting," katanya lagi.

Bekas hakim mendoakan titik perubahan...

Syed Idid Syed Abdullah Aidid - bekas Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi yang mendedahkan rasuah dalam badan kehakiman pada tahun 1996 - berkata beliau 'agak terperanjat' dengan keputusan kerajaan untuk menubuhkan suruhanjaya diraja untuk menyiasat klip video Lingam. Dalam ceramahnya mengenai 'Badan Kehakiman Malaysia Hari Ini", beliau berkata, isu-isu yang ditimbulkan dalam klip video tersebut akan "kelip-kelip mata, hilang begitu saja". Memetik tulisan dalam blog Raduan Md Taib, Syed Ahmad Idid berkata, sewaktu kempen pilihanraya, isu-isu kehakiman tidak menarik minat pengundi luar bandar, yang merupakan penyokong terbesar Umno, dan akan terus memberi sokongan kepada pemerintah. Oleh itu, katanya, kerajaan tidak merasakan pentingnya untuk menangani segera isu tersebut. Beliau bagaimanapun berkata, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi nampak serius walaupun berdiam diri mengenai perkara tersebut. Klip video selama lapan minit itu menunjukkan peguam kanan Datuk VK Lingam (foto) berbual melalui telefon, didakwa dengan seorang hakim kanan, mengenai pelantikan hakim-hakim yang 'sehaluan'. “Marilah kita berharap dan berdoa agar akan wujud titik perubahan," kata Syed Ahmad Idid kepada para hadirin di Wisma Wisma Bernama di Kuala Lumpur malam tadi. Ceramah tersebut adalah sebahagian daripada siri ‘Straight Talk’ anjuran Persatuan Konsultan Perhubungan Awam Malaysia. Walaupun ditanya berkali-kali, Syed Ahmad Idid bagaimanapun enggan memberi komen secara mendalam mengenai suruhanjaya diraja tersebut yang bidangkuasanya belum lagi diumumkan. Beliau hanya berkata, semua orang harus menunggu pengumuman mengenainya. Kabinet telah menyerahkan kepada perdana menteri untuk mengumumkan butir-butir lanjut, tetapi pihak pembangkang dan pertubuhan sivil telahpun membuat syor-syor mengenai siapa yang harus dilantik dan tidak harus dilantik menganggotai suruhanjaya tersebut. Dalam hubungan itu, Syed Ahmad Idid merujuk kepada senarai yang disediakan oleh Persatuan Kebangsaan Hak Asasi Manusia (Hakam) mengenai individu yang menurutnya tidak sesuai seperti pesuruhjaya, dan bertanya "siapa lagi yang tinggal?". Senarai tersebut mengandungi: Ketua Hakim Negara, dahulu dan sekarang. Hakim bersara yang berkhidmat di bawah ketua hakim tertentu. Hakim yang sedang berkhidmat. Mereka yang rapat dengan perdana menteri sekarang dan sebelumnya. Mereka yang dianggap ada masalah dengan kerajaan dan/atau pentadbiran kehakiman sejak tahun 1988. Anggota tribunal tahun 1988 yang memecat Ketua Hakim ketika itu, Tun Salleh Abas Ditanya sewaktu sesi soal-jawab sekiranya beliau berminat untuk menganggotai suruhanjaya diraja itu, Syed Ahmad Idid menolaknya dengan alasan "saya perlu mengisytiharkan bahawa saya ada kepentingan tertentu... itu agak tidak adil". Syed Ahmad Idid, 69, juga enggan memberi komen tentang perhimpunan Bersih dan Hindraf baru-baru ini, dan "Perarakan untuk Keadilan" oleh Majlis Peguam September lalu, kerana menyifatkan dirinya tidak ada kuasa untuk berbuat demikian. Integriti kehakiman Beliau bagaimanapun menggesa para peguam, hakim dan rakyat untuk tampil menangani isu mengenai etika dan integriti kehakiman. Menurutnya, 'kereputan' dalam badan kehakiman boleh dibersihkan jika para hakim dilatih untuk membuat keputusan dan sekiranya separuh daripada hakim-hakim itu dipilih dari kalangan anggota Majlis Peguam. Syed Ahmad Idid juga menegaskan bahawa para hakim harus menulis penghakiman mereka. Menurutnya, tidak perlu menulis penghakiman sehingga 200 muka surat yang mengolak semula bukti-bukti yang dikemukakan - tetapi para hakim perlu berfikir dan membuat keputusan. Para hakim, tambahnya, bertanggungjawab untuk mempertahankan dan memelihara nama baik badan kehakiman dan negara, dan mesti mempunyai ciri-ciri dan kualiti yang tidak ramai boleh mendakwa memilikinya. Syed Ahmad Idid juga menasihatkan Peguam Negara supaya tidak bimbang sekiranya pihak pendakwa kalah, tetapi sebalik belajar daripada kesilapan. Jika keputusan kehakiman diterima, katanya, maka para hakim akan merasa lebih selesa untuk membuat penghakiman yang independen. Mengenai krisis kehakiman pada tahun 1988 dan perletakan jawatannya lapan tahun kemudiannya, Syed Ahmad Idid menyebut tentang kesukaran untuk melapor dan menyiasat skandal-skandal rasuah. “Kesukaran untuk mendapatkan bukti dan kebenaran...siapa yang berani atau mahu mengaku?". Pada tahun 1996, Syed Ahmad Idid menulis laporan setebal 33 muka surat termasuk dakwaan terhadap 12 hakim membabitkan 39 kes rasuah, 21 kes salahguna kuasa, 52 kes salahlaku, tidak bermoral dan perkara yang tidak betul. Selepas siasatan yang dijalankan oleh Peguam Negara ketika itu, Tan Sri Mohtar Abdullah - laporan tersebut dianggap sebagai 'surat layang' yang tidak mempunyai asas untuk dijalankan pendakwaan. Akibatnya, Syed Ahmad Idid telah dinasihatkan meletakkan jawatan, tetapi beliau tidak menyesal dengan tindakannya itu. Beliau turut mengulas laporan media arus perdana berhubung perletakan jawatannya itu. "Kira-kira sebulan sebelum saya meninggalkan Mahkamah Tinggi, media di Malaysia yang mendakwa bebas, telah menyiarkan pembohongan dan maklumat yang salah. "Sehinggakan sebuah akhbar harian melaporkan bahawa saya telah melarikan diri ke London sedangkan pada pagi itu saya sedang makan 'nasi lemak' di Paramount Gardens (di Petaling Jaya)," katanya. Berita asal

DAULAT TUANKU DAULAT TUANKU DAULAT TUANKU

Al Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah
Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong ke-XIII
Pemerintahan	13 Disember 2006 –
Pertabalan	26 April 2007
Negeri	Terengganu
Diputerakan	22 Januari 1962
	Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
Pendahulu	Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Pengganti
Raja Permaisuri Agong	Tuanku Nur Zahirah

TAG 2378:
20 Tahun Terkejut Beruk
(20 years of shellshock)
Oleh Raja Petra Kamarudin - Laman M@RHAEN

Saya ada satu cadangan kepada Menteri Pelajaran. Kalau anda mampu melakukannya saya akan lupakan kisah anda menggoyang-goyang keris, ataupun mengucupnya. (Saya fikir orang China tidak akan maafkan anda – dan ini adalah satu kisah lain pula). Cadangan saya ini ialah agar Kementerian Pelajaran menjadikan satu kemestian agar semua pelajar hafal keseluruhan Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia. Ini bererti bahawasanya Perlembagaan Malaysia seharusnya menjadi satu perkara wajib, dan sesiapa yang gagal ujian Perlembagaan harus gagal keseluruhan peperiksaannya.

Saya terkejut melihatkan setiap peguam yang berada di mahkamah untuk berhujah kes melibatkan Perlembagaan negara seolah-olah tidak memahami Perlembagaan negara kita. Ada ketikanya saya terpaksa mengingatkan mereka tentang artikel tertentu dalam Perlembagaan itu dan tolong menterjemahkan intipatinya. Saya bukanlah seorang peguam dan tidak akan berlagak seperti demikian - walaupun demikian saya lebih percaya diri sendiri berbanding ramai peguam lain ketika saya berhujah membincangkan kes saya dalam beberapa soal jawab dengan polis mengikut Seksyen 112 ketika saya dikenakan dahulu.

Untuk melencung sedikit, para editor akhbar perdana (bererti akhbar yang dimiliki oleh parti pemerintah) harus juga dimestikan mengambil satu kursus ringkas tentang Perlembagaan. Walaupun Artikel 32(2) menyebut: Isteri Yang DiPertuan Agong harus diberikan gelaran Raja Permaisuri Agong dan Baginda seharusnya diberi keutamaan selepas Yang DiPertuan Agong dan Baginda seharusnya diberi keutamaan selepas Yang DiPertuan Agong berbanding orang lain di Persekutuan, pihak akhbar masih lagi bertegas memberikan gelaran ‘wanita pertama’ kepada isteri Perdana Menteri.

Dengan demikian, Raja Permaisuri Agong sesungguhnya adalah “Wanita Pertama” Itulah yang disebut oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia dan eloklah kita akur dengan Perlembagaan Malaysia dan bukan dengan Perlembagaan Amerika Syarikat. Kita bukannya negara ke-52 dalam Persekutuan Amerika Syarikat, walaupun kita benarkan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi terus menjadi Perdana Menteri dan perkara ini terus berlaku dahulu (itupun kalau kita tidak menjadi Wilayah Singapura, terlebih dahulu,.)

Ia harus menjadi satu kemestian kepada SEMUA rakyat Malaysia untuk membaca, menghafal dan memahami Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia. Dengan hanya membaca komen di Malaysia Today memberikan kita bahan bukti yang memadai untuk membuktikan bahawa secara umumnya rakyat Malaysia memang tidak begitu arif tentang Perlembagaan negara sendiri. Mereka membuat banyak komentar yang mendedahkan kedunguan itu. Cuba lihat satu ‘kenyataan rasmi’ yang dibuat oleh seorang yang kononnya ‘jurucakap rasmi’ Istana Negara. “Kenapakah Agong tidak memecat beliau?” . “Kenapakah Agong tidak membuat pengumuman rasmi menyangkal kenyataan beliau?” “Kenapakah Agong tidak menerima secara peribadi Memorandum Rakyat pada 10 November 2007?” dan banyak lagi, adalah beberapa contoh betapa dungunya rakyat Malaysia terhadap protokol yang sempurna dan bagaimana Agong seharusnya menjalankan peranan mengikut Perlembagaan negara.

Rakyat Malaysia juga semacam tidak arif mengenai sistem Westminster diamalkan dalam Parlimen Malaysia. Sepatutnya Malaysia mempunyai empat cabang kerajaan. Kita memiliki cabang Eksekutif, Badan Kehakiman, Perundangan dan Majlis Raja-raja dan setiap cabang itu seharusnya berfungsi secara bersendirian tetapi selari antara satu sama lain. Walaupun cabang perundangan mempunyai peranan melaksanakan setiap undang-undang yang diluluskan oleh Parlimen, ia juga memainkan peranan menguatkuasakan undang-undang itu bukan semata-mata melaksanakan apa yang termaktub dalamnya.

Cabang Kehakiman mengatur hukum undang-undang, Parlimen menterjemahkan undang-undang, Eksekutif melaksanakan undang-undang dan Majlis Raja-Raja adalah pelindung dan memegang amanah Perlembagaan Malaysia dan menentukan bahawasanya undang-undang itu diluluskan tanpa mencabul Keluhuran Perlembagaan. Ia boleh membuat ketentuan berlawan dengan yang tersirat dalam undang-undang seandainya kesan undang-undang itu mengatasi apa yang tersurat dalamnya.

Mari kita lihat satu contoh, Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) yang telah dibentangkan dalam Parlimen oleh Tun Razak pada 1960. Ia menjadi undang-undang kerajaan secara khususnya ia adalah bertujuan melawan Keganasan Komunis. Sejak zaman Komunis (Darurat) ditamatkan secara rasminya dengan berlakunya satu Perjanjian Damai antara Parti Komunis Malaya (CPM) dan kerajaan Malaysia di Haatyai, Thailand, Akta itu (ISA) sepatutnya sudah dianggap tidak berguna lagi.

Kini, ada segelintir hakim sudahpun membuat ketentuan bahawa menahan terroris bukan–Komunis (CTs) mengikut ISA adalah tidak menepati hukum undang-undang dan mereka sudahpun membuat pengadilan bahawasanya penahanan itu haram malahan mengikut pengadilan mereka ada hakim yang mencadangkan agar ISA dikaji semula ataupun dimansuhkan. Hakim-hakim ini telah membuat pengadilan mereka bukan berasaskan apa yang tersurat dalam undang-undang tetapi apa yang tersirat di dalamnya. Akhirnya semua hakim ini telah diketepikan dan ‘disejuk-beku’ sedangkan setakat ini ada di kalangan mereka sebenarnya layak menjadi Ketua Hakim Negara disebabkan pengalaman dan kekananan (seniority) jawatan mereka.

Apakah yang kita pelajari daripada sini? Pertama, para hakim yang membuat ketentuan dengan hati nurani dan mengikut tafsiran sebenar undang-undang dan mematuhi Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah pun dikenakan hukuman – kerana itu tidak ramai hakim yang berani mengambil pendirian yang bebas. Kedua, badan kehakiman (judiciary) tidak lagi menjadi cabang bebas kerajaan tetapi merupakan satu lagi sayap kerajaan yang memerintah. Dengan itu, cabang kehakiman yang sepatutnya menjadi salah satu daripada empat cabang kerajaan, sudah menjadi lumpuh (ataupun mati pucuk). Kesannya, Eksekutif merupakan yang paling berkuasa dan cabang kehakiman hanya menjadi hamba sahayanya.

Begitu juga dengan cabang Perundangan. Anggota Parlimen tidak dibenarkan mewakili para pengundi yang meletakkan mereka di jawatan itu. Kalau ada Anggota Parlimen yang membuang undi kerana desakan hati nuraninya dan ternyata menyebelahi pihak pembangkang, tindakan disiplin diambil ke atasnya Masih ingatkah anda dengan kes S. Sothinathan? Bagaimana pula dengan episod Undang-undang Keluarga Islam yang penuh kontroversi tahun lalu di mana Nazri Aziz memberi ingatan kepada Anggota Parlimen daripada parti pemerintah dan Senator lantikan kerajaan bahawa adalah menjadi tanggungjawab mereka mengundi mengikut kehendak parti pemerintah? Dalam istilah Bahasa Melayu perkataan ‘Members of Parliament’ dan ‘State Assemblymen’ ialah Wakil Rakyat. Sesungguhnya mereka hanya merupakan Wakil Parti, bukannya Wakil Rakyat, sedangkan ada segelintir seperti Anggota Kabinet, khususnya Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, adalah Wakil Pos kerana mereka menang pilihan raya disebabkan undi pos.

Jelas sudah, betapa badan Kehakiman dan Perundangan tidak lagi merupakan cabang kerajaan yang sah. Cabang Eksekutif membuat keputusan atas segala-galanya. Ini bererti bahawa Eksekutif, Kehakiman dan Perundangan telah dicantum menjadi satu. Hanya tinggal majlis Raja-Raja. Seandainya kuasa Majlis Raja-Raja turut jatuh ke tangan cabang Eksekutif, bererti Malaysia akan mengecut kepada satu cabang kerajaan sahaja.

Itu sebabnya adalah penting agar rakyat Malaysia memahami peranan Raja-Raja. Kalau cabang kehakiman dan Perundangan sudahpun kehilangan kebebasannya, Kedaulatan Raja-raja masih memiliki kuasa tertentu seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Sebagai contoh, wujudnya kepercayaan bahawa Pengerusi ataupun Presiden parti politik yang menang paling banyak kerusi Parlimen, secara automatik menerima tawaran menjadi Perdana Menteri. Ini tidak benar. Agong yang menentukan siapa sepatutnya menjadi Perdana Menteri.

Kepercayaan kebiasaan yang kedua ialah bahawasanya Agong hanya boleh bertindak mengikut nasihat Perdana Menteri. Ini sememangnya tidak benar. Dan adalah tidak benar sama sekali apabila Perdana Menteri pergi menghadap Agong meminta Parlimen dibubarkan untuk diadakan pilihan raya umum yang baru, Agong mesti bersetuju. Agong boleh menolak permintaan Parlimen dibubarkan seandainya Baginda mempunyai sebab berbuat demikian. Sebagai contoh, seandainya Baginda merasakan pilihan raya itu nanti akan berbaur penipuan. Malahan Agong boleh bertindak menubuhkan satu Suruhanjaya DiRaja (itu sebabnya ia disebut DIRAJA) untuk mengaudit keseluruhan sistem pilihan raya dan mencadangkan perubahan ataupun reformasi.

Sesungguhnya Malaysia tidak mempunyai empat cabang dalam kerajaannya. Memanglah, Kehakiman dan Perundangan sudah pun dikecutkan menjadi tukang cop ataupun Pak Angguk sahaja. Akan tetapi institusi DiRaja bukanlah Tukang Angguk walaupun ia kelihatan seolah-olah tempat meletakkan cop-getah (rubber stamp).

Harus difahami, Institusi DiRaja kelihatan semacam tukang angguk kerana Krisis Perlembagaan 20 tahun dahulu di mana Raja-Raja telah diberitahu dengan tegasnya bahawa rakyat Malaysia secara umumnya mahu sistem DiRaja itu dimansuhkan dan Malaysia ditukar menjadi sebuah Republik. Hanya UMNO yang mempertahankan sistem DiRaja itu, demikian yang dikelentung oleh UMNO kepada Raja-Raja. Kononnya, tanpa UMNO institusi DiRaja di Malaysia sudah masuk dalam lipatan sejarah seperti yang terjadi di India dan Indonesia. Dengan itu, seandainya institusi DiRaja menentang UMNO, bererti raja-raja akan disingkirkan dan Perdana Menteri akan bertindak menjadi Presiden Republik Malaysia.

Inilah yang mengejutkan Raja-Raja. Walaupun 20 tahun sudahpun berlalu, Raja-Raja masih terkejut beruk. Inilah sebabnya kita lihat wujudnya keengganan di pihak Raja-Raja untuk ‘campurtangan’ dalam pentadbiran negara ini, seperti yang kerap dilalakkan oleh UMNO secara berulang-ulang dalam usaha mengkerdilkan Raja-Raja.

Akan tetapi, sebenarnya tidak timbul kisah campurtangan. Raja-Raja bukannya campurtangan. Rakyat Malaysia bukannya mahukan raja-raja campurtangan. Institusi raja-raja adalah merupakan salah satu daripada empat cabang kerajaan yang sah dan bebas. Dua cabang lagi, Kehakiman dan Perundangan sudah pun dimandulkan dan tidak berguna lagi. Jadi kita cuma mempunyai satu cabang sahaja lagi yang tinggal yakni institusi raja-raja yang boleh memainkan peranan imbang dan periksa terhadap cabang eksekutif.

Kita bukannya meminta raja-raja bertindak lebih daripada apa yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Kita hanya meminta raja-raja lakukan apa yang dibenarkan oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Kita hanya minta raja-raja lakukan apa yang sememangnya sah untuk mereka lakukan.

Saya telah diberitahu bahawa institusi raja-raja di negara ini memerlukan belanja sekitar sebanyak RM40 juta setahun. Jika benarlah perkara ini saya fikir itu bukannya satu masalah, seandainya raja-raja melakukan tugas setimpal dengan apa yang dibayar kepada mereka. Kita mempunyai kira-kira 1,000 wakil rakyat (Ahli Parlimen, Senator dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri) yang menyebabkan negara berbelanja lebih RM40 juta. Ini tidak termasuk bayaran ‘bawah meja’ (wang sogok) yang menyebabkan negara kerugian berbilion ringgit. Jadi, RM40 juta adalah dalam kemampuan kita kalau raja-raja menjalankan tugas mereka. Kalaulah diperkenalkan perubahan, yang seterusnya akan mengurangkan salah guna kuasa dan korupsi, hanya satu kontrak kerajaan yang dilaksanakan dengan sempurna boleh menjimatkan RM40 juta – yang tentunya memadai untuk mengekalkan institusi raja-raja. Ini bererti institusi raja-raja boleh membantu menyediakan kos menyara kehidupannya dengan melakukan perubahan terhadap cara negara ini membelanjakan duitnya.

Sepuluh orang raja (sultan) telah mengangkat sumpah untuk bersemayam di takhta masing-masing. Mereka telah bersumpah dengan nama Allah agar melaksanakan tugas yang diamanahkan. Tugas mereka tentunya kepada Allah dan bukannya kepada UMNO Memanglah UMNO pernah mengugut mahu menghapuskan institusi raja-raja. UMNO telah beritahu raja-raja bahawa hanya UMNO yang mahu mengekalkan sistem beraja sedangkan rakyat yang bukan-UMNO mahu sistem DiRaja itu dimansuhkan dan Malaysia bertukar menjadi sebuah republik. Sebenarnya ini bukan boleh dilakukan. Perlembagaan Malaysia tidak memberi peruntukan untuk perkara itu dibenarkan. Malahan, cakap-cakap mahu menghapuskan sistem beraja di negara ini adalah satu jenayah yang masuk di bawah Akta Hasutan Malaysia. Anda boleh disumbat dalam penjara hanya dengan berkata-kata perkara itu. Kalau anda mencubanya anda boleh dikenakan tuduhan derhaka terhadap Raja dan boleh dijatuhkan hukum gantung sampai mati kalau didapati bersalah. Ingatkah anda apa yang terjadi kepada kumpulan Al-Maunah?

Barisan rakyat ‘Gelombang Kuning’ pada 10 November 2007 sesungguhnya adalah merupakan tindakan rakyat yang melampaui mahukan perubahan dalam sistem pilihan raya. Ia bertujuan menghantar satu mesej kepada Agong bahawasanya rakyat adalah di belakang Baginda. Rakyat Malaysia tidak mahu Malaysia bertukar menjadi satu Republik. Ini bererti empat cabang dalam kerajaan akan mengecut menjadi hanya tiga cabang sahaja. Setakat ini pun ketiga-tiga cabang itu sudahpun mengecut menjadi satu sahaja. Cabang Eksekutif membuat keputusan apa yang patut dilaksanakan oleh Kehakiman dan Perundangan. Kenapa pula kita mesti mahukan institusi DiRaja itu dihapuskan dan memberikan kuasa yang mutlak kepada Eksekutif?

Rakyat sudahpun bersuara pada 10 November 2007. Mesej yang disuarakan ialah rakyat mahukan Agong melaksanakan tugas Baginda mengikut gaji yang dibayar untuk melaksanakan tanggungjawab beliau dan tidak lebih daripada itu. Institusi raja-raja mesti tunjukkan kepada rakyat bahawasanya ialah cabang keempat dalam kerajaan. Institusi raja-raja mesti buktikan kepada rakyat bahawa ia masih relevan dan diperlukan. Memanglah, UMNO akan lontarkan ugutan bahawasanya rakyat mahukan institusi raja-raja dimansuhkan. Itu yang dibuat oleh UMNO 20 tahun dahulu dan institusi raja-raja masih terkejut beruk lagi. Akan tetapi itu kisah 20 tahun dahulu. Ketika itu rakyat beranggapan bahawa kerajaan sedang berfungsi. Sekarang ini kerajaan tidak berfungsi lagi. Empat cabang kerajaan sudah tidak wujud lagi. Hari ini, Malaysia sudah mengecut menjadi dua cabang sahaja, Eksekutif dan Institusi raja-raja.

Kita tidak ingin melihat Institusi raja-raja menjadi Eksekutif. Kita mahu kekalkan empat cabang dalam kerajaan. Kita hanya mahukan institusi raja-raja mengekalkan kembali empat cabang kerajaan seperti mana ia dilahirkan dahulu. Itulah peranan institusi raja-raja. Institusi raja-raja bukannya diminta mentadbir negara ini. Institusi raja-raya diminta mengembalikan apa yang merupakan satu sistem yang pincang.

Kita tentu akan merasa bangga mengekalkan institusi raja-raja itu walaupun kosnya mencecah RM50 juta. Wang sejumlah RM50 juta bolehlah dikatakan amat murah kalau dibandingkan dengan berbilion ringgit yang kita rugi kerana sistem kerajaan yang pincang. Memanglah kerja-kerja mengaudit itu memerlukan wang. Setiap pengarah syarikat akan memberitahu anda perkara ini. Tetapi, ‘juruaudit’ merupakan belanja yang penting untuk menjaga kekayaan negara ini.

Itulah peranan institusi raja-raja di negara ini yang merupakan cabang keempat dalam kerajaan kita.

- Raja Petra Kamarudin

UBAH SEBELUM PARAH
UBAH DEMI MARUAH

28.11.2007 - Terjemahan marhaintua (MT-SPAR)
(suntingan M@RHAEN - Emel: marhaen@gmail.com/ reformasi@gmail.com)

Petikan daripada TranungKite Online
Pendedahan dari salah seorang Pegawai Bahagian Kewangan
Oleh: Wartawan TKO - Laman M@RHAEN

Pihak kami telah menerima satu e-mel yang mendedahkan maklumat bagaimana banyaknya wang rakyat dibelanjakan oleh Menteri-menteri di Malaysia. Walau begitu banyak wang gaji mereka, mereka ini masih rakus dengan mengaut pelbagai projek.

Rakyat yang miskin, makin miskin dan ditindas dengan pelbagai kenaikan harga barang. Para menteri tidak menghiraukan nasib rakyat, mereka sekadar berlakon menunjukkan simpati tetapi mereka sebenarnya dalang kenaikan barang di Malaysia

asalamualaikum dan Salam Sejahtera,
tuan dan puan,

Untuk makluman semua ini adalah pendedahan dari salah seorang Pegawai Bahagian Kewangan, Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Pendedahan ini mengenai Slip Pendapatan Bulanan Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri di Malaysia. Hanya pegawai-pegawai tertentu sahaja dibenarkan menguruskan maklumat ini, walaupun mereka itu adalah PA kepada Menteri.

Kakitangan perkeranian tidak mengetahui, sebab slip pendapatan bulan masing-masing diberi dengan sampul surat tertutup.Maklumat ini adalah dari kawan-kawan di Jabatan Audit Negara,Perbendaharaan Malaysia, Bahagian Kabinet Jabatan Perdana Menteriserta serta Bahagian Pentadbiran Kewangan Parlimen Malaysia.

Slip Pendapatan Bulanan bagi Menteri Penuh Malaysia termasuk Ketua-Ketua Menteri

1. Gaji Pokok RM18,000 - sulit untuk public, tidak boleh didedah kpd orang awam (OSA) akhbar ditegah mendedahkannya.Terikat dgn akta Parliment

2. Elaun Keraian RM10,500.00 - tidak sulit, pendedahan harus berhati-hati

3. Elaun Perumahan RM10,800.00 - tidak sulit - pendedahan harus berhati-hati Kebanyakn menteri ada rumah sendiri, jadi tuntutan ini masuk poket mereka sajalah

4. Elaun Wakil Rakyat RM10,650.00 - tidak sulit tapi tidak orang semua tahu.

5. Elaun parking RM 5,700.00

Jumlah pendapatan bulanan RM55,650.00 yg wajib terima samada sakit atau tidak kerja

Lain-lain kemudahan

1. Bercuti keluar negara sekali setahun terutama selepas persidangan Dewan Negara- semua perbelanjaan ditanggung oleh kerajaan termasuk tiket penerbangan,hotel, duit poket sebanyak RM50,000.00. Kalau tidak bercuti keluar negara seorang menteri boleh menuntut sebanyak RM50,000.00 tanpa resit.

2. Bil letrik percuma ditanggung oleh kerajaan Malaysia

3. Bil Air percuma ditanggung oleh kerajaan Malaysia

4. Bil telefon percuma ditanggung oleh kerajaan Malaysia

5. Peruntukan perkakasan dapor/perhiasan rumah dll boleh dituntut setahun sekali sebanyak RM40,000.00

6. Sebuah kereta Mercedes S320, di lengkapi dgn talipon bimbit,satu driver,minyak percuma.Kalau pakai pemandu kementerian,dapatlah duit percuma.

7. Semua pemberian derma spt kpd perkahwinan, kematian,atau pemberian kpd badan kebajikan kebajikan boleh dituntut.

8. Boleh mengadakan rumah terbuka setiap hari raya, segala perbelanjaan ditanggung oleh kerajaan. Kebiasaan Menteri menuntut sebanyak RM400,000.00

9. Setiap menteri biasanya tuntutan mereka sebanyak RM45,000.00 semua elaun perbelanjaan tidak termasuk elaun-elaun dalam slip pendapatan bulanan.

Slip Pendapatan Bulanan Bagi Timbalan Menteri

1. Gaji Pokok RM15,000 - sulit untuk public,tidak boleh didedah kpd orang awam (OSA) akhbar ditegah mendedahkannya.Terikat dgn akta Parliment

2. Elaun Keraian RM9,500.00 - tidak sulit, pendedahan harus berhati-hati

3. Elaun Perumahan RM9,800.00 - tidak sulit- pendedahan harus berhati-hati Kebanyakn menteri ada rumah sendiri, jadi tuntutan ini masuk poket saja lah poket sendiri

4. Elaun Wakil Rakyat RM10,650.00 - tidak sulit

5. Elaun parking RM 5,700.00

Jumlah pendapatan bulanan RM50,650.00 yg wajib terima samada sakit atau tidak hadir bertugas.

Lain-lain hal

Maklumat diatas adalah berdasarkan tangga gaji seorang menteri pada tahun 1999. Saya rasa terdapat sedikit sebanyak perubahan sehingga sekarang. Pendapatan diatas tidak termasuk dari lain-lain sumber seperti berikut:

1. Pengerusi syarikat/lembaga jabatan kerajaan

2. Pengerusi syarikat swasta yg dilantik

3. Pedapatan dari syarikat persendirian spt kontrak dll

4. Pendapatan dari kroni-kroni peribadi

5. Saham yang diberi khas oleh kerajaan sebanyak 300,000 unit setiap masa.

6. Tidak termasuk dari pendapatan luar negara

7. Lain-lain sumber

Oleh yang demikian saya merayu dan menyeru kepada tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sahabat saya yang sedang berkhidmat di Bahagian Kewangan di seluruh Kementerian di Malaysia agar membuat pendedahan masing-masing tentang perkara ini agar seluruh rakyat Malaysia mengetahuai dan dapat menjadi pengajaran kepada mereka semua. Semoga pendedahan ini dapat menyedarkan semua rakyat dan ahli UMNO diseluruh Malaysia terutama sekali yang terperangkap dengan sekilo gula dan sehelai batik. Siapa tahu Slip Gaji Bulanan Perdana Menteri Malaysia !

Saya akan mendedahkannya sedikit masa lagi!!!

OFFICER IN-CHARGE
Bahagian Kewangan
Jabatan Perdana Menteri
Putera Jaya
Wilayah Persekutuan

http://www.tranungkite.net/v7/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4755&mode=&order=0&thold=0

Fuel price hike will up inflation: think tank

Malaysian fuel prices could rise by more than 20 percent early next year, in a "painful" move that would push inflation up to 3.2 percent in 2008, an independent think tank said today. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said early this month that energy subsidies would have to be reduced, signalling further fuel price hikes even as the nation heads for elections tipped for next year. The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) said it expects pump prices to be increased by 30 to 40 sen from current levels of RM1.92 per litre. Highway tolls are also expected to rise in January, a year after hikes of up to 60 percent were imposed, in a double burden for motorists. "I think it will be done soon ... probably after elections along with the toll hike. These are painful changes," said MIER chief Mohamed Ariff Abdul Kareem. The twin increases "will raise the cost of doing business and inflation could hit 3.2 percent next year," he told reporters. Bank Negara's forecast Malaysia's central bank has forecast inflation to fall between 2.0 to 2.5 percent in 2007, but has not made any prediction for 2008. The government imposed its highest-ever fuel price rises in February 2006, citing the spiralling cost of crude oil, and pledged to use the cost savings to boost the country's substandard transport system. Political and civil society groups organised rare demonstrations in the streets of the capital Kuala Lumpur to condemn the decision, arguing it was unnecessary as Malaysia is a net exporter of oil. The MIER reiterated that it expects economic growth to slow to 5.4 percent in 2008, against an official forecast of up to 6.5 percent, due to weakness in the United States and the global economy. The MIER is tipping 5.7 percent expansion for 2007, lower than the government's forecast of 6.0 percent.

Lingam saga: Brother vs Brother

exclusive Embattled lawyer VK Lingam knew two years beforehand of impending Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations against him, claimed his brother V Thirunama Karasu. In a two-hour interview last week, to which he had agreed in order to refute Lingam’s allegation that he is delusional, Thirunama also responded in detail to issues that have placed both brothers in the media spotlight. Lingam is alleged to be the person in video footage, apparently recorded in 2002, which reveals a telephone conversation purportedly ‘fixing’ judicial appointments. He has withheld comment on this pending an investigation by a royal commission of inquiry. Thirunama, 50, was drawn into the controversy after lawyer and politician Wee Choo Keong revealed a police report lodged in March which alleged other acts of judicial corruption by Lingam in 1988. When Thirunama, who had lodged the report, was summoned by the ACA for questioning, Lingam responded with a statement claiming that his brother had previously sought psychiatric treatment and furnished copies of medical records to prove this. During the interview, Thirunama claimed that family members had compelled him to “put up an act” in front psychiatric doctors to nullify his statements to the ACA. He also revealed that he had once worked for Lingam and that he had been privy to several actions, including the transfer of large sums of money in anticipation of an ACA probe. “I don’t know how he was tipped off that the ACA was coming,” he said. The first of a three-part report on the interview follows - his manner of speaking has been maintained in the interests of authenticity. Lingam claimed that you attempted suicide in 1981. Is that true? There is no such thing. There are no medical records. Ask him to prove it. In your police report, you said that, in 1996, your uncle rushed into an office and said that the ACA was coming. Tell us more about it. In May 1996, my uncle - Perincuramasamy - came rushing in. At that time I was at my brother’s office. Dato VK (Lingam) was there. My sister, Chinmayadevi, was there. (Perincuramasamy) said that the ACA was coming. (Lingam) panicked. He instructed me and my sister Devi and another person Francis Kok Chee Khoon to go to Oriental Bank in Jalan Sultan Ismail to withdraw a large sum of money from (his) account. I took RM275,000 and banked it into my Public Bank account. I have documents to prove I made that particular transaction. What happened after that? After that he asked us to make five bank drafts of 60,000 pound sterling each - also from his bank account - which he banked into the accounts of five persons. This is in my police report. Including myself, four people followed him to London (to bank in the money). That would roughly be around RM1.5 million. That’s a large sum of money. Francis Kok Chee Khoon also withdrew a large sum of money (from Lingam’s account). So you are saying that even more money was withdrawn apart from what you witnessed. Yes. Lingam was really panicky because of the ACA investigations into (national steelmaker) Perwaja Steel. So (Lingam’s) account in Oriental Bank was emptied? I don’t know. I can’t say if the account was emptied. I don’t know the balance. What happened to the money that was in your Public Bank account and the account in London? In London, the 60,000 pound was taken out by my brother in 1996. (There was forgery involved). I didn’t know about (the withdrawal). How did you know about it then? I went to London to withdraw the money. They (the bank) said that it had been transferred into my brother’s (Lingam’s) account. When did you go to London? Probably in 1997. The money in your Public Bank account? I withdrew the money and gave it to (Lingam). He said it belonged to someone. He put pressure on me and mentioned a prominent figure’s name and said that it was his money and that he would come after me (if I don’t give back the money). When was it withdrawn? It was withdrawn in July (1996). The main thing that I want to tell the public is that I don’t have a psychiatric problem because I was told to put up an act in 1998. I want you to know that’s my main reason to be here. What happened in 1998? In the first week of March 1998, my brother came to my house and told me to follow him. I followed him in his car and he asked whether I had given the photographs to a lawyer - to ‘Dato Shafie’. What photos? The photographs showing Lingam with the former chief judge, Tun Eusoff Chin. I said I didn’t. Then he shouted at me and said I was the one who did it because I showed the travel manifest to that lawyer and that’s why (Dato Shafie) knew about the New Zealand trip. He said that he (Lingam) showed me three photo albums of the New Zealand trip and that I was the only one who knew about this. So he told me to follow him to a restaurant in Sea Park (Petaling Jaya). In the restaurant, my elder sister (Letchmi) was also there. In the restaurant, Lingam said that ‘everyone knows about the photographs’ and ACA knows about the New Zealand trip. He said ACA is going to come to my house and take me and family members for questioning. He said I must not tell the ACA about his dealings with the judges, former IGP, Court of Appeal judge and all those mentioned in my police report. He threatened me that something would happen to me. He mentioned a prominent figure would come after me and that my children would be kidnapped and that I would be arrested for mentioning the former IGP’s name. He told me to go and hide in India. He said the ACA would definitely take me for questioning and force me to tell the truth and what I told the other lawyer (Shafie). So, I don’t know how he was tipped off that the ACA was coming. That put more fear into me. He told me not to tell the ACA anything. I told him that I can’t, because I’ve given a detailed statement to the lawyer (Dato Shafie). I can’t do that (lie to ACA). He said I better follow his instructions. That put fear into me. He was interfering with ACA investigations. The whole conversation took place in the restaurant? Yes. Then what happened? Then I went back home. It was a Sunday (March 8, 1998). The ACA officers came to my house. They were calling me from the gate. This would be the first time the ACA talked to me. I didn’t open the door at first. Then they came to the back of my house and knocked very loudly. I told my wife that the ACA is here. I was sure because my brother had warned me beforehand. I opened the door. They identified themselves. There were three of them. They said that I have given a statement to a lawyer. They said I have seen other prominent people (before) and told of my brother’s corruption with the judges and the former IGP. They said they are going to investigate on that. They asked me to go with them. So I followed them to the ACA headquarters in Jalan Duta [...] and they introduced me to the officer there. They asked me to repeat what I told to the lawyers and (about) other matters in 1997. At first I was threatened (by the ACA), then I cooperated. They took my wallet. They took my keys. Everything. They took a sheet of paper from my pocket - it was notes for my statutory declaration which I was preparing. It was meant to cancel my earlier statutory declaration which my brother made me sign in December 1997 at the Value Inn Hotel in Klang. The ACA officers asked me about the paper and I explained. I told them I was about to go see a lawyer and ask for his opinion on how to go about nullifying my previous statutory declaration. What did you tell ACA officers? During the questioning, the ACA officers wanted to know what I told Dato Shafie and others. I told the ACA officers about all the corruption that my brother was doing between 1995 and 1996. I knew this as I was doing errands for him (Lingam). It was my first statement to them. The statement was recorded by a senior ACA officer. Is the gist of what you told the ACA the same as what you wrote in your police report earlier this year? Yes. What happened after that? The session lasted a few hours and I was released the same day by the ACA. I said that I didn’t want to go back because I was frightened and that my brother hand threatened me. One officer, by the name of Razak, said that I could spend a night at the ACA and that his officers would send me back the next day. The next day (March 9, 1998) I headed home, accompanied by two ACA officers. On the way home, they accompanied me to my bank where I have a safe-deposit box. I gave them some documents to show that there is connection to the judges (and Lingam). After that I went back home. When did your brother find out (about your visit to the ACA)? The same day. I told my sister who was in my house that I had given a statement to the ACA. My sister shouted at me, (saying) ‘Oh my god. Why did you do it? We already told you not to give any statement’. I said that I can’t do anything because I can’t hide the truth. She rang up my brother and she told him what I did. On (Lingam’s) instructions, my sister told me to go see a psychiatric doctor and put up an act. She said we’re all in trouble now because the ACA is coming after us. She said (Lingam) was emotional and that his wife was crying (because of me). She said my children are in danger because I have mentioned all the prominent figures. She called my brother again. She told me go to my wife’s panel doctor. She told me to put up an act and the doctor would refer me to a psychiatric doctor. How did you put on an act? I acted like I was suicidal. I was crying and all that. That was what they told you to do? Yes. They told me to. You must be pretty good in putting up an act... They have threatened me too many times. They said my children would be kidnapped. They said the police were going to arrest me. So you were very scared at the time? Yes. And after that? I went to a clinic in Petaling Jaya and I put up an act. I was acting like I was very depressed and emotional. I went there on my motorbike. They gave me a referral letter to see Dr Deva Dass. (A letter by Dr Deva Dass alleging Thirunama’s psychiatric problems was distributed to the press last week by Lingam). I explained to Dass that I had some family problems and that I’m very depressed. I became emotional. He was taking down notes. He gave me a prescription. I did not tell that I was under ACA investigations because my sister told me not to. She told me to just say that it was a family problem. How long did you spend with Dr Dass? Half an hour. What happened after that? He told me to take some medication. Did you ever see Dass again? My first visit was on March 10 (1998, and again the next day). What kind of medication did he give you? I didn’t take any of the medicine, because I know I was not sick. In total, during the two days I visited him, he gave me about 15-20 tablets. What happened next? On March 12, the ACA came to my house again for questioning. They said they had left out some things (in the earlier interrogation). When I went to ACA, I was reluctant to proceed further with the first statement. I told them that I wanted to make a second statement. Before that, my sister (had) told me to say that the ACA officer threatened and assaulted me to get my first statement. So I told one officer that one of the officers had assaulted me (to obtain the first statement). They then called the officer (who recorded the first statement to ask) whether I was beaten up. The officer replied 'No'. I (had) lied (about this). A senior officer (then) asked if I was threatened by anyone. I didn’t tell them (about threats from family members). I was frightened to tell them. What else did you say? They asked me if I had been threatened and why I was making a second statement. I told them that my first statement was not true. But I did not tell that I visited a psychiatric doctor. A lot of officers came and see me. They told me not to do this. They said I was helping the Malaysian government to clean up the system. They said ‘Why are you doing this?’. I didn’t answer them of course. There is fear because my brother had threatened me. The fear is fresh in my mind. I had no choice. Did you tell them that your brother threatened you? No. I didn’t tell them. How long were you there? Do you remember? The second one was very short. When I was telling a lie, it looked very stupid. I told them that I don’t know where the former chief judge’s (former Chief Justice Eusoff Chin) house is. So I followed (Eusoff) from the court to his house. The second statement I made was very ridiculous. They wrote it. After taking down my (second) statement, an ACA officer said I was contradicting my first statement. Under the ACA Act, he said he would remand me for eight days to investigate me. They handcuffed me and took me somewhere to see a magistrate. I told the magistrate that I had a family to care for and he reduced the remand to six days. I was taken to Taman Tun (Dr) Ismail police lock-up and kept there. Did the ACA interrogate you during those six days? They used to come and take me to show (them) where all the judges’ houses are (located). I showed them all the judges’ houses... all the houses mentioned in my police report. They wanted to know whether what I was saying (to the ACA in my first statement) was true. How could I known all these houses if I had never been there before? During these six days, were you telling the truth? Yes. They questioned me further about the things that I delivered to the judges. Did they ask you about your second statement? I told them I was frightened because all these people are implicated and I had been threatened. You used to drive your brother for meetings at these houses? Usually at night. When I drive him there, he would carry a big bundle of files. When I go back to pick him up he would only have one small files. I used to do that in different cars. Why different cars? He doesn’t want people to see the same car going there every time. How long are these meetings? Two, sometimes three hours. You waited? He would ask me to go back home. He would call me (when he needed to be picked up). How often did these meetings with Eusoff Chin take place? It could be (between) six to eight times (that I know of). This was from 1995 until 1996. You are not the only person to drive him. Is that right? There was a former driver. He told me (about driving Lingam to Eusoff’s house). Did your brother tell you why he went to Eusoff’s house? He said he had important cases to discuss. From that I know of his connections with the former judges. One time, in the car, I told him to be careful and not to do this. He said nobody knows about it. So after six days in remand, were you released? No. On the sixth day of remand - March 17, 1998 - they took a third statement from me. A high-ranking ACA officer told me, very politely, ‘Look, after all you’re going to speak the truth. You are going to open up in public. We’re here to clean up the judiciary. Don’t be frightened of your brother. Don’t be frightened of anyone. Just give a true statement’. I gave a detailed third statement to the senior officer. Is the third statement any different from your first? It had more details than the first statement. Because the first statement, I still had fear because of my brother’s threat in that restaurant (in 1996). I was also worried then that he knew the ACA was coming to his house and mine. There was a tip-off. What happened after the third statement? My sister came to pick me up. Tomorrow: Thirunama describes how three lawyers and his family members ‘forced’ him to be admitted to a psychiatric ward in a hospital.