Posts Tagged ‘discrimination’

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Sentul developer not fulfilling promise

December 18th, 2009
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Its not easy to stand up to giant developers. Today The Star published this:

The excerpt above says (a) the developer agrees to identify a plot of empty land which is suitable for building temporary houses for the residents while waiting for low cost houses to be built and allocated for the residents. (b) The developer agrees to inform about the empty land after Hari Raya Aidilftri.

This is not any developer, but YTL. So, what is going to be their response? This is a damage to the reputation of YTL if indeed they reneged on the agreement.

Years ago, Indian were thrown out of estates and left to fend for themselves. Now, the second cycle is happening. Housing areas are being developed with houses in the range of hundreds or thousands or even millions of ringgit. What happens to the folks with low-income? They become non-existent or sent to some corner of the city, away from the “rich” areas. Are we happy just watching the history repeat again?  Do you think the people would just disappear from the face of the earth? Or are we sowing the seeds of crime by pushing these people into an abyss of hopelessness and poverty?

Those of us earning thousands of ringgit would find it difficult when petrol price increases or when we incur extra costs due to distance. What more of people who earn less than RM2000 with 2 or 3 kids to feed?

Being less educated (or even uneducated), these folks can be easily conned into signing agreements without them understanding the contents. Let’s face it, some of us educated people also get confused with all the legal and technical terms, what more of them?

IT WAS a day of anxiety for residents of Sentul as a major part of the squatter homes in the area were under siege by both the local council and the developers.

Just moments after the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers had retreated from Kampung Tanah Lapang yesterday, political party representatives received a call from three distressed women in Lorong 15, Jalan Sentul Pasar.

The women were being evicted from their houses pending a court order from developer YTL Land and Development, the owner of the land they live on.

The eldest, a widow with 10 children, said she had unknowingly signed an agreement form to shift to the DBKL flats in Kampung Muhibbah, Puchong.

“I have no problem shifting, but I did not want a home in Puchong. I live off the RM400 welfare money I receive each month and the donations from organisations in Sentul,” said Thanaletchumy Marimuthu, 41.

She and her married daughter R. Jayanthy, 24, live in one house and each has been offered a unit in Puchong but they refuse to shift there as the move would affect their livelihood and their children’s education.

Another resident, K. Letchumi, 39, works in Batu Caves and has an ailing mother, a disabled sibling and her children, as well as her own child to care for.

She has to manage this with a monthly salary of RM1,000 and if she shifts to Puchong, a huge chunk of the money would be spent on travelling alone.

Their one question remains unanswered: What happened to the low-cost flats that were promised to them by the previous developer, Taiping Consolidated?

The new developer, YTL, denies the promise but residents have proof to claim otherwise.

Documents agreeing to the requests bearing the Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd letter head and several other documents from Taiping Consolidated have been unearthed.

This new turn of events has raised the morale of the people, as they have finally found grounds to fight their case.

The entire Sentul area is slowly being transformed, with high-end condominiums cropping up everywhere. However, this would mean that the original residents of the famed area will have to leave their homes.

“The developer should build low-cost and medium-cost flats, and practise their corporate social responsibility here in Sentul,” Batu MIC division chairman Ramanathan Chinnu said.

For now, Ramanathan and the Batu MIC Youth chairman D. Pala Kumaran will seek the assistance of Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Well Being Minister Datuk M. Saravanan to find three units in the Batu Muda flats near by for the three women and their families.

The women are scheduled to shift out today.

Even in my housing area, the developer (Plenitude Permai) changed the plan many times now, and residents are the ones who are short-changed. No community hall, no club house, no proper signages. I’m not sure if they know what is CSR. I wonder how the local council (Majlis Perbandaran Sepang) can approve new phases without taking all this into consideration.

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UN 1965 International Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

December 16th, 2009
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Interesting to know that our country has not signed nor ratified this particular convention. No prizes for guessing the reason, which makes it difficult to implement the convention in our laws and legislations.  As mentioned below, countries like Thailand and Laos are moving ahead in this matter.

The government must decide on its priorities with regards to inking the 1965 International Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

United Nations resident coordinator in Malaysia Kamal Maholtra said the government needs to decide internally and solve its constitutional contradiction before signing any UN convention.

“Apart from Article 153, there is a clause that provides for the equality and freedom to its citizens, therefore the government needs to decide on its priorities,” he told a press conference at the sidelines of a seminar in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Kamal was asked if the signing of ICERD will contradict with section 153 of the federal constitution which guarantees the special privileges of the bumiputera.

Nevertheless, he said the government is in fact looking into other aspects of the six conventions recommended by the UN which has not been signed by Malaysia.

In his speech earlier, Kamal disclosed that the government has only signed three and ratified two of the nine core international human rights treaties.

Malaysia has only signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Both were signed with reservations in 1995.

“In addition, Malaysia has also signed but not yet ratified the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” Kamal said.

On the issue of sustaining human rights, the UN coordinator is of the view that a strong culture must be embedded within Malaysians and this should start with young children.

“Human rights education should also be a continuous effort and it would be best if the education curriculum entrenches human rights issues as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, UN human rights officer Pablo Espiniella explained that some governments have reservations to sign and ratify conventions because of the fear that they cannot fulfil the requirements and therefore have to face international repercussions.

“The process is as such where after the government has signed and ratified any convention, there should be moves and efforts to assimilate these principles into local laws and legislation,” he said.

However, he said, the UN will hold dialogues, provide support and expertise to the government to implement the principles of the conventions once they are recognised.

Pablo also said that with Thailand signing seven out of the nine human rights conventions and Laos closely catching up, he hopes that this momentum will encourage the Malaysian government to do the same.

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It comes back to haunt you…

December 15th, 2009
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While it may be “selective” or “out of context”, the truth still remain the truth. Hear it from the horse’s mouth itself:

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has been forced onto the back foot as a video surfaced of his previous involvement in ‘racist’ courses conducted by the National Civics Bureau or Biro Tata Negara (BTN).
Anwar, who now leads the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, admitted he had made the remarks but said he had done so then as an Umno leader.
“I will defend my position (because) that was the position then as Umno vice-president or deputy president,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.
“I was asked to speak at some of the sessions all the time when I was a minister…but later on we revised (the content) by (bringing in) issues of Islamic values, ethics and moral principles (and getting away) from the racist agenda.”

You should read the whole article so that I won’t be accused of “selectiveness”. Read it here.

Not easy to switch to the “other” side when your history is much related to the earlier side.

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More bumi places in IPTA is not racist says Mahathir

December 13th, 2009
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Ex-PM Mahathir has his own opinion, that’s his right. As for me, I think the term bumiputra has been abused and misused to promote certain race only. Look at the Orang Asli, the natives of East Malaysia, the Chitties who were once bumiputras and so on. How many managed to enter IPTAs before year 2000?

Now there are 22 IPTA with enrolment of about 100,000, if I’m not mistaken. Then we have polytechnics, MARA-owned colleges, community colleges and so on. Plenty of places. Do we need quota anymore? Maybe according to rural/urban (but the urban community is more than rural area, so logically, urban students should have more percentage), but definitely not according to race hiding behind veil of status.

Secondly, now every student can apply for PTPTN, so there’s no excuse for saying its expensive to study in private college. Don’t forget, many private colleges own by bumiputra companies too. Also, Malay institutions like MARA and FELDA sponsor students by busloads in the private colleges like Lim Kok Wing uni.

So, why are there more non-Bumi students in private colleges? For one, because they don’t get a place for degree in IPTAs after SPM (while the Malays go to matriculation). Rather than risking 2 years in STPM for another lottery attempt at IPTA, they choose private colleges. So, its kind of comical to blame the situation which was created by the powers-to-be in the first place, on the victims

And many parents suffer to educate their kids – selling off properties, taking loans, living a frugal lifestyle and so on. Does the ex-PM think every non-Bumi has money tree growing in their houses?

I think instead of using status (race), just base on income or location is better. Students from rural area, due to handicap, should have better probability of getting a place. Maybe 30 years ago it was justified to use race or status. But in the new millenium, its a travesty of natural justice.

What do you think?

Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today the opportunity given to more bumiputeras to enter public universities should not be considered as a racist act.

The former prime minister said the move was to ensure a balanced racial development so that the bumiputeras were not left behind in the mainstream education, which could have negative repercussions.

He said that at the private institutions of higher learning, which now numbered nearly the same as the public institutions of higher learning, the bumiputera enrolment was very small, only in the region of 10 percent, while the rest was made up of the other races because many bumiputeras could not afford the fees.

“If we conduct a census of the number of students in the government and private universities, there are more non-bumiputera students. That’s why we give attention and more places to bumiputeras,” he said in his keynote address, entitled ‘UUM 25 Years Expectation vs Reality’, at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Alumni Convention 2009 here.

“So we should not feel guilty (just) because we have places for the bumiputeras. We have a right to attain a position that is on par in this country. We want reasonable rights,” he said.

Mahathir said the affirmative policy under the New Economic Policy to bring the bumiputeras into the country’s mainstream development in various fields, including education, was not something extreme because although bumiputeras made up about 60 percent of the population, the set quota was only 30 percent.

“This is not racism… we only ask for half of what we should be demanding. This shows that we are not racist… in fact to get 30 percent is not easy,” he said.

He said that if there was no balance, those left behind would feel hatred and jealousy and might act irrationally, and this was what the country wanted to avoid.

Other races not sidelined

Mahathir added that the extra attention and opportunities given to the bumiputeras did not mean that the other races were sidelined.

He also said that it was important for the bumiputeras to have the knowledge in running a business because many of them did not use the money as capital or
to invest but to shop.

“We must change the bumiputera mindset. The money will bring returns when invested and this can enhance their wealth. Normally they spend when they have money… often more than the money available and this causes problems.”

On the UUM, Mahathir said the aspiration of its establishment had been achieved as was evident from the success in producing bumiputera graduates as well of graduates of other races in management but it was still not enough.

“The UUM’s future still hinges on efforts in capacity building, especially for the bumiputeras, in business,” he said.

He said students in management finance and accounting must be taught to have the right mindset, strong resilience as well as the intricacies to be successful in business and other fields.

Mahathir also hoped that one day there would be a univerity town in Sintok, where the UUM is located, like the university towns in Cambridge and Oxford.

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Chinese and Indians are Class two citizens while Malays are Class one

December 8th, 2009
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So says some intelligent being as below.

Ahmad Mahayuddin said Kulasegaran should not even question the rights of the Malays.

“Our numbers are bigger and we have been on this soil before the other races,” he said.

“Kulasegaran must apologise and we give him two weeks to do so or we will protest in front of his office,” he said adding that the Government should revoke Kulasegaran’s citizenship.

“We Malays have been passive over numerous issues. We do not question the rights of the Chinese or Indians on the economic grounds.

“So, we want other races not to question our rights. All must remember the Chinese and Indians are Class two citizens while Malays are Class one, said Ahmad.

Surprisingly, the above was not mentioned in NST or Malaysiakini. Only appeared in Star which carried the Bernama version.

This is what the country have achieved. Creating monsters through various policies, education, and lop-sided views.

Who is this Ahmad? (I’m curious, is “Ahmad” a “Malay” name? Did it exist before 15th century? Anyway, not relevant I guess.) Well, Ahmad was part of a group who were protesting today after the cow head group case was heard. He is from the Section 23 Action Group or something like that.

I remember the DAP people apologised after the door mat photo issue, so I guess these guys will be doing the same? Or am I asking too much from these animals?

The full article is below:

Motorists on the busy Jalan Utama here were startled when a group of men unfurled a banner depicting caricatures of DAP leaders with cows’ bodies complete with horns and started stepping on them

Some of the 30-odd men, including the 12 charged in connection with the ‘cow head’ protest on Aug 26, kicked and stepped on the caricatures of DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Meng.

The protest took place after the 12 had stepped out of the Sessions Court where Judge Hasbi Hassan had fixed their trial for April 12.

They immediately joined the others who were already outside the court for the protest.

The group shouted Jangan Memperbodohkan Orang Melayu (Do not hoodwink the Malays’).

Asked on the reason for the protest, the non-governmental organisation Badan Bertindak Penyatuan Ummah chairman Ahmad Mahayuddin Abdul Manaf said he had no knowledge about the protest but joined in as he walked out of the court.

“What I understand is that the group who unfurled the banner was angry with the recent incident where DAP members walked on the ‘doormat’ pictures of ex-Pakatan Rakyat representatives Hee Yit Foong, Mohd Osman Jailu and Jammaluddin Mohd Radzi,” he said.

He said the group was ‘just expressing their displeasure against such behaviour (by the DAP.’

The group also lodged 19 police reports against DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran at the Shah Alam police department in Section 11, for questioning the rights of the Malays at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

Ahmad Mahayuddin said Kulasegaran should not even question the rights of the Malays.

“Our numbers are bigger and we have been on this soil before the other races,” he said.

“Kulasegaran must apologise and we give him two weeks to do so or we will protest in front of his office,” he said adding that the Government should revoke Kulasegaran’s citizenship.

“We Malays have been passive over numerous issues. We do not question the rights of the Chinese or Indians on the economic grounds.

“So, we want other races not to question our rights. All must remember the Chinese and Indians are Class two citizens while Malays are Class one, said Ahmad

Inside the Sessions Court earlier, judge Hasbi set aside five days for the trial, which will be heard by Sessions Court judge, M. Gunalan.

The twelve are Ahmad Mahayuddin, 36, Ibrahim Sabri, 43, Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 31, Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, 35, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 30, Mohd Hilmi Ni, 40,Jainuddin @ Zainuddin Md Yusuff, 67, Mohd Jurit Ramli, 39, Mohamad Nordin Zakaria, 46, Jamil Mohamad Isa, 40, Rahimuddin Md Harun, 39, and Azhari Shaari, 39.

Ibrahim and Ahmad Mahayuddin are jointly charged with stepping on the head of the cow, Eyzva Ezhar with bringing the cow head to the scene while Mohd Azmir, Ahmad Suhairy and Mohd Hilmi are jointly charged with carrying around the cow head and stepping on it during the illegal assembly.

They are charged under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and face a maximum of RM5,000 in fine, or jail of up to three years, or both. All the six claimed trial.

The six of them also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of hurting the feelings of Hindus at the same place and time and face up to a year in jail, fine, or both, under Section 298 of the Penal Code.

Ahmad Mahayuddin and Ibrahim are the chairman and deputy chairman respectively of the Shah Alam Section 23 Residents Action Committee. They led the demonstration in protesting the Selangor state government’s plan to relocate a Hindu temple from Section 19 in Shah Alam to their area.

The others Jainuddin, Mohd Jurit, Mohamad Nordin, Jamil, Rahimuddin and Azhari Shaari are charged with participating in an illegal assembly.

They are charged under Section 27(5)(a) of the Police Act 1967 and can be fined up to RM10,000 and jailed up to a year, if convicted.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Datuk Razali Che Ani and Harris Ong Mohd. Jeffery Ong appeared for the prosecution while all the accused were represented by counsel Hashim Ibrahim. – Bernama

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