Posts Tagged ‘Politicians’

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Happy birthday pak lah!

November 27th, 2007
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thanks to MK for highlighting this. nothing in the star and nst about PM's birthday (yet). btw, i'll be covering the merdeka center survey next. oh..there's also the "remove the cross" from school issue to settle. my…my…hands are getting full!

Abdullah: I'll continue with my style
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75325

Nov 27, 07 1:34pm

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said he will continue with his style of administration since Malaysians are happy with it.

Responding to a finding of a recent survey, Abdullah said that he was happy with the survey that showed Malaysians were happy with the administration of the present government.

quoted Abdullah as saying.

“We will continue to administer the country like we are doing now,” he added.

The premier, talking to journalists at the end of his two-day visit to Egypt, also said that he welcomed constructive criticism from everyone.

“If someone wants to criticise, then it is fine as long as it is constructive criticism and we will try to do whatever possible to overcome the problems we face.

"The important thing is that we will do everything possible to ensure success of the national vision to uplift all Malaysians. To those who supported the current government, I wish to say thank you.

"To those who criticise, I would also say thank you but please ensure the criticisms are fair and not overboard, do not make your own conclusions without knowing the truth," he said.

Economy, safety and corruption

Bernama also reported that Abdullah, who turned 68 today, when asked what was his birthday wish, he said: "I just want to stay healthy and be happy".

The survey, conducted by the Merdeka Center for the New Straits Times, found “a stable and positive voter support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Barisan Nasional government”.

It said that the public confidence in the PM and the government remained stable and positive despite some major concerns.

The survey – polled among 1,024 respondents – indicated that Malaysians were concerned on economy, public safety and corruption.

One in five respondents had listed price hikes, the rising cost of living, jobs and other economic issues as the "most important problem affecting Malaysia today".

Crime and public safety came in as the second biggest concern while the third biggest concern was corruption.

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Hindu Sangam makes u-turn on rally

November 27th, 2007
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the same MHS which sat with glum faces behind MIC info chief saravanan saying they don't support the hindraf rally, now comes out with another statement saying its a wake-up call.

quote: "Malaysia Hindu Sangam national central council member C.M. Kopalan said the MIC and the Government had helped to fund, build, repair as well as settle relocation and land issues for temples nationwide."

Hindu Sangam: Rally a 'wake up call'
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75365
Nov 27, 07 7:30pm

The authorities must listen to the grievances aired by some 30,000 Indian Malaysians who participated in Sunday’s rally, said the Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS).

Describing it as a “wake up call for all Malaysians”, the influential Hindu umbrella body said the government must stop “festering wounds” within the Indian community from becoming worse.

“It is clear that there are tens of thousands of Indians in Malaysia who feel the government is not protecting their best interests,” said MHS president A Vaithilingam in a statement today.

Among others, he said, demonstrators were angered by the government and court’s inaction over infringements of religious freedoms by the “Islamic authorities”.

He cites ‘corpse-snatching’ cases between Islamic authorities and Hindus as well as the demolition of Hindu temples as examples.

“Almost all the victims (of infringements of religious freedoms) have been Hindus, fueling anger amongst the community,” he added.

Immediate measures

Vaithilingam said another catalyst to Sunday’s demonstration, organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), was the demolition of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kampung Karuppiah, Shah Alam just before Deepavali.

“The unprecedented pictures of local authority enforcement officers throwing stones at devotees and at the temple caused an uproar amongst the Indian community,” he said.

He further urged the government to take immediate measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Indian community and to ensure that the nation’s wealth is distributed equitably amongst all Malaysians.

He also urged the government to make legislative reforms to protect religious freedoms.

“We call on the courts to start acting in their role as the guardians of the fundamental liberties of minorities against oppression by the majority,” he said.

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nazri calls assembly attendees penyangak

November 27th, 2007
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aiyoo…some of my friends are now penyangak! my wife is now also penyangak! err…my dog too is penyangak? the professionals, group of singapore PRs, the chinese uncle, the taxi driver…all penyangak!!! oh my god, we have 20,000 crooks…police, what are you doing????

anyway, nazri accepts the figure 20,000 while police say some 4000-5000, MK says 30,000.

nazri sar, if the buses were not blocked, maybe can reach a higher figure. and if take into consideration all the govt staff threatened with sacking, plus those who are present in spirit to support their family members, friends, neighbors etc., we could be looking at 1 million people perhaps? oh ya…no forgetting our people in black and white.

in the end, samy vellu did say that nazri is a good person.

-"On Nazri comments yesterday that Devamany should quit the MIC, Samy Vellu said: “In parliament we can say so many things… Nazri is a good person. Sometimes he might say something but he may not mean it.”

'Gathering of crooks' hasn't tainted community's image
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75339
Yoges Palaniappan
Nov 27, 07 4:37pm

The mammoth rally which saw about 30,000 Indians taking to the streets has not tarnished the government’s view of the community, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz.

(crooks) who participated in the rally would not jeopardise our viewpoint of the entire community," he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

"There were hundreds of thousands of Indians who did not participate in the rally. They stayed back and showed that they still support the government," he added.

He also questioned the rationale of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which aimed to submit a petition to the British High Commission.

Hindraf, which organised the rally, wanted to submit a petition to Queen Elizabeth II asking Her Majesty to appoint a Queen’s Counsel to represent the organisation in its class-action suit against the British government.

Baseless accusations 

"If they want to submit a petition or a memorandum, they should just send it to the Prime Minister's Department. There's no need for a street rally," said Nazri.

"All the allegations put forward by them (Hindraf) that Indians are marginalised are lies and nothing more than accusations," he said, adding that the government would trace those who are responsible for the gathering and charge them in court.

However, he denied the possibility of using the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the perpetrators.

"We will not use the ISA. If we do, they will fire back at us saying that we're using the law unnecessarily. But we will use other laws, and among the penalties could be prison sentence," he said.

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I will hand over says samy

November 27th, 2007
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Samy Vellu unperturbed by Hindraf protest

source


KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 27, 2007): MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu today dismissed his community's biggest anti-government protest as an opposition ploy and denied he was out of touch with the increasingly agitated Indians.

Sunday (Nov 25)'s Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) rally by more than 10,000 people, who defied water cannon and tear gas to protest racial discrimination, could pose a headache for the government ahead of early polls as Indians are traditionally seen as a vote-bank for the ruling coalition.

In an interview with Reuters, Samy, the combative head of the main ethnic Indian party and Malaysia's longest-serving minister, branded protesters as "trouble makers" and said he was not losing sleep over the bloody demonstration.

"We have fought worst battles than this during elections," the ebullient 71-year-old leader said.

"We don't worry about this. We are confident of winning the next elections handsomely," said Samy, the Works Minister and an architect by training.

"They (the protesters) are fighting to create problems. They are trouble makers," said Samy, dressed in a smart black suit and red tie, as he attended to a handful of Indians in his ministry. His luxurious Mercedes Benz was parked on the driveway.

He has been leader of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and a cabinet minister since 1979. MIC is a junior partner in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling coalition, which is set to call general elections in the next few months.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition dominates the 219-seat parliament with 199 seats.

His friends regard Samy as the "champion of Indians" but foes say he stands in the way of solving the many socio-economic problems facing Malaysia's 1.8 million Indians.

The community, which forms just 7% of Malaysia's 26 million people, is in a parlous state, said a Hindu rights group which called the protest.

It said Indians lacked educational and business opportunities, adding that a government affirmative action policy in favour of majority Malays had marginalised them.

The Indians have always struggled to air their grouses openly. The community's economic clout is a scant 1.5% of national wealth and that too is in the hands of a few top businessmen.

UNFINISHED JOB

Many blame the MIC and Samy, known to some for his authoritarian style, for not quickly solving their woes.

And Sunday's protest, which attracted Indian doctors, lawyers and other professionals as well, could be an eye-opener to the BN, politicians said.

A senior leader of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the bulwark of the 14-party BN coalition, said BN should study the Indian grievances and try to overcome them.

"We have to look at the real issues, what is causing this unhappiness and I think BN has to pay attention to it," he said. Samy took the criticism in his stride.

"To me, I can throw the records on the floor on what I have done. I am not a man on the streets. I am a man on the job. There's always unfinished business." But he gave no hint when he would step down.

"I have been around for 29 years. At an appropriate time I will hand over." – Reuters

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Happy birthday pak lah!

November 27th, 2007
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thanks to MK for highlighting this. nothing in the star and nst about PM's birthday (yet). btw, i'll be covering the merdeka center survey next. oh..there's also the "remove the cross" from school issue to settle. my…my…hands are getting full!

Abdullah: I'll continue with my style
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75325

Nov 27, 07 1:34pm

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said he will continue with his style of administration since Malaysians are happy with it.

Responding to a finding of a recent survey, Abdullah said that he was happy with the survey that showed Malaysians were happy with the administration of the present government.

quoted Abdullah as saying.

"We will continue to administer the country like we are doing now," he added.

The premier, talking to journalists at the end of his two-day visit to Egypt, also said that he welcomed constructive criticism from everyone.

"If someone wants to criticise, then it is fine as long as it is constructive criticism and we will try to do whatever possible to overcome the problems we face.

"The important thing is that we will do everything possible to ensure success of the national vision to uplift all Malaysians. To those who supported the current government, I wish to say thank you.

"To those who criticise, I would also say thank you but please ensure the criticisms are fair and not overboard, do not make your own conclusions without knowing the truth," he said.

Economy, safety and corruption

Bernama also reported that Abdullah, who turned 68 today, when asked what was his birthday wish, he said: "I just want to stay healthy and be happy".

The survey, conducted by the Merdeka Center for the New Straits Times, found "a stable and positive voter support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Barisan Nasional government".

It said that the public confidence in the PM and the government remained stable and positive despite some major concerns.

The survey – polled among 1,024 respondents – indicated that Malaysians were concerned on economy, public safety and corruption.

One in five respondents had listed price hikes, the rising cost of living, jobs and other economic issues as the "most important problem affecting Malaysia today".

Crime and public safety came in as the second biggest concern while the third biggest concern was corruption.

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