Open Letter to Prime Minister

Letter writtten to Malaysiakini;

I am a Malaysian citizen with a foreign wife of Indonesian nationality. We have been married for nine years and have three children. My wife has been holding a social visit pass for nine years. We returned to Malaysia from overseas in 1998.

Three years ago I applied for her Permanent Resident status after having fulfilled the conditions by the immigration department (that she must hold a social visit pass for five years). Until today we are still waiting for news on the status of her PR application. All we have ever got was a letter from the immigration stating that her application is ‘under consideration’. This took two and a half years - just for one letter!

We are among the thousands of Malaysians with foreign spouses who are still waiting for their PR. Why does the government take so long to process an application? Why is the Malaysian government so reluctant to grant PR status to foreign spouses?

A few years ago, the Human Resources Ministry announced that overseas Malaysian citizens who were experts in their field and wanted to return to Malaysia would be given incentives -including approval for the spouse's PR status in six months. When I inquired about this from the Human Resource Ministry, they told me that I am not eligible for this programme since

I came back to Malaysia before the program was started. To me, this is just utter nonsense.

If the government is worried about the ‘brain-drain’, shouldn't the powers-that-be be doing something about professionals like myself who are already in the country? Should I leave the country for two years and then come back? It would be utter irony as in this way I would then be eligible for having my wife's PR application fast-tracked.

At the same time, our government seems to prefer giving PR status to suspected terrorists from a neighbouring country. We have even given PR status to a badminton coach. This is blatantly unfair to people in my situation.

In this nine years of living in Malaysia, my wife has seen her opportunities for a career disappear like smoke. Prospective employers are generally turned off when they hear that she is a foreigner as they don't want the hassle with the paperwork.

She gave up looking for a job related to her qualifications years ago. My wife has an MBA in Finance. We are not alone in this as there are so many qualified foreign wives (degree holders) who have difficulties getting employment.

The list doesn't stop here - without a PR status, my wife cannot even open a bank account.

Even then, what if something were to happen to me? Because of the social visit pass requirements, she would not even be allowed to stay in this country. What will happen to our three children then?

Nowadays I don't even discuss the PR issue with my wife anymore as we would just end up in an argument. Why has the government allowed this dilemma to continue? I am willing to bet that most people in the same situation as myself voiced their dissatisfaction at the ballot box on March 8.

There are really no guidelines besides requiring your spouse to stay in the country for five years.

After that, it is just up to the whims and fancies of the government. Even the arrogant immigration officer at Shah Alam told me once that the ‘PR is an anugerah (award) and not a hak (right). Why doesn't the government put in place proper guidelines for approving PR applications? It seems to me that the little napoleons are the ones running the show.

I have even tried calling the immigration office at Putrajaya. Their response was that ‘the PR applications from year 2000 are still pending, so just wait. There is no time line given for PR approvals’.

In Singapore, qualified applicants get their PR status in three months. In Australia, it takes less than a year. Our government, on the other hand, is doing nothing to solve the PR issue for thousands of Malaysians.

I am wholeheartedly appealing to our prime minister, since he claimed to be a prime minister for all Malaysians to please intervene in this situation. If our prime minister is serious about winning back our confidence, then do something.

Are we serious in attracting skilled manpower to Malaysia and to compete and stay competitive with the rest of the countries in this region?

Cucuk siapa ni??

The role of MSM. Carry the --lls of the current leader.

End of Mahithirism?

Few days after announcement that he and 5 others will be probed for V.K Lingam tape, Tun Mahathir has announced that he will quit UMNO (conditionally). Is he angry with the Government for setting up Commission to investigate VK Lingam tape? Sit back and enjoy the drama.

Rebranding MIC - A new generation party with old generation leaders?

New logo
New party song
New uniform
New website
New call centre
New members 50% youths
Old leaders.

MIC President says;
1. "If we do not keep up with the times, we may become irrelevant".
2. "This is the party where people have the right to argue and discuss" but at the same CWC meeting, former Kapar division meeting was sacked from MIC for asking questions and speaking up.

AG's chambers to probe Dr M & Ors

The Cabinet agreed that the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Datuk V.K. Lingam clip be made public and the Attorney-General's Chambers investigate the allegations in the report against individuals such as Datuk V.K. Lingam, business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, former Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, retired Chief Justice Tun Eusoff Chin, former Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Right royal politician

Excerpts of an interview with Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar (brother of Sultan Pahang) by The Sun.

What changes would you like to see in Umno for the betterment of the country?

For a party that has done a lot of service to the country since independence … whether it’s Umno, MCA or MIC … its members sacrificed in order to contribute to the party funds. And those were big sacrifices. Now it’s the other way – people join Umno to get something out of it. Instead of political gain, they also want financial gain. They join for other reasons, not to contribute to society.

And as time goes by, I see more and more of this happening. Today because of the quota system, you won’t be getting the right people at the top, because those who got to the top may have used some way or other to get to the top. You may get the votes because you do certain things, but you know very well inside you that you are not the right person, but through your influence … like the former vice-president who used money politics, he got up there and got disgraced. And if Umno continues with this, where the wrong people sit at the top, it will destroy the party as the right people who really want to serve cannot get there. We want people with the credibility, the knowledge and the experience.

I can put this question: Even if you are the president of the party today, are you really the most popular person in the party? I would put a question mark! It’s true because of the system. But if three million people could vote, then we will know if he is the most popular person in Umno. But we don’t have this system of referendum in the country today.

What is holding Umno back from having good people? Why are professionals reluctant to join the party?

It is how the leader perceives it. When you are outspoken, it doesn’t pay. You become a nuisance, sort of a maverick. For me, I will say it if something is not right. Whether you like what I say is secondary, but I will point it out if it is wrong, at the risk of me being unpopular with the leadership.

Why has Umno deviated from this founding principle that it takes care of all races?

Somewhere, somehow, people got greedy. And this is something that started during Mahathir’s time. If you look at all the big projects that have been given over the last 15-20 years, I think it is between 12 to 20 companies that keep getting these projects.

If you talk about Indians, in my area there about 1,400, and I know some of them are suffering. In Kampung Muhibbah – the land that they stayed on for over 20 years – they were never given any titles. I solved the problem in a matter of months. That’s why the Indian community is still supportive of me there.

The orang asli also, they need to be looked after. The Indians and orang asli – 95% supported Barisan Nasional. They did not know any other party. Why can’t we help them? Also some Chinese, the Malays – many have supported the BN. We should take care of them. Repay them for keeping this government in place for 50 years.

But then, look at the election results. These are the people who said "enough is enough!". They said "you never helped us. For all the loyalty we have shown, you did not help us".

Actually, they wanted to give the BN a wake-up call. I don’t think they expected such results.

Look at Hindraf. If things were looked into seriously to help the Indians, they would probably have been happier with us.

That’s why I said, as a wakil rakyat (people’s representative) you cannot be arrogant. The rakyat is the boss. Even the prime minister, when he goes back to his kawasan (constituency), he is the wakil rakyat.

That is the dilemma of some leaders, where you have to wear two masks. At the kawasan they are MPs and they wakil everyone; at the Umno level, they say I don’t need the votes of the Indians or Chinese.

You cannot say those things. When you contested in the election, you contested under the BN banner, not Umno. I have 28% Chinese votes in Jerantut. I need every vote.

What would you perceive to be the ideal Malaysia?

I think we must go back to our roots, take a good look at where we came from and where we went wrong. The whole foundation of Malaysia as a people is cracking. We have been lost and we need to go back to the starting point.

Maybe we should start with dismantling communal politics. As the last election showed, race-based politics is out of style.

Barisan Nasional itself is already ready for it.

You think so? Why can’t we just have Barisan Nasional?

Someone should suggest it. There’s nothing wrong. You see, if you are an Indian and you talk about strengthening your community at a platform full of Indians, if I am sitting there, I will not take offence. Depends on where you say it and how you say it. If I am a Malay speaking about uplifting the Malays and killing all these jealousies, it is okay, but you cannot say "I want you to be better than the Chinese or Indians, so we should suppress them".

Why should I get offended if you are talking about uplifting the Indians? But if you say "go to hell with the Malays", sure-lah I get offended.

We have co-existed for so long. Mana ada problem dulu? (There weren’t problems then). Look at Tun Tan Siew Sin, how he took care of the country’s money. I have full respect for him. I don’t hold a grudge because he is Chinese. He is one of the best finance ministers we ever had. Tun V.T. Sambanthan and Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam ... they were great leaders.

How did we come about this communal thing? We had no issues before.

In my kawasan, I speak about strengthening Umno in front of Indians and Chinese. They have no problems.

When I go to the Indian area, I tell MIC "you must tell us what you want", and if I have programmes with Indians, I go through MIC.

At the height of the Hindraf issue, I had programmes with the Indians. I asked them how many went for Hindraf? Only one person, and he is not even a voter from Jerantut!

I said "why didn’t you go? You should have all gone just to listen to what they had to say. Nothing wrong with that".

If you are an open-minded person, there will not be any problems. These are narrow-minded politicians.

That’s the problem. These politicians feel they have to play the race card just to fish for votes, even if it means offending the other communities.

The bloody fools should not be talking like that.

If you read some statements these politicians have been making, they are all preparing for the party AGM. We are liberal people and can recognise political rhetoric, but what about those who are not so discerning? They will take rhetoric for reality and react.

That’s why I said these are wrong leaders. Umno has put wrong people in place. You remember those days – Tunku, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein Onn, even Mahathir – where were there problems?

Didn’t the rot start with Mahathir?

Mahathir is a very liberal person, you know.

But he allowed people to say this. Mahathir has done great things for the country, but he messed up the judiciary and condoned corruption.

Yes. Correct. You are right.

Is Pak Lah still the right man to lead Umno?

For the moment. He cannot resign now. Give him some time to reorganise the party and then step down. He cannot be wholly faulted for the poor showing in the election, but as the leader he must take responsibility.

He has to go before the next general election but not now. And this time, he has to serve the full term. It was bad timing this time around with so much unfinished business … the Khairy factor et cetera. He still had one year for damage control and I think he should have taken advantage of this.

Somehow his image as a leader has taken a beating and he will never recover from it.

R.P.K. Released.

Malaysia Today Editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin released at 9.30am Friday (9/5/08).

Welcome back Sir.

RM 1.134 Million for 3 advisers.

Adviser 1
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil - RM404,726.40 (Annually)
Adviser 2
Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid - RM549,675.00 (Annually)
Adviser 3
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad - RM15,000.00 a month
Total : RM1.134 Million annually for 3 advisers.
Full story The Star-Pg18 (9/5/08)

2nd Tsunami coming?

News from The Star 08/05/2008.

News 1 - Dr. M - Danger of defections is real.

“I, at first, wanted to dismiss this possibility, but on studying the situation I feel there is great danger,”

News 2 - MPs from Sabah and Sarawak warn government.

Debating on the motion of thanks on the royal address, Anifah said talk of MPs from Sabah switching allegiance to Pakatan Rakyat could be equated to “moving house.”

“What’s the point of moving to a terrace house if one is already living in a bungalow? However, for some of us, there seems to be no pleasure in living in this bungalow. What’s the point of living in a bungalow if one has to sleep beside the toilet?

“Only a few groups living in the bungalow seem to enjoy the benefits,” he said, adding that there were some prominent leaders from Peninsula Malaysia who thought they knew Sabah when they had only been to Kota Kinabalu.

FREE R.P.K.

R.P.K. will be released tomorrow morning at the PJ Sessions Court, round about 9.30am. Try to be there to welcome him. Meanwhile we can join others to light a candle tonight at 8.30pm, Dataran Merdeka on 08/05/2008.

Think before giving standing ovation.

Statement from Bar Council:
The Sedition Act is a draconian, archaic and repressive piece of legislation that has long outlived any perceived utility it might ever have had. This statute is incompatible with the progressive, open and democratic society that we had believed Malaysia was becoming. The Bar Council has in the past commended the opening up of democratic space in this country. However, the use of the Sedition Act and other repressive legislation like the OSA, ISA, the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Police Act is disconcerting, and lends credence to the view that in fact the democratic space in Malaysia is still severely curtailed.

The Sedition Act and other authoritarian laws represent a severe encroachment on the fundamental freedoms enshrined in our Constitution. These fundamental civil liberties are indisputable hallmarks of any democracy and must be safeguarded if Malaysia is to lay any claim to being a democratic nation.

60 years old Sedition Act in action

RPK is charged under Sedition Act.
Sad day for Malaysia!!!!
(Pic by Knights Templar)

Di Malaysia Boleh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saw something interesting in The Sun today;
"In Shah Alam, an unemployed dentist is occupying a bungalow at a rental of RM25,000 per month. His last drawn salary was RM12,000. He is now drawing a couple of pensions not exceeding RM9,000. But he needs to feed himself and the family, maintain a fleet of cars and pay for treatment to look "fair and lovely". So, how does he balance his budget? But this chap has come a long, long way from the days of selling ice cream..... Di Malaysia Boleh!!!!!!!

02MAY08 - RPK Quizzed by Police

Raja Petra Kamaruddin quizzed by Police. RPK in his usual style refused to give any statement.

01MAY08 B.U.M - Press Freedom Day. Tips & guidance from Masters

Great Malaysian Citizen Nades

Attentive Blogging Community

Respectable Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid

Chief Rocky's Bru

Interview by MSM (RTM)

Haris Ibrahim of People's Parliament

Dr. Azmi Shahrom

King of Bloggers Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dr Lim Teck Ghee

Y.B. William Leong