Demokrasi kita cuba digugat BA: Anwar dedahkan dia akan menjemput campurtangan asing.

Dato Seri Anwar ibrahim dalam ceramah konvensyen BERSIH di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina, Selangor pada 20 Julai menyebut bahawa beliau sedang berusaha berunding dengan Jimmy Carter (bekas Presiden Amerika Syarikat) untuk membawa Carter Center memantau Pilihan Raya Umum di Malaysia.

Anwar berkata pada bulan lepas beliau telah dijemput oleh duta-duta asing untuk membentangkan bukti-bukti tentang kepincangan pilihan raya di Malaysia. Beliau telah serahkan satu dokumen lengkap mengenai bukti-bukti penyelewengan Malaysia kepada setiap duta asing itu.

Anwar juga menyebut beliau akan menggunakan semua media antarabangsa termasuk Al-Jaazera, BBC, CNN dan Bloomberg bagi mendedahkan kepincangan demokrasi di Malaysia.

Program itu yang dianjurkan oleh BERSIH diketuai Syed Shahril (MTUC) dengan kerjasama DAP, PAS dan PKR. Turut berucap Lim Guan Eng (DAP), Haji Hadi Awang (PAS) dan Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR). Pengerusi Majlis ialah Mohmamad Sabu (PAS).

Gotcha! Raja Petra

Reproduced from Publius Melayu

I’m almost taken by what Raja Petra has been claiming these past few days following his questioning by the police at KL’s Dangi Wangi station.

For one, lets take a look at his explanation that all the profanities posted against Islam and the Yang DiPertuan Agong were done by the co-called UMNO ‘cyber-troopers’.

What begs to be answered now is, if it is true those dastardly deeds were ‘penned’ by UMNO mercenary scribes, why have they now almost come down to a trickle if not stopped suddenly in their tracks? Given that the battle zone that is politics would most likely never see any let up in subversion, offensives, counter-offensives and psy-war efforts, it would be a most lame excuse for Raja Petra to point his fingers to an unsubstantiated and groundless claim such as that.

However, I, being a regular follower of Malaysia-Today and other SOPO blogs, would agree to a certain degree of subversion by some over-enthusiastic, albeit childish and shallow attempts by UMNO ‘cyber troopers’ to try some clearly futile attempts at flooding the website’s server with hundreds of repetitive postings as well as the alleged ‘planted’ comments that have become the bone of contention presently.

If the alleged cyber-fifth columnists do really exist and occasionally succeed in posting their uncouth and criminal comments and, given their ability to cause quite a disquiet on both sides of the Malaysian political divide, I wouldn’t think that they will stop.

I would think that the reason for the sudden disappearance of the bulk of such postings is because they were not carried out by the people that Raja Petra strongly alleged. They were actually carried by some over-zealous cyber-anarchists aligned to the blind (blinkered) spirit of Raja Petra’s claim to social and political righteousness.

As such, following Raja Petra’s clear advice before his being summoned for questioning by the police last week that he would appreciate if the readers of Malaysia-Today would refrain from posting profanities and anti-Islamic comments, the attacks suddenly came to a slower pace and almost zero.

In most probabilities this may be attributed to the culprits taking heed of his appeals as well as the unfounded fear that by continuing to do so would cause what they perceive as their only channel of free speech to come to an end.

Another possibility is the fear that by persisting in maintaining the momentum of profanities and vulgarities, they may cause their scapegoat, i.e. Raja Petra to be arrested, hence losing their presumed anarchic alter ego.

So based on all these, Raja Petra’s contention that the attacks were carried out wholly by the so-called UMNO cyber-troopers does not carry any weight. This theory becomes even more plausible – even real, given that earlier he had admitted he could not control such postings that came from abroad,and in yet another instance, that he should not be held responsible for those were just comments made by others and not himself as the operator of Malaysia-Today.

After going through the three ‘defences’ mentioned above, Raja Petra suddenly zeroed in on the ‘wholly-carried-out- by- UMNO-cyber-troopers’ scapegoating stance. And with that he felt that he was treading solid ground as almost all his blind flock of followers would unhesitatingly jump on the bandwagon and go on an all out counter-offensive to re-direct the blame to external forces.

Anwar Approaching Carter Institute for Help

From Malaysiakini July 21 2007

PKR’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has called on the public to step pressure on the EC to reform itself.

In reference to several recent announcements by the EC, Anwar said the commission had thus far only shown knee-jerk responses after a series of electoral fraud exposes. For the first time, EC is enduring much pressure that it has to respond,” said Anwar at an Electoral reform rally organised by pressure group BERSIH at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He urged the public to show up in full force on Nov 10 at a ‘mass gathering in Putrajaya’ to call for electoral reforms.

Anwar’s comments comes in the wake of the latest announcement by EC Chief Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman yesterday, who strongly hinted that the elections could be called quite soon. Previously, Abdul Rashid had also called for electoral reforms but his bid to improve the electoral process have thus far been limited to providing a transparent ballot box and forcing voters who are still using old IC’s to verify their status.

The EC had also agreed in principle to the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting but is awaiting feedback from the National Fatwa Council. The use of the ink is one of the core demands by BERSIH.

International Observers: Anwar, the final speaker among a long list at the rally had vowed to pile on the pressure overseas by speaking about the state of the electoral process at international conferences and meetings. He also announced plans to invite the renowned US-base Carter Centre, to monitor the upcoming Malaysian General Elections. The centre is an NGO that has among others, monitored 68 elections in 26 countries.

On talks that this will tarnish Malaysia’s image, Anwar said the only way to save Malaysia’s image is to expose the problems within the electoral system. ‘Thus, I believe the theme for the 50th National Day should be ‘Selamatkan Negara Malaysia (Save Malaysia),” said Anwar to roaring approval from the 2,000 strong crowd.

In his speec Anwar alleged that UMNO was going to distribute thousands of video discs accusing the opposition of inciting violence and disturbing public order. He claimed the title of the disc would be ‘Evolusi atau Revolusi ‘? (Evolution or Revolution?).

How to Topple BN:

Reiterating claims made last month in Kelantan, Anwar said UMNO was planning to bring 40,000 phantom voters from southern Thailand in a bid to wrest the state from PAS.

“UMNO had identified 70 parliamentary seats in danger of falling into the hands of the opposition, thus they will do whatever it takes to retain it,” he added. In order to topple the government that had been ruling for 50 years, Anwar said the Opposition would have to secure at least 56% of the popular vote. “The highest managed by the opposition was 48%. So if we continue to preach to the converted and maintain our current pace, it is not enough to change the government. We need to attract BN supporters to our cause,” he said.

The rally last was attended by PAS President Abdul hadi Abdul Awang, DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng and MTUC President Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud. BERSIH comprises 26 NGOs and 5 opposition political parties. The rally was the first in a series of planned roadshows to create awareness on the need for electoral reforms.

Blogger Comments:

A lot of BULL by a sick and self aggrandised loser who will cheat himself to stand out.

As food fo thought, how do we know if the Carter Institute is capable of being objective and capable of understanding the history of our country and its cultural sensitivities?

Only 30% of USA’s eligible voters go out to vote, why doesn’t the Carter Institute tackle that first? If the US is democratic, why is its white population and policies discriminating against coloured immigrants? How can we honestly believe that a country that can invade Iraq in violation of UN views and then create Guantanamo Bay horror in the inhuman torture of war prisoners be democratic? Why doesn’t the Carter Institute address that effectively first? Is Anwar blind to all these? Doesn’t he read?

The only explanation possible, perhaps, he has become myopic and diseased in his thinking?

Sila Halusi Teguran Ahli UMNO INI

Dipetik dari blog Publius Melayu

Saya tertarik dengan luahan kekecewaan dan kekesalan seorang ahli UMNO yang tersiar di laman KMU hari ini (Surat Terbuka Kepada Tan Sri Muhamad Muhamad Taib).

Saya amat menghargai keutuhan negara ini selain rasa begitu bertanggung-jawab terhadap kedaulatan agama dan bangsa. Saya seorang ahli biasa UMNO yang tidak pernah mengenali mana-mana 'kroni' pun sebelum ini. Saya tidak meminta apa-apa balasan selain melakukan perjuangan siber ini secara sukarela dari dulu lagi. Saya amat terkilan dan berasa malu dengan apa yang didakwa (dan kononya juga dibuktikan) bahawa pihak UMNO di PWTC telah mengupah penulis "mercenary" untuk membantu menafikan segala tohmahan dan pembohongan yang tersiar di internet.

Usaha itu murni. Sebagaimana pihak pembangkang dan aktivis politik bersayap kiri bergiat di alam siber dengan penuh yakin, begitulah juga hak pihak UMNO mempunyai ruang untuk menggunakan pletform maya bagi mempertahankan diri.

Jika benar wujud pasukan siber itu dan juga benar mereka cuba menyamar di laman-laman blog yang disasarkan, saya rasa telah tiba masanya untuk dikaji semula strategi berkenaan.

Paling penting ialah bagi segala usaha penangkisan terhadap tohmahan dan propaganda ditangani dan jawab secara profesional dan berhemah.

Bukan calang-calang orang yang mampu berdiri teguh berjuang di medan pertempuran siber ini. Saya tabik kepada beberapa suara 'moderate' yang tidak berasa malu mengakui sebagai ahli UMNO dan ketara diterima dalam komuniti blogger pembangkang, termasuk Malaysia-Today.

Bagaimanapun, sejak kebelakangan ini dengan pencerobohan dan suara kasar kebudak-budakan cetek beberapa orang 'counter-blogger', senario keterbukaan telah menjadi kecoh. Kecoh bukan kerana blog-blog pembangkang dan aktivis bersayap kiri tergugat, tetapi kerana langkah sumbang 'pejuang' mentah kita sendiri.

Ini hanyalah pendapat peribadi saya. Diharap pucuk pimpinan parti terimalah secara terbuka kerana misi UMNO sentiasa murni. Kemurniaan inilah yang saya pegang dan bukan disebabkan kerana beberapa pemimpin digugat pelbagai tuduhan di alam siber. Itu semua perlu dijawab dan diperbetul sendiri secara telus.Ia juga tidak bermakna seluruh ahli UMNO yang berhati mulia dan berintegriti akan meninggalkan perjuangan parti dan bangsa disebabkan segelintir pemimpin itu.

Pada kami UMNO tetap UMNO dan segala-galanya perlu diperbetulkan secara dalaman dan terbuka dan dalam pada itu segala perjuangan terhadap ancaman ini tetap diteruskan.

Saya dan beberapa rakan seperjuangan akan sentiasa berjuang untuk mempertahankan kedaulatan agama, bangsa dan negara. Oleh itu saya memohon supaya segala-galanya dilakukan secara berhemah kerana akhirnya yang paling berkuasa ialah rakyat dan ribuan ahli UMNO yang begitu mengharap.

Blogger Big Dog's Sensible Approach to Blogging

Reproduced from Bigdogdotcom

Yesterday was a bit of a pandemonium, here in Bloggosphere. I received so many messages asking about Malaysia Today.net’s editor, YM Raja Petra Kamarudin being arrested. Apparently, the story about the arrest is not true. What actually happened was the UMNO Information Chief, former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib made a police report on Malaysia Today’s article first published on 11 July 2007, deemed to have some highly inappropriate and insulting comments posted by readers against HM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong and Islam and they are deemed seditious. The report was made against Raja Petra because he is the editor of the political portal.

It was a very hot story. It was news in NST and Utusan this morning. It also appeared as an item in Bulletin Utama, TV3 last night. The rumour about Raja Petra being arrested drew so many concerned and curious internet users alike, cramping onto Malaysia Today, until it jammed. Over 3 million hits were recorded and additional temporary capacity was needed to cater for the upsurge.

In retaliation, Raja Petra posted this article in Malaysia Today. It kind of reflect Raja Petra’s anger to the police report made against him, especially by someone like Tan Sri Muhammad. Tan Sri Muhammad, who was caught with millions in various country bills leaving Australia almost ten years ago turned a lot heads when he was acquitted by a Brisbane court for admitting in court his understanding of English was very poor.

Raja Petra is not new against internet political writing and being detained by the Police for that. He was arrested by the Police at least twice and once in 2001, he spent 60 days being detained under ISA.

The main issue in this case most probably the authorities will hold the editor or moderator of a website or blog for the comments posted by the readers. Raja Petra, like many other moderators, prefer not to moderate his website for the principle of “Freedom of Expression”. It is shown here that the readers abused the openness that Malaysia Today has to offer and totally unrestrained comments might get the moderators into trouble.

This is not the first time it happened. Apparently notable blogger Jeff Ooi also got into trouble once because of the comments posted in his blog.

So the issue here is that serious bloggers like Raja Petra and Jeff Ooi usually know what is the very fine line and parameter that separate from ‘acceptable’ and ‘inappropriate’ but readers and commenters don’t. Some are very reckless. In the zest of putting their thoughts and emotions, often they cross this near invisible line and thread into what is abstractly insensitive. Then again, in other blog, moderators purposely and irresponsibly allowed slanderous lies and defamatory remarks against leaders and even HRH Malay Rulers be posted and continuously linger for public consumption, like in the case of Susan Loone.

Its up to the readers now. Do they want the freedom for information or they simply what to thrash out their emotions and untrained thoughts. Like other public apparatus meant to be consumed by many, if some incorrigibly refuse to restrain and observe maturity and appropriateness, then maybe the facility might be withdrawn for all the wrong reasons for the rest.

Laporan Polis Terhadap Malaysia-Today

Menurut laporan awal daripada beberapa blogger termasuk Jeff OOi dan Rocky satu laporan polis telah dibuat di Balai Polis Dang Wangi hari ini tadi terhadap laman web alternatif Malaysia-Today yang dikendalikan oleh Raja Petra Kamaruddin.

Countergrain sudah lama menghitung hari ekoran tindakan begitu ramai blogger dan pembaca laman berita alternatif Malaysia-Today mengeposkan komen-komen tanpa beralas. Yang saya maksudkan ialah komen berunsur hasutan dan kecaman terhadap beberapa isu sensitif, terutama yang ketara menghina agama Islam dan Nabi Muhammad.

Ada di antara blogger yang sengaja menggunakan laman Malaysia-Today bagi meluahkan kata-kata lucah terhadap masyarakat Muslim dan agama Islam -- ini tidak patut disiarkan tanpa penapisan oleh pihak editorial.

Berikutan kegagalan Raja Petra menangani kepincangan itu, ramai di antara masyarakat Islam di negara ini berasa begitu terhina.

Tidak kurang ramai juga yang menasihatkan (termasuk countergrain sendiri)Raja Petra supaya segera menapis pos-pos sedemikian rupa tetapi beliau pada mulanya gagal berbuat demikian, hinggalah sejak beberapa hari kebelakangan ini apabila beliau akhirnya memberi amaran kepada pembaca Malaysia-Today yang beliau akan mula menapis segala posting selain mengenakan syarat bagi menyertai laman tersebut.

Kita patut mengambil iktibar daripada keadaan ini. Tanpa menyebelahi mana-mana pihak saya rasa memang tepat masanya bagi laporan Polis dibuat.

Jika diperhatikan daripada satu sudut, Raja Petra yang begitu mendaulati kebebasan ekspresi dan bersuara, terutama di internet, telah dijadikan mangsa oleh anasir-anasir yang sengaja menggunakan laman Malaysia-Today sebagai saluran.

Dari penjuru lain pula kita perlu melihat senario ini dari aspek toleransi.Dalam konteks ini, toleransi yang maksudkan ialah sikap kesabaran beberapa pihak dalam kerajaan yang sengaja tidak mahu menambahkan minyak kepada api hasutan yang dinyalakan oleh anasir-anasir subversif di laman Malaysia-Today. Daripada ini kita dapat mentafsirkan samada kerajaan sengaja menindas suara pembangkang atau sebaliknya.

Bagaimanapun, apabila keadaan menjadi begitu serius apakah salah bagi sesuatu dilakukan untuk menanganinya demi kesejahteraan semua penduduk negara pelbagai kaum ini?

Ezam’s “Class Act”: A Staged Exit

From Publius Melayu

On the surface of it, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor’s resignation looks genuine enough to pass-off as a move that is all honourable, i.e. to focus all his energy in moving GERAK.

However, if one cares to look deeper beneath that facade of righteousness there still lurks a dark shadow of doubt fingered by some ‘unknown’ hidden hands. Hidden hands that can be traced back to his mentor, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the grand designs of his U.S.-sponsored initiatives such as the Foundation for the Future and other so-called pro-democracy and human rights war machines.

While we wait for the truth to naturally surface, it will suffice for us to just reflect on GERAK’s self-proclaimed struggle that is supposedly independent, impartial and beyond party politics. One doesn’t have to go far to ponder GERAK’s so-called non-partisan stance. Just consider Ezam’s willingness to cooperate with all organisations, including civil society, political parties both INSIDE and OUTSIDE government in order to push for reforms in Malaysia.

Now, doesn’t that sound very familiar? Isn’t that the same strain played by Anwar on all his platforms within Malaysia and abroad? No, Ezam has not burned his political bridges. He is just on a mission assigned by Anwar – a platform that will make PKR and Anwar’s U.S.-backed strategies wholesome and most attractive in the areas he has set his eyes on for the 12th General Elections.

And to start off his support base in GERAK, Ezam has successfully recruited legions of youths, the majority of which is made up of Chinese from colleges and even form six students. Of course, the bait is the noble aspirations of GERAK – aspirations that ride on the relentless offensive of the opposition parties against almost all Government policies, which they claim are tainted with endless corruption and inefficiencies.

Ezam’s claim that his SMS-based recruitment exercise had attracted mostly Chinese youth is so telling. Obviously, he found the Malay students averse to his ideals - ideals that have been nurtured in the mental training grounds of Anwar Ibrahim.

Don’t be surprised to see that GERAK’s next coup in its recruitment exercise will impact those in Sabah and Sarawak, for these are the two states that Anwar and PKR are confident of making very significant headway in the GE.

How can Ezam say that his is acting apolitical with GERAK when in reality he is willing (read: already) working with political parties within and outside of Malaysia to realise his goals? And there are obvious conflicts in his stand with regards to PKR, too. As for the party, Ezam sees GERAK as a continuation of the struggle of the party. He sees it playing a complementary role for the party (PKR), helping the party to give a clear picture (an excuse) to voters that both GERAK and PKR are really serious in combating corruption. Now, isn’t that the very same war cry used by all politicians in this country? Fighting corruption is always on the shopping list, but always against those in the ruling Government.

So, while the truth unravels itself in the months to come, lets just keep our options open about the real directions that Ezam is taking his vehicle, GERAK.