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Janji Demokrasi: Who will the Police charge for defying them?
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Information, Communications and Culture Ministry Secretary-general Kamaruddin Siaraf says, “The different logos are only for promotional purposes. However, the phrase ‘Merdeka 55 Tahun Janji Ditepati’ (Merdeka 55 Years Promises Fulfilled) must be there for all logos.”
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Malaysiakini
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“The different logos are only for promotional purposes. However, the phrase ‘Merdeka 55 Tahun Janji Ditepati’ (Merdeka 55 Years Promises Fulfilled) must be there for all logos,” Kamaruddin told a press conference yesterday.
Explaining the meaning behind the slogan, Kamaruddin said Malaysia gained independence 55 years ago and the federal government had fulfilled its promises to Malaysians over that period.
Merdeka bash: Gov’t opts for 1M’sia logo instead
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Malaysiakini
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2:43PM Aug 25, 2012 |
She said that the final decision is in the hands of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim and senior officers.
According to the report, all versions have the four main elements, including the 1Malaysia logo, the theme”Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled), the word “Merdeka” and number “55”, symbolising the country’s 55 years of independence.
Five of the logos can be found on the official National day website – http://www.malaysiamerdeka.gov.my.
It is understood that prime minister has also directed the relevant ministry to deal with Merdeka song, following the various controversies surrounding the national day jingle from its propagandistic lyrics to its allegedly cribbed melody.
Gov’t scratching head over six Merdeka Day logos
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Free Malaysia Today
Why Janji Ditepati is as flat as capati
The Merdeka Day theme rings hollow because Najib’s government has broken many promises.
PETALING JAYA: This year’s Merdeka theme, ripped off from Barisan Nasional’s election campaign theme, has alienated a large portion of the public from the National Day celebrations this year.
………….
…..Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz is not to be outdone. He said the ruling coalition had the right to pick the theme because Umno, MCA and MIC fought for Merdeka.
….What has BN promised us since Najib Tun Razak became Prime Minister in 2009, and has he fulfilled those promises?
On April 2009, Najib promised to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA)) 1960 , which was initially used against communist insurgents but which gradually became a powerful weapon that BN often used against opposition politicians and other dissidents.
The government did repeal the ISA, but replaced it with another draconian law called the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.
….In other words, the government merely repealed the ISA on paper while retaining the spirit of that draconian law in the guise of a new act
………
Last February, Najib promised to introduce legislation to monitor and control funding to political parties in order to curb corruption…..Subsequently, Pemandu chief Idris Jala announced a two-tier control on political funding.
And that was the last we heard from the government on the matter.
……….
Najib, the champion of “People First, Performance Now”, has also failed to act on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the 2009 death of Teoh Beng Hock.
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Najib has also ignored the deafening calls by many, including former MACC advisor Robert Phang and former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim, to establish a tribunal to investigate the alleged wrongdoings of Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail.
With all this, and many other issues still left hanging by the government, no wonder many are saying that the Merdeka theme should be changed to “Janji Dicapati” to reflect its flatness or lack of depth.
Why Janji Ditepati is as flat as capati
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This new logo appeared in several mainstream papers
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2:37PM Aug 21, 2012 |
Close to a month after Information, Culture and Communication Minister Rais Yatim announced the scrapping of its Merdeka logo, a new one has since emerged in major dailies since last week.
The logo features similar elements but with improved graphics compared to the previous logo which was purely constructed through a combination of readily available fonts on graphic editor Photoshop.
The new logo which appeared on the frontpage of several newspapers such as Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times since last week features the number 55 in blue and yellow with wavy red lines on top of it.
Aside from that, it also has the 1Malaysia logo as well as the “Merdeka” and “Janji Ditepati” type font.
However, it is unclear whether this new logo is an official version from the information ministry. Rais (right) could not be reached for comment.
Mysterious Merdeka logo emerges in dailies
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The Malay Mail has a poll on Which is your preferred Merdeka theme?
Latest (Sat 4 Aug 2012 9am)
Poll
Poll
www.mmail.com.my – Cached
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PAKATAN’S THEME: SEBANGSA,SENEGARA, SEJIWA (ONE RACE, ONE COUNTRY, ONE SOUL)
BN’s THEME: JANJI DI TEPATI (PROMISES FULFILLED)
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QUESTION: HEADING TOWARDS MERDEKA AND MALAYSIA DAY, WHAT ARE WE FACED WITH AS A NATION?
ANSWER: THREATS AND QUESTIONS!
Free Malaysia Today
Issuing threats, ignoring questions
Are we the citizens of Malaysia being held to ransom by the powers-that-be? Please consider these instances:
- We are threatened by water shortage;
- We are threatened by uncollected garbage;
- We are threatened by the dirty voter rolls;
- We are threatened by crime and hooligans; and
- We are threatened by the law.
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A tale of two themes
By Goh Keat Peng | August 2, 2012 0
http://www.ongohing.wordpress.com
In these past several weeks, Malaysians have seen a drama unfold over what should be the Theme for their country’s forthcoming observance of its independence day. And now placed on the table of the rakyat (people) are two very different Themes.
In this drama, Malaysians have been given a look at not just the output or outcome but the PROCESS in which each of these two very important Themes have been conceived and delivered. Perception comes from how leaders (political or otherwise) go about things. Rightly or wrongly, this is how I perceive things. Correct me if I am wrong.
One theme came straight from the ruling political party coalition via the ministry of information. The party=nation. The party knows best. The rakyat (people)? Just vote us in every 4-5 years. Trust us; we do everything for you. You will always have official avenues to channel your voice to your government. On the issue of national day theme, though, we don’t need really need to hear your suggestion or criticism. We know what is good for you. We have the experience- fifty five years of it. Here then is the Theme for our independence day: “Janji Ditepati”(Promises fulfilled). The rakyat does not have to tell us but we tell you that we have kept our promises! We see no reason why our re-elections campaign theme cannot be the independence day celebration theme. Why not? As the ruling coalition, have we not kept our promises to the nation?
The other theme came from the rakyat because an invitation from the loyal opposition in parliament was issued to the rakyat: send in your own compositions of what you think will make a suitable theme.There is a name of the rakyat whose recommendation was selected from 250 entries via email: Alhaimi Adam. The public has access. The rakyat not only have the right but the opportunity to participate. Now even without any explicit call being made or promise of payment, designs of possible logo for the theme: “Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa”(One Nation, One Country, One Soul) are coming in. This is what we call free enterprise. Personal initiative. Trusting that the rakyat knows and the rakyat cares enough to be involved. Not for money or fame but for love of Malaysians and their country!
This illustrates a very fundamental issue in a true democracy. Democracy is not just simply WHAT Malaysia as a country does. It is very much also HOW we or our government go about doing so. The PROCESS is as important if not even more important than the outcome. The process in fact determines the outcome.
For that matter, for myself, a country which practises true democracy must not just hold elections and declares the results but the process in which it conducts its elections must be nothing less than CLEAN, FAIR and TRANSPARENT.
In the same way, a truly democractic country must not only be able to point to its development projects and its OUTWARD PROGRESS (since looks can be deceiving) but must demonstrate its INNER WORKINGS in the way the country’s resources (human, financial and intellectual) are being utilised according to the best practices of good governance and the way it comprehensively measures the results of its work.
As the nation observes its 55th year of independence (1957)/49th year as Malaysia (1963), we the people must insist that the government of the people must be more transparent in choosing the Theme of our independence day observance as well as in everything it does on behalf of the people. This will come only when the government of the people fully respects the independence of the PEOPLE.
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Man who disrespects the Merdeka Day of All Malaysians says, “Respect Merdeka Day.”
Sundaily
Respect Merdeka Day, urges Rais
Last updated on 1 August 2012 – 10:06pm
Cindi Loo
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1, 2012): Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim has urged detractors of the government’s chosen theme and song for Merdeka Day to respect the day, even if they continue their criticisms.
“The Opposition can criticise and make fun of this year’s theme, including the logo and the theme song,” he said.
“I take in their criticisms, but I must ask them to not deviate from respecting our Independence Day,” he said at a press conference at the ministry’s office yesterday.
Respect Merdeka Day, urges Rais
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Free Malaysia Today
Pakatan reveals its ‘one’ Merdeka theme
Former national laureate A Samad Said says the theme best reflected the all-embracing spirit of the independence celebration.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat today announced an alternative Merdeka Day theme to the ruling coalition’s controversial “Janji di Tepati” (Promises Fulfilled).
“Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa” or “One Race, One Country, One Soul” was picked after a committee of five sifted through 250 suggestions from the public in what could also be seen as an election campaign to highlight’s the opposition’s inclusive brand of governance.
Speaking to reporters at the PKR headquarters here, former national laureate A Samad Said said the suggestion, contributed by Khaimi Adam, was picked as it best reflected the all-embracing spirit of the independence celebration.
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Malaysiakini
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The Graphic Design Association of Malaysia (wRega) is currently in talks with “relevant parties” to find out how the scrapped 55th National Day logo came to be, in the hope of avoiding a future fiasco.
According to its president Zachary Ong (right), the association considers the blunder “an extremely serious issue”.
“We have launched an investigation. We are waiting for some feedback from certain parties. We are committed that this thing will never happen again,” he told Malaysiakini today.
He said that wRega is speaking to the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry and groups within the design community to get feedback.
“We don’t know (how open the government will be) to our feedback as we have not yet spoken to the right person. It’s still under investigation,” he said.
Axed Merdeka logo: Designers probing fiasco
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BN’s National Day Song, JANJI DITETAPI (Promises Fulfilled)
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Away with this politically-motivated Merdeka Day Logo!
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Malay Mail
‘Have mass gathering for all’
UMNO Supreme Council member and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi feels that the whole controversy over the Merdeka Day celebrations is much ado about nothing.
“Janji ditepati doesn’t mean janji BN. It can be interpreted as ‘the people’s promise’ to maintain peace, stability , tolerance, unity and harmony.
“Personally, I disagree with Rais. Why we are so apologetic to the Opposition?
“With the coming general election, they will politicise everything that the government does,” he told The Malay Mail.
“My suggestion? Why not supporters of all political parties meet at a mass gathering to celebrate Merdeka Day and Hari Raya together. We can make history. Why not?”said the Batu Pahat MP.
PKR vice-president, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, accused the government and Rais of disrespecting the spirit of Merdeka.
“The blatant and crude propaganda from the logo, slogan and theme song is reminiscent of North Korea,” she said.
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Sundaily
Merdeka day logo replaced
Last updated on 29 July 2012 – 09:23pm
Alyaa Alhadjri
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA (July 29, 2012): The 55th National Day celebrations logo has been replaced with the standard ‘1Malaysia’ logo, one week after it was first unveiled to much public outcry.
The decision was announced by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim on his official twitter handle @drraisyatim.
“To quell some misunderstanding we only hv 1Malaydia (sic) as logo for Merdeka n Hari Msia. There will be several promo highlights till the big day,” he tweeted earlier this morning.
(To quell some misunderstanding we only have 1Malaysia as logo for Merdeka and Hari Malaysia. There will be several promotional highlights until the big day.)
Meanwhile, Rais in a statement later clarified that the artwork used by some quarters so far is just an additional display material, not the official logo.
“There would be other promotional materials to be unveiled in the run-up to Merdeka Day on Aug 31 and Malaysia Day on Sept 16,” he said.
It was reported that the government had foregone the traditional logo designing competition this year and left the task to the Information Department.
Unimpressed with the eventual outcome, local design company Empayar Kukubesi has launched an online competition through Facebook, to come up with an alternative design for the logo.
Empayar Kukubesi company manager Bella Juhari said the contest which started last Monday has since attracted more than 400 entries.
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Rais in his statement had also said that the theme for this year’s celebrations – “55 Tahun Merdeka Janji Ditepati” – will remain unchanged.
The theme, which is also the Barisan Nasional election slogan, had drawn criticisms from various quarters who alleged that it was an attempt by the government to “hijack” the annual celebrations.
The theme is also incorporated into this year’s official song for the celebrations, with lyrics penned by Rais himself.
Critics argued that the song which goes “Janji sudah ditepati, Kini masa balas budi” (Promises has been fulfilled, so now is time to repay the favour) has made a mockery of the spirit of Merdeka and Hari Malaysia which is supposed to unite Malaysians from all walks of life.
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Malaysian Insider
Please differentiate interests for National Day — Abdul Aziz Abdullah
JULY 29 — I refer to your report headlined “Putrajaya axes controversial 55th. N-Day logo” that appeared on 29 July 2012.
It saddens me greatly to note that the Government-of-the-day, in its zeal to promote itself as the one-and-only capable authority to manage the affairs of this fair land of ours, has completely lost focus on what our National Day imbibes.
In my mind, Malaysia’s National Day belongs to ALL of us, loyal Malaysian citizens, for the purposes of reminiscing the intricacies of our inter-ethnic cooperation that finally led to us gaining independence from Great Britain without shedding any blood….
These are the aspirations of each and every Malaysian, sans differentiation of ethnicity, religion, wealth, status and above all, political affiliations.
National Days belongs to me, you and every loyal Malaysian who cares for the nation and her well being.
It is not, nay, it is NEVER, the prerogative nor the privilege of the government currently in power to hijack and use it to evoke sentiments of gross partisanship and electoral ploy!…..
Please, for heavens sake, if winning elections is the primary concern of the powers-that-be, do use other less sacrosanct occasions to sieve in such attempts.
Refrain from blemishing the sanctity of our National Day by surreptitiously including partisan overtones in what is supposed to be a celebration by ALL Malaysians for ALL Malaysians within a SINGLE nation.
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* Captain Abdul Aziz Abdullah reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Please differentiate interests for National Day — Abdul Aziz Abdullah
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Malaysian Insider
Putrajaya axes controversial 55th N-Day logo
KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Putrajaya dialled back today on the controversial “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled) logo for the country’s National Day celebrations after a public furore and replaced it with the 1 Malaysia logo, a sign of a jittery government in the run-up to national polls.
The move was announced by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim earlier this morning over Twitter.
“To quell some misunderstanding we only hv 1Malaydia (sic) as logo for Merdeka n Hari Msia. There will be several promo hihglights till th big day,” he said on his Twitter account, @DrRaisYatim.
“Tahun ini seperti tahun lalu tiada logo rasmi melainkan logo 1Malaysia. Cuma temanya ialah 55 Tahun Merdeka Janji ditepati. (This year as in past years there is no official logo save the 1Malaysia logo. Only the theme is 55 Years of Indepence Promises fulfilled.)
“Bahan hiasan (artwork) kini hanya paparan selingan bukan logo rasmi. Ada bbp bahan promo menjelang Hari Merdeka 31 Ogos dan Hari Malaysia. (The current artwork is only a variation of the illustration and not the official logo. There are several promotional items in the run-up to Independence Day on August 31 and Malaysia Day),” he added.
The reversal is a major embarassment for Rais who had only two days ago defended the “Promises Fulfilled” theme that had received a public drubbing last week when it was unveiled.
He had pointed out in a message on his Twitter account then that “everything can look bad if the mind is closed”.
“Malaysia has truly arrived as an achieving nation after 55 years of independence. Why can’t we say janji ditepati?” he said in response to growing criticisms against the theme for mirroring the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) political campaign theme ahead of the 13th general election due in nine months.
Putrajaya axes controversial 55th N-Day logo
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Malaysiakini
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9:18AM Jul 29, 2012 |
The government has decided to replace the 55th National Day celebrations logo with the standard 1Malaysia logo after a week of public outcry.
Announcing this in a post on micro-blogging site Twitter, Information, Communications and Culture Rais Yatim said this is to “quell misunderstanding”.
“To quell some misunderstanding, we (will) only have 1Malaysia as (the) logo for Merdeka (and) Hari Malaysia,” he said.
Merdeka Day is celebrated on Aug 31 while Malaysians observe National Day on Sept 16.
Yesterday, Graphic Design Association of Malaysia (wREGA) president Zachary Ong said he was “appalled by the poor quality in creativity, skill, execution and rationale” of the logo for this year’s independence celebrations.
Netizens were up in arms over the logo, which DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said would make Malaysia “a laughing stock”.
The uproar sparked parodies and jokes, and local designers even set up an online competition to come up with their own versions of how the logo ought to look like.
In the wake of the controversy, Rais yesterday defended the logo and dismissed the criticism as “political”.
Gov’t scraps controversial Merdeka logo
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Malaysiakini
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3:32PM Jul 28, 2012 |
The Graphic Design Association of Malaysia (wREGA) plans to lobby the government to push for the Merdeka Day logo to be changed.
In a posting on their Facebook this week, wREGA president Zachary Ong said he was “appalled by the poor quality in creativity, skill, execution and rationale” of the logo for this year’s independence celebrations.
“We believe it does not do justice to represent the real virtues, principles and spirit of independence of our country.
“We are genuinely and deeply concerned that the quality of good graphic design of this country is deteriorating,” said Ong in the posting.
He added that the association is “taking the necessary actions to speak to relevant parties to seek understanding and work out a solution”.
Design professionals find Merdeka logo appalling
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Malaysiakini
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6:30PM Jul 26, 2012 |
The new national day logo and theme will make Malaysia a ‘laughing stock’ among its people and around the world when the Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day celebrations come, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang says.
The much-criticised ‘Janji ditepati’ (Promises fulfilled) theme of the celebrations and the accompanying logo, the Ipoh Timor MP said, have become the most divisive slogan in the nation’s history.
This was also a contradiction of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s ‘signature policy slogan’ of 1Malaysia.
“It is sad and shocking that this year’s National Day is no longer conceived as a national celebration as it has been hijacked by Umno and BN.
“They are blatantly using their own slogan, which will divide rather than unite Malaysians, and yet nobody in the cabinet or government sees that this is just wrong and anti-national,” Lim said.
This was also the latest and most potent example of Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan being undermined and violated, “a living example of ‘Janji Diketepikan’ (Promises sidelined), instead of ‘Janji Ditepati'”, he added.
Malaysiakini
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Unimpressed with the official 55th National Day celebration logo, local graphic designers are proving they can walk their talk by competing to come up with alternate logos for the Aug 31 event.
Barely four days since it opened, the competition organised by local design company Empayar Kukubesi has already received more than 45 entries, and counting.
According to company manager Bella Juhari, her boss – a mysterious designer who only wants to be known as ‘Kukubesi’ – got the idea for the contest after the issue become a “hot topic” among local design enthusiasts.
www.malaysiakini.com/news/204866
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weehingthong 
Pingback: BN’s National Day Song, JANJI DITETAPI (Promises Fulfilled) | weehingthong
What a farce! I don’t know if I like any of them. They all seem an attempt to push through as many BN logos and catch phrases as possible!