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Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — A Sabah Catholic bishop has questioned if a 49-year-old federal agreement to uphold religious freedom and other native rights and customs has been kept as Malaysia marked the anniversary of its founding yesterday, signalling rising discontent at Putrajaya’s seeming neglect of the state over the years.

Bishop Datuk Cornelius Piong gave a reminder that 49 years ago leaders from the federation of Malaya promised the people of Sabah they would progress together and have their basic human rights protected, in a pitch to convince them to join forces and form the country, now known as Malaysia, with partner states Sarawak and Singapore.

The three key pledges, Piong highlighted, were guarantees that Sabahans would have freedom of religion, their native land would be safeguarded by the state government, and the federal government would respect and protect Sabah local customs.

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On Malaysia Day, Sabah bishop reminds Putrajaya of Keningau oath stone pledges

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Perth Malaysia Day Yellow Picnic

Sept 16 is Malaysia Day and a Sunday. Malaysians and friends alike can have a yellow picnic in person, not just on the mobile or monitor so drop the facebook for a day and come out for a bit of the sun. Bring a plate to share, and drinks to share the laughter. Barbeque pits are nearby for a steak or shrimps. However, no yellow cake as WA should be nuclear free.

Meet at Synergy Parklands just off May Drive, near bbq pit south of Vietnam Memorial Pavillion. See map. http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/images/stories/common/maps_lg/Synergy_Park_Map_WEB_Feb10.pdf

AND SO THEY MET!

WHAT A WONDERFUL RELAXING WAY TO CELEBRATE MALAYSIA DAY!

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MALAYSIA DAY WAS NEVER REALLY A DAY THAT WEST MALAYSIANS CELEBRATED, AND WHILE THE DAY IS NOW A PUBLIC HOLIDAY, IT REMAINS LARGELY THE POOR YOUNGER SISTER OF MERDEKA DAY.

This is true regardless of the BIG LIE that people in the Government tell.

Star

Sunday September 16, 2012 MYT 7:41:10 PM

PM: Aug 31 and Sept 16 are equally important dates

By STEPHEN THEN

BINTULU: Merdeka Day, which falls on Aug 31, and Malaysia Day, which falls on Sept 16, are equally significant dates, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak said, urging an end to squabbles and debates about which of the two dates was more important.

PM: Aug 31 and Sept 16 are equally important dates

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16 September 2012 | last updated at 07:23PM

‘More emphasis on Malaysia Day needed’

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Malaysiakini

The police will investigate the protest calling for clean and fair campus elections today for alleged violations of the Public Assembly Act 2012, said Dang Wangi district police chief Zainuddin Ahmad.

“Yes, we will investigate because they have committed an offence. Firstly, they did not inform the police that they would organise the rally.

“Secondly, they have done a street protest by marching in an open space,” he told reporters when asked whether any further action would be taken against the students.

He was speaking to reporters when met near Dataran Merdeka after the rally.

Zainuddin also said that 80 police personnel were involved in supervising the peaceful protest.
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Cops say students violated PAA, but march peaceful

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Malaysiakini

UPDATED

Koh Jun Lin & Zulaikha Zulkifli 3:37PM Sep 16, 2012

About 800 students gathered at Masjid Jamek in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon in a rally to demand for clean and fair campus elections.

The students made six demands in relation to campus elections, which were supposed to be held in March, but have been postponed to between Sept 20 to Sept 25.

• Allow individual universities to decide on the campus election date and fix it.
• The outgoing student council leaders should be given decision-making powers in managing the running of the elections.
• Form independent bodies that to monitor the campus elections.
• Ensure a transparent electoral system, such as by having an electronic polling system that also prints out the voter’s choice to be cast as a ballot, so that recounts can be made if necessary.
• Allow the freedom to campaign for the election, including a five-day campaign period, to allow students to use any media of their choice for campaigning.
• Provide election candidates with a campaign allocation whether in the form of financial or material support.

Edikoup also said that memorandums has already been sent to several universities over the past week, including Universiti Malaya, Sultan Idris Teaching Universiti (UPSI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, but the response has negative.

A memorandum would be sent to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) as well, sometime next week.

Malaysiakini

About 500 students gathered at Masjid Jamek in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon in a rally to demand for clean and fair campus elections.

Starting at 2.30pm, the student group began to march from the mosque towards Dataran Merdeka and on to Sogo Department Store at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

At the iconic square at the intersections of Jalan Parlimen and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the students sang Negaraku before proceeding towards Sogo.

They carried with them the national flag and banners bearing slogans such as ‘transparent elections’, ‘allocate funds for candidates’ and ‘fix election dates’.

While on their march they shouted “rise up, youth”, “reject fraud” and “long live the students”. Also spotted was the pro-student mascot ‘Mat Gempak’.

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The students are upset that the campus elections date has been fixed for next week, at the last minute.

The move has sparked critics such as the coalition for free and fair elections Bersih 2.0 to ask if the government was trying to manipulate the campus polls.

Students march through KL for ‘clean’ campus polls

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Malaysia Chronicle

Sunday, 16 September 2012 00:00

HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY

Written by  Azmin Ali

Today we should reflect on the meaning of Malaysia as a country and as a nation. It has been 49 years, what have this country and nation achieved and what is more to build for the next generations.

On 16th September 1963, Malaysia was formed when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the federation of Tanah Melayu. They agreed to found a sovereign country. The forming of Malaysia helps to justify the shared ambition to fortify Malaysia as a strong, prosperous nation that is respected by the world.

In the formation of Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak were promised equal partnership in the Federation of Malaysia on the basis of constitutional principles to ensure a fair power distribution, equal economy, justice and to free the people from ‘mind and soul’ invasion and to uplift the dignity of Malaysian people.

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EADILAN and Pakatan Rakyat are committed to restoring autonomy for Sabah and Sarawak, in parallel with the Federation of Malaysia’s core and Federal Constitution. Nationalism was introduced to inculcate a loyalty and love towards the country, to create a push for the citizens of Malaysia for the betterment of the country and to create the feeling of pride and appreciation in being Malaysian.

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I call upon all Malaysians, including those in Sabah and Sarawak to rise to a new vision that strives to accept diversity and return the economic rights to the people, and also freedom, so that we can all share in a bright and concrete future for Malaysia.

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On Malaysia Day this year, let us, the Malaysian people who still have dignity and a free soul, stand together to renew our appreciation for the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

KEADILAN is committed to be with the people of Sabah and Sarawak in order to guarantee a fair economic distribution and protecting the values of democracy and freedom. This is the moment, to finally make Malaysia a free and sovereign country.

Happy Malaysia Day, Koto Bian Tadau Malaysia.

Mohamed Azmin Ali is Deputy President, Parti Keadilan Rakyat

HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY

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Malaysiakini

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s inflammatory speech on Malay survival was divisive and added another dent to his 1Malaysia policy, said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua.

Making matters worse, he said, was that the speech was made on the eve of the 49th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia.

“His exhortation to the Malays proved that the prime minister is more than willing to play the racial card to protect BN’s hold on power.”

He has shown that he speaks not as the prime minister for all Malaysians, but an instigator of continued racial division in the country,” he said in a statement today.

Pua said he hoped the Malay community would not be easily threatened by Najib and together with other Malaysians, would vote for a government representative of Malaysians.

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DAP: Even on M’sia Day, PM seeks to divide

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Malaysiakini

The 13th General Election is not an ordinary election. Instead, it will determine the survival of the Malays, said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The Umno president said the Malays should realise that as the backbone of the BN, Umno would be able to continue the struggle of the Malays and Islam.

“The opposition is fragile, they do not have the same ideology. In Barisan Nasional, Umno is the backbone. In the opposition, who is the backbone? Is it PAS, DAP or PKR?

“PKR is weak, if they come together, DAP boasts more seats. Can the Malays rely on DAP?

“DAP has never been happy with the position of the Malays and Muslims. Look at Perak’s experience,” he added.

“Their (DAP’s) sentiments are not like ours. This is not about winning or losing, this is the question of the survival of the Malays.

“If you want to maintain the backbone of the government, make sure Umno wins,” he said when closing the Pekan Umno division delegates’ meeting in Pekan today.

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Najib, who is also Pekan Umno division chief, said the Malays and Umno members should unite in confronting challenges in the general election.

If the current government was replaced, the Malays would find themselves in a difficult position, he added.

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GE13 determines survival of Malays, says Najib

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Free Malaysia Today

Malaysia Day celebrations? Really?

What would these celebrations mean to the indigenous communities and poor people in Sabah and Sarawak who see no end to their woes?

By Charles Santiago

The people of Sabah and Sarawak have nothing to celebrate. I know it’s Malaysia Day and the politically correct thing to do is to be jubilant. But let me say this again – glitzy costumes, loud music and grand celebrations that will bleed our coffers by the millions will not wipe out the truth.

And in this case the tears of the people in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sunday is Malaysia Day, the day that Malaysia’s largest state Sarawak, and Sabah on Borneo Island joined the federation of Malaya in 1963, six years after the country’s independence from Britain.

But half a century on, many are wondering just how much they have to celebrate.

For one, Sarawak has abundant resources such as palm oil, oil and gas, timber and hydroelectric power. And yet, its people are among the poorest in the country and the state lags behind the rest of Malaysia.

Many of its indigenous communities have no electricity, even some who live close to giant hydroelectric projects like the Bakun Dam, which forcefully relocated some 10,000 indigenous people.

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Taib, who has ruled Sarawak for three decades, has amassed huge wealth. Early this year, it was reported that leaked documents show that Taib is linked to 31 companies that have been given land for palm oil plantations. This amounts to 200,000 hectares, equivalent to three times the size of Singapore.

The Taib family has stakes in 332 Malaysian and 85 foreign companies. And the net stake in 14 Malaysian companies, as reported, is over USD1.46 billion

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The poorest state

Sabah is yet another sad story. It’s the poorest state in Malaysia while the chief minister Aman Musa has also accumulated vast wealth. While there has been one too many accusations of corruption leveled at Aman, now his name has hit international headlines for money laundering.

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So what are these Malaysia Day celebrations about when it’s clear that the merger with Malaya has only worked to allow a free ticket to the ruling elite in Sabah and Sarawak to abuse their powers and accumulate vast wealth, at the expense of the people of the state?

What would these celebrations mean to the indigenous communities and poor people in Sabah and Sarawak who see no end to their woes? I don’t have the answer.

Charles Santiago is DAP’s MP for Klang

Malaysia Day celebrations? Really?

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