Kit Siang mocks KL bid to shape US view of Sodomy II

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today called a seminar organised by a lobby group in Washington DC yesterday the “strangest cloak and dagger seminar” and advised against wasting public funds to influence public opinion in the US over issues like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy prosecution.

The “Governance and Rule of Law” seminar was organised by the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and sanctioned by Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Jamaluddin Jarjis.

But the seminar turned farcical after it was declared off-the-record at the last minute, while only one of three scheduled speakers — Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz — turned up.

The other two speakers — Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad — failed to make the event.

CSIS had earlier sent out invitations to the media and said the seminar would be on-the-record and open for coverage.

Nazri’s speech and the subsequent question-and-answer session were also cut short.

“I agree with the former United States Ambassador to Malaysia, John R Mallot, who had described the seminar as the ‘strangest’ he had attended in Washington DC.

“The last-minute conversion of the CSIS seminar into an ‘off-the-record’ session gave it a cloak-and-dagger character that what Nazri said in his speech and Q & A cannot stand public and international scrutiny. Mallot said that it was ‘unusual’ for the session to be off-the-record, which is ‘very rare for a Washington think-tank’,” said Lim.

Lim also claimed that the crowd at the seminar was dismal, saying “one account put it as about 40 people”.

“Has the Malaysian government achieved its purpose in the CSIS seminar, in convincing Washington opinion about the justice, propriety and justification for the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy II prosecution and persecution?

“From all accounts, the answer must be an unequivocal ‘No’. The ‘strangest’ cloak-and-dagger CSIS seminar in Washington is not a coup for the new Malaysian ambassador to Washington, Jamaluddin Jarjis but a major blot on his record book,” according to the DAP stalwart.

Lim said the only way for Malaysia to escape condemnation for Sodomy II would be to drop the charges against Anwar.-MalaysianInsider

Ucapan Pengerusi DAP Kuala Terengganu

Majlis Sambutan Gong Xi Fa Cai DUN Sura, Dungun

Chinese New Year Message by Lim Guan Eng

Chinese New Year Message by Lim Guan Eng in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 11^th February 2010:

Chinese New Year Message 2010

DAP urges all Malaysians to reject words and actions which preach hate, lies and violence, and instead adopt values based on knowledge, peace and compassion.

DAP seeks a Middle Malaysia that prefers co-operation not conflict, consultation instead of confrontation and an inclusive shared society rather than an exclusive separate society. A shared society is one that celebrates diversity and assures everyone a place in society by guaranteeing democratic participation, respect for diversity and human dignity,offering equal opportunity; and protection from discrimination.

The continued political prosecution of the Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and BN's refusal to respect the right of Perak people to determine their duly elected state government marks a disturbing departure from the nation's commitment to rule of law, justice, democracy.

Malaysia has no alternative but to be able to compete internationally if we are to transform ourselves to a developed knowledge-intensive economy.

We must put knowledge above connections, needs above race, merits above privileges, public interest above private interest, integrity above corruption, and performance above individual entitlement. In other words, Malaysia requires a people-centric and not a crony-based government.

DAP wishes every Malaysian a happy 2010 Chinese New Year that marks a celebration of good triumphing over evil. DAP hopes that the year of the Tiger will bless every Malaysian with good health, success, prosperity, and peace.

Kit Siang wants Najib to respond to PERC report

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Lim Kit Siang said today that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must respond to a damaging report by an international risk consultancy which said that Malaysia was veering towards instability.

The Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) report noted that Najib’s administration is steering the nation towards instability.

PERC also said that Najib’s strategy of “trying to be all things to all people” through his supposedly all-encompassing 1 Malaysia concept is likely to “satisfy no one.”

“(So) what is Najib’s response to PERC’s report and the prospect of Malaysia becoming even more uncompetitive internationally because of his failing strategy to be all things to all people?” asked Lim today.

The Ipoh Timur MP then highlighted parts of the report including PERC raising Malaysia’s risk index from 5.24 in December to 5.4 in January

— out of a possible maximum score 10 for highest level of risk.

PERC also asserted that a group of elite minorities were dominating the national agenda to the extent that it was hurting Malaysia’s attractiveness to investors.

It noted that foreign investments into Malaysia have not been forthcoming, either in direct form or in the equity markets.

The consultancy said this was due to the “probable” fact that no other Asian country is suffering from as much bad press as Malaysia.

Among the developments that caught its attention were the theft of military jet engines, detention of terror suspects from a number of African and Middle East countries following warnings that Islamic militants were planning attacks on foreigners at resorts in Sabah.

It also pointed to renewed ethnic and religious “violence” that included arson at some churches and mosques desecration, and questionable integrity of key institutions like the judicial system in the sodomy trial of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

““Foreign companies and investors are remaining cautious until they see how Malaysia gets its own house in order,” said the report.

Lim said PERC has also been critical of Najib’s premiership and this has reaffirmed his earlier criticism that the latter’s 1 Malaysia concept is “wishy-washy” and littered with double standards.

The former opposition leader also said yesterday’s Federal Court verdict that upheld BN as the rightful Perak government will also hurt the country’s competitiveness.

“It legitimises Najib’s Barisan Nasional coup d’tat government in Perak,” said Lim, arguing that this would affect public confidence in the judiciary.