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UPDATE:  Organisers said the Walk has been cancelled as advised by the Police, but the talk by the Minister is on. Particpants are advised to go straight go to the NPC.

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Democracy in Malaysia is evolving and maturing.

Growth means change and growth often calls for one to leave behind zones of comfort and venture into unknown places. While some changes are slower to materialise, other changes that we can observe already taking place are truly refreshing.

One of those changes which will profoundly and positively impact democratic growth is the move towards Information Freedom.

From 9 am on Sunday the 1st of June 2008, Malaysian journalists and their fellow citizens will, together, demonstrate their keen desire for Media Freedom by taking a symbolic Walk at Dataran Merdeka.

To avoid problems with security laws, there will be NO PUBLIC GATHERING. Instead, participants are being asked to arrive on their own in ones and twos, show their respect to the National Flag at the Dataran, and then proceed immediately to the National Press Club which is just around the corner (location map and suggested walking route to be provided). Those who wish to do so are invited to wear something yellow, a reflection that this is a People's Activity.

Underlining the importance of this initiative, YB Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has kindly consented to deliver the keynote address, explaining his views about the road to Media Freedom. Datuk Zaid is a Minister in the PM's Department and the de facto Law Minister. From practically the first day of his appointment, he has said and done things that have pleased the people, especially the legal community, and has conveyed a very positive feeling about what he intends to accomplish.

Datuk Zaid has two requests - that journalists turn up in large numbers and that this program calls for ethics and accountability as much as it calls
for freedom. Since this is the very thrust of this campaign and exactly what we are calling upon the writer community to deliver, it looks like we are
very much in sync.

While we, the organisers, can direct the theme and thrust of the event, journalist participation will be determined by organisations such as the NUJ, the NPC and the various media groups. We look forward to strong support from them. This is an opportunity that they should not miss out on. Please pass the word around and tell every journalist whom you know about this event.

Here is your opportunity to show that you desire Media Freedom. Come and take the Walk with your journalist brethren and show your solidarity with them. We, as a people, can help to move our nation forward on the road to civil liberties.

See you there on Sunday 1st June 2008.

Details, call Gayathry 016-3123478/019-7257970

P/S (27/5)

For your information, the minister, Zaid Ibrahim is even keen to walk with the journalists, so hopefully you will turn up. This is the first time such things have been organised, so would really appreciate your participation and do spread the word.!

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Dayak NGOs weak: Mawan
By Gaing Kunding, The Borneo Post
26 May 2008


‘Our people who have been identifying with these NGOs risk being left further behind other communities’

PAKAN: Dayak-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are still very weak despite the fact that most of them have existed for a long time.

Dayaks are, therefore, urged to unite behind these NGOs to strengthen them.

Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom said this on Saturday during a Gawai Dayak dinner at Dewan Masyarakat here.

The function where Pakan Branch of Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) was launched was also attended by Mawan’s wife Datin Sri Julia and Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Telecommunications Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, who is also Julau MP.

“Take for example, SDNU, Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) which were established more than 40 years ago. These organisations are strong in spirits but weak in action. They may have far-sightedness but they have been stumbling over the years,??? said Mawan.

“We must address these problems immediately or else our people who have been identifying themselves with SDNU, SIDS and Sadia as well as other newer NGOs, would risk being left further behind other communities, many of which are already well ahead of us.???

Mawan said some negative traits affecting Dayak community were the tendency to pick on and blow up trivial issues, parochialism and self-centred mindset and these had become our community’s stumbling block towards our development and progress.

“We have the bad habits of always picking up on little, little things that are in fact very negligible, and too tiny to be seen, felt or heard. We must try our very best to discard this negative mentality as we strive to address a bigger picture of development and progress within and for our community,??? said Mawan.

Mawan said therefore that this year’s Gawai Dayak theme of ‘Segulai Sejalai Sepenemu’ (Journeying Together Harmoniously) should be taken seriously and practised by the community.

“We should forge greater unity, forgive and forget as we celebrate our traditional harvest festival of Gawai Dayak,??? said Mawan, who is also Pakan assemblyman.

Datuk Joseph Salang, who spoke earlier at the function, reminded Dayaks to be thankful and be appreciative of what they had and whatever successes that they had achieved.

“We should also always be thankful to God for our achievements and abundance that we enjoy physically, mentally and spiritually,??? said Salang, who went to promise that he would work closely with Mawan in developing Pakan and Julau areas through the BN government.

Among those who also attended the function were two political secretaries to the Chief Minister - Paul Igai and Peter Howell Jilan, Sarikei Resident Michael Dawi Alli, Pakan District Officer Inting Nyami, Meradong and Julau District Council Secretary Adrian Luang, organising chairperson who is also SIDS Pakan branch head Selah Kasen, local heads of government departments and agencies and community leaders.

At the function, Penghulu Bakak Mirom was installed as SDNU Pakan branch chairman while Selah was formally installed as SIDS Pakan branch chief. Datin Sri Julia Mawan is the permanent advisor of SIDS Pakan branch.
 

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Mukhriz, ask your father to answer first, lah
By Haris Ibrahim
May 22, 2008

Good question, Jerlun.

Malaysiakini reports today that during Zaid’s speech in Parliament today, ‘new broom sweeps clean’ Mukhriz interrupted to query about Zaki Azmi’s meteoric rise to the No.2 position in the judiciary.

Yes, why indeed was Zaki appointed Court of Appeal president over the heads of so many other more experienced judges? That, too, after doing a hop, step and jump straight into the Federal Court.

Don’t ask Zaid to answer this, though. Zaki ascended to where he is now well before Zaid was appointed Law Minister.

Ask Pak Lah and Nazri Aziz.

Perhaps, though, your dad could first explain why he appointed Fairuz over the top of the head of the more senior and more experienced late Justice Abdul Malek Ahmed.

We all know your dad suffered a serious loss of memory at the RCI hearing, but he seems to have got his wits together again of late.

Do let us know if he is now able to recall his reasons for appointing Fairuz.

The rakyat have a few more pressing questions for him to answer.

Might as well get answers to these before he lapses into forgetfulness again.

(Posted by Haris Ibrahim, who heads the People's Parliament, an NGO which promotes the concept of people's power running supreme, even superior to the House of Representatives named the Parliament.)

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BENAR’s Journo-Rakyat walk for media freedom

By Haris Ibrahim of The People’s Parliament

May 25, 2008

 

In ‘The BENAR message to journos : rakyat jaga sama you, you jaga sama rakyat post’, I had written:

‘To the journalists out there who continue day in day out to try and do an honest day’s work, I say now that you owe it to yourselves to think long and hard about what you can do to restore honour to your profession.

I will walk with any journalist who will begin his or her journey to ‘Dare To Be Free’."

Well, BENAR’s Birdseye and SV Singam have quietly been working.

And the walk is on!

 

Date : 1st June, 2008

Time : 9.00 am

Starting point : Dataran Merdeka

Destination : National Press Club

The following has been excerpted from the BENAR blog :

While we, the organisers, can direct the theme and thrust of the event, journalist participation will be determined by organisations such as the NUJ, the NPC and the various media groups. We look forward to strong support from them. This is an opportunity that they should not miss out on. Please pass the word around and tell every journalist whom you know about this event.

As to ordinary citizens and bloggers, here is your opportunity to show that you desire Media Freedom. Come and take the Walk with your journalist brethren and show your solidarity with them. We, as a people, can help to move our nation forward on the road to civil liberties.

For more info, go to the BENAR blog HERE

See you all at Dataran on Sunday, 1st June, 2008.

 

The Walk is on 

 

Democracy in Malaysia is evolving and maturing. 

Growth means change and growth often calls for one to leave behind zones of comfort and venture into unknown places. While some changes are slower to materialise, other changes that we can observe already taking place are truly refreshing.

One of those changes which will profoundly and positively impact democratic growth is the move towards Information Freedom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From 9 am on Sunday the 1st of June 2008, Malaysian journalists and their fellow citizens will, together, demonstrate their keen desire for Media Freedom by taking a symbolic Walk at Dataran Merdeka.

To avoid problems with security laws, there will be NO PUBLIC GATHERING. Instead, participants are being asked to arrive on their own in ones and twos, show their respect to the National Flag at the Dataran, and then proceed immediately to the National Press Club which is just around the corner (location map and suggested walking route to be provided). Those who wish to do so are invited to wear something yellow, a reflection that this is a People’s Activity.

Underlining the importance of this initiative, YB Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has kindly consented to deliver the keynote address, explaining his views about the road to Media Freedom. Datuk Zaid is a Minister in the PM’s Department and the de facto Law Minister. From practically the first day of his appointment, he has said and done things that have pleased the people, especially the legal community, and has conveyed a very positive feeling about what he intends to accomplish.

Datuk Zaid has two requests - that journalists turn up in large numbers and that this program calls for ethics and accountability as much as it calls for freedom. Since this is the very thrust of this campaign and exactly what we are calling upon the writer community to deliver, it looks like we are very much in sync.

While we, the organisers, can direct the theme and thrust of the event, journalist participation will be determined by organisations such as the NUJ, the NPC and the various media groups. We look forward to strong support from them. This is an opportunity that they should not miss out on. Please pass the word around and tell every journalist whom you know about this event.

As to ordinary citizens and bloggers, here is your opportunity to show that you desire Media Freedom. Come and take the Walk with your journalist brethren and show your solidarity with them. We, as a people, can help to move our nation forward on the road to civil liberties.

See you there on Sunday 1st June 2008
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Police report lodged on indelible ink issue

Charles Ramendran and Husna Yusop,

The Sun, page 2

Friday, 23 May 2008

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and the National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI) yesterday lodged a police report against four top government offi cials for allegedly conspiring to scrap the use of indelible ink in the last general election and for misleading voters into believing there was sabotage by certain quarters. Bersih secretariat member Faisal Mustaffa lodged the report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters, naming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail,  Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Elections Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman. He said there were contradicting versions given by the four on why and who ordered the scrapping of the use of the ink to identify those who had already voted.

"This refl ects very badly on the country now that it is clear there never was any case of anyone trying to misuse the ink. The so-called move to use the ink for a fair and transparent election was called off merely on hearsay. So we want the authorities to investigate how the IGP came up with claims that four police reports were lodged and the others for supporting the proposal to scrap the ink," he said.

NIEI executive director Amin Shah Iskandar said he had acted as an international observer of elections in a dozen countries where indelible ink was used and they never faced any problems. "Here we were told just four days before the election that the plan was being scrapped over some claim which was just hearsay. It appears there was never an intention to use the ink in the fi rst place and they have wasted RM2.4 million of taxpayers’ money," said Amin, who was an observer in Nepal’s election last month.

Amin said the ink was specially made and its sale was strictly regulated by its producers exclusively for election purposes.

On March 4 – four days before the 12th general election – Abdul Rashid, Musa and Abdul Ghani had announced the scrapping of the use of indelible ink as it may be subjected to abuse. Musa had also said four police reports were lodged and four people were questioned over the smuggling of the ink. However, last week, to a question put to him by an opposition MP, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar revealed that the scrapping of the use of indelible ink was based merely on hearsay. It was later also revealed that there were neither police reports nor any proof the ink had been smuggled in.

The issue took up time at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, as opposition MPs asked the same questions posed by Bersih.  Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nazri Abdul Aziz maintained that it was the EC’s decision but the MPs did not accept this because, during the press conference before the election, Abdul Rashid had announced that it was the cabinet’s decision.  Nazri also said the decision was based on various grounds, but this only confused the MPs further.

Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) called for Nazri to be referred to the Committee of Privileges for misleading and confusing the MPs.

Nazri said the cancellation of the ink was because it would not serve its actual objective of preventing people from voting twice.
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