www.wansaiful.com

Yes…. ok…. I know …. Anwar has been accused of sodomy again. But so many people is commenting on it, I thought I better blog about something else.

This caught my eyes today - GERAMM

GERAMM says that they are “a pakatan generasi muda yang membentuk solidariti untuk menyatakan bantahan ke atas kenaikan mendadak harga minyak yang diumumkan oleh kerajaan pada awal Jun lepas.” Their “About Us” page starts by saying: “Kempen berterusan dan himpunan-himpunan rakyat secara teratur untuk membantah kenaikan harga minyak perlu diadakan.”

GERAMM stands for Gerakan Rakyat Anti Manipulasi Minyak. The naming shows their confusion. If they are against price manipulation, then they should be supporting the abolition of subsidies. Price manipulation is when the state intervenes to artificially distort fuel price with subsidies.
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The Star reported today:

Johor Sultan unhappy with DAP’s Gwee
By MEERA VIJAYAN

JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor Sultan Iskandar Ismail has expressed his displeasure at a DAP state assemblyman for not wearing the official attire at the State Assembly sitting.

He also challenged Bentayan state assemblyman Gwee Tong Hiang to come forward and seek an audience with him.

“Ada yang kat sini, yang semalam atau yang hari kelmarin, yang menunjuk-nunjuk jaguh, yang tak mahu pakai senonoh, kalau hendak, ini jam keluar kat sini (There are people here, who yesterday or the day before, tried to be heroes by not dressing decently … come out now here),” he said during his speech to officially launch the district of Kulai Jaya on Sunday.

Gwee was not present at the function.

The controversy began when the state DAP assemblymen did not know whether to wear the songkok or not at the first State Assembly sitting.

A decision was made by the DAP state committee for all four DAP assemblymen to wear the full attire.

However, Gwee chose to dress in a Western-style suit and was thrown out of the assembly by Speaker Datuk Ali Hassan about an hour before Sultan Iskandar arrived on Friday.

Meanwhile, after the function Sunday, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said that henceforth, all those attending the Sultan’s functions would be required to abide by the regulations.

He said Malay men had to be dressed in Baju Melayu Johor Teluk Belanga and songkok (headgear), while Malay women had to wear the Baju Kurung Johor Teluk Belanga with tudung (headscarf).

“Non-Malay men must be dressed in suits with songkok, while non-Malay women must wear the Baju Kurung Johor Teluk Belanga.

“Non-Malay women must wear the tudung if they are in the Sultan’s palace,” he said.

When contacted, Gwee declined to comment.

Even non-Malay women have to wear the headscarf when in the Sultan’s palace. Yeah, right! Somenone needs to have a word with the Sultanah. Or does Her Royal Highness boycott all the Sultan’s functions in protest of such policy?

Abidin Muhriz wrote an excellent piece which can be found here.

Report published in Harakahdaily .

Pergerakan Islam antarabangsa kagumi kejayaan PAS
Anis Nazri
Wed | Jun 04, 08 | 11:43:57 am MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Jun (Hrkh) - Kemenangan PAS dalam pilihan raya umum ke-12, 8 Mac lalu mendapat penghargaan, selain berjaya menyuntik semangat baru kepada pejuang Islam di seluruh dunia daripada wakil-wakil gerakan Islam antarabangsa.

Penghargaan tersebut dinyatakan kepada Presiden PAS, Dato’ Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang, ketika beliau menghadiri Kongres Antarabangsa Gerakan Islam Sedunia, di Istanbul, 29 hingga 30 Mei lalu.

Ustaz Hadi turut diberi penghormatan menjadi tetamu kehormat kongres itu, selain memberikan ucapan di majlis pembukaan kongres yang dianjurkan Parti Saadet, pimpinan bekas Perdana Menteri Turki, Dr Necmettin Erbakan.
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At lunch on Friday, 16 May 08, YB Dr Syed Azman and YB Dato Kamarudin Jaffar - both of whom were in London - asked if I could arrange a meeting with Waytha Moorthy, chairman of Hindraf. A quick phone call later, the meeting was set in West London at 5pm. It was a good, cordial meeting. I don’t think I should disclose the content of the discussion, but I am sure an official announcement will be made in Harakahdaily very soon.

In any case, I asked Waytha a question that has been burning in my mind - since Hindu Rights Action Force is an ethno-religious grouping, is he not taking Malaysia a step backwards? Waytha, in his usual calm manner, provideed an answer that helped me to understand why things are the way they are. I personally would not do it that way, and I told him that. But at least I understand.

Some pics of the meeting:

And then, on Saturday evening, we had dinner at Ibrahimsa’s house. Joining us was the legendary Brother Faruqi, editor of Impact Magazine.

In September 2004, in his closing speech at UMNO’s general assembly, Datuk Seri Abdullah said “They wanted to know that since Tunku Abdul Rahman has been given the title of ‘Bapa Kemerdekaan’ (Father of Independence), Tun Razak ‘Bapa Pembangunan’ (Father of Development), Tun Hussein Onn ‘Bapa Perpaduan’ (Father of Unity), Dr Mahathir ‘Bapa Pemodenanan’ (Father of Modernisation), what title is to be given to Pak Lah? Pak Lah wants only to be known as Pak Lah. I will carry on my own way,”

I have a different suggestion here: www.malaysiathinktank.org

Two events in Singapore and Malaysia. Please follow these links for further info:

1. Singapore event with ISEAS.

2. Malaysia event with MPF.

For further details of the book, visit www.my-islamic-state.com

Reflections on Malaysia’s Checks and Balances
The Role of the Press

The Malaysia Think Tank London released a report – Press Freedom in Malaysia – in early March. Contributors include Datuk Azman Ujang, Prof Madya Dr Azmi Sharom, Sonia Randhawa, and ‘Abidin Muhriz. The report is available for free download from www.malaysiathinktank.org

How has the mainstream press changed since 8 March and how will it evolve? What are the challenges to the press as democratic space increases? Will greater press freedom facilitate cooperation or foster conflict with bloggers? Join us in this special event to examine the role of the press as one of the check and balance institutions in a liberal democracy.

Date: Saturday 12 April 2008
Time: 2.30pm - 4.30pm
Venue: Bilik Etika, Institut Integriti Malaysia, Off Jalan Duta, 50480 KL

Chair: Datuk Azman Ujang, Chairman, Malaysian Press Institute and General Manager, Bernama

Speakers:
Zanon Ahmad, Political Editor, theSun
Karim Raslan, Group CEO, KRA Group
S Vicknesan, Editor, Malaysiakini.com

To attend, please register by sending an email to register@malaysiathinktank.org

Co-organised by the Malaysia Think Tank London, the Malaysian Press Institute, and the Malaysia Institute of Integrity

Apparently Ahmad Said will start his job as Terengganu MB regardless (Malaysiakini).

My opinion on this issue:

1. The Sultan should have accepted Idris Jusuh. He commands the support of the majority of BN ADUNs. But there is no point discussingthis now because the Sultan has decided to stick to his (royal highness) gun.

2. Those parties that are supporting the Sultan should remember that this case is setting a precedence. What if in the future a Sultan does not like the state head of PAS or DAP or PKR?

3. And, somehow, I have a feeling that someone else, a third person, will be the beneficiary of this crisis. If the PM and the Sultan want a compromise, they would choose someone other than both Ahmad and Idris. I wonder who that might be?

5. And, why in the world does the PM not go and talk to the King?

Hmmmm….. will direct election of PM and MBs solve the problem?

Malaysiakini reports of protests around the country following the announcement by Penang state government that they will not abide by the practices of the NEP.

UMNO Penang even held a demonstration.

To those who kept on defending the NEP, please read the report below from Bernama. Even the Prime Minister has declared that the NEP has ended.

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