March 2009 – Page 5

A rising dollar lifts the US but could hurt Malaysia

March 10, 2009 by johnlee_my

9 March 2009

NEW YORK, March 9 – As the world is seized with anxiety in the face of a spreading financial crisis, the one place having a considerably easier time attracting money is, perversely enough, the same place that started much of the trouble: the United States.

American investors are ditching foreign ventures and bringing their dollars home, entrusting them to the supposed bedrock safety of United States government bonds. And China continues to buy staggering quantities of American debt.

Political Squabbling can co-exist with Sound Economic Functioning

March 10, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://paksako.blogspot.com/2009/03/political-squabbling-can-co-exist-with.html

March 8, 2009

Mother, mother
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There’s far too many of you dying
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today – Ya

Read more

People’s hope in the Judiciary has been Misplaced

March 9, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://aliran.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=858:peoples-hope-in-the-judiciary-has-been-misplaced&catid=77:2009&Itemid=11

Published by Aliran

Confronted by crisis in Perak, the people had reason to believe that the judiciary would be our last hope for justice to prevail. That hope is apparently misplaced. What a disappointment that proved to be!

It is difficult to believe or accept the decision of the Judicial Commissioner, Ridwan Ibrahim. To say the least, Malaysians are shocked into disbelief by his verdict. Technicalities were used to prevent a fair trial and counter arguments to help the judge to arrive at a sound decision. In this instance we are reminded of Aeschylus who said, “Wrong must not win by technicalities.??? But that was what happened in the Ipoh High Court on 3 March 2009. It is a matter of grave disappointment to all of us.

Math and Science: The case for BM (1)

March 9, 2009 by johnlee_my

National laureate A. Samad Said who is 76 years old choked on teargas at the ‘Daulatkan Bahasa’ gathering to uphold the sovereignty of our national language. Police fired volley upon volley of teargas; some reports said up to 200 rounds. Pakciks, Makciks, Uncles and Aunties, undergrads and students were smothered by the stinging gas too.

Gerakan Mansuhkan PPSMI (movement to abolish Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris/PPSMI) had organised the rally to urge a reversal of the misguided policy to teach Math and Science in English.

Anas, We Hear You

March 8, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.niknazmi.com/wordpress/?p=1169

05 March 2009

Anas Zubedy’s letter calling for a political truce last week resonated with many Malaysians.

Scores of ordinary citizens and their families are starting to feel the pinch of the economic crisis as wages are cut, jobs are lost and houses are repossessed. I can understand why they feel that politics is distracting the elected representatives from what should be their main task at hand: leading Malaysia forward through the crisis.

Anas, we hear you.

How to Judge the Judge?

March 7, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2009/03/06/how-to-judge-the-judge/

In The Sun newspaper, March 4, 2009, I read on page 1 this alarming report:

“Ipoh High Court grants injunction sought by Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and the six State Executive Councillors to stop speaker V. Sivakumar from convening any state assembly sitting.
Court also ruled that Sivakumar’s five lawyers have no legal standing to represent him in the case filed by Zambry to seek a declaration that Sivakumar’s decision to suspend him and his executive council was unconstitutional and unlawful.???

Read more

Tengku Razaleigh: Calls for fresh polls in Perak

March 7, 2009 by johnlee_my

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — Barisan Nasional lawmaker and former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has added his voice to a growing chorus of Malaysians demanding fresh elections in Perak to resolve its month-long political impasse.

“I think that constitutional rule in Perak has collapsed and the only way to rectify the situation is to go back to the people,??? Tengku Razaleigh told BT in an exclusive interview yesterday. “That would be the appropriate thing for the Ruler to do.???

Unity Government

March 6, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://razaleigh.com/2009/02/28/unity-government/

Dato’ Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s call for a unity government should be taken seriously.

I appealed for discussions leading to a unity solution last September, when it was already clear that the country is at a dangerous impasse. I said it is time to come together.

Pas lawyer writes on Police supremacy replaces Constitutional supremacy

March 5, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/19609-police-supremacy-replaces-constitutional-supremacy

Published by The Malaysian Insider

Police supremacy replaces Constitutional supremacy

MARCH 4 – Malaysiakini reported recently that the Inspector General of Police ( IGP ) had issued a statement that all public rallies in Perak would be forbidden. This is yet another glaring example of abuse of power by one of our mercenaries of justice.

MP Jeff Ooi on…Go back to the people… and now Chin Peng

March 5, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.jeffooi.com/2009/03/go_back_to_the_people.php

If law experts’ contradictory views are taken as a bellwether, even the legal fraternity has no clues as to how the constitutional crisis in Perak should play out.

[ Read here (Tommy Thomas), here (Dr Shad Salem Faruqi) and here (Dr Mohammad Agus et.al.) ]

In the opinion space, The Nut Graph carried an article from the Centre for Independent Journalism that laments on the suppression of debate on the conduct of the royal families, notably the one in Perak. The same article was re-posted in the official website of the Malaysian Bar Council.