‘MP’s development fund spent on carnival’

By Luke Rintod of FMT

TELUPID: A Sabah MP’s decision to use development funds allocated to him to finance an allegedly failed youth carnival in rural Telupid has enraged locals who are of the view that the money could have been chanelled to better use.

But the Telupid fiasco is apparently ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ with many other similar ‘fundings’ in rural Sabah where accountability is non-existent.

Said State Reform Party (STAR) Beluran divisional head, Pinus Gondili: “This Telupid case is just a tip of the iceberg … this is not the first time we heard of such a mess in spending public money on useless programmes by our government MPs.

Tak boleh mengundi, nombor IC 'dicuri'

BATU GAJAH: Seorang wanita mendakwa dirinya hilang kelayakan mengundi apabila semakan di web Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia menunjukkan nombor kad pengenalannya dimiliki pihak lain.

Ketika membuat semakan, Puan Tamil Malar yang memiliki no kad pengenalan biru 750516-08-5360 terkejut apabila namanya tidak keluar tetapi yang dipapar adalah nama seorang lelaki Mansor Bin Jali.

Statement by Concerned Scholars on coming elections — The Centre for Policy Initiatives

MAY 19 — The 13th Malaysian general election will be held some time between now and April 2013.

These elections have the potential to be the most free and fair elections held in the country for several decades.

For the coming elections to live up to this potential, we call on the government and other major players and stakeholders to scrupulously observe the following priority concerns which we see as key to ensuring an outcome that can have greater legitimacy among Malaysians and outside observers:

We must not let foreigners rule our states

By Edward Linggu

Among popular debate topics is the suggestion that only Peninsular Malaysia-based political parties can be national parties and anything from Sabah and Sarawak must be local.

In fact, the State Reform Party (Star) is a Borneo-based national party which has initiated the United Borneo Alliance (UBA) to unite all local parties in Sabah and Sarawak. The UBA, still work in progress, includes the United Borneo Front (UBF) which organizes the Borneo tea Parties, the Common Interest Group Malaysia (CigMA), the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF), the Borneo Forum (BF) and the Sarawak National Party (Snap).

Let us talk, Jeffrey says to other opposition parties, inviting them to UBA meeting Tuesday

By Jastin Bibah
KOTA KINABALU : There is a meeting of United Borneo Alliance (UBA) tomorrow, May 22, 2012, at 11am at TNGC in Beverly Hills near here.

Chairman of Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (Star), Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, is inviting all opposition parties in Sabah to it.

"I am taking this initiative now to invite all opposition parties in Sabah to a discussion in tomorrow's UBA meeting.

Reject BN wrongdoings, says MCA veteran

Malacca MCA Wanita chief Kian Sit Har, who has earned the scorn of party president Dr Chua Soi Lek for attending the Bersih 3.0 rally in Malacca on April 28, insists that the party must stand up against any BN wrongdoing.

"Nowadays, we cannot be neutral. We have to choose between right and wrong.

The party may have its stand, but we must take the side of justice. We cannot just follow faithfully if BN or MCA is doing something wrong.

"If you think something is wrong, then we must voice it out. Right is right, wrong is wrong; we must not be afraid (to speak out)," she said in an interview with Malaysiakini at her Malacca office last week...

Even vegetables is listed as voters

PORT DICKSON: People with unusual names have become the latest headache for the Election Commission with critics ridiculing their existence but the commission says National Registration Department records prove that they are genuine voters.

The EC's detractors have been poking fun at the names of animals, vegetables as well as famous people both living and deceased in its roll of 12.8 million voters.

Manji scorches fatwa council's anti-Bersih edict

Controversial Uganda-born Canadian author Irshad Manji hit out at certain muftis and clerics, including those in Malaysia's National Fatwa Council, which she said are trying to impose their own mores and dogma upon the populace.

"Muftis, imams and clerics of various stripes love to tell us what we are to believe; in the course of telling us this, they also want us to adopt a particular identity.

"What they will never tell us is that they expect us to adopt their identity," said the 44-year-old New York University (NYU) professor in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Pak Samad: Stop All Personal Harassment And Intimidation Against Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, Co-Chair Of Bersih 2.0

On behalf of BERSIH 2.0 and its steering committee members, I condemn the on-going harassment and intimidation meted solely against Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan.

It pains me to witness the despicable harassment committed against her, my fellow Bersih co-chairperson and fellow Malaysian. She is someone who has dedicated years of her life to the advancement of human rights and the betterment of our society. While abhorrent and sometimes aggressive attacks have been carried out at Dato’ Ambiga’s private home, Dato’ Ambiga has been handling the situation with dignity and grace.

The Trouble with Islam Today

The Trouble with Islam Today is... Muslims.
This book is an open letter from me, a Muslim voice of change, to concerned citizens worldwide -- Muslim and not. It's about why my faith community needs to come to terms with the diversity of ideas, beliefs and people in our universe, and why non-Muslims have a pivotal role in helping us get there.
The themes I'm exploring with the utmost honesty include:

• the inferior treatment of women by Muslims;
• the Jew-bashing in which so many Muslims persistently engage; and
• the continuing scourge of slavery in countries ruled by Islamist regimes.