Ansari, Thamrin in race to be Sabah PKR chief

By Luke Rintod of FMT
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah PKR has again split into two camps over who will lead the opposition party in the state. The battle this time is between incumbent Ahmad Thamrin Jaini and lawyer Ansari Abdullah.

It appears that Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is no more in the picture either by design or default but supporters of the wily politician are backing Thamrin for the post of state PKR chief.

When the state liaison committee met here for the first time last night after the party congress last month, Jeffrey was not even mentioned by divisional heads aligned to him, to be considered for the post .

A divisional head who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the majority of the 23 (out of 25) divisions represented, wanted incumbent Ahmad Thamrin Jaini to be retained.

One Lady Sabahan's Open letter to the Malaysian Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak,

I write to you as a deeply concerned and saddened citizen of Malaysia.  For most of the 45 years of my life, I have been proud to be Malaysian.  Recently, I have become heartbroken to be Malaysian.  

I am profoundly grateful to write this with the support of both my local communities in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo and California, U.S.A., and a larger world community.  That said, I take full ownership of and sole responsibility for the views articulated in this letter; I express them from my stand as a mother, an earth citizen and a leader.

I founded and lead a public charity and non profit organization both in Malaysia and in the U.S., to bridge between worlds and build partnerships for ecological conservation.  I have been at the front lines of the founding and mobilization of Green SURF (Sabah Unite to RePower the Future), the civil society movement opposing the construction of the 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu, Sabah, on the edge of the Coral Triangle, one of three of the world's most bio-diverse ecosystems.  You know.  You signed the 6-nation declaration between Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Solomon Islands to collectively protect this 1.6 billion acres of ocean.  You also know of course of your pledge at Copenhagen to reduce carbon emission intensity by up to 40% by 2020.  You likely also know that the plant will displace fishing communities who have been there for a long time - irreparably contaminating their livelihoods forever.  And if you listened, you would also know that they do not want the "development" that your government is imposing on them.

Rosmah's son-in-law quits amid probe into his bogus degrees . WHAT A CHEAT !

The principal of a Malaysian-based college with links to the University of Wales has resigned amid a probe into his bogus qualifications.

Executive director of Fazley International College (FIC) in Kuala Lumpur , Fazley Yaakob – a pop star in Malaysia – stood aside and apologised for “embarrassment” the university had suffered, after he drew attention to allegations over his credentials.

The university suspended its links to the college – one of three Malaysian institutions with links to the Welsh body – after a BBC investigation revealed Mr Yaakob claimed to have a masters and a doctorate in business administration, but both came from a bogus university.

In his letter to the institution, Mr Yaakob wrote: “Though I hold a director’s position, I have never been a part of the academic team nor have I sat at any of the academic meetings.

“As such you can be assured that at no stage was the academic standards or the reputation of the university put at a compromise.

“Upon further reflection, I consider that to continue as a director could be damaging to the college, its student community and the dedicated staff who have worked hard to uphold the academic standards and integrity.”

Mr Yaakob – who has had four hit albums in Malaysia – said that he had decided to resign as it was clear that the controversy was “undermining the reputation and good relations between the college and university,” but that he would continue to fight to clear his name.

The benefit of being Malay first

 
ARE you Malay first? Or Malaysian first? That is the current rhetoric in some parts of our political landscape and is spurring some Malaysians to engage in a contest over what it means to be Malaysian.

For certain the question is not a new one. The DAP has for the longest time been brandishing the motto of “Bangsa Malaysia” in an attempt to dismantle the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s race-based politics. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, for one, is nowhere close to letting up on this issue. He has demanded repeatedly for, especially, Umno politicians to declare if they are Malaysian or Malay first.

And while Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin seemingly failed the test question, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz recently scored some points by declaring he was “Malaysian first and Malay next”. But is the question really about which should come first? Why does it seem to matter so much? And which of the two labels — one about race and the other about citizenship — is more profoundly important to us as Malaysian citizens?

Ampun Tuanku, patik pohon derhaka

By Haris Ibrahim
The following is reported to be the first sermon of the First Caliph, Saidina Abu Bakar, after the death of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) :

“I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me, and if I do wrong, set me right.  Sincere regard for truth is loyalty and disregard for truth is treachery. The weak amongst you shall be strong with me until I have secured his rights, if God will; and the strong amongst you shall be weak with me until I have wrested from him the rights of others, if God will. Obey me so long as I obey God and His Messenger (Muhammad, pbuh). But if I disobey God and His Messenger, ye owe me no obedience. Arise for your prayer, God have mercy upon you.”

In writing what I write below, I am guided by these words of wisdom.

I was born in the town of Batu Gajah, in the state of Perak.