Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Keadilan Manifesto, can I claim credit?

I wrote about minimum wage which wa published in Malaysiakini here:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/64956

which was then pick up by Nik Nazmi, Anwar's political aide:
http://www.niknazmi.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/489

Suffice to say that in between, it started heated debate about pros and cons of minimum wage law since then. It was published in MTUC newsletter among others
http://www.mtuc.org.my/newslettermac07.pdf
And then the Govt increase salary for civil servants:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/67508

I also ask Govt, what about the rest of us? Again was published in Malaysiakini
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/67659

I support PKR for RM1000 minimum wage manifesto. This works out about RM4.62 per hour.

29/05: Keadilan akan perkenal gaji minimum RM1000 kepada semua pekerja
Category: General Posted by: Raja Petra
Oleh Zulkifli Mohamed

SEREMBAN: KeADILan akan memperkenalkan kadar gaji minimum kepada golongan pekerja di sektor awam mahupun swasta, sekurang-kurangnya pada kadar RM1000 sebulan, sekiranya parti itu diberi mandat membentuk kerajaan baru selepas pilihan raya nanti.

“KeADILan juga berazam akan menyediakan kesihatan percuma kepada semua golongan pekerja dalam sebarang kes kesihatan, pengecualian kos pendidikan kepada anak pekerja yang berpendapatan rendah,menyediakan rumah mampu milik dan faedah-faedah lain yang memberi manfaat kepada para pekerja.

“Kita juga akan mengkaji semula kadar dan sistem percukaian terutama cukai pendapatan individu.”

Ketika menyampaikan Ucapan Dasar sempena Kongres Nasional ke-4, di Sekolah Tinggi Chung Hwa, dekat sini, pagi ini, Presiden Keadilan Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, berkata golongan pekerja juga akan digalak menubuhkan kesatuan bagi membolehkan mereka menuntut kebajikan yang sah termasuk hak mendapatkan kemahiran tinggi daripada para majikan.

“Masih banyak ruang dan lompang kelemahan yang harus diperbaiki dalam usaha membela nasib dan memberi keselesaan kepada golongan ini,” ujarnya.

Dengan tema ucapannya, ‘Mari Menuju Kejayaan’ Azizah berkata tindakan kerajaan menaikkan gaji kakitangan awam sehingga 35 peratus, adalah petanda cukup jelas pilihan raya umum ke-12 begitu hampir.

Kelembapan ekonomi

Azizah turut menyentuh perihal ekonomi negara yang dikatakan masih lembab, kerana Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) negara masih sekitar 5 peratus sejak hampir 10 tahun dahulu.

Keadaan itu, jauh tertinggal di belakang berbanding China dan India. Bahkan, katanya di rantau Asia Tenggara, selain Singapura Thailand dan Vietnam telah mula memacu ekonomi mereka berbanding Malaysia.

Jelasnya banyak usahawan Malaysia, khasnya bukan Melayu membawa keluar perniagaan mereka ke luar negara.

“Apakah mereka (usahawan) tidak lagi yakin dengan suasana perniagaan dan ekonomi negara ini?” ujarnya

Blogger dan media alternatif

Menurut Azizah, kehadiran blogger dan media alternatif di alam siber, menggusarkan penguasa, kerana teknologi moden tersebut pernah digunakan untuk menggulingkan rejim yang zalim.

“Jangan lupa bagaimana sistem pesanan ringkas (sms) menjadi alat menjatuhkan pemerintah Filipina kira-kira enam tahun dahulu.”

Tidak mustahil jelasnya, perkara yang sama akan berlaku di negara ini seandainya para ‘blogger’ jelas dan jujur terhadap isu yang mereka bangkitkan.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

MTUC demands Pay Hike.

2007/05/23

Pay hike ‘should follow for private sector, too’
By : Regina Lee

Email to friend Print article


KUALA LUMPUR: The salary revision for civil servants should be followed by a hike in private sector wages, according to the Malaysian Trades’ Union Congress.

Its president, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, said the private sector should use the government as a benchmark as far as wages were concerned.

"The government is the single largest employer in the country with 1.2 million staff.

"When someone wants to see changes in the country, he or she will look to the government and see what they are doing. There has to be a pay rise as well in the private sector."

He applauded the long overdue pay hike but said it should have occurred much earlier due to rising cost of living.
"Looking back at the past two to three years, there has been a tremendous increase in the cost of living, especially in the prices of rice, petroleum products, highway tolls and utilities."

Meanwhile, the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) welcomed the salary increase and hoped that it would make civil servants happy.

Its Centre of Public Policy Studies chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said better wages should encourage civil servants to improve the delivery system and increase productivity.

"If productivity improves, so will government revenue. If not, the budget will be thrown off-balance."

He agreed with Syed Shahir that private sector workers should also get a pay hike.

"The private sector can now ask for more pay but all this must be related to meritocracy and increased productivity in order to make Malaysia more competitive," he said.

MTUC calls for RM900 minimum wage and Malaysiakini letters

This is the first time I have seen that MTUC issue such a strong tone and look like an increased militancy.
I agree with MTUC that workers has been neglected all these years. If we calculate, if workers in private sector, factories work for 48 hours per week, they would work on average 48hrs x4.5weeks per month, ie 216 hours per month. If MTUC ask for RM900 per month, that is equivalent to RM4.16 per hour.

No doubt most private sector workers work about 60 hours per week, doing overtime to make end meets. In fact that is normal.
So we have these workers, in their millions working at low wages to get the country out of financial troubles of 1997, yet 10 years on they got nothing to show.

Sure Corporate Malaysia, Maxis, Genting, YTL, UEM and whatever else, including foreign companies, or mostly foreign companies have very healthy balance sheet. We even have created billionaires, not one but a few in the past 10 years through monopolies and favourable contracts, yet every one, including the Govt forget who really toil their sweat and time to achieve that prosperity.

I sincerely would like to see MTUC successful in getting Minimum Wage of RM900 per month plus COLA of RM300 per month.
I write about Minimum Wage in Malaysiakini some time ago
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/64956
which was also published in MTUC newsletter
http://www.mtuc.org.my/newslettermac07.pdf

this report from Harakahdaily:
Mogok seluruh negara jika kerajaan tolak gaji minimum RM900 - MTUC
Roy Rasul
Mon | May 28, 07 | 05:33:23 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Mei (Hrkh) – Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC), mendesak kerajaan supaya memastikan pekerja swasta juga terbela, sebagaimana dilakukan terhadap kakitangan awam baru-baru ini, iaitu dengan memastikan peruntukan gaji minimum antara RM900 dan RM,1000 sebulan.

Tegas Presidennya, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, jika kerajaan tidak melayan pemintaan MTUC itu, mereka akan mengadakan mogok sehari di seluruh negara.

"Tindakan MTUC kali ini serius kerana pekerja swasta juga perlu dibela lebih-lebih berjuta pekerja di negara ini yang berpendapatan di bawah RM1,000," katanya yang dihubungi Harakahdaily hari ini.

Beliau berkata keputusan itu diputuskan selepas satu mesyuarat khas majlis MTUC diadakan pada 25 mei lalu.

Katanya, dalam mesyuarat tersebut, dua isu penting dibincangkan iaitu mengenai gaji pekerja kakitangan kerajaan yang dinaikkan baru-baru ini juga pembayaran kola.

Ekoran itu juga katanya, MTUC akan kemukakan kepada kerajaan beberapa tuntutan kepada Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada minggu ketiga bulan Jun depan.

"Antara yang akan dibawa ialah gaji minimum mesti diperkenalkan iaitu berdasarkan kepada RM900 dan kedua elaun sara hidup (COLA) sebanyak RM300 kepada semua pekerja tidak kira di mana mereka berada," katanya lagi.

Katanya, MTUC juga akan meminta suaya kenaikan gaji pekerja swasta dinaikkan berdasarkan kepada kerajaan beri kepada pekerjanya iaitu daripada 7.5 peratus hingga 35 peratus.

Bayaran gaji baru itu katanya perlu dibayar oleh para majikan bermula Julai depan.

Katanya, selepas daripada tarikh tersebut iaitu daripada 20 hingga 27 Jun depan sekiranya tidak ada sebarang respon ke atas permohonan tersebut, pihaknya akan satu perhimpunan pekerja di tempat tempat yang ditetapkan iaitu tempat strategik seperti di Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Johor atau Pulau Pinang.

Kemudian katanya jika kerajaan dan majikan sektor swasta masih gagal memenuhi tuntutan MTUC, mogok sehari akan dilancarkan.

"Tindakan tersebut perlu diambil bagi membantu pekerja-pekerja khasnya yang berpendapatan RM1000 kerana pada masa ini pendapatan itu tidak mencukupi.

"Saya dapat tahu berjuta pekerja yang berpendapatan di bawah RM1000. Jumlah itu bukan besar lagi dalam Malaysia kerana harga barang, kos perkhidmatan, tambang dan sebagainya meningkat bahkan tidak munasabah lagi pendapatan sebegitu," katanya.

Kerana itu, katanya satu ketetapan akan diambil untuk memberi isyarat kepada kerajaan bahawa MTUC serius dalam isu tersebut terutama sekali golongan yang berpendapatan rendah. - mks
NOTA: Bagi mempertingkatkan laman ini, kami amat mengalu-alukan sumbangan yang boleh disalur terus kepada akaun Maybank atas nama HARAKAHDAILY DOT COM (564070000336)


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Jumlah dilihat: 1565 | Cetak | Emel
Komen oleh (4) Pembaca

pikiaq la dulu
Dihantar oleh apa la, on 28-05-2007 18:33
hangpa ingat senang ka kami bos kecil2 lan ni nak naik kan gaji? kalau ada sepuluh pekerja, setiap sorang naik rm300, dah kena keluar 3000, mana nak gali duit banyak ni? kami yang meniaga kecil-kecilan ini untung pun jarang2, tiap bulan cuma cukup2 makan...biaq pi la orang kerajaan nak naik gaji, dah rezeki depa....kalau semua swasta pun kena naik gaji, bnyk yg gulung tikar, last2 sapa yang rugi? pekerja laa yang rugi....mtuc kasi pikiaq dulu la nasib kami2 ni yang meniaga pun x seberapa....bukan kami xmau naikkan gaji, bila rezeki banyak merasa la semua, dari bos sampai kuli ke bawah....tolong la jgn buat isu lagi, kerajaan xnaik gaji salah, bila dah naik salah, sekarang mintak swasta naik gaji pulak
Betul ke ni?
Dihantar oleh pekerja malang, on 28-05-2007 19:59
Betul-betul ke syed Shahir ni? Dulu Bersih pun takde ke mana. Cerita saja lebih. Saya harap dia betul-betul buat kali ini
HIdup MTUC !!!
Dihantar oleh mamat, on 28-05-2007 17:49
dah tertekan sangat ni ... hope semua sektor swasta dapat beri sokongan dengan kenyataan ini...
sokong
Dihantar oleh manusiaaneh, on 28-05-2007 17:45
saya sokong...
kerajaan tak adil...
sepatutnya menurunkan harga barang bukan naik gaji sektor awam...
kalau naik gaji sektor awam depa je dpt.. kalau turun harga barang semua rasa...

Thursday, May 24, 2007

my write up in Malaysiakini.

Pay rise: What about the rest of us?
Noor Yahaya Hamzah
May 24, 07 2:05pm

I refer to the malaysiakini report Up to 35% pay hike for civil servants.

I am happy for government servants, the police and the army personnel. When did they last have general salary increase? Well, I don’t remember, that’s how long ago it was since the last salary increase. If they count on their annual performance salary increase, that hardly covers inflation.

I have relations, ie, a brother, a sister, in-laws and uncles and aunties in government service. Quite a few of my old friends are in the teaching profession. Their monthly salary is just enough or less. I remember a friend who had to supplement his income by selling Amway products, and another friend who worked part-time every night for RM3 per hour at Makro Shah Alam.

Another man sold ‘nasi lemak’ every night at Puduraya. Yet they continue on working as government servants during the day, because their salaries make up the bulk of their income, and they want to keep their pension from the government in later years. I admire them for their tenacity.

Some people say that the cost of this increase in salary is RM8 billion per year. I haven’t done the calculations, too much hassle. In Keynesian terms, this increase in government purchase of RM8 billions will push the economic equilibrium upward. If, currently, the GDP is sitting at RM100 billion, the economic equilibrium after this would be more than RM108 billion.

The final figure will depend on marginal propensity of consumption (MPC). So assuming that all government servants’ purchases are done locally (no imported stuff) with a MPC of 0.8 (savings rate of 20%), then we can expect the new economic equilibrium to be at around RM130 billion.

Who cares about such details anyway? The important thing is that there will be economic growth for a few years to come. With this new impetus for economic growth, there will be hundreds of thousands of new jobs created by the expanding economy. You see this as the government servants spend a little bit extra on goods and services.

More jobs would be created, and this will have a flow on effect. If unemployment is high, this will lower the unemployment rate, but if unemployment is low, say below 2 percent like today, this would create upward pressure of wages.

I am okay with increasing wages for the low-income workers. I am also happy with highly productive workers getting their due rewards. But I am concerned with low-income workers who don’t have proper representation and are denied wage increase that are due to them. For this, I blame the government for not allowing them to join national unions who can fight for their cause.

Also, the fruits our nation’s prosperity should be shared among us all. Very soon, in about a year’s time, we would start to have a shortage of workers. I suggest that the government start formulating and push for a Minimum Wage Law through Parliament.

With minimum wage in place, our economic planners could reallocate our labour resources from not profitable sectors to more profitable ones. For this I support MTUC in calling for pay review for the private sector. Let’s call for RM5 per hour minimum wage rate.

13 Mei 1969: The Tunku Story




The Website is:
http://pesanan-pesanan.blogspot.com/

lets read.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
13 MEI DARI CATATAN TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

13 MEI DARI CATATAN TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

Bahagian 1

1. PENGENALAN

Tulisan ini akan memaparkan analisis ke atas sebuah buku bertajuk “Sebelum dan Selepas 13 Mei” yang diterbitkan oleh Penerbitan Utusan Melayu Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, cetakan tahun 1969. Buku ini ditulis oleh Yang Teramat Mulia (Al-Marhum) Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Kedah (selepas ini diringkasnya sebagai TAR sahaja) yang merupakan Perdana Menteri Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, dan Malaysia yang pertama.

Kami berpendapat bahawa keterangan-keterangan yang diberikan oleh bekas Perdana Menteri Malaysia itu sendiri, selaku orang yang terlibat secara langsung dalam peristiwa tersebut, mempunyai nilai yang amat tinggi dari segi sejarah untuk dikaji dan dianalisis, demi kebenaran yang cuba dipesongkan oleh sesetengah pihak yang tidak bertanggung jawab dan berkepentingan ke atas sejarah hitam negara pada hari ini.

Tulisan ini dibuat sebagai sumbangan dari penulius untuk mengimbau dan menjelaskan keadaan yang berlaku demi kebaikan negara kita sendiri; khsusunya perpaduan antara kaum atau rakyat berbilang dan seterusnya kesejahteraan negara; dari ancaman unsur-unsur yang tidak sihat yang cuba memainkan isu 13 Mei dan memutarbelitkannya demi kepentingan politik sempit mereka.

Untuk makluman pembaca, tulisan ini dibuat secara spontan. Oleh itu sudah tentu banyak kesalahan taipan, ejaan, dan seumpamanya akan dikesan. Maklum dengan keadaan demikian, maka kami mengalu-ngalukan sebarang pembetulan daripaa para pembaca.

2. RENTETEN YANG MEMBAWA KEPADA PERISTIWA HITAM 13 MEI, 1969

2.1 KEMPEN PILIHANRAYA UMUM 1969


TAR dengan jelas menyatakan bahawa terdapat banyak peristiwa yang berlaku yang mana pada akhirnya menimbulkan huru-hara pada 13 Mei, 1969.

Menurut beliau, kesemua pilihanraya-pilihanraya yang telah dijalankan sebelumnya iaitu sejak kemerdekaan telah dapat dilaksanakan dengan baik, hatta Pilihanraya Umum (selepas ini diringkaskan sebagai PRU sahja) 1969. PRU 1969 jatuh pada hari Sabtu, 10 Mei, 1969 di Malaysia Barat berjalan dengan licin lagi lancar sebagaimana PRU-PRU sebelumnya.

Namun, semasa PRU 1969, kempen pilihanraya telah dijalankan dengan begitu buruk dengan perbuatan-perbuatan liar yang dilakukan dan ucapan-ucapan yang tidak bertanggung jawab daripada pihak pembangkang.

2.2 ANASIR-ANASIR KOMUNIS

TAR berpendapat terdapat anasir-anasir komunis yang memainkan peranan dengan hujah beliau bahawa beliau, selaku Perdana Menteri yang menjaga keselematan negara, menerima pelbagai maklumat dan laporan-laporan sulit. Ini tidak dapat tidak kita percaya akan keterangan beliau kerana beliau adalah orang yang bertanggung jawab dalam hal yang berkenaan. Dalam buku berkenaan juga beliau, walaupun secara tidak terancang, telah mengemukakan beberapa bukti akan hakikat ini.

2.2.1 HARTAL DI PULAU PINANG

Antara perkara yang disebutkan oleh TAR ialah peristiwa yang berlaku di Pulau Pinang pada 19 November, 1967 yang mana dibuat contoh oleh TAR sebagai bukti yang jelas anasir-anasir komunis telah bergerak secara terang-terangan atau secara sulit untuk melakukan sesuatu yang merosakkan kepentingan Malaysia.

Dalam peristiwa di Pulau Pinang pada tahun 1967 ini, TAR melaporkan bahawa anggota-anggota China dalam Gerakan Belia Mao Tse-Tung telah mengambil kesempatan atas langkah kerajaan menurunkan nilai mata wang lama Malaysia sebagai alasan untuk melancarkan hartal. Lanjutan daripada hartal ini, pertempuran-pertempuran telah tercetus di mana orang-orang Melayu dan penyokong-penyokong setia kerajaan telah diserang. Beberapa orang terperangkap dalam kejadian yang berlaku juga telah terbunuh dan cedera. Perkara ini hanya dapat diredakan apabila pasukan-pasukan keselamatan berjaya mengembalikan ketenteraman dan mengenakan perintah berkurung, serta menangkap orang-orang yang disyaki.

Menurut TAR, komunis bertujuan melancarkan hartal ke seluruh negara. Namun, rancangan mereka gagal kerana penduduk-penduduk di tempat lain tidak mengindahkan seruan mereka dan menjalankan perniagaan seperti biasa.

2.2.2 HUKUMAN GANTUNG KE ATAS KOMUNIS YANG BELOT SEMASA KONFRONTASI

Pada bulan Jun tahun 1968, hukuman gantung hendak dilaksanakan ke atas sebelas (11) orang China yang menjadi anggota Parti Komunis Malaya (ringkasnya PKM) yang mana dihukum mati kerana membantu pihak Indonesia yang diketuai oleh Presiden Sukarno yang melancarkan kempen ”Ganyang Malaysia” dalam usaha mereka menyerang selatan tanahair, iaitu Johor.

Perintah hukuman gantung yang sama juga dikenakan ke atas dua (2) orang Melayu di Perak.

Dr Tan Chee Khoon yang menjadi ahli Parlimen Parti Buruh bagi kawasan Batu, Selangor, telah membuat rayuan agar hukuman gantung itu tidak dilaksanakan. Beliau dan ahli-ahli Parti Buruh dan (yang disebutkan oleh TAR disertai bersama) penyokong-penyokong komunis telah melancarkan kempen besar-besaran, dari rumah ke rumah, atau dari pintu ke pintu (kedai) untuk memungut tandatangan dan menimbulkan tanda simpati orang ramai terhadap 11 orang yang dihukum sebagaimana yang diterangkan di atas. Menurut TAR, akhbar-akhbar juga memainkan peranan yang besar dalam kempen yang dilakukan ini.

TAR mendakwa anasir-anasir yang pro-Komunis tersebut telah menghasut ibu bapa dan para waris pemuda-pemuda yang dihukum bunuh itu supaya mengadakan perjumpaan beramai-ramai untuk membantah. Akan tetapi, rayuan mereka tersebut telah ditolak oleh Sultan Johor dan Sultan Perak ketika itu.

Menjelang tarikh perlaksanaan hukuman gantung itu, di luar penjara Pudu di Kuala Lumpur dan di sepanjang jalan menuju ke penjara itu telah berlangsung tunjuk-tunjuk perasaan secara liar di mana mereka membaling batu ke atas kendaraan yang lalu di situ dan menghalang lalu lintas. TAR menyatakan bahawa orang-orang yang melakukan tunjuk perasaan liar berkenaan sebagai ”belia-belia komunis.”

Atas pendapat atau kebijaksanaannya untuk mengelakkan timbulnya pergaduhan di seluruh negara yang membawa kepada rusuhan antara kaum yang boleh menumpahkan darah, TAR telah menghadap Sultan Johor dan Sultan Perak untuk membincangkan meringankan hukuman gantung berkenaan. Kedua-dua baginda Tuanku Sultan Johor dan Sultan Perak telah bersetuju lalu kesemua mereka yang terbabit diringankan hukuman kepada penjara seumur hidup.

Kita tidak boleh melihat ini sebagai satu kelemahan TAR dalam membuat keputusan atau mengendalikan keadaan, di mana logik TAR dalam hal ini dapat diterima. Beliau menyatakan bahawa sama ada tindakannya betul atau salah, tujuannya adalah untuk [ memetik kata-katanya ] ”menyelamatkan seribu jiwa dengan menyelamatkan sebelas komunis di Johor dan dua penderhaka di Perak dari hukuman gantung.

Kesan tindakan beliau itu adalah terhentinya tunjuk perasaan dan keamanan dapat dipulihkan.


(Bersambung)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Pay Rise for Govt Servants, what about the rest of us?

I am happy for Govt servants, the police and the army personnel. When did they have general salary increase? Well I dont remember, thats how long ago since the last salary increase. If they count on annual performance salary increase, that is hardly make up for inflation.
I have relations, ie brother, sister, inlaws and uncles/auntie in the Govt service. Quite a few of my old friends are in the teaching profession.
Their monthly salary are just enough or less. I remember a friend who had to supplement his income by selling Amway, and another friend who work part time every night for RM3 per hour at Makro Shah Alam. Another man sold nasi lemak every night at Puduraya.
Yet they continue on working as Govt servant during the day, because their salary make the bulk of their income, and they want to keep their pension from the Govt in later years. I admire them for their tenacity.

Some people say that the cost of this increase in salary is RM8billions per year. I dont make calculation, too much hassle.
In Keynesian terms, this increase in Govt purchase of RM8billions will push the economic equilibrium upward. If curently the GDP is sitting at RM100billions, the economic equilibrium after this would be more than RM108billions, the final figure will depend on marginal propensity of consumption (MPC). So assuming that all Govt servants purchases is done locally, no imported stuff, and MPC of 0.8 (savings rate 20%) then we can expect the new economic equilibrium at around RM130billions.
Who cares about such detail anyway, the important thing is that there will be economic growth for a few years to come.
With this new impetus for economic growth, there will be hundreds of thousands of new jobs created by the expanding economy. You see as the Govt servants spends of a little bit extras on goods and services, more jobs would be created, and this will have a flow on effect. If the unemployment is high, this will lower the unemployment rate, but if the unemployment is low, say below 2% like today, this would create upward pressure of wages.
I am okay with increasing wages for the low income workers. I am also happy with highly productive workers getting their due rewards.
But I am concerned with low income workers who dont have proper representation and denied wage increase that is due to them. For this I blame the Govt for NOT allowing them to join national unions who can fight for their cases.
Also the benefit of our nation prosperity should be shared among us all. Very soon, in about a years' time, if all going well, we would start to have a shortage of workers.
I suggest that the Govt start formulating and push Minimum Wage Law through Parliament. With Minimum Wage in place, our economic planner could reallocate our labour resources from not profitable sector to a more profitable one. For this I support MTUC in calling for pay review for the private sector.
Lets call for RM5 per hour wage rate.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/67564
22/05: Where the money will go
Category: General Posted by: Raja Petra
CAROLYN HONG
The Straits Times

Breakdown of the pay rises for Malaysia's one million or so civil servants from July 1:

35 per cent pay hike for the lowest-paid staff in the civil service's support sector, including cooks, gardeners, clerical staff and drivers. These number 319,336.

Police and military personnel in the same tier will get a 42 per cent pay hike overall because their duties are more critical and challenging.

25 per cent pay rise for all other staff in the support sector, or 434,899 civil servants. (30 per cent for police and military personnel in this tier.)

15 per cent pay rise for those in the management and professional group, or 246,202 civil servants. (17 per cent for police and military personnel in this tier.)

7.5 per cent pay rise for the highest-ranking civil servants, including secretaries-general of ministries, their deputies, university professors and heads of government agencies. These number 1,603 civil servants. (9 per cent for top-ranking police and military personnel in this tier.)

100 per cent increase in the civil service's Cost of Living Allowance (known as Cola) across the board.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

this one in Malaysiakini

Kedah-Kelantan pipeline expensive, unnecessary
Noor Yahaya Hamzah
May 22, 07 2:50pm

Some news reports say the new Trans-Peninsular Oil Pipeline 300km plus oil pipeline project between Kedah and Kelantan will cost RM25 billion. I am saying flatly that its not worthwhile and will do more damage to the country, people’s lives and the environment than any profit can possibly justify.

Let’s assume that the total cost is RM25 billion and everything goes smoothly and there is no cost overrun. Let’s assume that the project is funded by our EPF contributions. (Do you expect government to print money for this?)

Assuming that EPF requires a return on investment of 5% (makes the calculations easy), we would expect a net profit of RM1.25 billion annually. Wow! That’s a high hurdle rate! Add to this operational costs, damage to the environment and environmental risks associated with oil pipelines. Did I mention viability yet?

Why would oil tankers want to stop and unload in Kedah when they can go around Sumatra and enter the South China Sea through Sunda Straits as they have always done? Who benefits from this project? The rakyat? Absolutely not. It will be the Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese if they use this facility at all.

Let me propose another form of investment that will benefit the country and the rakyat:

Lend RM100,000 to every poor Malaysian, so that they can use the money to improve their lives like starting businesses, building better housing, getting themselves educated, etc, or simply investing in trust funds like ASW.


Invest in electric energy production so that we can have cheaper electricity. This could be in the form of wind turbines on the hills or solar panels in every home.


Invest in better and modern water supply.


The same for waste water treatment.
Fiscal expansion measures like this pipeline project would siphon funds from other better investment options. If the investment will directly benefit future production in food and other goods, then that will bring benefits in lower product prices in the future. But this is not so.

This pipeline project will not benefit the rakyat directly, but will benefit foreigners. So money for other investments will be starved to finance this pipeline project, there will be higher interest rates reducing investments which in turn will shrink future production resulting in higher inflation and prices.

Let scrap this project. Instead, let’s do fiscal expansion that will benefit future production in the country, which will result in cheaper prices (read competitive) for goods and services.

Did I mention about the rainforests and nature reserves yet? How many thousands of hectares of pristine forest that will have to be cleared up for this unnecessary oil pipeline project?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

13 Mei 1969; The Kampung Baru Stories

Part of the blame should be squarely on the Government and the police at that time because gangs were controlling KL at the time. Whether Chinese gangs or Malay gangs.
These gangs were ruthless.
This is from Malaysiakini.

‘Glorious days’ of Kampung Baru old timers
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz
May 19, 07 5:37pm Malaysiakini

special report An afternoon chat over teh tarik with some elderly gentlemen in Kuala Lumpur’s Kampung Baru revealed something more than ambivalence among many Malays regarding the May 13 racial riots in 1969.

Many residents of Kampung Baru - when asked regarding their views of May 13 and whether the episode should be re-examined by the government and re-debated by the public - said the episode was a “dark spot” in the communal history of Malaysia and urged for “the past to remain in the past.”

Resurrecting May 13, they said, would be like digging up the graves of the tragedy. Official records claim the two-day riots - which saw the worst destruction in Kampung Baru - led to the death of 137, 342 injured, 109 vehicles burned, 118 buildings destroyed and 2,912 persons arrested.

“What we should be doing is talk of more pressing current issues, such as the price hike of basic goods,” said one 51-year old resident, who wanted to be identified only as Abdul Rahman.

“I bought a glass of coffee this morning and was charged as much as RM1.70! Why rationalise May 13 any further? The fear that it conjures is enough,” he added.

Paramilitary units

A conversation with some other old-timers, however, turned quickly into a session of reminiscing - as old soldiers do of their exploits in battle - of those days 38 years ago when a number of them, then active members of the notorious Kampung Baru gangs, became ‘champions’ of the Malays.

Their eyes lit up and their voices gained a tone of youthful excitement as they recalled the days when they were in the ‘frontlines’ of the May 13 clashes against gang members from the Chinese-dominated area of neighbouring Chow Kit.

Sixty-year old ‘Alang’, recalled with glee when he - armed with a crudely-made ‘sword’ hammered into shape out of a metal pipe and wearing the selendang merah (red sash) of his silat/gang group - and other machete-wielding Malay gangsters and other youths from Selangor and other states served as Kampung Baru’s self-appointed paramilitary units.

Many other silat/gang group members wore blue selendang. Regardless of what they wore, however, only those who had been in gang fights before May 13 could endure the violence, said Alang.

“We were already used to fighting. That is why we could be in the frontline of the May 13 clashes. Those who had not known violence already could not get used to it. They could not even stand the sight of violent death,” said the father of nine.

“One person, for example, was at first very spirited when Dato Harun (Idris, then menteri besar of Selangor) first called for Malay youths to rally at his house. He had sharpened his keris and whispered all sorts of invocations over the blade.

“But when the time comes to face them (the Chinese gang-members), he fainted out of fright before anything even happened!” he said laughing.

Alang invoked, predictably, the name of legendary warrior of 14th Century Malacca, Hang Tuah, as if to sanctify the semangat Melayu (Malay spirit) that had rampaged Kampung Baru and laid to waste Chinese homes and shoplots.

“Violence and death, when you’ve familiar with it, becomes thrilling. The clash and the chase for your enemies actually becomes fun. You are not afraid of death any more,” said Alang.

Seventy-year old ‘Syed’, who was then a staff-sergeant in the Royal Malay Regiment’s intelligence division, boasted of how he rescued Malays - including his pregnant wife - and Chinese trapped in buildings and caught between the impending clashes of warring groups.

Even Syed, however, spoke admiringly of those gang leaders who had risen to “take back” Malay rights and forced the government to pay attention to the Malays’ socio-economic conditions. Kampung Baru, then and now, is among the poorest sectors of Kuala Lumpur.

Gang leaders were united

Among such gang leaders, said Syed, were those who went by such names as ‘Ahmad Chicago’ who controlled one part of Kampung Baru, ‘Mat Whiskey’ (not his real nickname) who controlled “this side of Kampung Baru”, and ‘Mat Seram’ who controlled yet another part.

“If not for May 13, would there have been the Felda schemes?” asked Syed, citing the Federal Land Development Authority and other affirmative-action policies for bumiputeras.

Other gangs who had a field day during May 13 were Long Futong, ‘2-4′, ‘Sampat’, and ‘0-8′. Leaders of some of the gangs went on to become senior political leaders and government figures.

“Kampung Baru, which was known then as a ‘black area’ ruled by gangs where not even the police would set foot in. Alang was feared,” said Syed of his friend.
“An outsider stepping into this side of Kampung Baru was sure to get it from him!” he laughed as Alang grinned in acknowledgment.

Among the highlights of May 13, said Alang, was the uniting of gang leaders and members who previously had bad blood between them.

“We can never forget the day when Ahmad Chicago and Mat Whiskey hugged each other and made peace in front of the mosque,” said Alang. PAS members from Kelantan and Umno members from Johor also forgot their political differences and united.

The elderly gentlemen lamented the subsequent extinction of semangat Melayu and the spirit to “stand up for the community” among the next generation of Malays.

“The only thing Malay youth are notorious for nowadays are being Mat Rempits and getting high on drugs. They’re oblivious to the fact this land is no more referred to as tanah air Melayu (Malay land). Even (Rail operator) Keretapi Tanah Melayu is now only known as KTM Bhd.

“Soon, everything else Malay in this country will be lost,” he said bitterly.

Syed spoke highly of then deputy premier Tun Abdul Razak who, after May 13, took over as prime minister from Tunku Abdul Rahman and put into place the New Economic Policy (NEP).

“Tunku had given too much face to foreigners,” said Syed.

Let bygones be bygones

“May 13 itself and afterwards brought the Malays many blessings. Unfortunately, we’re not much better now than we were four decades ago. If May 13 happened again, most Malays would not be ready,” said Syed disapprovingly.

Shaking her head in disagreement, 56-year-old ‘Hamidah’ urged for all parties, especially academics and political leaders, to let bygones be bygones.

“Let it go. We ordinary people have no space to talk of such issues. It’s only the ruling and opposition political parties that still argue about May 13,” she said quietly.

In agreement with her, Abdul Rahman, the resident who had witnessed May 13 as a 12-year-old, suggested that while the popular masses had gotten caught up in the emotions of the times, it was the political leaders who did and still exploit communal issues for political gain.

“There is no need to relive the issues. The only lesson May 13 teaches us is that ordinary people like us ‘freak out’ over the issues that are raised, but are still used as pawns by the political elite.

“Now, they’re doing it again by raising the past instead of solving current problems,” he said.

13 May 1969, Kua Kia Siong book is not the complete story.

Or rather just a view of British High Commission Officer
who wrote to his bosses in London?

Ask yourself, how come someone who is not local, who is not a leader of Malaysia at that time, wrote a report and then 38 years later be considered as facts?

No I havent read the book.

Consider this before jumping into conclusion:
Bintang Tiga (read Chinese Communists) had ruled Malaya for 14 days just after the fall of Japanese Empire at the end of Second World War in 1945. During those times, they unleashed an orgy of killing, rapine and plunder towards people who were considered working with the Japanese (read Malay nationalists). There was killings perpetrated by MPAJA/Bintang Tiga in Sungai Manik, Perak and Batu Pahat, Johor. The Malays rose and fight back as narrated by Ruhanie Ahmad here:
Sebagai jawapan, saya tekankan di sini bahawa majoriti orang Melayu di Mukim Empat, Batu Pahat, Johor, yang dalam lingkungan umur saya atau lebih tua, memang sentiasa mengaku bahawa mereka adalah anak buah Panglima Salleh Selempang Merah [selendang merah].

Kalau tak ada Panglima Salleh dan pejuang-pejuang sukarelanya pada akhir 1945 dan awal 1946, rasanya musnah sudah manusia Melayu di Mukim Empat, Batu Pahat ketika itu dizalimi dan dibunuh seluruhnya oleh pengganas komunis bintang tiga.

Sebelum Panglima Salleh dan pejuang-pejuang sukarelanya bertindak, sudah ramai pun warga Melayu di sekitar Batu Pahat, Muar dan Pontian yang jadi korban kezaliman gerombolan komunis itu.

Ada keluarga Melayu yang dikuburkan hidup-hidup dan secara beramai-ramai. Ada yang dirogol dan diperkosa. Ada yang direbus dalam kawah yang menggelegak dengan minyak panas.

Ada yang disula dan digantungkan di pokok pedada di sepanjang Sungai Simpang Kiri, Batu Pahat. Ada yang mati dibedil. Ada yang dibakar sampai rentung. Pendek kata, pada ketika itu ada seribu satu bentuk kezaliman dan kekejaman untuk memusnahkan orang Melayu.

Saya imbas kisah ini bukan kerana saya racist. Sebaliknya, saya imbaskan kisah ini untuk mengingatkan diri saya sendiri bahawa sebahagian keluarga saya sendiri adalah mangsa kezaliman dan keganasan itu.

Saya juga imbas semula kisah ini kerana pada zaman anarki itu, ada juga masjid dan surau di Mukim Empat yang dijadikan markas pengganas komunis. Lebih hena dan keji lagi, di surau dan masjid itu jugalah anak-anak dara Melayu di rogol dan diperkosa sebelum dibunuh. Dan di surau serta masjid itulah juga tempat pengganas komunis berpesta arak dan menyembelih khinzir.

Jadi, kisah ini bukannya suara hati seorang racist. Sebaliknya, inilah realiti di zaman anarki sewaktu Melayu tiada kuasa politik dan Melayu belum menubuhkan Umno.

Sebab itulah bila Panglima Salleh dipujuk oleh Datuk Onn Jaffar untuk menghimpunkan Melayu daripada Mukim Empat, bersama-sama dengan penghulu lain yang memimpin Melayu Mukim Satu Lubok, Melayu Mukim Dua Bagan, Melayu Mukim Tiga Peserai untuk bersama Melayu Senggarang, Rengit, Parit Raja, Seri Gading, Selulon, Parit Yaani dan Seri Medan, seluruh Melayu bangkit atas nama bangsa yang dizalimi, atas nama bangsa yang ketiadaan kuasa dan atas nama bangsa yang kehilangan kedaulatan.

Selepas mereka menunaikan solat Jumaat di Masjid Bandar Penggaram, mereka pun berhimpun ke Kelab Melayu Batu Pahat. Di sanalah mereka menjeritkan slogan HIDUP MELAYU buat pertama kalinya dalam sejarah perjuangn pra-merdeka.


and compare this at Wikipedia;
Isu perkauman dalam pilihan raya 1969

Isu-isu perkauman yang menyentuh emosi dan sentimen menjadi tema utama sepanjang kempen pilihanraya yang telah menaikkan semangat kaum-kaum di Malaysia. Semasa kempen Pilihan Raya 1969, calon-calon pilihan raya serta ahli-ahli politik terutamanya daripada parti pembangkang, telah membangkitkan soal-soal sensitif berkaitan dengan Bahasa Kebangsaan (Bahasa Melayu), kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu sebagai (Bumiputera) dan hak kerakyatan orang bukan Melayu. Hal ini telah menimbulkan perasaan perkauman dan syak wasangka.

Parti Perikatan yang dianggotai oleh (UMNO-MCA-MIC) telah mengalami kekalahan yang teruk dalam Pilihan Raya 1969. Jumlah kerusi yang dimenanginya dalam Dewan Rakyat (Parlimen) telah menurun daripada 89 kerusi pada tahun 1964 kepada 66 kerusi pada tahun 1969. Parti Perikatan telah kehilangan majoriti dua-pertiga dalam Dewan Rakyat.

Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) dan Parti Progresif Rakyat (PPP) menang 25 buah kerusi dalam Dewan Rakyat manakala PAS menang 12 kerusi.

Sebab terjadinya Peristiwa 13 Mei 1969 adalah perarakan kemenangan pihak pembangkang. Penyokong-penyokong Parti Gerakan telah mengutuk dan menghina orang-orang Melayu semasa mengadakan perarakan di jalan-jalan raya di sekitar Kuala Lumpur.

Pembangkang meraikan kemenangan

Peristiwa ini berlaku berikutan pengumuman keputusan Pilihanraya Umum pada 10 Mei 1969.

Dr. Tan Chee Khoon dari parti Gerakan telah menang besar di kawasan Batu, Selangor. Beliau minta kebenaran polis untuk berarak meraikan kemenangan parti tersebut di Selangor yang menyaksikan 50:50 di Selangor. Perarakan tersebut menyebabkan kesesakan jalan raya di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Perarakan hingga ke Jalan Campbell dan Jalan Hale dan menuju ke Kampung Baru. Sedangkan di Kampung Baru, diduduki lebih 30,000 orang Melayu yang menjadi kubu UMNO, berasa terancam dengan kemenangan pihak pembangkang. Di sini letaknya rumah Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu, Dato' Harun Idris.

Dikatakan kaum Cina yang menang telah berarak dengan mengikat penyapu kepada kenderaan mereka sebagai lambang kemenangan mereka menyapu bersih kerusi sambil melaungkan slogan. Ada pula pendapat yang mengatakan penyapu tersebut sebagai lambang mereka akan menyapu ('menyingkir') orang-orang Melayu ke laut. Dalam masyarakat Melayu, penyapu mempunyai konotasi yang negatif (sial). Ada yang mencaci dan meludah dari atas lori ke arah orang Melayu di tepi-tepi jalan.

Perarakan kematian Cina

Di Jinjang, Kepong, kematian seorang Cina akibat sakit tua diarak sepanjang jalan dengan kebenaran polis. Namun perarakan kematian bertukar menjadi perarakan kemenangan pilihan raya dengan menghina Melayu.

Pada hari Selasa 13 Mei, Yeoh Tech Chye selaku Presiden Gerakan memohon maaf di atas ketelanjuran ahli-ahlinya melakukan kebiadapan semasa perarakan. Yeoh menang besar di kawasan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Tapi permohonan maaf sudah terlambat.

Rumah Menteri Besar Selangor

UMNO telah mengadakan perarakan balas pada pagi 13 Mei 1969 yang mengakibatkan terjadinya peristiwa ini. Hal ini adalah kerana perasaan emosi yang tinggi dan kurangnya kawalan dari kedua-dua pihak. Perarakan ini tidak dirancang.

Orang Melayu berkumpul di rumah Menteri Besar Selangor di Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz di Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Dato' Harun Idris selaku Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu cuba mententeramkan keadaan. Rupa-rupanya, mereka yang berkumpul telah membawa senjata pedang dan parang panjang dan hanya menunggu isyarat lampu hijau dari Dato' Harun Idris untuk mengamuk.

Ketika berkumpul, cerita-cerita tentang kebiadapan ahli parti Gerakan tersebar dan meluap-luap. Jam 3.00 petang datang berita kejadian pembunuhan orang Melayu di Setapak, hanya dua kilometer dari rumah Menteri Besar Selangor.

4.00 petang dua penunggang motosikal Cina yang melalui Jalan Kampung Baru telah dipancung. Sebuah van membawa rokok dibakar dan pemandunya dibunuh. Pemuda-pemuda Cina yang dikatakan dari PKM dan kongsi-kongsi gelap telah bertindak balas. Mereka membunuh orang-orang Melayu di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Rupa-rupanya orang Cina dan pemuda Cina ini lengkap dengan pelbagai senjata besi, tombak dan lembing berparang di hujung seperti dalam filem lama Cina.

Rusuhan besar terjadi. Perintah darurat dikeluarkan, semua orang tidak dibenarkan keluar dari rumah. Pasukan polis berkawal di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Tentera dari Rejimen Renjer lebih awal dikerahkan menjaga keselamatan sekitar Kuala Lumpur.

Rejimen Renjer

Pasukan FRU di keluarkan dari Kampung Baru dan askar dari Rejimen Renjer ambil alih. Malangnya pasukan ini terdiri dari Melayu, Iban, Cina, India dan lain-lain turut menembak orang-orang Melayu dan menyebabkan orang Melayu semakin meradang. Ketua Rejimen Renjer dikatakan seorang Cina.

Pemuda-pemuda Melayu yang mempertahankan Kampung Baru dan yang lain-lain mengamuk merasakan diri mereka terkepung antara orang Cina dengan askar Rejimen Renjer. Beberapa das turut ditujukan ke arah rumah Menteri Besar Selangor.

Askar Melayu

Akhirnya Regimen Renjer dikeluarkan dan digantikan dengan Askar Melayu. Beberapa bangunan rumah kedai di sekitar Kampung Baru, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman masih terus terbakar. Pentadbiran diambil-alih oleh Askar Melayu. Malangnya beberapa askar Askar Melayu turut masuk ke kedai-kedai emas Cina dan mengambil harta benda di sana. Ada yang berkata askar tersebut berpakaian preman.

Ramai orang Cina dibunuh dan dicampakkan ke dalam lombong bijih timah. Konon ada rakaman televisyen, beberapa pemuda Cina ditangkap, dibariskan di tepi lombong dan dibunuh. Bagaimanapun, sehingga sekarang, tiada bukti yang diedarkan mengenai rakaman ini.

Panggung Odeon

Pemuda-pemuda Cina dari kongsi-kongsi gelap telah bertindak mengepung Panggung Odeon, di Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur. Beberapa iklan disiarkan dalam bahasa Cina di skrin pawagam menyuruh penonton dari kalangan Cina keluar dari panggung. Penonton Melayu di panggung tersebut ramai yang mati. Ini termasuklah dua orang Askar Melayu yang tinggal di Sungai Ramal, Kajang.

Seorang polis bernama Rahim yang tinggal di Kuala Lumpur yang turut menonton wayang di Odeon terkena tetakan di kepala dan berpura-pura mati. Beliau masih hidup hingga sekarang. Akibat daripada tindakan sebegini, orang-orang Melayu mulai bertindak balas, dan dikatakan kepala orang Cina yang dibunuh diletakkan di atas pagar .

Abdul Rafai Alias bersama rakan-rakannya dari Semenyih yang datang ke Kuala Lumpur turut terperangkap dan terkejut dengan rusuhan kaum yang tidak disangka-sangka pada 13 Mei itu. Beliau turut melangkah-langkah mayat mereka yang telah terbunuh di atas jalan.

Khabar angin mengatakan Tentera Sabil dari Sungai Manik hendak datang ke Kampung Baru tetapi tersekat. Begitu juga dengan Tentera Selempang Merah dari Muar dan Batu Pahat tersekat dan disekat oleh polis di Balai Polis Kajang dan Cheras.

Ada 4 kiai di sekitar Kampung Baru mengedarkan air jampi dan tangkal penebat, iaitu ilmu kebal dengan harga yang agak mahal . Sebenarnya mereka mengambil kesempatan daripada keadaan cemas tersebut. Sesiapa yang memakainya menjadi kebal dan boleh terbang-terbang. Apa yang pasti, Askar Melayu sahaja yang telah menyelamatkan orang Melayu di Kampung Baru ketika itu.

Namun rusuhan kaum tidak terjadi di Kelantan, Terengganu dan Pahang. Di Perak, Kedah, Pulau Pinang serta Perlis tidak ada sebarang pergaduhan. Negeri Johor dan Negeri Sembilan juga tidak terjadi apa-apa. Cuma ada sedikit di Melaka. Di Betong ada tembakan oleh PKM.

Angka korban

Angka rasmi menunjukkan 196 mati, 439 cedera, 39 hilang dan 9,143 ditahan. 211 kenderaan musnah. Tapi ramai telah menganggar ramai lagi dibunuh. Sebuah thesis PhD. daripada Universiti California, Berkeley menganggar seramai 2,000 orang hilang nyawa dalam peristiwa 13 Mei. [1]



The Malays would never give up their special rights (dont confuse this with NEP)in Malaysia. When Singapore joined the Federation, Lee Kuan Yew started fanning Malay anger by campaigning Malaysian Malaysia, meaning everyone is equal.
Back then, to most Malays, Bintang Tiga rule was just 15 years past, still fresh in mind.
So when The Oppositions (which equal to Chinese to the Malays) insulted the Malays (read kurang ajar) in victory processions in Kuala Lumpur, the killing of Malays in Odeon theater, Setapak...
The rest was history.

Ask Tan Chee Koon, what did he say? He should know.
What does a British High Commission officer stationed in KL know? Oh yes, he made conclusions, albeit half truths.

13 Mei 1969: Parang Terbang was real



This one from Harakahdaily.
It is true, parang terbang was real, as I wrote in my previous post. As my father said, Allahyarham Tun Razak and now Uztaz Hassan asked and counsel slempang merah fighters to go home. No, my father never told me the full story.

Tragedi 13 Mei: 'Saya minta pejuang-pejuang Sg. Manik pulang'
Azamin Amin
Fri | May 18, 07 | 12:27:12 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Mei (Hrkh) - Demi mengelakkan pertumpahan darah lebih banyak dan menjadikan suasana semakin huru-hara, beliau meminta para pejuang Sg. Manik yang digeruni dan turut dikenali sebagai kumpulan 'parang terbang' dan 'selempang merah' untuk pulang ke Perak.

Demikian kisah bekas Senator, Ustaz Hassan Shukri yang sesekali mengimbau tragedi 13 Mei 1969 ketika ditemubual wartawan Harakah berhubung sejarah penubuhan PAS, muktamar dan penerbitan Harakah.

Katanya Pengerusi Majlis Gerakan Negara (Mageran), Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak turun meminta beliau untuk bertemu dengan para pejuang itu yang sudah pun berkumpul di Kuala Selangor untuk 'turun mengamuk' di Kuala Lumpur.

"Alhamdullilah mereka mendengar kata saya dan pulang ke kampung masing-masing, " katanya.

Ustaz Hassan bagaimanapun tidak memberitahu kaeadah atau pesanan yang telah berjaya 'melembutkan' hati para pejuang itu.

"Mungkin kerana mereka menghormati ayah saya yang pernah terlibat dengan peperangan di Sungai Manik pada zaman dulu," kata bekas Timbalan Presiden PAS itu.

Ketika ditanya tentang 'pendedahan semula 13 Mei' oleh pihak-pihak tertentu, beliau enggan mengulas lanjut kerana tidak mahu kenyataannya disalah tafsir.

"Masing-masing mempunyai versi dan cerita yang berbeza.DAP dengan ceritanya, Umno dengan ceritanya, orang Cina dan orang Melayu ada cerita mereka sendiri tetapi hanya Allah sahaja yang tahu kisah sebenarnya," katanya.

Beliau juga kagum dengan sikap Tun Abdul Razak yang begitu menghormati dan mengambil kira pandangan pimpinan PAS ketika itu.

"Waktu darurat itu, Tun Abdul Razak beberapa kali mengadakan pertemuan dengan saya dan beberapa pimpinan PAS yang lain untuk menyelesaikan masalah negara yang pada ketika itu amat meruncing," katanya lagi.

Selain itu beliau turut menceritakan kisah penyertaannya secara rasmi dengan PAS sewaktu berusia 14 tahun pada 1951; malah penyertaan beliau didorong oleh satu peristiwa unik yang mencetuskan semangatnya untuk mendekati PAS.

"Sebabnya ialah loteri kebajikan yang saya terima daripada guru saya dan saya bawa pulang ke rumah.

"Akhirnya saya dimarahi dan dihamun oleh ayah saya," katanya dan turut memberitahu salah satu sebab yang mendorong alim ulama bertindak keluar daripada Umno dan menubuhkan Parti Islam Se-Malaya kerana membantah program loteri kebajikan yang dianjurkan dan 'direstui' kerajaan pada masa itu.

"Disebabkan itu, saya mula berjinak-jinak dengan mengikuti aktiviti PAS di kampung dan mula menyertai secara aktif pada tahun 1951," katanya lagi. - mks.

(Ikuti sembang-sembang beliau berkaitan sejarah PAS, muktamar dan Harakah pada keluaran Harakah akan datang)


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Komen oleh (3) Pembaca

Tampeleing kainak
Dihantar oleh Parit 9, on 18-05-2007 16:39
Ayuhakkk betimpasannnn
Tolong betulkan
Dihantar oleh Arif, on 18-05-2007 15:54
Saya rasa wartawan tersalah rekodkan ".....keluarnya PAS daripada Barisan Nasional itu...." . Yang tepat ialah "...keluarnya ulama-ulama dari UMNO..." Tahun 1951 BN belum ada dan pada tahun 1978, BN singkirkan PAS, dan bukan kerana isu loteri kebajikan. Tolong betulkan
Apa versi PAS?
Dihantar oleh Pahuluan, on 18-05-2007 15:29
Sayang Ustaz Hassan tidak mahu memberi ulasan yang konkrit tentang Peristiwa 13 Mei itu. Walaupun setiap parti ada versi yang tersendiri, beliau sepatutnya memberitahu apa versi PAS (kalau ada)?

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Kiwi Budget Promote Savings, But..

Opens the Gap Wider between the Rich and the Poor.

On the plus side;
Interest rate will be lower in the long term, increase savings rate would supply funds to the financial market, hence in the long term, reducing the need to borrow fund from offshore.
Reduce inflationary expectation in the short term, when people are saving a fraction of their incomes, the money that they are not spending now.
Regional tax to fund public transport, now that is a novel idea. True, why should Southlanders chip in money to fix Auckland's transport woes, but will this be a catalyst in commuting behavior? The success remain to be seen, we might still see clogged roads and empty buses.
Lower business tax rate, now that is good for business.

On the negative side;
See the budget effectively help working people to save and get ahead. Govt will add money to your Kiwisaver account after a given time.
But there are huge number of people who are still on the benefit, DPB and low income pension. These people will be left behind in the prosperity ladder.
So does small business owners and self employed.

Govt banks on KiwiSaver to turn fortunes around
Fri, 18 May 2007 05:48a.m.
Michael Cullen was all smiles when he entered the debating chamber yesterday


The standout feature of yesterday’s budget was the big changes to the Kiwi Saver scheme.

Everyone who works stands to benefit and employers, who are to get $1 billion in tax cuts, are being forced to contribute to worker’s savings too.

The Government will contribute $1000 dollars up front and from July anyone who signs up for the scheme will put in at least 4% of their income.

The Government will then give a tax break of $20 twenty dollars a week to put into a kiwisaver account.

After 5 years you can withdraw the money to buy a first house, and the Government will give you another $5000.

But the biggest surprise is that employers are being forced to contribute too.

Along with your 4% from next year your employer will be forced to put in 1%.

From 2009, 2%, 2010, 3% and from 2011, your employer will have to match your contribution.

Businesses will get tax breaks for their contributions.

The changes mean that a couple who are 30 years of age earning the average wage, will now be able to retire with $300,000, while under the old Kiwi saver rules the figure would have been around 100,000.

An extra $3.2 billion dollars is going into Kiwisaver over 4 years and Cullen says it will lift prosperity in retirement for future retirees.

But National says the scheme is a hoax for businesses that received tax cuts today but now must then give them back.

“They get given $1-billion and they get $2-billion taken off them,” said National leader John Key.

Big business is also against the scheme, saying workers will pay through lower wages.

Trucks








Some pictures are woth sharing.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Pekalongan Indonesia the last sigh..t





These were probably the last sights of the town before my grandmothers boarded the sailing ship for Malaya.

The City Hall, The Harbourmaster Building, The Spit at the Harbour and The Beach.

Pekalongan Indonesia




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I have never been there.
But my late grandparents on both sides were from Pekalongan, well my grandmothers were from there, that is certain, but I am not so certain about my late grandfathers.

That woman wearing batik skirt, kebaya and carrying baby in a sling made of batik sarong, does remind me of my village.

My village in Tanjong Karang is not much different than this...coconut palm plantations and rice fields.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Hey look my name here!

Thats not the definition of Negative Income Tax! Negative Tax means Govt pays money on the as a portion. I will write on this later.

Workers better off with Negative Income Tax
Rajan Rishyakaran
May 14, 07 5:45pm Adjust font size:

I refer to the letters Workers suffer without Minimum Wage Act, Minimum wage absence affecting marriages and Minimum wage will reduce gap between rich, poor.

Arutchelvan blames capitalism and neo-liberal policies as something that will not increase wages on their own. Why then are wages in minimum wage-free Malaysia higher than in Indonesia? Why are wages in minimum wage-free Singapore higher than Malaysia? If greedy capitalists have no desire to pay better wages without state intervention, wouldn't our wages be lower than Indonesia? Indonesia has a minimum wage, after all.

He then claims that market forces are a poor way to provide a living wage for all workers. He painted it a choice - either put workers at the mercy of market forces or institute some sort of minimum wage, ignoring better alternatives.

Ashoy, on the other hand, claims minimum wage would encourage marriage and help rehabilitate drug addicts. He further claims that pornography addiction, massage parlours and prostitutes are the consequence of the lack of minimum wage.

All the unusual benefits Ashoy cited would not occur with minimum wage. Quite the contrary, it does the opposite. Increased unemployment means while some can afford marriage, others would be left jobless. Ex-drug addicts are already less desirable as employees - putting them to compete with others on the same wage level would put them at a greater disadvantage and actually hinder their rehabilitation into society.

Noor Yahaya claims minimum wage would not cause the distortions I had mentioned, unemployment and increase in business cost, simply because labour cost is just a part of the total business cost. Further, Noor Yahaya pointed out that minimum wage set properly would not cause the ramifications I painted. However, the only way minimum wage would not cause any distortion at all would be to set it at or below the current lowest wages; but with that, there isn't any point to minimum wage anymore.

A minimum wage would increase business cost for a portion of today's businesses directly (and indirectly for many more). The writer suggests other ways to curb business costs, yet the very fact minimum wage as a policy requires offsets elsewhere shows its negative impact. And if we could reduce the cost of business by, to use Noor Yahaya's example, simplifying bureaucracy - why cancel it out with the minimum wage?

Both Arbibi Ashoy and Noor Yahaya failed to understand the concept behind the Negative Income Tax (NIT). If RM500 is set as a minimum, all taxpayers in Seremban, for example, would be given RM500 while taxed for any other income they receive. If I were to earn RM3 for 45 hours of work, earning RM135 that month and assuming the tax rate is 10%, I would pay RM13.50 to the government in taxes, receive the RM500 and end up with RM621.50 that month - not RM500 Noor Yahaya claims.

If I found a full-time job paying RM500, I would pay RM50 in taxes and receive RM500 in credit - making my net income RM950: not RM500 as Noor Yahaya claims. NIT does the very opposite of causing laziness. If workers choose to be lazy and work less, they do so at their own
peril. After all, I would have lost RM328.50 if my laziness caused me to stay in that part-time job.

Far from encouraging businesses to pay low wages, since wages actually affect the net income of workers, employees would still find higher wages more enticing: even if that wage is below the hypothetical RM500.

Both Arutchelvan and Noor Yahaya cite the gap between the poor and rich as a problem that needs solving. But minimum wage increases business cost, prices, and the cost of living. And this increase in cost of living affects the poor most—the very same poor that has to deal with less job opportunities.

But unlike the minimum wage, NIT promises just that. Because that hypothetical RM500 would be funded by taxes, the rich pay for it. This is direct redistribution of wealth -seemingly the aim of Arutchelvan and Noor Yahaya.

And NIT isn't the only alternative to minimum wage; Singapore's Workfare scheme comes to mind. Targeted subsidies and grants to the poor can also help in alleviating poverty. The point of bringing NIT up is to show more elegant, better solutions in contrast to minimum wage.

And lastly, for Noor Yahaya's information, the reason why Milton Friedman opposed Congress' implementation of his ideas was simply because it diverged far from NIT. His decision does not reflect the strengths and weaknesses of NIT.

A visitor from my hometown




Checking my visitor list, where they come from, I saw this one. Someone from my hometown in Tanjong Karang.

Auckland, New Zealand Mon, 14 May 2007 06:55:05 -0500
Kampong Sawah Sempadan, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 06:42:54 -0500
, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 05:54:23 -0500
Kuching, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 05:24:50 -0500
Christchurch, New Zealand Mon, 14 May 2007 05:09:39 -0500
Kampong Baharu Nilai, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 04:54:56 -0500
Damansara, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 04:17:13 -0500
Christchurch, New Zealand Mon, 14 May 2007 03:34:02 -0500
Serdang, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 01:40:42 -0500
Victoria, Malaysia Mon, 14 May 2007 01:37:32 -0500
Christchurch, New Zealand Mon, 14 May 2007 01:27:53 -0500
Christchurch, New Zealand Mon, 14 May 2007 00:25:39 -0500
, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 23:23:55 -0500
Shah Alam, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 22:46:09 -0500
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 22:38:36 -0500
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 21:51:57 -0500
Batu Gajah, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 21:20:33 -0500
Christchurch, New Zealand Sun, 13 May 2007 21:18:41 -0500
, , United States Sun, 13 May 2007 18:59:41 -0500
Christchurch, New Zealand Sun, 13 May 2007 15:58:03 -0500
Penang, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 08:19:13 -0500
Salak South New Village, Malaysia Sun, 13 May 2007 06:20:07 -0500

Monday, May 14, 2007

Cerita Datuk Lela 2

The Hero

‘Satu masa tu Pakcik terlepas cakap kat bos Mat Salleh tu.’
‘Dia gelak aja, tapi bini dia punyalah bengang kat pakcik.’
“We were wondering about the wound for days. We couldn’t figure out what caused the wound.”
‘Masa tu pakcik makan kat rumah kapten Mat Salleh tu’
“You did what? Yuk! You eaten human flesh!” Mat Salleh’s wife and she proceeded to the kitchen sink and retched.
“ You monster! I cant believe it that you did such a thing.” she continued.

One time Datuk Lela was stationed to guard Tuan Mee Estate. There was the estate house and office, and the school house. At 2am, there was sporadic gunfire from across the fence, there were only a few of the Malay Regiment stationed at the estate at the time, which also include his boss, the kapten Mat Salleh.
The small company that Datuk Lela with couldn’t hold the continued and sustained attack. The kapten Mat Salleh got shot in the leg. The gunfire was coming closer and closer. Datuk Lela made a split second decision to drag his commanding officer away from the main house through the back of the building, dodging the gunfire with pistol on one hand. He dragged his boss through the night, only stopping for rest when really tired. Two of his Malay Regiment colleagues were killed in that attack.
This deed earned him Pingat Gagah Berani from the late Sultan Selangor on His Highness birthday celebration, which earned him the title Datuk. Datuk Lela showed me the picture of the day when he was bestowed the medal. The picture was a bit grainy, the hall was not that big, about 10m by 20m, the Malay women were wearing kebayas and there was a few mat salleh in the picture.
Datuk Lela spoke with pride, his voice was loud and clear. He was remembering the overrun of Tuan Mee Estate as clearly as it was yesterday. His cried later after telling me the story, overcome with emotion.

‘Zaman dulu, kalau cuti Pakcik selalu pegi Kuala Selangor tu. Ada kedai kopi kat pekan tu, selalu lepak kat situ.’
‘ Kedai kopi yang dekat jeti feri tu kan’ I conferred.
I remembered following my father to Kuala Selangor in the early 70’s to pay annual land tax. Back then there wasn’t any bridge. Our mean of crossing was by boat at Pasir Penambang or by ferry at the current bridge site. The ferry crossing for pedestrian was free, satu ringgit for car and dua ringgit for empty lorry. Of the lorry is fully laden, you were not allowed to cross there.
‘Kadang kalau dapat cuti hari Isnin Pakcik pegi Tanjong Karang pegi pasar Senin kat Tanjong Karang tu.’
Mondays has always been the market day in Tanjong Karang for time immemorial. Well as far as I can remember.
‘Satu masa tu ada pertandingan ratu cantik kat pasar tu.’
Oh, I have never heard of beauty contest at weekly market in Tanjong Karang. That was something new. I must have been back in the 50’s or early 60’s.
‘Ratu cantik ni punyalah bangga, dia jalan lah dari gerai ke gerai. Masa tu pasar nya kat tanah dia batu kerikil. Si ratu cantik ni pakai kasut tumit tinggi. Dia jatuh terjelepak, kepala pecah kena batu kerikil berdarah kat dahi.’

To be continued.

Expensive Pipeline






Some report said RM25billion, while this report said RM50 billion as the cost of 300+km pipeline project.
I am saying flatly that its not worthwhile and will do more damage to the country, people lives and environment than the profit that this project is supposed to generate.

Lets assume that the total cost is RM25billion, everything goes smoothly and no cost overrun. Lets assume that the money is funded by our EPF contributions. (So do you expect government to print money for this? That is worse. Or borrow money from Barclays Bank UK, and charged 7% interest?)
Assuming that EPF require return on investment of 5% (make the calculation easy), we would expect a net profit of RM1.25billion annually.
Wow thats high hurdle rate!
Add operational cost, damage to the environment, environmental risks associated with oil pipeline.
Did I mention viability yet?
Why would oil tanker want to stop and unload in Kedah when they can go around Sumatera and enter South China Sea through Sunda Strait as they always done?
Who benefit from this project? The rakyat?
Absolutely not, the Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese, if they use this facility.

Let me propose another form of investments that will benefit the country and the rakyat:
1. Lend RM100,000 to every poor Malaysian, so that they can use the money to improve their lives like starting businesses, build better housing, get themselves educated etc or simply invest in trust funds like ASW.
2. Invest in electric energy production, so that we can have cheaper electricity. This could be in the form if wind turbine on the hills and/or solar panel in every homes.
3. Water supply.
4. Waste water treatment.

Fiscal expansion measure like this, pipeline project would siphon funds from other investment. If the investment will directly benefit future production in food and other good, that will bring benefit in lower product prices in the future.
Unfortunately this pipeline project does not benefit rakyat directly, but benefit foreigner. So money for other investments will be starved to finance this pipeline, higher interest rate, reducing investments, shrinking future production which result in higher inflation and prices.

Let scrap this project, instead, lets do fiscal expansion that will benefit future production in the country, which will result in cheaper prices (read competitive) of goods and services.

Did I mention about the rainforest, nature reserve yet?



Proposed oil pipeline across northern Malaysia approved, says prime minister

The Associated Press
Monday, May 7, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The Malaysian government has approved building an oil pipeline across the breadth of the country, a project that could help tankers avoid sailing through the busy Malacca Strait, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday.

The proposed 50 billion ringgit (US$14.2 billion; €10.4 billion) project involves building a 320-kilometer (200-mile) pipeline from Kedah state on the northwestern coast to Kelantan state in the northeast, officials have said.

"Yes, we have agreed to it," Abdullah, who is also finance minister, told reporters.

The project will help accelerate economic development in the north and east of peninsular Malaysia, he said, adding that other details would be announced later.

The plans call for at least one coastal refinery that could process 200,000 barrels daily scheduled to be operational by the end of 2010, Kedah officials said last month.

Crude oil would be refined in Kedah, pumped through the pipe to Kelantan and then loaded onto tankers bound for Japan, China and South Korea, completely bypassing Singapore and the Malacca Strait.

Investors from China, Iran and Saudi Arabia are expected to take a stake in the project, which will allow Middle East oil shipments to reach the South China Sea without traveling through the Malacca Strait, which lies off peninsular Malaysia's west coast, officials have said.

The strait, which carries half the world's oil and more than a third of its commerce, is shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It is notorious for robberies and kidnappings by pirates, but attacks have fallen following increased security patrols in 2005.

Malaysian firms Merapoh Resources Corp. and SKS Ventures will build the refineries, while Trans-Peninsula Petroleum will construct the pipeline, according to Kedah officials.

SKS Ventures already has links with the Middle East oil industry. The company recently signed a US$16 billion (€12 billion) deal with Iran to develop two gas fields in southern Iran.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Commemorating 13 Mei 1969








A lot of factors at play. Events like 'Peristiwa 13 Mei', 'Rwandan Genocide', Darfur Genocide', 'Balkan War' and 'Kosovo Ehtnic Cleansing' doesnt just happen overnight.
It is important for the Govt of the day to recognise that everyone in the community, regardless of their ethnic origin and economic background be treated equally in freedom, justice and economic terms.

'Peristiwa 13 Mei' happened largely because there is general feeing among the Malay populace that they are being left behind economically. So the tension already simmering to some degree. Then, in General Election of 1969, the Malays lost their political power in Selangor, Pulau Pinang and Melaka? (Is that right?)
It is true that so called 'Malay thugs' went overboard and run amok. But thugs or terrorist are just definition. Someone may be viewed as a terrrorist by Bush, but he/she may be a freedom fighter to another. Doesnt Osama being idolised in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
Mau Mau guerillas in Kenya were terrorists, so does Robert Mugabe's fighters, but today they run their respective countries and call themselves freedom fighters and nationalists.

Let us remind ourselves and the Government that we SHOULD NOT leave a group of people in our society as underclass and poor. Economic pie shall be fairly distributed in our society, and this does not mean, distribution by so called 'racial measure' alone. We all contribute in our nation, whether we work as 'petani', 'tukang sapu sampah' or CEO of a multinational.
It is sad that today, 50 years after Merdeka, we still retain colonial attitudes that petani and tukang sapu sampah as lowly. Status and prestige are measured by our ability to extract the most from society (gaji besar).
We as a nation should move together.
Higher wages for low income workers in a good start.

This article is from Malaysiakini.

What actually happened during the 1969 tragedy
May 11, 07 1:11pm

The series of events surrounding the 'May 13' riot has been documented by Dr Kua Kia Soong in his latest book May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969 which will be launched on Sunday in conjunction with the 38th anniversary of the tragedy.

This compilation, based on various sets of foreign dispatches and confidential reports at the time - which were declassified recently and made available at the Public Records Office in London - has been dubbed as the first credible account on the incident.

“The real circumstances surrounding the worst racial riot in the history of Malaysia have so far not been made available to the Malaysian public. The official version is fraught with contradictions and inadequacies to which few pay credence,” Kua wrote in the book.

Below are excerpts and summary of the chronology of events based on the declassified documents taken from Kua’s book:

May 10:

The ruling Alliance Party suffered a major setback in the general election although it had managed to retain a simple parliamentary majority. They had lost Penang to the Gerakan Party; Kelantan to the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party while Perak and Selangor were at the brink of falling into the opposition’s hands.

May 11 and May 12:

On both nights, the opposition celebrated their victory. A large Gerakan procession was held to welcome the left-wing Gerakan leader V David back from winning the federal seat in Penang.

May 13:

The MCA which had suffered badly at the polls, announced that it would withdraw from the cabinet while remaining within the Alliance.

A dispatch from a foreign correspondent showed it is evident that there was a plan for youths mobilised by Umno elements to assemble at then Selangor menteri besar Harun Idris’ residence in the late afternoon. A retaliatory march had been planned although police permission was withheld.

When people were still assembling for the parade, trouble broke out in the nearby Malay section of Kampung Baru, where two Chinese lorries were burnt. The ensuing carnage at Kampung Baru and Batu Road quickly spread elsewhere in Kuala Lumpur.

The foreign correspondent noted the curfew that was imposed was not fairly applied to all.

“In the side streets off Jalan Hale, I could see bands of Malay youths armed with parangs and sharpened bamboo spears assembled in full view of troops posted at road junctions. Meanwhile, at Batu Road, a number of foreign correspondents saw members of the Royal Malay Regiment firing into Chinese shophouses for no apparent reason.”

Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman immediately attributed the violence as triggered off by the behaviour of opposition supporters after the election result announcement while his deputy Tun Abdul Razak pinned the blame on the communists.

May 14:

The riots continued but on a smaller scale. The curfew was only lifted in staggered hours in various districts to allow people to buy food. The police called out all possible reserves and handed over the northern part of the city to the army.

Police put casualties for the previous night incident at 44 killed and about 150 injured. Another dispatch showed the casualties were mainly Chinese as it stated that out of 77 corpses in the morgue of the General Hospital on May 14, at least 60 were Chinese.

The government’s attempts to blame the communists for the riots were however not taken seriously by the officials at the British High Commission (BHC) who could see that the Tunku was not prepared to blame his own people for the riots, nor was he going to blame it on the Chinese “as a whole”.

May 15:

The King proclaimed a state of emergency. The National Operations Council headed by Tun Razak was formed. Tun Razak was still responsible to the Tunku, but all the powers under Emergency Regulations were vested in him.

The curfew had been lifted temporarily in Kuala Lumpur that morning but the situation had rapidly worsened and more sporadic fighting had broken out. Curfews were re-imposed but food was very short.

The local press was suspended until censorship regulations could be drawn up but no attempt was made to supervise reports sent out by foreign correspondents.

May 16:

The situation was still tense in Selangor with cars and houses being burned and fatalities rising. Death tolls had risen to 89 with over 300 injured. 24 hour curfew remained in force in Selangor and had also been imposed in Malacca. In Penang and Perak, the situation had improved although the curfew remained in force.

Tunku made a broadcast in which he announced the setting up of a National Defence Force to be manned by volunteers. The new information minister Hamzah Abu Samah and Tun Razak gave a press conference pinning the blame for the riots on communist infiltration of the opposition parties.

There were reports of looting by the largely Malay military and their bias against the Chinese Malaysians. Number of refugees were increasing.

May 17:

From a BHC telegram, it showed there were skepticism among British officers toward the official figures for fatalities and the preponderance of Chinese casualties among the dead. The police estimated the deaths at about 100 now while British officers estimated the proportion of Chinese to Malay casualties is about 85:15.

The press censorship invited criticism not only from the local press but also in diplomatic circles especially when official statements lacked clarity and credibility.

In a confidential BHC memorandum to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the coup d’etat has been acknowledged and it has effected the transfer of power not only to “Malay hands” but also to the security forces. The latter’s professionalism is questioned.

The BHC also noted the Federal Reserve Unit, which at the time was multiracial in composition, was the more impartial of the security forces while the Malay troops were discriminatory in enforcing the curfew.

“Discriminatory takes the form, for example, of not, repeat not, enforcing the curfew in one of the most violently disposed of the Malay areas in Kuala Lumpur (Kampung Baru) where Malays armed with parangs, etc continue to circulate freely; with the inevitable result that gangs slip through the cordon round the area and attack Chinese outside it. In Chinese areas, the curfew is strictly enforced.”

May 18:

The Tunku qualified his earlier assertion that the disturbances were caused by communists, putting the blame instead on assorted “bad elements”. He also announced the deferment of the Sarawak elections and the continuance of the restrictions on the movement of foreign journalists.

The situation was still unsettled in some parts of the capital city.

May 19:

Less than a week after the riots, the reins of power had effectively passed to Tun Razak, indicating that there had been a plot to bring about the coup d’etat.

“The exact relationship between Tun Razak and the Tunku is not clear. In public Tun Razak says he is directly responsible to the Tunku but he has made it clear privately that he is completely in charge of the country. This could mean the beginning of a process of withdrawal by the Tunku as an effective PM”.

There are some 10,000 reported refugees. The local press was allowed to publish under censorship while foreign journalists had their curfew passes withdrawn. Some opposition politicians were arrested.

May 20:

In a meeting, an Australian High Commissioner had suggested the opposition leaders should be given a role as peace maker but Tun Razak and Ghazali Shafie were firmly against this. “They considered opposition leaders would simply use such an opportunity to promote their own political views.”

The Malaysian Red Cross Society is continuing its daily feeding programme for refugees in various places and over 5,000 had received food supplies.


May 21:

The official statistics of casualties at this juncture were 137 killed (18 Malays), 342 injured, 109 vehicles burned, 118 buildings destroyed and 2,912 persons arrested who were mostly curfew breakers.

May 23:

The declassified documents reveal that Malay troops were not only fraternising with the Malay thugs but were discharging their firearms indiscriminately at Chinese shophouses as they went through the city.

“When confronted by foreign correspondents with reports of racial discrimination, Tun Razak flatly denied them. Following this, curfew passes issued to foreign journalists were withdrawn and reporters were ordered to remain indoors ‘for their own safety’.”

A foreign correspondent’ s report showed the Malay hooligans were detested by the law-abiding Malays of Kampung Baru.

Internal security and home minister Tun Dr Ismail indicated that the Internal Security Act would be in future amended to “counter changing communist tactics”. It was disclosed that of the 3,699 arrested during the crisis, 952 were members of secret societies.

May 24:
Law and order has been re-established in Kuala Lumpur and the atmosphere in the town had improved. People were going back to work (in non-curfew hours) and the government offices were limbering into action. The curfew remained in force (from 3pm to 6.30am of the following day). The government was not ready to admit that it was armed Malay youth who had caused the disturbances.

May 27:

The Tunku was under pressure to resign as he was clearly incensed by foreign journalists’ speculations about his weakening position and got his private secretary to write a protest note to the BHC.

May 28:

A confidential report by the BHC to the FCO on this day observed the government’s attempts to blame the communists for the disturbances were an attempt to justify their new authoritarian powers.

June:

The riots had been under control but they were still sporadic outbreaks of civil disturbances. A BHC report noted violence erupted again in one part of Kuala Lumpur on the night of June 28 and 29, a number of houses were burnt and the casualties were officially given as five killed and 25 injured. Some disturbances toward the end of June also involved ethnic Indians.

July:

Renewed trouble in which one policeman was killed was quickly stopped from spreading in Kuala Lumpur by positive police action.

Tun Ismail’s firm stand in ordering the security forces to act firmly ‘without favour or discrimination’ to any communal group and the Tunku’s announcement of a National Goodwill Committee made up of politicians of all parties went some way toward allaying the fears of the people.

Tun Ismail also revealed the total arrests since May now stood at 8,114, comprising people “from all the major racial groups”. Of these, 4,192 had been charged in court, 675 released on bail, 1,552 unconditionally released and 1,695 preventively detained.

Situation in the Peninsula had improved substantially but tension remains high in sensitive areas of Malacca, Perak and Selangor.

Tension had begun to ease until Malay agitation connected with Tunku’s return to a position of influence and the removal of Dr Mahathir Mohamad from Umno’s general committee on July 12 had heightened it again. Malay university students petitioned for Tunku’s resignation and demonstrated on the campus.
Unveiling the 'May 13' riots