sound of a wolf24

MCA MP for Alor Setar YB Chor Chee Heung debated during the RM10 salary cut motion against Minister of Internal Security who is also the PM himself.

It is shameful that Chor could say that the high crime rate in Malaysia shows that the economy is performing, which is not true at all.

Malaysiakini.com

Two student groups have backed suspended Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) student Lee Song Yong's bid to get the decision overturned with the help of members of Parliament.

Malaysian Students Solidarity president Sheikh Omar Ali and Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement (Dema) administration secretary Simon Ooi led a group of students to Parliament House where they also held a press conference today.

Lee said their objective was to get the MPs to sign a protest memorandum to be submitted to Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamad.

"We are just hoping that Tok Pa (Mustapa) will intervene in the matter and cancel the suspension," he said.

By the end of the day, the group has obtained 19 signatures from the MPs - all of whom are from the opposition camp.

A number of government MPs were approached but they declined to ink the petition, including Chor Chee Heung (MCA-Alor Star) (photo, far left) and Shahrir Abdul Samad (Umno-Johor Baru).

Lee, a second-year student, was charged with refusal to cooperate with university security officials and obstructing them from performing their duties.

Following disciplinary proceedings, he received a one-semester suspension. This effectively means that he may have to spend an additional year to complete his three-year degree in computer science.

The protest memorandum demands that the campus authorities revoke the suspension immediately, clearly state procedures to be followed by security guards, and act against the security officers who abused their power.

Asked if he had appealed to the ministry, Lee said: "I only received the grounds of the decision of the disciplinary proceedings yesterday and we're in the midst of submitting an application. At the same time, we are here to garner support from MPs."

Sheikh Omar said Lee's suspension was unreasonable as it is only the fourth stage penalty as stated in the Universities and University Colleges Act (UCCA).

"The fifth stage is expulsion. It is ridiculous to hand down a one-semester suspension when he had only refused to let the security guards check his bag," he said, adding that he hopes for a positive response from Mustapa.

Parliamentary Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, who was present at the press conference, described the suspension as "harsh, high-handed, undemocratic and arbitrary".

"It is regrettable that Mustapa has not intervened in this issue. Also regrettable is Deputy Minister Ong Tee Kiat's announcement that the government will introduce university autonomy. It cannot be introduced until the UCCA is abolished," Lim said.

"The Higher Education Ministry cannot pass the buck to the universities. I hope Mustapa will intervene and revoke the suspension."

UPM has seen a series of skirmishes between students and the authorities, particularly in the run-up to campus elections each year.

The video was taken one night before nomination day.

Police raided DAP HQ on 23/5/2009.

Teresa Kok Rahang Seremban

Abdullah and the Cabinet should also heed Musa's sobre views and appraisal of the national situation, particularly his frank views that the problems faced by the Malaysian Indians are "genuine", which are part of national problems, and that the Indians are feeling "desperate" as they are not satisfied with the representation by the MIC which are considered ineffective.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and the first Suhakam Chairman, Tun Musa Hitam, has provided a solution to prevent the country plunging down the slope of a new "dark age" for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

In an interview with Sunday Times, Musa has made an eloquent call for Malaysia to be one of the first developing nations to show respect for the human right of freedom of expression by allowing peaceful assemblies and demonstrations.

Asked "Is Malaysia ready for peaceful assemblies", Musa gave the refreshing and confident reply: "Yes, Come on, we have been independent for 50 years."

Musa is right when he made two important points, which should be serious thought by the Prime Minister and Cabinet on Wednesday.

Firstly, the fallacy of equating "demonstrations" with "violence".

Musa rightly pointed out that Malaysia should move forward and away from the mentality equating "demonstrations" with "violence", and he made proposals for peaceful demonstrations to be allowed by the government, with the responsibility for ensuring that the demonstrations are peaceful also being placed on the organizers.

Secondly, Musa's rebuttal of the repeated TV claim and dismissal of demonstrations as "Ini bukan budaya kita" (This is not our culture).

Musa said: "I'm sorry for ridiculing this, but where is there a budaya (culture of violence) anywhere in the country? Do you think violence is a French budaya? Indonesians? Filipinos?"

Many faces turned up under Pakatan Rakyat