While the opposition leader says that the PM's three-year report card has failed to pass muster, others welcome his warnings to religious conservatives not to hijack his Islam Hadhari.


Lim Kit Siang, Opposition Leader and DAP member of parliament for Ipoh Timur

Abdullah's three-year report card as prime minister fails to pass muster is this why it was not presented in Parliament where it would be scrutinised and debated objectively and dispassionately by opposition MPs?

Abdullah should have presented a report card of his three-year premiership to Parliament as I had suggested - especially as he had said in November 2003 that he had chosen to deliver his maiden official speech as prime minister in Parliament as a symbol of his respect for Parliament as the highest institution in the country.

Abdullah's speech is a mishmash of conflicting and contradictory messages on the one hand, reiterating his commitment to the reform pledge and agenda of an open, clean, incorruptible, accountable, transparent and trustworthy government prepared to listen to the people, and on the other hand revealing he has an iron fist in the velvet glove which he is prepared to wield to crack down on dissent and human rights to protect and consolidate his power position.

How, for instance, can Abdullah reconcile his principle to encourage constructive criticism and his position that "differences of opinion should be viewed objectively and not necessarily be seen as being anti-government" with his authoritarian and intolerant pronouncement that "questioning the methodology used by the Economic Planning Unit" on the computation of ethnic breakdown of corporate equity "is the same as accusing the government of lying"?

The biggest disappointment of Abdullah's speech is his section on corruption. It is sad and tragic that after three years as prime minister, with a resounding mandate in the last general election as to win 91% parliamentary seats, Abdullah should be pleading with Umno delegates that he could not succeed in his campaign against corruption without their support.


Ramon V Navaratnam, president, Transparency International - Malaysia

There is a perception that the government's efforts to fight corruption had been slowing down. It is timely that all Malaysians rallied around the prime minister's commitment to fight corruption and money politics.

TI-Malaysia urges the public to respond to the PM's call by reporting all cases of corruption and submit substantive evidence to the authorities.

The PM had stated that he is monitoring the incidence of corruption. It would be very useful if the public is kept informed of the progress of the monitoring process. This will help to counter the common perception that not enough is being done to combat corruption.

TI-Malaysia hopes that the corruption profile that is being complied by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) will be able to provide evidence of those who live beyond their means and appropriate action taken against them.

The ACA must be more transparent in its fight against corruption and publish evidence of corruption cases. The judiciary must also take steps to expedite the legal processes and court cases involving corruption cases.


Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, chairman, Movement for Democracy and Anti-corruption (Gerak)

We found our office broken into this morning and while none of our laptops were taken, a few documents involving corruption went missing. We have made a police report on the matter.

Gerak believes that the speech made by the Umno president yesterday that he was determine to fight corruption and asked everyone to help him amounts to nothing but hot air. We will only believe him if he is brave enough to amend the law and make the Anti-Corruption Agency completely independent.

It has been three years since Abdullah became PM and yet not a single law has been amended which can help strengthen ACA.

We believe that Abdullah has lied to the people, particularly the Umno delegates. Based on his failure to investigate allegations of abuse of power involving him in enriching his son and son-in-law, he has lost the moral high ground in combating corruption.

Gerak calls on Abdullah to honestly admit that he was unable to carry out the important task in fighting graft and with that, he should step down at the end of this Umno general assembly.


Ivy Josiah, executive director, Women's Aid Organisation (WAO)

The address for Umno was heard by all Malaysians and as a women's human rights group, Abdullah's position that "we must respect the principle of gender equality" and that it will "be the country's loss if we sideline or belittle the role of women" is in keeping with WAO's law and policy advocacy to eliminate discrimination against women.

It is especially more poignant that today, Nov 16 is International Day for Tolerance that Abdullah saw fit to issue a stern warning for those who sow seeds of discord, fear and misinformation.

WAO as a member of the coalition 'Article 11' has seen the worrying trend of silencing voices of civil society by demonising them as a threat, sensitive and racial. We are thus, greatly encouraged that at the very least the media will be given the freedom and discretion to publish points of views to clear myths and misconceptions.

It is WAO's hope that Abdullah's address does not remain mere rhetoric and his leadership is able to translate this vision by identifying Malaysians who will champion the implementation of this shared vision slowly but surely.


Norhayati Kaprawi, programme manager, Sisters in Islam (SIS)

SIS welcomes the PM's speech which called on Muslims to avoid the conservative and radical approach in analysing and addressing Islamic issues. An approach which is based on authentic information and the rational mind is of outmost important to ensure peace, prosperity and justice for all.

We hope there is no more assertions that Muslims cannot use their rational mind when it comes to religious affairs. This is clearly against the teaching of the Quran, which says that the people must always think.

We believe that the PM's message is very timely in view of the growing conservatism, intolerance and radicalism of late. We hope that those responsible for spreading such negative agenda to stop inciting dan instigating Muslims with twisted accusations, lies and slander. If they do really struggle for Islam, they should practice Islamic principles and values, instead of being hypocrites.

We also support the PM's call that all parties should accept and uphold the Federal Constitution and the social contract, which have been accepted by all major communities in this country. It is not proper for anyone to try to challenge and question the validity of the Constitution as the supreme law of Malaysia.