On Perak: Umno state rep defects to PKR

Abdullah Junid: The defection of Bota assemblyman Nasarudin Hashim offers both validation and opportunity for Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. It is validation that momentum is firmly back with Pakatan Rakyat following the Jan 17 parliamentary win in Kuala Terengganu. And it offers an opportunity for Anwar to put the 916 plan back on track, albeit in a modified form.

All he needs is for a handful of MPs to cross over - maybe as few as four or five - and it could turn into the push that finally topples the BN.

The BN seems at its most fragile ever, a ship starting to take on lots of water. The Kuala Terengganu loss delivered the BN two heavy blows.

In the first electoral test since the 916 plan fizzled out, voters have indicated that they are not holding that against Anwar and Pakatan.

And in his first real test of acceptance and popularity among voters, Najib Abdul Razak, the Umno leader-in-waiting, the party's future, has been shown the thumbs-down by voters. Granted, it was a limited contest, but most agree it reflects national sentiment.

What makes it worse is that Najib publicly indicated it was important for Umno to win the contest, and invested a lot of his time and energy into campaigning.

It may not be necessary for Anwar to turn the screw too actively. With infighting and insubordination in Umno breaking out all over the place, and with the institutions of government showing increasingly reckless and unthinking behaviour, self-destruction may start occurring at an accelerated rate.


On Najib says no more defections to Pakatan

Siew Wah: I am extremely pleased to hear that Perak Umno assemblyperson Nasarudin Hashim has found a good cause to quit Umno to join PKR.

It is a first sign of the disintegration of Umno, which is made up of members who have still not learnt their lesson after losing five states in the last general election and two humiliating defeats in by-elections.

And yet our Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, is still in denial, saying there will be no more defections.

Umno members know the rot in government is getting worse with rising crime rates, police brutality, a tainted judiciary, lack of transparency and mismanagement.

I pray more Umno representatives will follow suit and PKR will form the next government, where true justice and equality for Malaysians regardless of race and creed will prevail.


On Indian business group's chief slams gov't critics

K Arumugam: Maicci president and entrepreneur Datuk KK Eswaran's frank opinion to score points for pittance is grossly embarrassing. For his stature, he has stooped too low for crumbs.

I have analysed the entire 9th Malaysia Plan and its mid-term review report and have come to the conclusion that government policies indeed continue to marginalise the Indians and the poor in the country.

Capital formation and distribution are skewed. The poor, in particular Indians, as an ethnic community are indeed disadvantaged. Eswaran's ease in condemning the Indians for their uprising is obvious of his ignorance of the historical, socio-economic and political deprivation of Indian rights in this country.

Are we asking for special privileges? No, Eswaran, we just want our straight A students to be recognised and given the same opportunities as any other student. We want all our skillful doctors to be given due promotions. We want Tamil schools to receive due funding.

Eswaran, you do not have to tell the Indian community not to bite the hand that is feeding it. It is the only community that has voted the same government wholeheartedly for over 50 years.

Enough is enough. Please step aside if you are not the best negotiator for the community. Your privilege today is the community's gift. Do not gamble it away with your arrogance and ignorance.


On Indian police kill two 'Pakistan militants' near Delhi

Peace Lover: I feel the above report is a deliberate attempt to implicate Pakistan in yet another incident of ‘terrorism’ that cannot be independently verified.

The article made no mention of the recent terrorist bombing that rocked the Pakistani city of Lahore, with two Indians held for the heinous crime. India did not deny the involvement of its nationals in terrorism in Pakistan.

The article is equally guilty of ignoring reports that the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi received terrorist threats last week against which the High Commission has duly sought security guarantees from India. Safety of Pakistan's diplomatic personnel is India's responsibility and it must fulfill its international obligations.

Blaming Pakistan and its enviable premier security agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), is at once a fad and a fear factor in Indian life, political or otherwise. Whether it is locust infestation, the failure of its cruise missile technology or, mayhem in Mumbai, India does not balk from finger-pointing.

Within hours of the Mumbai incident, India began to whip anti-Pakistan hysteria while it took them more than a month to submit the information dossier to Pakistan. India continues to shy away from Pakistan's standing offer for a joint investigation, giving rise to suspicion that India is trying to hide something from the rest of the world.

People of Pakistan are, therefore, accustomed to these crying wolf tactics and India pulls no surprises with its incessant blame game.

Notwithstanding the fact that Pakistan-India relations are not within Malaysiakini's ambit, you will do a service to world peace by telling your readers that the Chief of Interpol - after India failed to provide him with any evidence of Pakistan's share in Mumbai events - had said that "any country that has suffered as much at the hands of terrorists as Pakistan" was "in need of international support, not international condemnation".


On 'Don't destroy Bukit Larut'

Abdullah Hussein: Being a frequent visitor to Bukit Larut, the suggested cable car project by the state government does not excite me. Furthermore, I am puzzled why the project, which was called off by the previous state government, is being revived.

I sincerely hope the state government will hire more knowledgeable officers to fill in the gaps of environmental knowledge in the administration. Being an old chap myself, I can indeed see examples of climate change. Bukit Larut used to be a much cooler place but now it's getting hotter.

What should the Perak state government do now?

Study ways to preserve the hill in its natural condition. People go there to see and enjoy the hill in all its natural glory. A cable car project will not help. I also hope the state government will listen to the reasons given by Datuk Marimuthu of Fomca in objecting to the proposal.

Listen to those who are knowledgeable before it is too late.


On Horror flight: MAS regrets incident

Takeda Shingen: I was on a recent MAS flight from KL to Penang. About ten minutes before takeoff, the lights and air-conditioning system powered down quite suddenly. It was the kind of thing that puts visions of a crashing aircraft into one's mind.

It took 20 minutes to resolve the issue and the whole time, the cabin crew was joking and talking loudly at the front of the plane as if they were a bunch of kids on a school bus.

The cabin crew at this juncture should have been professional and made an effort to explain the situation and reassure passengers. The least they could do was serve drinks to keep passengers calm!

It is painfully obvious that MAS has cut back on crew training.

MAS personnel, especially cabin crew members should remember that they are in the service industry representing Malaysia and not a bunch of teenagers on a road trip.