Jumaat, 16 Ogos 2013

MY VOICE FOR NATION

Dr Shafie Abu Bakar

Dr Shafie Abu Bakar


Puisi Dibengkelkan Di Port Dickson Terpilih Menerima Hadiah Sastera Malaysia 1976

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 04:49 PM PDT

SERVANTHOOD

SERVANTHOOD


Media Conference at DAP Perak Headquarters in Ipoh

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 08:18 AM PDT


Media Conference at DAP Perak Headquarters in Ipoh

Failure to answer Questions in Perak State Assembly: Zambry misleads the people. He owes an apology to the people and the Governments of Penang and Selangor.
__________________________________________________

Since the grab of power by BN on 6/2/2009 led by PM Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak and BN MB Dato' Seri Zambry Bin Abdul Kadir, Perak Assembly has never functioned properly. Amongst the things the BN Government did was to reject or refuse to answer questions that implicate the Government of corruption, cronyism and abuse of power. Parliament and State Assemblies exist for this very purpose that is,  to check on the Government of its abuses.

In the Malaysian Parliament, questions that require oral answers that are not answered during the Parliamentary sittings will be given written answers. Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives in Perak have asked that the same be followed in the Perak State Assembly but the BN Government has refused to do so. Perak BN Menteri Besar, Dato' Seri Zambry Bin Abdul Kadir has given the excuse 2 days ago that the Pakatan Rakyat State Governments of Penang and Perak also did not do so. I have checked with the Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Lim Guan Eng and the Speaker of Selangor State Assembly, Mdm Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan and they have confirmed that all oral questions that could not be answered in the State Assembly sittings will be subsequently given written answers. Dato' Seri Zambry owe an apology to the people and the State Governments of Penang and Selangor for misleading the people and defaming the State Governments of Penang and Selangor. Will Dato' Seri Zambry be honourable enough to tender the apology?

As illustrations on the ridiculous conduct of the Perak BN Government  in the State Assembly, I append below the questions that were rejected by the BN Government to enable for the people to assess whether Perak State Assembly is functioning or its meetings are just a farce.

In the 2ndmeeting  4th Session of the 12thPerak State Assembly which sat from 15th August 2011, my following 3 questions which require written answers were rejected.

Soalan-soalan yang memerlukan Jawapan bertulis

1)     Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besaruntuk senaraikan 200,000 hakmilik tanah baru seperti yang diumumkan oleh Menteri Besar dan dilapurkan dalam Star Metro pada 30hb Jun 2011. Berikan nama penerima-penerima hakmilik-hakmilik tersebut yang merupakan pemberimilikan tanah baru (new land alienation).

2)  Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besaruntuk senaraikan nama mereka yang telah diluluskan tanah yang sekarang diusahakan oleh lebih kurang 100 petani di Tronoh Mines di Tapah dan kenapa tanah-tanah ini diluluskan kepada mereka yang tidak ada kaitan dengan tanah ini dan bukan kepada petani-petani yang sedia ada di situ.

3)  Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besarberapa kalikah kadar premium bagi lot-lot perumahan Kampung Tersusun dan Kampung Baru bertukar dari 6/2/2009 hingga ke hari ini (27/2/2011). Nyatakan kadar premium untuk lot-lot perumahan bagi Kampung Tersusun dan Kampung Baru dalam tempoh tersebut.

The first question was rejected on the ground that a question cannot be asked as to the truth of a newspaper report. The second question was rejected on the ground that it is with regard to a secret. The third question was rejected on the ground that the answer can be obtained from a normal reference book. Anyone reading the reasons giving will see how ridiculous they are.

At the 3rdmeeting,  5th Session of the 12th Perak Assembly which sat from 17/12/2012, all my 3 questions requiring oral answers and 3 out of my 5 questions requiring written answers were rejected. (Each Assemblyman/woman is allowed to ask the maximum of 3 questions requiring oral answers and 5 questions requiring written answers).

Soalan-soalan yang memerlukan jawapan lisan

1.          Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besaruntuk menyatakan syarat-syarat dan terma-terma tanah 6 ekar tanah ( tapak bangunan pejabat dan stor Majlis Perbandaran Manjung di Pekan Sitiawan sebelah Crystal Hotel ) diluluskan kepada Kinta Berkat Sdn Bhd untuk dimajukan bagi Majilis Perbandaran Manjung.

2.          Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besaruntuk menyatakan syarat-syarat dan terma-terma keluluskan pemberimilikan tanah seluas 15.0 ekar di Mukim Lumut, Daerah Manjung yang diluluskan kepada Reality Axis Sdn Bhd.

3.         Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besar untuk menyatakan syarat-syarat dan terma-terma keluluskan pemberimilikan sebahagian Lot 6593 seluas 32.07 ekar tanah di Mukim Kamunting, Daerah Larut Matang dan Selama kepada YBU Holding Sdn Bhd.

Soalan-soalan yang memerlukan jawapan bertulis

  1. Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besar untuk menyatakan syarat-syarat dan terma-terma tanah seluas 147.84 ekar di Mukim Lumut, Daerah Manjung yang diluluskan kepada Kinta Berkat Sdn Bhd untuk dimajukan bagi Majlis Perbandaran Manjung.
  1. Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besar untuk menyatakan syarat-syarat dan terma-terma keluluskan pemberimilikan tanah seluas 58 ekar di Bandar Lumut, Daerah Manjung yang diluluskan kepada J & S Holidings Sdn Bhd.

  1. Bertanya kepada YAB Menteri Besar untuk menyatakan butir-butir tanah yang diluluskan kepada Toyo Chemicals Sdn Bhd, syarat-syarat dan terma-terma tanah tersebut diluluskan pemberimilikan kepada syarikat tersebut.

All the 6 questions were rejected on the ridiculous ground that the answers can be obtained from normal reference books. I have offered publicly to pay RM10,000-00 for such a reference book which has answers to the above said questions but no one has come forward with such a book. I challenge Dato' Seri Zambry to find me such a book failing which he should reply the above said questions. He is making a joke of himself.

I believe the people are very interested to the answers to the above said questions as it involved tens of thousand acres of state land worth billions of ringgit. People would like to know if  they are given to cronies at the expense of the people of Perak.

Question 3 above asked at the 2nd meeting of the 4th Session of the 12thState Assembly is also very relevant to the people as confusing answers had been given in the media by the BN Perak State Government.

The same happened to the many questions posed by the PR Perak State elected representatives where many of the questions are rejected without a valid reason except that it will expose the abuses and scandals of BN Perak Government.

I call on Dato' Seri Zambry to apologise to the people and the State Governments of  Penang and Selangor. I also call on him to agree to answer all questions raised by Perak elected representatives at the Perak State Assembly.

Dated this  16th   day of  August 2013.





NGEH KOO HAM
DAP Perak Chairman
MP For Beruas &
State Assemblyman for Sitiawan

Lim Guan Eng

Lim Guan Eng


In Averting A Likely Deregistration Of The Party By BN, DAP Must Not Be Defeated By The Brutality Of An Oppressive Registrar of Societies(ROS) Nor Be Under Any Delusion That The ROS Still Respects The Rule Of Law.(en/bm/cn)

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:43 AM PDT

Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 16.8.2013

In averting a likely deregistration of the party by BN, DAP must not be defeated by the brutality of an oppressive Registrar of Societies(ROS) nor be under any delusion that the ROS still respects the rule of law. DAP leaders will go on a nationwide tour of all states to explain the rationale of the latest decision after the 2008-2011 Central Executive Committee(CEC) meets next Thursday to conduct fresh re-elections.

There is no doubt that the ROS has repeatedly behaved unprofessionally, unethically and even unlawfully by making media announcements that had no factual or legal basis. Instead of all facts and information supplied by the DAP that were verified by an accounting firm, ROS appears to believe the unsubstantiated lies of a non-existent person called Father Augustus Chen, Utusan Malaysia(UM) and New Straits Times(NST) that 753 DAP delegates had been denied their right to attend the DAP Congress in Penang or that there were 547 "phantom" delegates attending the Congress.

The bitter and painful decision made by party leaders in an emergency meeting of the 2012-15 Central Executive Committee(CEC) on Wednesday night to hold re-elections was solely to prevent ROS from being given another opportunity to abuse their powers by deregistering the party. There are many examples of the ROS abusing its powers in the past and practicing double standards, including their recent inaction over the 2011 SUPP party elections in contrast to their unlawful and quick interference in the 2012 party elections.

The announcement by the Home Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, before the ROS had even informed the DAP, that the DAP has been directed to hold fresh re-elections is a clear indication that the ROS is neither an independent nor an impartial authority but acting solely under the political dictates of BN. Further, the DAP's repeated requests to the Registrar of Societies to be supplied with the complaints made against the party have been futile.

Finally the shocking refusal of the ROS to even see me in my capacity as DAP Secretary-General that was communicated to DAP National Organising Secretary Anthony Loke on Wednesday 14.8.2013 is not only unprofessional but proves its oppressive, repressive and suppressive intent against the DAP. DAP leaders can not be passive but must be pro-active in face of such overt hostility and mala fide intent towards the DAP.

Clearly there is a legal recourse for the DAP to seek a judicial review against the ROS' decision that is clearly unlawful as it contravenes 18A, 18B and 18C of the 1966 Societies Act. However in the face of such openly hostile attitude of the ROS that is clearly oppressive, repressive and suppressive, there were genuine concerns expressed by top leaders that filing a judicial review may trigger further action by the ROS in the form of deregistration of the party.

There is no doubt that such a de-registration of the party by ROS would also be unlawful. However, deregistration is a risk that the party just can not take for taking the ROS to court. Even when DAP wins in court against the unlawful directive to the party to hold re-elections, the party would have to go to court again to fight a possible deregistration of the party. Despite the likely outcome of winning again in court against de-registration, the legal process and time taken of months and even years will put any political party that has been deregistered by ROS in limbo, which will not only be impractical but will threaten the party's very survival and growth.

BN has been seeking revenge against the DAP since DAP historic victories in the 13th General Elections by winning its largest ever number of 38 Parliamentary and 107 state seats nation-wide as well as contributing towards PR winning the popular vote of 51% and pushing BN to be a minority party. As a minority government, BN has shown that it has no qualms and hesitation in either acting unlawfully or practicing double-standards.

For this reason, despite the strong legal position of the DAP that the directive of the Registrar of Societies that the party holds fresh CEC elections in that that directive does not have the sanctity or authority of law, the DAP has no choice but to forestall any possible future action by the ROS of further abusing its powers by de-registering the party.

This decision is painful when the CEC election in December 2012 last year was properly and cleanly conducted except for a computer glitch caused the wrong announcement of the successful candidates. DAP had immediately rectified it and even got an accounting firm to verify the corrected results. There was no mistake either in vote counting or tabulation but only in posting the results, leading to one candidate Vincent Wu wrongly announced as a successful candidate when it should be Zairil Khir Johari.

This mistake had been duly rectified by reinstating Zairil Khir Johari as the winning candidate. DAP had fully explained this honest mistake to the officials from the Registrar of Societies by furnishing all relevant materials. The mistake was admitted voluntarily by DAP without being exposed by ROS or BN in the interests of upholding transparency and accountability. DAP is now being punished for being honest and truthful.

ROS wants to make winter out of spring of justice, democracy, freedom and hope offered by the DAP. DAP leaders have taken the difficult, painful and unpalatable decision to face the reality of the brutality of ROS abuses of power and refused to be deluded by any hope that the ROS still respects the rule of law. For this reason, DAP is compelled to follow the ROS directive to hold re-elections to force the spring to continue.

LIM GUAN ENG

—–BM Version —
Kenyataan Media oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP merangkap Ahli Parlimen Bagan, Lim Guan Eng di Kuala Lumpur pada 16 Ogos 2013.

Demi mengelak kemungkinan pembatalan pendaftaran parti oleh BN, DAP tidak boleh tewas kepada kekejaman Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) yang bersifat menindas mahupun mempunyai sebarang andaian bahawa ROS mempunyai sebarang rasa hormat kepada kedaulatan undang-undang.

Demi mengelak kemungkinan pembatalan pendaftaran parti oleh BN, DAP tidak boleh tewas kepada kekejaman Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) yang bersifat menindas mahupun mempunyai sebarang andaian bahawa ROS mempunyai sebarang rasa hormat kepada kedaulatan undang-undang. Pimpinan DAP akan mengadakan jelajah ke setiap negeri untuk menerangkan rasional keputusan terbaru selepas mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Pusat (CEC) sessi 2008-2011 Khamis depan untuk mengadakan pemilihan semula.

Tidak ada keraguan lagi bahawa ROS telah berulangkali berkelakuan tidak profesional, tidak beretika malah tidak menepati undang-undang dengan mengumumkan kepada media perkara-perkara yang tidak berasaskan fakta. Daripada bergantung kepada fakta dan maklumat yang disediakan oleh DAP yang turut disahkan oleh firma perakaunan, ROS nampaknya lebih percaya kepada penipuan tidak berasas seorang manusia yang tidak wujud bernama Father Augustus Chen, Utusan Malaysia dan New Straits Times; bahawa 753 perwakilan DAP telah dinafikan hak mereka untuk hadir kongres DAP di Pulau Pinang atau wujudnya 547 'perwakilan hantu' menghadiri kongres tersebut.

Keputusan pahit dan menyakitkan yang dibuat oleh pimpinan parti dalam mesyuarat tergempar CEC 2012-15 pada hari Rabu lalu untuk mengadakan pemilihan semula adalah semata-mata untuk mengelak daripada memberi peluang kepada ROS untuk menyalahgunakan kuasanya dengan membatalkan pendaftaran parti. Sudah ada banyak contoh salahguna kuasa ROS sebelum ini dan tindakan 'double standard' termasuklah dengan tidak mengambil apa-apa tindakan terhadap pemilihan parti SUPP pada tahun 2011 berbanding tindakan pantas mereka yang tidak menepati undang-undang dengan mencampuri urusan pemilihan parti pada tahun 2012.

Pengumuman oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, sebelum pun pihak ROS memaklumkan kepada DAP bahawa parti diarahkan untuk mengadakan pemilihan semula adalah petunjuk jelas bahawa ROS adalah tidak bebas mahupun tidak berpihak malah bertindak semata-mata menurut arahan politik BN. Lanjut, permintaan berulang kali daripada pihak DAP kepada ROS untuk melihat aduan-aduan yang yang dibuat terhadapnya langsung tidak membuahkan hasil.

Akhirnya, keengganan ROS yang begitu mengejutkan untuk bertemu dengan saya atas kapasiti saya sebagai Setiausaha Agung DAP seperti yang dimaklumkan kepada Setiausaha Organisasi Kebangsaan DAP, Anthony Loke pada hari Rabu 14 Ogos 2013, bukan sahaja tidak profesional malah membuktikan bahawa ia memang berniat menindas, menekan dan membungkam terhadap DAP. Pimpinan DAP tidak boleh bertindak pasif malah mesti bertindak proaktif menghadapi serangan yang begitu jelas berniat jahat terhadap parti.

Jelas sekali bahawa wujud pilihan perundangan bagi DAP mendapatkan semakan kehakiman terhadap keputusan ROS yang jelas tidak sah di sisi undang-undang dan bertentangan dengan Seksyen 18A, 18B dan 18C Akta Pertubuhan 1966. Namun dalam berhadapan dengan sikap bermusuh ROS yang jelas berniat menindas, menekan dan membungkam; terdapat kerisauan daripada pimpinan tertinggi bahawa memfailkan semakan kehakiman hanya akan mencetuskan tindakan lanjut daripada ROS dengan membatalkan pendaftaran parti.

Tidak dapat diragukan lagi bahawa tindakan membatalkan pendaftaran parti oleh pihak ROS juga adalah salah dari segi undang-undang. Namun, pembatalan pendaftaran adalah satu risiko yang tidak dapat ditanggung oleh pihak parti hanya untuk membawa ROS ke mahkamah. Kalaupun DAP menang di mahkamah ke atas arahan tidak sah untuk mengadakan pemilihan semula, parti akan tetap perlu ke mahkamah lagi untuk menentang kemungkinan parti dibatalkan pendaftarannya. Walaupun terdapat kemungkinan menang sekali lagi terhadap pembatalan pendaftaran, proses mahkamah dan masa yang diambil barangkali berbulan atau bertahun akan meletakkan mana-mana parti politik yang dibatalkan pendaftarannya oleh ROS dalam keadaan digantung tak bertali, yang bukan sahaja tidak praktikal malah akan mengancam kemandirian dan pertumbuhan parti.

BN telah berusaha membalas dendam terhadap DAP semenjak kejayaan bersejarah DAP dalam PRU ke 13 dengan memenangi bilangan kerusi terbesar dalam sejarah sebanyak 38 kerusi Parlimen dan 107 kerusi DUN di seluruh negara, yang turut menyumpang kepada kemenangan Pakatan Rakyat mendapatkan undi popular sebanyak 51% lantas menolak BN menjadi sebuah parti minoriti. Sebagai sebuah kerajaan minoriti, BN telah memperlihatkan bahawa ia tidak ada masalah dan tidak teragak-agak untuk bertindak bertentangan dengan undang-undang mahupun secara double standard.

Atas sebab ini, walaupun DAP mempunya posisi undang-undang yang kukuh bahawa arahan Pendaftar Pertubuhan supaya parti mengadakan pemilihan semula adalah tidak berasaskan kuasa perundangan yang tepat; DAP tidak ada pilihan lain selain membantutkan apa-apa tindakan lanjut daripada pihak ROS untuk menyalahgunakan kuasanya dengan membatalkan pendaftaran parti.

Keputusan ini amat menyakitkan, apabila pemilihan CEC Disember tahun lalu telah dilaksanakan dengan betul dan bersih kecuali kerana kesilapan komputer yang mengakibatkan terjadinya pengumuman yang salah untuk calon-calon yang berjaya. DAP telah bertindak cepat membetulkan kesilapan tersebut malah telah mendapatkan khidmat firma perakaunan untuk mengesahkan keputusan yang telah dibetulkan. Tidak wujud kesilapan dalam proses pengiraan undi mahupun penjumlahan tetapi hanya dalam pengumuman keputusan terbabit, yang mengakibatkan seorang calon, Vincent Wu disalahumum sebagai calon yang berjaya sedangkan sepatutnya yang diumumkan ialah Zairil Khir Johari.

Kesilapan ini telah dibetulkan dengan mengembalikan Zairil Khir Johari sebagai calon yang berjaya. DAP telah memberi penjelasan penuh tentang kesilapan yang tidak disengajakan ini kepada pegawai-pegawai daripada ROS dengan memberikan mereka semua dokumen dan bahan yang perlu. Kesilapan tersebut telah diakui secara sukarela oleh DAP tanpa didedahkan oleh ROS ataupun BN demi menjaga kepentingan prinsip ketelusan dan akauntabiliti. DAP kini dihukum kerana bertindak jujur dan bercakap benar.

ROS mahu memburukkan persepsi baik terhadap DAP yang menawarkan keadilan, demokrasi, kebebasan dan harapan. Pimpinan DAP telah mengambil keputusan yang begitu sukar, menyakitkan dan sukar ditelan untuk berhadapan dengan realiti dan kekejaman salahguna kuasa ROS dan tidak mahu diperdaya dengan harapan bahawa ROS masih menghormati kedaulatan undang-undang. Atas sebab ini, DAP terpaksa mengikut arahan ROS untuk mengadakan pemilihan semula demi meneruskan persepsi dan harapan yang baik tadi.

LIM GUAN ENG

—-Mandarin Version —
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2013年8月16日在吉隆坡发表声明:

在避免国阵的机构可能撤销行动党注册,行动党绝不能屈服于社团注册局的压迫,也不再对社团注册局能够遵从法治抱有任何幻想。

在避免国阵的机构可能撤销行动党注册,行动党绝不能屈服于社团注册局的压迫,也不再对社团注册局能够遵从法治抱有任何幻想。上届(2008-2011年)中委会将在下周四召开会议讨论重选事项后,行动党领袖将会到各州巡回解释重选事宜。
毫无疑问,社团注册局一再地表现其不专业、不道德、不合法的行为,他们在没有事实根据的基础上发表媒体声明。尽管行动党已经提供所有的事实与资料,并且由会计公司验证,社团注册局宁可相信一个不存在的人物"陈奥吉斯特牧师"、《马来西亚前锋报》及《新海峡时报》所发表的谎言,指753名行动党代表被拒绝出席槟城的党员代表大会,或是547名幽灵代表出席的代表大会。

2012-15届中委于星期三晚上的紧急中委会上做出了一个痛苦的决定,那就是举行中委会重选,这完全是为了避免社团注册局再一次滥用权力,撤销行动党的注册。过去有很多社团注册局滥权及双重标准的例子,包括他们到今天都还没有针对2011年人联党党选的投诉采取行动,却在今年处理行动党党选成绩方面的投诉动作神速。

内政部长拿督阿末查希在社团注册局正式通知行动党进行中委会重选之前,便做出宣布,这很明显的社团注册局不是独立、也不是公正的官方机构,而是根据国阵的政治指示操作的。再说,行动党一再地要求社团注册官出示针对行动党的投诉,也无功而返。

最后,更令人吃惊的是,社团注册局于2013年8月14日向行动党全国组织秘书陆兆福传达他们拒绝与我这个行动党秘书长见面,这不只不专业,也证明它们对行动党压迫性、镇压性及压制性的意图。在面对种种公开敌意及恶意的手法时,行动党不能被动,而是必须主动。

很明显地,我们还有法律途径,可以让行动党针对社团注册局的决定寻求司法检讨,因为它明显地抵触1966年社团注册法令第18A, 18B及18C条文。但是,在社团注册局以公然敌对的态度进行压迫、镇压及压制的情况下,最高领导层有理由相信,入禀司法检讨,可能进一步导致社团注册局直接撤销行动党的注册。

无疑地,社团注册局如果如此撤销行动党的注册,也是不合法的。但是,行动党承担不起这种起诉社团注册局、接着被撤销的风险。就算行动党胜诉,法庭宣判重选的指示不合法,行动党到时还要再一次入禀法庭,针对党可能被撤销注册打官司。尽管我们也可能在撤销注册的官司中胜诉,但是,整个司法程序要花好几个月及好几年,这足以任何已被社团注册局撤销注册的政党处于停滞状态,这不仅不实际,也直接威胁一个政党的存亡及成长。

自从行动党在第13届大选取得历史性胜利后,即赢得38个国会议席及107个州议席后,促使民联赢得51%的选票,让国阵以少数票执政,国阵便一直在找机会报复行动党。做为少数票政府,国阵已经显示它们常常毫不犹疑地进行不合法或双重标准的动作。

因此,尽管行动党拥有强有力的司法理由,那就是社团注册局指示中委会重选的理由站不住脚、也不合法,但是行动党别无选择,而必须先发制人,避免让社团注册有机可乘,滥用权力进一步撤销行动党的注册。

这是一项痛苦的决定,2012年12月的中委改选是在正当及廉正的情况下举行的。由于电脑技术误失导致当选候选人的成绩错误宣布,行动党马上纠正,甚至让一家会计公司验证正确的成绩。当中并没有计算或图表的错误,只在剪贴成绩时,导致伍薪荣被错误宣布为当选,而其实是再里尔当选。

这项错误被纠正后,我们重新宣布再里尔当选。行动党已经据实向社团注册局的官员解释所有错误,并提供所有必要的文件。我们秉持透明及问责原则,自愿承认这项错误,而不是等到社团注册局或国阵来揭发。行动党现在却因为诚实而被处罚。

社团注册局要打击行动党所推崇及争取的公义、民主、自由及希望。行动党领袖做出了这项艰难、痛苦及令人难以接受的决定,以面对社团注册局滥权的残忍事实,我们也不再对社团注册局能够遵从法治抱有任何幻想与希望。因此,行动党被迫遵循社团注册局的指示举行中委会重选,以继续我们的斗争。

林冠英

Comments for Wee Choo Keong

Comments for Wee Choo Keong


Comment on BK Sidhu quoting sources again, Idris Jala & AJ had to clarify by gormlesspap

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 07:12 AM PDT

Yup, and how much has MAS racked up in losses over the years?

How many restructurings and bailouts did it go through?

How many times did it dip into public funds to keep itself going?

Come to think of it, MAS was sold before, wasn’t it? To a certain Tajudin Ramli, if memory serves me right?

What happened to that particular exercise in privatisation?

Of course, all this happened before Tony Fernandes appeared on the horizon.

So, who are you gonna blame, huh?

Comment on BK Sidhu quoting sources again, Idris Jala & AJ had to clarify by George

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 07:11 AM PDT

AJ as MAS CEO knowingly gave away the profitable Sydney route to AirAsia X. What have you got to say AJ. Was this how you look after the interest of MAS? Charging AirAsia X below market fare to ferry 50,000 AirAsia X passengers when AirAsia X stop its London, Paris , Mumbai routes because it was loosing money. That brainless or he knew what he was doing to help his good friend Tony.

Comment on BK Sidhu quoting sources again, Idris Jala & AJ had to clarify by Pak Zam

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:54 AM PDT

The Pariah will say anything for expediency sake and to make him looks good. a few weeks or months he will do otherwise and he knows that public memory is short. He can always sent AA aircraft for maintenance because he had the Botak in the MAS Engineering and AJ, the budak suruhan, as the CEO.

He has also Nazir Razak to smooth his way with PM.

Thank you YB for reminding us that AJ’s term is up in September. This is the best news for MAS. We hope that PM knows by now that AJ is the worst CEO of all times. He is clueless and a budak suruhan to the Pariah. Once he goes the Botak will follow suit. Remember AJ was the one who brought in Al Ishal to head Marketing and Promotion and after having done the damage he left to join AirAsia. Going by the trend, if AJ term is not renewed then he will also join AirAsia. I hope that the PM will not renew his term for the sake of MAS.

Comment on BK Sidhu quoting sources again, Idris Jala & AJ had to clarify by awang

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:23 PM PDT

MASuk lubang laah…ha..ha…

Comment on BK Sidhu quoting sources again, Idris Jala & AJ had to clarify by Zamry

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:23 PM PDT

BK Sidhu is just a promoter of AirAsia and TF. Therefore, it is expected of her to write negative stories about MAS. She has been doing it all the time. More importantly is who is heading MAS after September after AJ packs his bag. He is no good for MAS. He is too close to TF for comfort.

Comment on BK Sidhu quoting sources again, Idris Jala & AJ had to clarify by Anonymous

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:53 PM PDT

whats going to happen to MAS next

Nurul Izzah Anwar

Nurul Izzah Anwar


Nurul Izzah: Anti-crime laws sufficient but enforcement weak

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:31 PM PDT

articlesNurul_Izzah,Lembah_Pantai_MP5_600_399_100

PETALING JAYA, Aug 15 — Putrajaya needs to beef up its law enforcement efforts instead of introducing more anti-crime laws, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said today.

Amid a debate over the need for a return of preventive detention laws, Nurul Izzah shot down suggestions that the spike in crime is partly due to the loss of such laws, which she described as “draconian”.

‘”Malaysia already has enough laws to prevent crimes; our weaknesses is on the enforcement of these laws, providing and maintaining surveillance such as CCTVs and patrol cars, as well as having enough trained police officers on the streets,” she said in a statement today.

The two-term Lembah Pantai MP (picture) highlighted the problems of faulty close-circuit cameras (CCTV) and the alleged low level of police resources being directed towards actual fighting.

“The non-functioning CCTV problem – one of the most important elements in the safety and security monitoring – is nothing new,” she said.

Nurul Izzah pointed to Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib’s admittance on August 7 that 60 per cent of the 419 CCTVs in the city were not working, with Astro Awani’s online report attributing it to vandalisme and lack of maintainence.

She also highlighted a fund proposed by the then minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin to improve the security of housing areas in the federal territories through various measures, including the installation of CCTVS.

The targeted amount for the Tabung Keselamatan 1Wilayah Persekutuan (1Federal Territories Security Fund) was set at RM4 million by Raja Nong Chik’s federal territories and urban well-being ministry in September last year.

“To date, have absolutely no way of verifying how many of these cameras have been installed, and more importantly – how many are actually functioning,” Nurul Izzah said.

In February this year, news reports quoted Raja Nong Chik as thanking the prime minister for announcing an additional RM5 million for the fund, with the former saying that there was already RM7 million in the fund.

In her statement today, Nurul Izzah said the police force should put more of its men in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), instead of subjecting them to office work or the purported spying on the political rivals of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

“According to the statistics gathered from government sources -about 30 percent of PDRM's officers are placed under the managerial, administrative and logistics departments.

“If the government is serious in combatting crime, PDRM needs to be restructured -with the bulk of the police workforce stationed in the crime prevention department,” she said, noting that Malaysia’s police to population ratio at 1: 275 was already close to global standards.

She said these problems could be solved through the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), an independent body which could monitor the police force.

Earlier today, Cabinet minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz disagreed with any moves to bring back the Emergency Ordinance (EO) to give the police preventive detention powers to tackle a rise in violent crime, despite acknowledging its effects on the tourism sector.

He explained that news of the shooting incidents could not be contained and it was inevitable that the world would eventually learn of them.

"Certainly it will affect in a way our tourism, there's no doubt about it, but to bring back the EO is out of the question as far as I am concerned," the minister of tourism and culture told the media after launching the Red Carpet interactive wax museum at i-City here.

Nazri said the government should instead overhaul the police force in order to arrest violent crime.

"We should do more modern policing, gathering of evidence, strengthen the Special Branch, put more policemen on the street but not bring back the EO, that's out of the question," he said.

The police and Home Ministry have blamed the rash of shootings and violent crimes on the release of detainees once held without trial under the now-repealed EO, and are angling for the return of such powers.

Source
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/nurul-izzah-anti-crime-laws-sufficient-but-enforcement-weak#sthash.gOe6K7ul.dpuf

SUARA PERAK

SUARA PERAK


DAP menyeru Perdana Menteri segera memanggil Sidang Khas Parlimen

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 06:53 PM PDT

Tony Pua on DAP CEC Re-electio​n

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 06:41 PM PDT

Sdr Karpal on Party re-electio​n

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 06:33 PM PDT

Blog@Wengsan...博客@永山

Blog@Wengsan...博客@永山


动用一切方法,向罪案宣战

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 09:28 AM PDT

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim


Hypocrisy over Egyptian bloodshed

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:17 AM PDT

Hurriyet Daily News

The attack of the Egyptian police and military on the supporters of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi gathered in Adawiya and Nahda squares of Cairo started in the early hours of Aug. 14, as it was started to be reported in social media a while before the international agencies.

The interim government had warned a few days ago that they would "gradually" put pressure on the demonstrators to empty the streets, but perhaps no one expected such a merciless attack by the security forces that resulted in killing of so many people. That may include governments who gave a silent approval to the military coup, which toppled the elected president of the country, like the U.S. and EU governments and those who applauded the coup, like Saudi Arabia and Qatar; they have a responsibility for yesterday's massacre in Cairo.

Qatar condemned the yesterday's move by the Egyptian security forces and joined Turkey to denounce it as "unacceptable"; perhaps thanks to a telephone call by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu. The first statements from the European Union were calling all political sides to "renounce violence," as if it was same thing to have street demonstrations against a military coup and opening fire on them. Later on the statement from the EU was a more careful one asking the Egyptian security forces to stop attacking peaceful demonstrators.

But right after the attack, some of the protesters were no longer as peaceful as before, showing a reaction. The incidents quickly spread to other cities of Egypt in such a way that the interim government declared state of emergency, perhaps dragging the country a step closer to martial law. The United States' condemnation of the killings was particularly against the declaration of the state of emergency, too.

Actually the country is being dragged into a civil war like Syria. Pointing at that threat, Turkish President Abdullah Gül said Egypt was getting down into chaos and it might take long years from now for the country to adopt democracy.

No one has ever seen such a situation before. A part of the Egyptian people are resisting against a coup, claiming their votes and do not want to lose the power they have achieved after decades, and part of the people are against the protesters, even supporting the military with the fear that the democratic majority could turn the country into a theocratic state; a terrible picture indeed.

Egypt, despite its thousands of years of history and tradition of statehood, has never experienced a democratic life. The Arab Spring, which resulted in the toppling of its former ruler Hosni Mubarak, was regarded as an opportunity for a journey toward a democratic life. It started to turn sour when Morsi felt that he could transform the long established Egyptian state apparatus into a Muslim Brotherhood machine overnight, and it took a big blow when the military, betraying its new boss, overthrew Morsi on July 3. Now it seems democracy in Egypt is a dream that cannot become true so quickly.

But it should be noted that this situation is no way sustainable for either the Egyptian military or the international community in support of them. The U.S. administration must see that the support that they give the military-backed interim government in Egypt will not be able to eradicate the Muslim Brotherhood, which has deep roots in the society, but it will possibly radicalize many proud and angry men and women in Egypt and in other Arab countries into the trenches of al-Qaeda and the like. That would be the bitter cost of the hypocrisy over the bloodshed in Egypt.

Still a democratic coup in Egypt?

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:35 PM PDT

Malaysiakini

The death toll continues to rise following the brutal crackdown by the Egyptian military, while the Obama administration is walking a tightrope, condemning the bloodshed on the streets of Cairo but falling short – still – of calling the overthrow of the democratically-elected Morsi government a coup.

This is most hypocritical, for the Americans have long been backing Saudi Arabia which is now popularly regarded as the source of extremism, representing a much bigger menace than the Muslim Brotherhood.

Since coming to power on 51 percent of the popular votes in July last year, the Muslim Brotherhood has been accused of marginalising the Christian minority, curtailing women's rights, cold-shouldering other political forces and putting the conservatives in power. In short, Mohamed Morsi's refusal to compromise was ostensibly his greatest sin, leading to the dramatic collapse of his presidency.

And there are those in Malaysia who were cheering on as the military coup happened, for they feared a religion-based government that was seemingly harming the rights of many would send a wrong signal to the rest of the Muslim world. How naïve that these people, be they Christians, liberals, democrats or others, would have thought that democracy could be restored through military intervention.

As always, seeking help from the military will not unblock the political impasse but result in deeper political and social divisions that are harder to reconcile. Military coup invariably brings about a media shutdown, rolls back democratic institutions, erodes the judiciary and, most atrociously, costing countless deaths of innocent lives. One does not have to be in Cairo to know it.

NONEThat those who uphold political liberalism could have been so easily deluded into believing that the ambitious men in uniform would share their progressive agenda is puzzling indeed.

It is reported that Mohamed ElBaradei (left), a Nobel laureate who was appointed as vice-president after the coup, has now resigned in protest. Given his esteemed position internationally, ElBaradei should not have served under the military in the first place knowing that they are only keener on protecting their vested interests than on rescuing democracy.

More paradoxical is the phenomenon that those who have been supporting wholeheartedly military intervention to get rid of the 'bad guy' happen to be the highly educated elites and middle classes, and this has been proven in the case of Thailand, Turkey and now Egypt.

The road to hell…

As the saying goes: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. No military putsch would be complete without the generals masquerading as national saviours.

After Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed as prime minister in September 2006, Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, went on TV to declare that "many have asked the military to intervene and safeguard national interests as well as the dignity of the King".

What ensued in the next few years was more bloodshed and conflicts in Thai society, while the Thai military seized the opportunity to regain the excessive powers that they once enjoyed before 1992.

When the anti-Thaksin yellow-shirters occupied the Bangkok international airport for several days in 2008, the security forces did not lift a finger to restore order, and the mayhem only reinforced the misperception that only a strong military would ensure the survival of Thailand as a viable state.

Today, Prem Tinsulanonda, a former prime minister and a retired army general, is endowed with more powers as head of the Privy Council, with the Yingluck Shinawatra government beholden to his invisible influence.

As I see it, there is no such thing as a democratic coup, for the same army that deposes a legitimate head of state today in the name of 'public interests' can do the same to the very applauders of military intervention when the circumstances call for it.

Worse still, nearly all the militaries that have engineered a coup successfully one way or another have accumulated immense political powers and business interests, breeding rampant corruption and undermining constitutional rules along the way.

Meanwhile, endorsing the illegitimate role of the military in the Muslim countries only emboldens the radical elements and extremists such as al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, who now cash in on the opportunity and argue that democracy does not work in an Islamic context, and that raw political power can only be asserted through the barrel of a gun rather than a ballot box.

At the same time, autocracies such as Qatar, Syria and Saudi Arabia are quietly celebrating the havoc in Egypt. It is no doubt tragic to see a greater setback whenever tiny progress is made in the Middle Eastern pursuit of democracy.

The lesson from the Egyptian labyrinth is that an inherently weak society will only make it ready for other parties to manipulate politics. Instead of looking to the military in checking against a powerful leader, one should endeavour to strengthen civil society as an alternative, as has been the case in South Korea and Indonesia. Sending in the army to handle Morsi's failures is clearly not the answer; neither is the White Knight syndrome.

And both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional must condemn the human rights violations being committed in Egypt. In this, Umno's silence is especially telling – would it take a leaf out of the Egyptian army's book should it lose power one day?

The PERVERTED LOGIC of Dr M

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:28 PM PDT

Malaysia-Chronicle

Going by the former PM's latest public remarks, freedom is a curse that all Malaysians must avoid at all cost.

As reported, the Tun Doctor has slammed us Malaysians again. It is because we want freedom that now we have to put up with gun shots and parang wielding gangsters.

Wow! So the President of USA better take note since Barrack Obama is coming to Malaysia soon. Disband your democracy and freedom of speech and freedom to assemble peacefully. Only then will the whole of America be crime free.

For us Malaysians, let us have back all the draconian laws. We need more ISA, more OSA and more of EO. Only then can the UMNO-BN government guarantee us a crime free, safe and secure life.

If you want freedom, be prepared to also die by the gun.

Okay lah. For arguments sake let us pose this one question to our legendary Tun:

Should we believe you ever again?

So if we are to believe you all over again and dump our quest for freedom, justice and transparent accountability, does that also mean that we can dismantle all the barricades of iron and steel that imprison our homes and sell to 'besi burok' and make some handsome cash?

Does that mean that we can also do away with security alarms for our vehicles and make substantial savings on the family budget?

Does that mean that our young sons and daughters can go shopping without fear of being raped or mugged in the car parks of malls?

Does that mean that our citizens do not have to hide their gold under the bed each time they go out?

In all likelihood, when the freedom is taken away by the depriving, oppressive laws, you only get to read what the powers-that-be want to tell.

And so every day, the mouth-piece newspapers will report 'zero crime today'; and should anyone tweet of a crime scene, there will be the ISA waiting for such 'undesirable' citizens out to create instability lah.

Sheesh!! Going by the Tun's splatter, the whole world must be stupidly wrong for wanting to chase after liberty, freedom of expression, free and fair elections and all that democracy promotes. Seemingly, freedom comes with that price to die by the gun!

 

Violating the Law to Subsidize Egypt’s Coup: Bipartisan Foolishness in Washington

Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:58 AM PDT

Huffington Post

U.S. policy in Egypt has been a disaster. For decades Washington backed rule by an authoritarian dictatorship that persecuted religious minorities and socialized the economy. Now the short-lived democratic revolution has been replaced by military rule with a meaningless civilian veneer. Washington should cut off foreign aid and disengage.

Instead, the Obama administration has embraced putative dictatorship, refusing to characterize the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi as a coup. If only George Orwell was alive today.

The military worked with the opposition to encourage demonstrations threatening public chaos. The military arrested the president, top officials, and high-level members of his party and movement. The military leveled fantastic criminal charges against the president and his supporters. The military closed down allied television stations and arrested journalists. The military appointed dictatorial retreads as interim president and other high officials.

The military treated all opponents as “terrorists.” The military recreated the de facto secret police, the Interior Ministry departments which investigate political and religious activities. The military shot and killed protestors. But the administration says there was no coup. According to Secretary of State John Kerry, “the military did not take over to the best of our judgment so far.” Rather, “there’s a civilian government,” he claimed. “In effect, they were restoring democracy.”

The administration could have acknowledged that Gen. Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi ruled by force but then argued that the coup was justified. However, that would have been a difficult case to make.

There is obvious reason to suspect the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohamed Morsi committed more than his share of mistakes. But the first elected leader in Egypt’s 5000-year history was discrediting himself. Left alone he would have ruined the electoral appeal of political Islam without a shot being fired. Moreover, he had taken no irrevocable authoritarian steps. It would have been impossible for Morsi to become a dictator without the military behind him — which explains why real dictators Gamal Abdel al-Nasser, Anwar al-Sadat, and Hosni al-Mubarak all were military men, like Gen. Sisi.

The administration ignored the obvious to avoid triggering the law which required cutting off aid to “the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup d’état or decree or … a coup d’état or decree in which the military plays a decisive role.” You don’t need an English Ph.D. to recognize that the restriction applies to Cairo today. Apparently administration lawyers agreed, only to be overruled by top policymakers.

Whether or not Washington was implicated in the coup itself — it appears not — the administration clearly endorsed the result. Yet officials appear surprised that a coup would lead to the killing of demonstrators, persecution of those ousted from power, and strengthening of state authority. Secretary Kerry announced that repression is “absolutely unacceptable. It cannot happen.” Except that it has been going on publicly every day for more than a month.

The Obama administration has made as many mistakes as former president Morsi — and may have claimed even greater power than him. Yet policy towards Egypt stands out as one of President Obama’s greatest failures.

The administration reflexively supported the dictator Mubarak even as Egyptians were rallying against him. Only when his fall was inevitable did Washington acknowledge that he might have to go. The administration then accepted President Morsi’s rise, counseling him, to no avail, to rule in an inclusive and democratic manner.

Administration officials were no more successful in urging the Egyptian military, which has received some $40 billion in aid over the years, not to stage a coup. After effectively endorsing the takeover, the administration begged Gen. Sisi not to target the Muslim Brotherhood, lest doing so drive the organization underground and toward violence and terrorism. He ignored these entreaties as well.

Today virtually every Egyptian blames America. Gen. Sisi and the secular liberals criticize the administration for being pro-Muslim Brotherhood. Despite Washington’s de facto endorsement of his putsch, Gen. Sisi complained: “You turned your back on Egyptians.” The Brotherhood, with far greater cause, complains that Washington green-lighted the coup and supports it now. In Cairo American officials talk but no one listens. Administration fecklessness, hypocrisy, and impotence are on display around the world.

Yet leading Republicans have endorsed the Obama policy. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) led a lonely campaign to cut off U.S. aid, $1.55 billion annually. The Senate rejected his proposal by a vote of 86 to 13.

At least few Republicans echoed Secretary Kerry’s ludicrous claim that the military is dedicated to birthing Jeffersonian democracy. The army spent six decades supporting authoritarian rule under a parade of dictators and resisted the revolution.

Moreover, coups rarely promote liberal values. Freedom House’s initial assessment after President Morsi’s ouster found that six of eight democratic parameters had declined and the other two had stalled. David Kramer, Freedom House’s president, noted: “The justification for the coup was that Egypt was suffering a drift towards authoritarianism under Morsi. Our analysis, as reflected in the Egypt Democracy Compass, shows significant decline in most of the country’s democratic institutions.”

The military even is restoring the Mubarak elite to power. The interim president was a Mubarak court appointee. The police, who worked to sabotage the Morsi government, have reappeared in force. Secular politician Ehab Samir said: “You can’t stay at odds with them. Your security is dependent on having a strong police force.”

Moreover, reported the Washington Post: “Egypt’s new power dynamic, following the July 3 coup that ousted Morsi, is eerily familiar. Gone are the Islamist rulers from the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood. Back are the faces of the old guard, many closely linked to Mubarak’s reign or to the all-powerful generals.”

Still, Republicans made their share of ludicrous claims. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker referred to the U.S. as a “voice of calm.” Perhaps Secretary Kerry was whispering sweet nothings in the ears of generals as they arrested opponents and gunned down protestors — after using U.S. aid to purchase U.S. weapons.

John Bolton made a different argument: “Everyone, whatever their politics, agrees that Egypt’s economy needs massive assistance.” Actually, the Egyptian economy needs reform, not subsidies. In fact, aid should be cut because it has helped wreck the Egyptian economy. Generous American “aid” allowed Sadat and Mubarak, and most recently Morsi, to keep the inefficient, bloated Egyptian state afloat despite its manifold failures.

Florida’s Sen. Marco Rubio echoed the clueless Secretary Kerry, warning that if you cut off aid “you lose leverage.” Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe said he would have agreed with the amendment “before we realized the threats that we have in the Middle East.” Sen. John McCain of Arizona worried that ending aid “would send the wrong message at the wrong time.” Sen. Corker referred to sustaining “the values we extend around the world.”

Where, one wonders, is the evidence of this vaunted leverage — after nearly $75 billion in “assistance” over the years? When Presidents Sadat and Mubarak jailed opponents, persecuted Coptic Christians, enriched supporters, and despoiled the economy? When President Morsi claimed extraordinary power and refused to conciliate his opponents? When Gen. Sisi staged the coup? When the general ignored the administration’s advice to govern in an inclusive fashion? When he embraced the corrupt and authoritarian Mubarak elite? One unnamed official reluctantly admitted to the New York Times: “What we say might not be part of their calculus.”

If the Obama administration is willing to torture language and ignore the law to keep shoveling money into Cairo, it is evident that nothing, except presumably war with Israel, would cause Washington to close the spigot. Since Gen. Sisi and his fellow officers can count on America’s money — as well as a promised $12 billion from Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states — they have no reason to pay the slightest attention to Secretary Kerry.

If there’s no leverage, then how does subsidizing a coup provide a good message, reduce threats, or represent our values? As Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution noted: “To those who argue that we must continue providing aid in the interest of stability, one has only to point to the past three years: Aid has flowed uninterrupted, and just look at all the stability.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) relied on a letter from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee which opposed cutting aid to Egypt which could “negatively impact our Israeli ally.” (Three weeks ago he and Sen. McCain wrote an article calling for an aid halt: “We may pay a short-term price by standing up for our democratic values, but it is in our long-term national interest to do so.”) Once patriotism, the last resort for the scoundrel in American politics today is to claim that something is necessary for Israel’s security.

Aid is not why Cairo has kept the peace with Israel for 40 years. Syria has been at peace with Israel for the same period of time and Jordan even longer. Amman receives some U.S. cash, though not as much as Egypt. Damascus receives none. Yet the al-Assad regime did not respond even after Israel destroyed a nuclear plant and, more recently, missile shipments from Russia.

The Arab states know they would lose a war with Israel. Conflict would be particularly disastrous for the Egyptian generals, since they would lose their means of control and likely positions as well. The Argentinean generals discovered that starting and losing a war is a quick way to end up out of power and in prison. Washington does not need to pay the Egyptians for peace.

Moreover, the military is the force which most threatens both stability and democracy, pushing Egypt toward civil war. The armed services long have personified corruption in Egypt. Between 15 and 40 percent of the economy is thought to be controlled by the military. Service has become a hereditary caste or quasi-aristocracy with many sons following fathers in profitable service as praetorian guardians of the authoritarian political order. While the military regime called on demonstrators to “give priority to the interest of the homeland, to comply with the public interest,” there is little reason to believe that the generals are acting on that basis.

Sam Tadros of the Hudson Institute was quoted by the Post‘s Jennifer Rubin as arguing that “one easy solution is to train the Egyptian military.” But Gen. Sisi was trained by the U.S. Washington has educated soldiers from around the globe who have supported coups or committed atrocities. Train the soldiers “on basic policing,” argued Tadros. The problem in Egypt is not basic policing. The problem is that the military has seized political power.

Gen. Sisi declared that “The army stands neutral before all factions.” Actually, the military stands for the military. Indeed, the general has been described as an ambitious man with a “sense of destiny,” always dangerous for democracy, especially one where liberal civil society has not taken root. Far from remaining in the background, Gen. Sisi has added titles and grabbed the limelight. There is no reason to expect him to surrender it.

Of course, secular liberals with a Napoleonic Complex hope to ride to power along with the celebrated man on horseback. Yet democratic-minded activists already have been disappointed by several of Gen. Sisi’s decisions. More setbacks are likely. If secular liberals protest, they are likely to be branded as terrorists. And if political Islamists eventually rise again, secular liberals will find themselves discredited — and with no one to turn to for support.

Unfortunately, America cannot avoid blowback. The situation will worsen with every new protestor who is killed or arrested. Warned Robert Kagan: “Despite our repeated claims of neutrality and our calls for reconciliation, in reality we have taken sides in the burgeoning violent confrontation.” If opponents of the military decide to respond in kind — and up the ante with terrorism — Americans might find themselves on the front lines as well.

Democracy, stability, and security long have seemed to be mutually exclusive in Egypt. No outcome looks good. And the U.S. has little control over the outcome.

However, unnecessarily supporting military rule could generate the same sort of long-term harm as Washington’s support for the 1953 coup against another democratically elected leader, Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Americans are still paying for that misguided act.

The best policy would be to disengage. Washington should avoid being tied to any group or faction, whether the Brotherhood or the military. Let Egyptians decide their own future. The outcome still might be ugly. But at least someone else would bear the blame.

Nuffnang