Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Becket Fund denounces Malaysian court

According to the Becket Fund - a human rights law firm - Malaysia has violated its own law and international law in denying official recognition of Lina Joy’s conversion from Islam to Christianity.

The Becket Fund, a US law firm that deals in human rights cases involving religious liberty issues said today that the Malaysian Federal Court has violated both Malaysian and International Law in its finding in the case of Lina Joy, a woman who has asked for official recognition of her free conversion from Islam to Christianity.

“This decision violates international law and stands in wrongheaded defiance of the universal human right to religious freedom,” said Angela Wu, International Director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who attended a hearing for Ms. Joy and has testified before the United States Congress on anti-conversion laws.

“International law and the Malaysian Constitution guarantee the right to choose your own religious beliefs and change those beliefs according to your conscience. Today the Federal Court made it clear that if the state says you are a Muslim, those rights don’t apply to you. Unfortunately for Lina Joy, a universal human right has been trumped by the state’s insistence that she bow to sharia law.”, said Wu.

Based in Washington DC, the Becket Fund was founded by Attorney Kevin “Seamus” Hasson and has defended the right of free exercise of religion to numerous individuals and groups, representing Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and those of other faiths. To see further resources on this case, see: Becket Fund finding and Malaysia - State Imposed Religious Designations

Bailout Alert in Malaysia
Our Correspondent Asia Sentinel
28 May 2007
Malaysia’s 24-year-old national car project appears to be headed for the scrap heap – unless the government bails it out once again.
The national car project that former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad nurtured against the advice of most of his advisers, all of his critics and common sense appears finally to be nears its demise, unable to achieve the economies of scale that would allow it to survive – unless once again the government bails it out.

Perusahaan Otomobil Malaysia Sdn Bhd, or Proton, has vainly been seeking a foreign partner to save it from going bust ever since Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over from Mahathir in 2003 and began cutting away at many of Mahathir’s favorite projects. Proton has been talking to a number of potential foreign players, including US car giant General Motors (GM), Volkswagen and, PSA Peugeot Citroen.

But nobody calls, nobody writes. Despite reports that Proton was in talks with the German carmaker Volkswagen as long ago as 2004, Abdullah Badawi was recently quoted in the local media saying that he was still waiting for the CEO of Volkswagen to negotiate a deal. Nothing more has happened.

Proton is more than just a national car. It was the focal point of Mahathir’s dream to turn Malaysia into an industrial powerhouse built on the country’s considerable natural wealth of rubber, palm oil and crude. The car was one of a flock of mega-projects that Mahathir forced onto Malaysia in the 1980s and 1990s, creating steel mills, the US$475 million Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, a US$5.5 billion Putrajaya administrative capital, the US$2.4 billion Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the US$15 billion Multi-Media Super Corridor which was supposed to eclipse Silicon Valley. The Bakun Dam in Sarawak was to generate enormous amounts of electrical power to be piped through 1,500 kilometers of underwater cables to West Malaysia. A vast network of highways was flung across the country. (more…)

I have always hold the view that the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) is a classic example of Umno’s crony capitalism at works par excellence. The project was awarded in 1998 to Penang Umno leaders including Tun Rahman Abbas who was later made the State’s Governor.The company has no track record and has not build a foot of road or bridge. Now how much will Ahmad Ismail earn when MRCB take over 70% of the stake in PMW.
Read the following report from Business Star. I have also included some of my postings on PORR in this blog.

Monday May 28, 2007

MRCB eyes concessionaire

By DAVID TAN

MALAYSIAN Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) is negotiating a 70% stake in Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd (PMW), the concessionaire for the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project.

It was reported early this month that MRCB, specialising in infrastructure development, engineering and construction and property development, was looking to take up a lead stake in PMW. Group managing director and chief executive officer Shahril Ridza Ridzuan had declined to comment.

Sources said MRCB was brought in to resolve certain long-standing shareholding issues at PMW and to ensure that the PORR project would start within the timeframe specified under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

It is also learnt that the PORR project would cost about 30% more than the original cost of RM1.02bil.

“This is due to the rising cost of building materials,” a source said.

PMW’s shareholders are Nadi Senandung Sdn Bhd (with a 55% stake), Yayasan Bumiputra Pulau Pinang Bhd (35%), and an individual (the remainder).

In mid-2005, Setegap Bhd, one of the shareholders of PMW, sold its 26% stake in the company.

The 17km PORR stretches from Tanjung Tokong to Gelugor, and also across Gurney Drive, equipped with eight interchanges and four toll plazas.

The highway will pass through Bandar Baru Air Itam, Kampung Melayu, Batu Gantung, the Penang Municipal Park, Gottlieb Road, Gurney Drive, Jalan Pangkor, Tanjung Tokong and Glugor.

Its purpose is to disperse heavy traffic from Jalan Air Itam, Jalan Tanjung Tokong and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and alleviate the congestion in the town area.

The PORR is designed to be a four-lane dual carriageway with speed limits of up to 80km per hour. There will be some reclamation done on the Gurney Drive beachfront for a stretch of the PORR. A new Gurney Drive is also being planned to include a public park and a promenade that will be beside the road, on the seafront.

Last year, MRCB also expressed interest in bidding for the proposed RM1.2bil Penang monorail project. Shahril Ridza had said MRCB would leverage on its experience in building and operating KL Sentral Station when it bid for the project. The project, approved by the Cabinet in December 2005, was scheduled to start work in May 2006. (more…)

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin is unfazed by a PKR delegate’s threat to throw rotten eggs or tomatoes at him to prevent him from speaking at public events.

“My responsibility is to destroy the opposition. If they want to welcome me with an eggplant or rotten eggs and tomatoes… let them do it. I am not afraid,” he told reporters.

Khairy is always in the news for all sorts of reason and I think he enjoys it.

Tony Pua is not finished with him yet as Tony has organized a forum on Civil Services and has invited Khairy to come and discuss the matter in a serious manner.

But will Khairy come, that is the question.

Khairy was so arrogant in the controversy over the Manchester United’s match in Malaysia. He had used his father-in-law’s name and wants to humiliate the AFC president.

But Khairy has forgotten that we have to honour our contractual obligation. And we have one with AFC that does not allow a MU-Malaysia Selection match when the Asian Cup is on n July. But Khairy tried to arm-twist the AFC. He does not know Malaysia’s reputation is at stake.

Good sense finally prevails. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said yesterday the match had been called off.

Khairy may not get rotten eggs or tomatoes, but he has to eat humble pie this time.

It is good to be humble for your own good, Khairy.

The Star carries the following story in its print edition today.

60 projects carried out in Tanjung

Penang: At least 60 projects have been carried out or being developed in the Tanjung parliamentary constituency said Tanjung MP Chow Kon Yeow.

The DAP parliamentarian said the projects worth more than RM1bil were implemented by the Government or private sector.

He cited the Swettenham Pier international cruise terminal, Tanjong City Marina and Penang Times Square project as examples.

He was commenting on reports quoting Tanjung Gerakan chairman Teng Chang Yeow as saying there had not been much development in the constituency since the seat was won by the DAP in 1986.

Chow told a press conference he was disappointed with Teng for making the “misleading statement”.

The Penang-based Guangming Daily has been very political nowadays. They have been organizing opinion polls, holding readers’ forum and coming up with many scoop stories on Penang politics as a run up to the general election. They have been many speculative pieces on the movement of Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon. I think Gerakan leaders are not very comfortable with all the focus on the possible replacement as CM after the election. Below is another column piece by a veteran columnist on whether Tsu Koon will contest in Tanjong. I am giving a (not-perfect) translation for the benefits of readers of this blog.

Tsu Koon to wrest Tanjong back?

Koh Tsu Koon is expected to contest for a Parliament seat in the next general election and secure a Cabinet post. Will he be contesting in Tanjong, a seat that he lost to DAP 21 years ago?

Tsu Koon may lead the Gerakan to wrest back this Opposition stronghold and win a handsome battle for Barisan Nasional. Tsu Koon must personally lead the charge to win back this Chinese-majority seat and this will be a booster to his political career.

To win back Tanjong remains a major electoral strategy for the Gerakan. The prospect of Tsu Koon going for Tanjong remains a speculation. It is believed the party has not discussed this possibility yet. (more…)

I am so happy to read about Kerk Kim Hock’s stories yesterday and today. I am sure his victory over cancer would inspire others to do battle with this dreaded disease.

Kerk had shown so much strength the last five years battling and overcoming the big C.

Five years back, we were so dejected when we visited Kerk at the private hospital in Damansara. He was our Sec-Gen and fellow MP who never failed to say words of encouragement even during those times when we should be encouraging him instead.

Just a few weeks back, Kerk said me a SMS message to inspire me to blog further. He said there was improvement, content-wise, in my blog.

Good for you, Kerk. You have won the battle.