Creating a Culture of Fear by Human Rights Watch(HRW)

Creating a Culture of Fear



"The level of repression intensified in late 2014 and early 2015 as the government faced increasing public criticism about the treatment of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and the imposition of a new goods and services tax. A spiraling corruption scandal involving the government-owned 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), whose board of advisors is chaired by Prime Minister Najib, led the government to block websites and suspend newspapers reporting on the scandal and to announce plans to strengthen its power to crack down on speech on the Internet."

This is absolutely CRAZY!

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/greater-kl/article/footage-of-woman-brutally-attacked-in-setapak-condo-lift-shocks-facebook-us

This is a hate crime. Their motive is not to steal money or valuables but to beat her up and to punish her for her dressing.

This is what I feel after watching the video. I believe these two guys are crazy. After checking her out, you can clearly see their heads moving up and down, one can only guess what was going through their mind. They proceeded with the brutal and mindless assault of an unarmed and vulnerable person.

Is it because they deem her dressing to exposed? Did she dress inappropriately? What were they thinking? If it was just to steal, they wouldnt need to assault her. They could easily overpower her and run away with the purse.

So this is clearly something different. And for it to be happening wantonly without much care about the CCTV present, its as though they believe they wont be caught.

This isnt a petty crime and the police should not treat it as such. This is much more serious.

I give you candies, you give me your X

:

6.21pm: RM70 million proposed for interest-free loans under BSN to build longhouses in Sabah and Sarawak, maximum loan of RM50,000 for every unit in longhouse.

6.14pm: From January 1, 2016, full medical charges will be imposed on non-citizens.

6.11pm: Five new hospitals to be built in Pasir Gudang, Kemaman, Pendang, Maran and Cyberjaya

6.07pm: RM852 million allocation to Risda, Felcra for various income and productivity enhancement programmes.

6.05pm: 100,000 houses priced between RM90,000 and RM300,000 to be built by 2018 under Perumahan Penjawat Awam 1Malaysia.

6pm: Tax relief increased to RM8,000 for each child above 18, including disabled child, studying at local or foreign institutions of higher learning from assessment year 2016.

5.54pm: For the first time, tax relief for children who care for parents, total tax relief of RM1,500 for the mother, RM1,500 for the father.

5.48pm: Tax relief for individual taxpayer whose spouse has no income increased to RM4,000 from RM3,000.

5.47pm: Tax relief for each child below 18 years old increased to RM2,000 from RM1,000 from assessment year 2016.

5.42pm: RM500 special assistance to all civil servants and 700,000 pensioners to get special payment RM250 in January 2016.

5.40pm: Consumers to get rebates on mobile prepaid cards equivalent to GST amount paid, effective January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016.

5.38pm: BR1M assistance expected to benefit 4.7 million households and 2.7 million individuals with an allocation of RM5.9 billion.

5.36pm: For those with an income above RM1 million, the tax rate will be increased to 28% from 25%.

5.35pm: From July 2016, minimum pension rate at RM950 a month for pensioners with at least 25 years of service.

5.33pm: Minimum starting salary in the civil service set at RM1,200 a month from July 2016, to benefit 60,000 civil servants

5.32pm: Those earning between RM600,000 and RM1 million, income tax rate is increased to 26% from 25%.

5.32pm: Government prepared to forego GST revenue on several basic necessities.

5.27pm: RM523 million proposed to develop Esscom armed forces camp in Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu.

5.24pm: RM17.3 billion allocated to Defence Ministry, armed forces will be equipped with latest technology.

5.22pm: RM60 million proposed to implement national flood forecasting and warning programme, develop National Earthquake and Tsunami Sub-Centre in Sabah.

5.20pm: Number of GST-registered companies approaches 400,000 with submission compliance at more than 90%.

5.19pm: RM730 million allocation for flood-mitigation projects nationwide.

5.14pm: RM200 million earmarked for First House Deposit Financing Scheme to assist first-time house buyers to pay deposit.

5.09pm: RM100 million for eRezeki and eUsahawan programmes; to benefit 100,000 people from "bottom 40%" or B40 income group.

5.03pm: Pan-Borneo Highwayto be toll-free when completed in 2021.

5.01pm: RM3.7 billion for Mara expenditure, including for sponsorship of 72,000 Bumiputera students at tertiary level.

4.54pm: RM41.3 billion allocated for education.

4.53pm: From January, RM100 schooling aid targeted at pupils from households with monthly income of RM3,000 and below.

4.49pm: Fiscal deficit expected to decline from 6.7% to 3.2% in 2015.

4.48pm: To provide clean water supply, RM877 million earmarked to build treatment plants.

4.42pm:  E-Visa to be implemented by mid-2016 to facilitate tourist arrivals.

4.42pm:  If sales and services tax retained, collection would have been only RM18 billion compared with GST revenue of RM39 billion.

4.37pm: Najib takes a swipe at opposition parties which had opposed the GST but now accepted it and using it in their own budget document.

4.34pm: RM900 million proposed for Jalan Tun Razak traffic dispersal project to reduce Kuala Lumpur congestion.

4.32pm: Budget themed “Prospering the rakyat” based on five priorities, including strengthening economic resilience and easing cost of living.

4.30pm: In 2016, federal government revenue collection estimated at RM225.7 billion, up RM3.2 billion over 2015.

4.29pm: RM267.2 billion allocated under Budget 2016 compared with revised RM260.7 billion in 2015.

4.20pm: Government to continue making right decisions though not popular in the best interest of rakyat and nation.

4.15pm: Malaysia is not a failed or bankrupt nation but stable with strong economic fundamentals and remains competitive.

4.11pm: Malaysia not spared from impact of global economic slowdown, declining commodity prices, ringgit depreciation, slower growth in advanced economies.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/live-najib-tables-budget-2016#sthash.FMQHOJ7n.dpuf

Why I think Malaysia will stay mediocre

I had some itch in my brain to write this opinion piece. Wait, all posts are just opinions anyway. Redundant statement. As i curse myself for not merely thinking about that but actually allowed my fingers to type it, I began to wonder where did I learn this self-discipline and shame. Granted, it does take one to know discipline and to know shame to feel remorse after saying something ridiculous.

As I am away from the city I was born and raised, I can only read on the news and rumours to keep myself up-to-date on the happenings of my country and city. I troll themalaysianinsider.com and thestar.com.my that a loyal dog waiting on its masters. Refreshing the pages whenever I feel my screen is not too vulnerable to ghosting eyes or when I  dont give a nickle if my colleagues doubts im working or passing my time.

Air pollution index that is much more relaxed than those limits set by our tiny neighbour. 1MDB, Bombs blasting ATM machines. Falling signboards flattening a car with three persons. People demanding Penang to be returned to Kedah. 1MDB, Ministers telling me I dont belong in this country and I should go back to China. Minister telling me GST ay 6% is good. Ministers telling me toll hikes are good for the country. Ministers showing they signed incredulous deals with Highway concessionaires. One should really check the ownership of these and publish them online. Ministers telling me to not to insult leaderships, even if its a lame duck leadership who have failed at all levels. Have I mentioned 1MDB? Ministers telling me that if im so unsatisfied, I can leave the country to go back to tiongshan. Do not mind the fact that I dont know where tiongshan is.

SO where do i begin? If I am to elaborate on each of these items and items which I have not stated, I could publish a book. Hmmmm, maybe I should. I shall name it "Mediocre Writings of a Mediocre Malaysian Engineer".

Contrary to what my ministers kept telling me, I still identify myself as a Malaysian first when i'm overseas. They could think I'm a Malay or that i'm Chinese but the first think I will be made known is that I'm Malaysian.

Hence, I am insulted. And I am deeply trouble by the fact that I am thinking of absconding from this country. Legally of course, which means I have to look for employment. I am insulted because for generations my family has been rooted in Old Klang Road. I am insulted because my family made its fortune when Mr Lim was mending straw shoes and subsequently lost it before the hotel on the mountain was created. To shoo me away and to tell me to go back to a place where I have not heard, much less seen, is to deny the contributions of my forefathers to the industry and development of this small little part of KL when it was still only a backwater.

We are Malaysia ladies and gentleman. A potpourri of flavours, spices and ingredients. Hence, to maintain power, it is detrimental to keep each flavour jarred individually and to the show to each flavour and it is prominent. By putting on a show that Minister is a champion of the major flavour, he can be assured that he will be backed. Nevertheless, for this segregation and separation to be successful, there is one key ingredient that is the major enabler.

Education.

By keeping the general masses intellectually deprived. By promoting religion and religiosity, those in power can easily rule over the general masses no matter how much discontent is shown by certain sectors of the masses. Solely because of numbers. The people who realize or assumed to be in the know is a small % in comparison to the general masses as a whole.

This is why I think WE will remain mediocre for the foreseeable future.

Rally? Oops there goes your money

Today the guburdenment announced toll hikes to major highways in and around the klang valley. There is little doubt that the more prosperous should be taxed to support projects that would have a multiplier effect.

Multiply what?

So what is the justification of raising the toll fee at this time? The timing is so noxious that are citizens really the first priority? Or is now the time to fill up the coffers of the guburdenment?
But then, why does the guburdenment need money so desperately? Is there a hole draining the finances?

The toll hikes will range from 30 cents to RM3. Which is a stupendous figure if you consider the amount of traffic that passes through each toll. I am guessing millions daily if we add them up. That is considering that the same amount of vehicles uses the tolled road after this increase.

Nevertheless, I think that most people working and living in the klang valley will absorb this increase and continue to use the tolled roads simply because there is no alternative. MRT is 4 years away with the penetration zone more politically motivated than traffic orientated. The other train lines are only now having a resemblance of a train system. Forget efficient.

However there are rumours swirling around that even train fares will be hiked! So are the citizens really first priority? All actions seems to beg to differ.

Alas, it is only the urbanites that bears the brunt of these increases and hikes. Sub-urban and rural folks can be expected to be oblivious to these as they are not even remotely affected. Punishment for coming out to rally?

Power plants and power plants

Its absurd that "explanations" were given to foreign businessman but not to one own's citizens who is constantly demanding for it. Are these "explanations:" fishing tactics just to pull in more bait or citizens does not have the right to know?

At the right things are going, of course it can be settle by years ends. When a company is selling its assets to boost cash flow, to be able to publish accounts in the black there is only one reasonable end to be expected.

The closure of the investment vehicle for a "profit".

When all the power assets are sold. be it to foreigners or locals. Mind you that a sovereign country wouldnt allow too high a percentage of foreign own power plants. Protectionism at its best. However, maybe our heads are very liberal minded and are firm believers of free markets. That's why for the first time maybe, power plants may be majority owned by foreigners!

Cash is king.

Selling all these assets, will provide some cash to fill in the hole. If Edra successfully lists on the stock market, you can be certain that he will have enough to "proof" that he resolved the matter.

However, what can be done? filthy lawmakers without backbone dancing to the tune of his harp. Singing his every word, breathing his every fart. He is buying time and with society behind shallow and possess a short term memory, he could even be hailed as a hero this time next year.

What can be done?