Let party leaders debate first to set the tone, says Dr Jeffrey

KENINGAU : Chairman of State Reform Party (Star), Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, said top leaders of political parties should first start any debate, then followed by divisional leaders at each constituencies, so as to set the tone of a meaningful debate among parties.

"We support the initiative to have public debates to identify the best candidates to take on the ruling party. We also support a one-to-one fight with BN, but let us start with party top leaders first," he said commenting on the political public debate being initiated in the state.

Thousands March As Japan Shuts Off Nuclear Power

By Yuri Kageyama of Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Thousands of Japanese marched to celebrate the switching off of the last of their nation's 50 nuclear reactors Saturday, waving banners shaped as giant fish that have become a potent anti-nuclear symbol.

Japan was without electricity from nuclear power for the first time in four decades when the reactor at Tomari nuclear plant on the northern island of Hokkaido went offline for mandatory routine maintenance.

Taib sees writing on wall, hedges bets

By Joe Fernandez

Tai b Mahmud

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim may be more than right, for once, about “a wind of change” sweeping across Sarawak come the 13th general election. However, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is the man who holds all the cards.

It’s clear that after having reduced Sarawak over three decades to the dubious distinction of being the second poorest in Malaysia – rich Sabah being the poorest – it’s an understatement to say that Taib has more than outstayed his welcome.

Demokrasi Sabah needs the right debate format

By Joe Fernandez

The initial word from Demokrasi Sabah (Desah), an NGO just set up by former Sabah state secretary Simon Sipaun to encourage one-to-one contests at the forthcoming 13th General Election, has not been too encouraging.

For starters, there’s the little matter of the NGO declaring that it wants to help further strengthen and entrench a two-party system in Malaysia. These two parties, or rather coalitions and/or alliances, i.e. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN) are both Peninsular Malaysia-based. 

BERSIH 3.0 Broke Many Glasses (Including A few Glass Ceilings)

By M. Bakri Musa

In the aftermath of the largest public demonstrations against the Barisan government, the officials’ obsession now turns to the exercise of apportioning blame and the associated inflicting of vengeance. Both are raw human reactions, but hardly enlightening, sophisticated, or even fruitful. Besides, there is plenty of blame to go around. I prefer to look at the bright side and on the lessons that can be learned.

Analysis of Bersih 3.0

By Dr Bridget Welsh

COMMENT With well over 100,000 people gathering last week for electoral reform in the largest street protest in the nation's history - and the event marred by violence by both state and non-state actors alike - Malaysian politics has reached an important impasse.

The Bersih 3.0 rally and its aftermath reveal that the path ahead for Malaysian politics will grow even more contentious and complex. As the different ‘Bersih stories' pour in, ranging from ‘ordinary' heroism to the darker accounts of beatings and abuse of power, the move of Malaysian politics outside of the realm of elite to the streets and social media is both empowering and scary.

Jeffrey to Pakatan, BN: Get out of Sabah

By Luke Rintod of FMT

RANAU: State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chairman, Jeffrey Kitingan, has again called for all Peninsula-based political parties to get out of Sabah.

The maverick politician urged the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties – PKR, DAP and PAS – and the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition members – Umno, MCA MIC and Gerakan – to fold up their tents and leave Sabah to Sabahans.

He advised the Peninsula-based opposition parties to instead focus their strength on wresting all the 165 parliamentary seats at stake in the Peninsula and let the opposition here battle it out for the 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah.

Surat terbuka Hata Wahari untuk bekas majikannya Utusan Malaysia

Saya telah dipecat dari Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad ketika bertugas di akhbar Utusan Malaysia pada 21 April dan ketika menerima berita pemecatan itu saya melakukan solat sunat memohon kepada hadrat Allah SWT memberi hidayah kepada rakan-rakan saya di Utusan Malaysia agar menjadi seorang mukmin dan muslimin yang mematuhi perintah Allah SWT supaya mereka akan dapat menikmati kelazatan hidup sebagai seorang Islam yang patuh kepada perintah Allah SWT dan suruhan Rasululullah.

BN really must GO!

By Capt (r) Iskandar Dzulkarnain

Tun Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years. All of us lived under his leadership during his tenure, and many of us have come to admire him and regard him with our deepest respect, for what he had done for the country.

His Vision 2020, the Look East Policy, the Multimedia Super Corridor, the Internet and his efforts to industrialize the country has brought countless prosperity to our nation.

Paris Papers: Perimekar just a travel agency

Having had the privilege of looking at some of the Paris Papers on the Scorpene submarine scandal recently, it behoves me to give anxious landlubbers a ‘hitchhiker's guide' to this convoluted mesh of payments that have gone on to grease this most expensive (more than RM7 billion) arms purchase in Malaysia's history.

Since Suaram lodged its complaint with the French courts for a judicial review of the Scorpene contract in November 2009, the French prosecutors have certainly been busy with their investigations.