M. Magendran and N. Mohandass Heroes Of Malaysia!

Fri, 23/05/2008 - 19:50 — puvan

Let us not forget them..even after 11 years..true warriors and true Malaysians!!

Two Hindus of the national team ascend the world highest mountain

Thank God! Thank God!' was the first thing I said when I set my foot on the top of the world," gushed M. Magendran. On May 23, he and N. Mohandass became the first Malaysians (and likely the first Tamils) to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, 8,848 meters high. "Aum Namasivaya was in my mind all throughout my ascent," Magendran told Hinduism Today. "Once on top, I prayed to all the Deities. I thought of our Prime Minister, our Everest team, my friends and the people of Malaysia who were praying for our success." Magendran, Mohandass and their five Sherpa guides planted the Malaysian flag, "shouted into the wind" and celebrated their victory--for ten frozen-in-time minutes. The news was radioed down to the Malaysian base camp and relayed on live TV to a jubilant country. But the climbers knew the task was not over yet. Nearly everyone who perishes on Everest dies on the way down, not up. So they scrambled off the mountain to safety and within days were heros at a tumultuous welcome at Kuala Lumpur's International Airport.

Mt. Everest has been in a deadly mood the last few years. In 1996 eight died during summit attempts, the worst year ever. By May of this year seven more had perished, including Nima Rinje Sherpa of the Malaysian team, who on May 5 fell into a 600-meter crevasse high on the South Face. One German and two Kazak climbers were blown off the North Face when 140-mph jet-stream winds dipped down onto the mountain as they descended from the top. More than 710 climbers from 42 countries have scaled Chomolungma, "Goddess Mother of the World," as Everest is known in Tibetan, since it was first climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953. One hundred and fifty others have lost their lives. The odds of dying are one in six. At the highest elevations, the route is "littered" with bodies impossible to retrieve out of the ice or to carry down.

The Malaysian climbers' arrival in Kathmandu fell auspiciously on the night of Mahasivaratri--one of Hinduism's holiest days. Both Magendran and Mohandass observed the festival at Kathmandu's Pasupathinath Temple. "Team member R.C. Ramakrishna, who has vast experience in climbing," recalls Magendran, "told me to treat Everest as a sacred mountain and to do my prayers and mantras while climbing."

The devout Buddhist Sherpas brought in a lama from a nearby monastery to bless everyone at Base Camp. "Some climbers just hung around," narrated Magendran, "but I was sitting a few feet from the lama and praying." Mohandass said, "When I was staying at Base Camp, I had a dream of Lord Ganesha who told me to do a lot of prayers."

Prayer was definitely in order, for many expected a repeat of last year's disaster. One-hundred-eighty climbers in 13 teams were gathered for the dangerous Southern Route, and another 150 climbers in 12 teams were prepared for the safer but more expensive-to-climb North Face. Eighteen countries were present. The Malaysian team was unjustly singled out by two professional guides for criticism as "inexperienced" and "under tremendous political pressure to summit." It was strange criticism coming from the group who last year were chastised for taking completely inexperienced climbers to the top--some of whom died there. There was nothing reckless about the Malaysian strategy or ascent under the watchful eye of expedition leader Nor Ramlle Sulaiman and Captain M.S. Kohli, leader of India's first trek to the summit in 1965. Half of the 25 teams, most led by professional guides, never made it to the summit. The Malaysians had originally hoped to beat the Indonesian team to be the first Southeast Asian nation on the summit. But under the legendary Russian Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev, the Indonesians arrived earlier.

Back home in Malaysia, wives and mothers were taking no chances with the climbers' safety. In normal times, Mohandass' wife Manimegalai, does puja twice weekly for her husband's health, safety and longevity. "Then I heard in May that they might have to abort the climb because of bad weather. This was sad news to me. I thought there is no glory in my husband returning home without conquering Mt. Everest. So on Friday the 16th, I went to the Kottamalai Ganesha Temple and prayed that everything should be alright for my husband to climb the mountain and return safely. The next Friday I heard the news. Lord Siva was up there and let him return safely." Magendran is unmarried, and his mother, uncle and friends similarly prayed for his success and safety, arranging special Murugan worship on May 23, the day of the ascent.

Reports of the climb sound like a soldier's descriptions of war: long periods of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. The team sat at Everest Base Camp for three months acclimatizing to the altitude and waiting for the rare break in weather which would allow an ascent. Nor Ramlle described it as depressing. "You have to sleep on ice, barren rock and snow. There is no life there, no birds, no trees. We had to resort to playing scrabble and dominoes, reading books and climbing nearby peaks."

Four team members were selected for the final attempt: Magendran, Mohandass, Mohd. Fauzan Hj Hassan, 29, and Gary Choong Kin Wah, 39. Their first chance was May 9, but bad weather--and "bad weather" on Everest is really bad--forced a return to base camp. Time was running out, since the government would close the route on May 24. The team left again on the 18th and after further weather delays reached Camp Four at 1:30 pm on May 22. "There we rested," reports Mohandass, "then left at 11pm for the summit. It was very cold, -30°C (-22°F) and the wind was at 80 km/hour (50 mph). Hassan and Choong Kin Wah succumbed to altitude sickness and turned back after reaching 8,400 meters.

"It took thirteen hours to reach the summit. The terrain was very steep, and the path was littered with bodies. The Sherpa was showing me each of the corpses and explaining to me how they died and who they were. Finally, I told him not to point out the bodies to me, and that I just wanted to reach the summit. We had to crawl the last section to the top because of the wind." Twenty-five climbers from other teams reached the summit that day--auspiciously Vaikasi Vishakam, sacred to Hindus as the birthday of Lord Muruga and to Buddhists as the day of Buddha's enlightenment.

The returning Magendran was ecstatic over their success. "For all Malaysians it shows racial unity, teamwork, that we could do anything if we work as a team and believe in what we are doing. People are very proud. There have been so many calls day and night. Many temples still ring me up to ask me to come to their temple because they had prayed for my successful climb." A total of US$240,000 was awarded to the team; Magendran and Mohandass got $20,000 each.

Malaysia had planned the climb for ten years. The team trained intensively for the last three. Telekom Malaysia and other Malaysian corporations were the main sponsors for the program, which is part of the government's "Malaysia Boleh!"--"Malaysia Can!" campaign. The Everest 97 project was a follow-up to the "Malaysia Cergas" campaign launched in the 1980s with the aim of encouraging the general public to participate in recreational and noncompetitive sports, with the hope of producing a healthy society. There are plans to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro in South Africa, Puncak Irian Jaya in Indonesia, Mt. McKinley in the US and Mt. Eiger in Europe. "Such expeditions are to showcase the Malaysia Boleh spirit," said team leader Nor Ramlle.

HINDRAF : MALAYSIAN HOME MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN.

Wed, 21/05/2008135-3

Jalan Toman 7

Kemayan Square

Seremban

PRESS STATEMENT

21st May 2008

RE : PROOF HOME MINISTER LIED AND MISLEAD THE PUBLICHOME MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN

I enclose below a scanned copy of my passport, which clearly shows that my passport expires in October 2010.

The statement made by the Home Minister is a blatant lie and deliberately intended to mislead the Malaysian public who were outraged by the action of the Government against me.

I do not for a moment doubt that the real intentions of the Government is that upon the revocation the British authorities would deport me back to Malaysia only to be arrested under the ISA.

In light of the blatant lie I call upon the Home Minister to tender his resignation from the cabinet with immediate effect to safeguard the good name and integrity of the Governnment

P.Waytha Moorthy

Chairman

HINDRAF

Live bullet sent to Karpal

SOURCE : MALAYSIAKINI

DAP leader and member of Parliament Karpal Singh received a live bullet in an envelope at his law firm in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.

The live bullet was accompanied with a note warning him against speaking out on the controversial issues of Malay rights and the constitutional powers of the sultans.

“Kalau tak berhenti, peluru ini akan melekat pada kepala dahi kau!” (If you don’t stop, this bullet will be lodged in your forehead).

The one-page note, printed in Bahasa Malaysia, added that this was the “first warning” [below].


The wheelchair-bound politician lodged a police report over the death threat at 5pm at Dang Wangi police station.

Met at the police station later this evening, Karpal told reporters that the envelope was hand-delivered to his receptionist at 12.30pm.

“The man was wearing a helmet and he had his visors drawn down. He left hurriedly,” he said, adding that the police have confirmed that bullet was a 9mm ‘live bullet’.

When quizzed by reporters, Karpal said he had no clue who the culprits were and would not rule out that the incident could be politically motivated.

“It is difficult for me to say, but based on the wordings of the note, it appears to have political motives,” he said.

Will seek police protection ‘if necessary’


The DAP chairperson and criminal lawyer found himself some unwanted attention recently when some of the remarks he had made concerning the royalty had come under the spotlight.

Over the past week, the renowned lawyer has had 20 police reports lodged against him after he had said the Sultan of Perak had acted unconstitutionally in the transfer of a religious department official and criticised Regent of Kelantan's message at a forum last month.

Karpal, who is member of Parliament for Bukit Gelugor in Penang, added that he would consider asking for police protection in the future “if necessary”.

Asked if the incident would change his stand on the Perak Sultan’s recent order for the Religious Department Director Jamry Sury to be reinstated, Karpal said he issue had been deemed settled.

He said that he and other quarters have all voiced their arguments and that there was no need to prolong the debate any further.

Veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang described the incident as deplorable and urged the police to get to the bottom of the matter.

“This sort of things should not happen in a country like Malaysia,” said Lim, who were among four DAP MPs to accompanied Karpal to the police station, including his son Gobind who is Puchong MP.

PLEASE HELP MOHANESWARY'S WALK AGAIN.

SOURCE : YENNAMIKE BLOGSPOT


Mohaneswary is awaiting corrective surgery on her legs at Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya on May 22.

This is not her first experience but her sixth painful and hopeful one; she had underwent five such operations previously.

The young school student has no other choice but to bear the misery for she was born with defective legs.

It was fortunate for her and her poor parents that PPUM is taking over the cost of the surgery but their problems do not end with this good gesture.

Mohaneswary has to be in bed three to six months after the surgery; she needs diapers as she will be unable to go to toilet. Beside this expense, her parents need more money to get her vitamin supplements and nutritous food.

Her mother, Mrs Josephin, earns only RM 500 a month; her diabetic father earns a mere RM 300 to RM400. They have three more school-going children.

Mohaneswary and her desperate parents needs our help to ease their burden.

If you wish to contribute either monetary or in the form of adult diapers , you can either meet them directly at their house located at No. 12-2B, Jalan PS/5, Taman Prima Selayang, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor or bank in to their account number: 112157034180 (Maybank)

For further details or verification you may call Mrs. Josephin at 016-3349032 (you may mention the source of your info: nanavuhal.wordpress.com)

Farook’s Trials… and the Touch of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences

Mr. Y. Arvind

This is the story of Farook, a hardworking motorcycle mechanic from Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu, India. Everything was going smoothly for him until chest pains brought his carefree life to a halt. Seeking treatment sent the expenses through the roof and all seemed lost until the day he heard about Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Super Specialty Hospital…

Farookh, the honest mechanic with a mechanical problem of the heart

The short spry man in grease stained grey overalls looked up from his efforts on the machine, nodded and stepped back. The young assistant kick started the motorbike and the engine roared to life with a slew of blue exhaust from the tail pipe.

The mechanic shook his head at the sight and turned to the owner of the vehicle.

“There is a problem with the petrol. The oil filter has far more sludge than normal. Change your petrol station…or you will be coming to my garage every month…”

“I believe you”, said the customer taking out his wallet. “I too had the same doubts…but no one told me it was the petrol that was the problem. I was told that the oil filters are of poor quality…I have changed the filter four times. You are the only mechanic to have told me the cause of the problem. Thank you Farook.”

“Solving the problem is more important than just replacing the parts, sahib (sir). You won’t have any problem till the next service time…just take care of what you are pouring in the tank.” The brown eyes in the grease stained face crinkled with good humour.

The customer smiled and patted the man on the shoulder.

“It’s good to have you around Farook. Thank you and Khuda hafiz.” (May God be with you)

“Khuda Hafiz, sahib”

Farook turned his attention to the other bikes that demanded his expertise. It was a family run, two wheeler garage where Farook and his brothers worked. Farook handled the shop floor. He was a good mechanic and all was well until one day a nagging pain slowed him down; the pain was in his chest and spread out through his arms. He could not work as fast as he did earlier, and any quick work left him breathless. He put it off as strain and lessened his work load offloading more responsibility to his assistants.

Farook, the son of Mr. A. S. Sulaiman and Sara Begum, had three brothers and two sisters. They lived as a joint family in the city of Coimbatore, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. He had dropped out of school after his 8 th standard and took up apprenticeship in his father’s workshop to be a two wheeler mechanic. He joined a training program conducted by the Hero Honda company to be a mechanic and ever since had been at the front end of the work, diagnosing and solving the problems associated with the ‘internal combustion engine’.

Farookh with his wife and two of his heart's caretakers

The Heart Cries Out

One day, he was on a visit to Mettur, a city nearby, visiting some of his relations. It was like any other day when he walked out into the drawing room. He took two steps towards the front door and… collapsed. A stabbing pain exploded in his chest cutting of his breath, and spread with lightning speed through his left arm. He had no idea of what happened next for he blacked out the next instant. When he regained consciousness he found himself lying on a bed, his wife seated on a chair next to him.

“Dilshad!” he called out.

But to his surprise she rose and left the room. Another woman entered, approached the bed and held his hand.

“Why did you leave the room when I called?” he asked.

“It was not me, it was my sister. I was in the next room and she came and told me you had called for me”, replied his wife, Dilshad Begum.

“I was sure it was you…or maybe I was wrong. My vision is blurred…” muttered Farook passing his hand across his eyes. “It is still blurred,” he continued looking at the fingers of one hand. “I can see ten fingers instead of five…it is double vision and…” he closed his eyes, “I am still feeling dizzy.”

“I think we need to go to a hospital immediately,” said his elder brother entering the room.

Luckily for him his entire family was supportive and he was taken to Sangeetha Hospital in Coimbatore.

Coronary Artery Disease was the cause of Farook's suffering

The Mechanics of the Heart

Farook was a man who enjoyed a smoke and a tasty cut of meat. It came to him as a rude shock that these habits along with a host of others were responsible for his present condition.

The results came to light after they met Dr. Rangarajan* who suggested the tests of ECG and Echo. It was diagnosed that He had a coronary artery disease. And it seemed to be progressing rapidly.

“You need to have strict diet control. No smoking or drinking, and here is a list of medicines that you must take regularly”, said the doctor firmly.

“If you mess up your life now, your entire family, wife and children will suffer the consequences. So take care, at least, from now on.”

Farook was not convinced and wanted a second opinion. He had an extended friends circle and one of them by name Nizamuddin took him to G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital. There, they met Dr. Madhukar* a senior Cardiologist who again reaffirmed diet, no smoking and no alcohol. Farook abstained for two months but then old habits die hard; he started smoking again. The pain returned.

Farook and his wife, went to Kaza Mayeen Healing Centre in Mettupalayam at the foot hills of Ootacamund and tried alternative medicine. There he underwent acupuncture for seven days and found that it gave him great relief. The cost of the treatment there was around Rs.20, 000 for a week. The moment he felt he was returning to normal, but Farook once again fell back to his old ways of smoking and non vegetarian food. And consequently his health took a beating. Before long the symptoms returned and he was worse off than before.

“We approached the K. G. Hospital in Coimbatore but they told us it would be an expensive affair. They also said that Coronary Artery Disease was a progressive disease and an operation would not put an end to the condition. There was always a probability that the condition could recur”, said Dilshad Begum.

Farook’s family knew he was going through a bad time and needed their support and intensified their prayers.

When the student is ready the master appears. After all their efforts came to naught and they gave in to God, He answered their prayers. One of their neighbours Ms. Vasanthi*, a devotee of Bhagawan Baba, suggested that they go to the SSSIHMS at Whitefield.

The angioplasty proceedure failed
and surgury was the last option

Finding Solace at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS)

“We came to this Hospital for the first time in February 2008 and were given the admission date in April. Everything went on very smoothly”, said Farook.

It was a good thing that Farook had brought all his previous medical records with him. Having a complete knowledge of the history of the patient’s condition helps the doctors diagnose and treat the ailment better. (It is suggested that all patients should keep all their medical records carefully and file them. One can rarely predict when they may come of use.)

On the April 1, Farook was admitted into SSSIHMS and after a couple of days of stabilizing treatment, the cardiologists attempted an Angioplasty. Angioplasty is an invasive procedure where a catheter is threaded through the femoral artery into the heart and a balloon is used to expand the blocked coronary artery. The procedure was not successful despite repeated efforts. It was finally decided that surgery was the only option.

Farook was scheduled for surgery and the operation was performed on April 16, 2008 and on the 6th post operative day when he was found to be fit for discharge, Farook sat on his bed in the CTVS post operative ward narrating his story.

“I had good family support, all my brothers helped me financially and otherwise too”, said Farook, his mischievous smile a contrast to the scar peeping over the décolletage of his shirt. “We spent more than 40,000 rupees before coming to Baba.”

“How many children do you have?” I asked.

“Two”, replied his wife. “We have a son and a daughter. My son is in the 1st standard and my daughter, is in Lower KG.”

“How do you feel? Now that you have been given a fresh lease of life? What will you do now?” I asked panning my vision to take in the eyes of both man and wife.

Farook began in a very matter-of-fact. “First, for the next three months I will take good rest. Follow all the doctor’s orders and hence forth will never again touch non-vegetarian food or smoke. Then, I am planning to take up a less stressful vocation like a telephone kiosk, or set up a shop selling Cellphone SIM cards.”

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore

Gaining More Than Just Good Health

For a second his eyes left mine and flicked up to the photo of Bhagawan Baba on the wall. He continued his voice, unchanged.

“For me Baba is Allah. He came to us in our hour of need. Nobody will do anything of this magnitude with such love and service to us outside. Believe me, I have been through it. Outside, unless I have money, I cannot even enter the hospital. Here Baba is giving everything free. I will go back and spread the message in my town.”

His words were simple and his expression unchanged. He spoke as though he had thought it all out and there was nothing that would induce him to change his mind. He had received the gift of life anew from a God who had answered his prayers. His life would be an offering of gratitude to him, period.

“Here we have full satisfaction” joined in his wife adding new warmth to the sun lit ward. “The doctors and nurses did not have any hesitation. We were completely informed about every thing all the time. All our questions were patiently answered. I have never seen such care anywhere else.”

Farook continued to smile as he added, “Once I recover, I will come back here as a sevadal. More than serving others, it is a chance for me to be happy.”

A healed heart, and a new lease on life

Small things make big things happen. It is said one cannot move ones finger without affecting the stars. We are all connected, one way or the other. There are no coincidences in God’s Plan. He has provided for everything, in fact, God’s delays are not God’s denials. It is only up to us how fast or how slow we walk towards our life’s goals. Let us all be grateful to whatever God we worship that we are able to see the sun rise, smell the fragrance of a fresh blossom, touch the innocence of a little child…be part of this world. To be alive.

* Names changed to protect identity.

Sri Sathya Sai University

The Sri Sathya Sai University (formerly Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning) was founded on November 22, 1981, by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. An autonomous body, it has been recognized by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and the University Grants Commission (UGC), as a Deemed University vide their notification no.F9-11/81-U.3 dt.10.11.1981. The University has been admcitted as a regular member of the Association of Indian Universities vide their letter no. Meet/Reg.Memb/86/97596 dt.20.4.1986.

The University which grew out of the Colleges founded earlier by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Anantapur (A.P.), Whitefield (near Bangalore, Karnataka) and Prasanthi Nilayam (A.P.), aims at imparting integral education, development of character being considered the primary objective of education.

In practical terms, the programmes offered by the University seek to combine the best of both our ancient traditions, and modern advancements. While the foundations are the eternal human values, the superstructure relates to today’s Society. The University subscribes wholly to the concept and practice of national integration and has adopted an open admission policy, based on merit, encouraging the enrollment of boys and girls from all over the country. In order to effectively mould the student’s personality, hostel living has been made compulsory and patterned in the ancient Gurukula style.

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MAHATHIR : Umno no longer the same party

SOURCE : MALAYSIAKINI

Mahathir said he could no longer subscribe to Abdullah's political stewardship in both Umno and the government due to the latter's incompetency.

He added that Umno was no longer the same party when it was formed on May 11, 62 years ago.

"Then Umno fought for the Malay interests, rights and privileges.

"But now it has become a party merely to support Abdullah's fragile leadership, serve his, his family's and his cronies' interests.

"Due to this, I'm relinquishing my Umno life membership," he said, adding that he would write a letter immediately to the party secretary-general to that effect.

When asked whether his shocking departure from the party would put pressure on premier to quit, he said he was not sure about it because "this man (Abdullah) seems could not understand anything."

On whether his resignation would trigger a resignation spree among Umno leaders and members, Mahathir said they would do so if they loved the party.

"They must have the courage to do it," he said. "If they love Umno and want Umno to survive, then they have to resign as a show of no confidence on Abdullah's leadership.

"However, if they love Abdullah more than the party then they would not quit," he said.

'We don't want you anymore'

Earlier, speaking at the packed hotel ballroom, Mahathir called on party leaders and members from all levels to quit the party to force Abdullah to step down to send an unambiguous message to the prime minister that "we don't want you anymore".

"We cannot afford to wait until the party polls because no division would dare to nominate another person, other than Abdullah for the top post.

"So the best way is to force him (Abdullah) to leave by us quitting first," he said.

However, Mahathir's quit decision came only after his speech when he was challenged by a member of the crowd to lead the way in quitting the party.

Without missing a beat, Mahathir responded that he would do so.

"I declare today I'm quitting Umno because I could not stand with Abdullah's leadership any longer," he told the shocked crowd during the question-and-answer session.

When pressed by others from floor on whether he was serious about the matter, he stressed that he was a man of principle and would not back out from his decision.

"I will keep my word to quit party until Abdullah steps down," he added.

Even though opposition parties PKR and PAS would welcome estranged Umno members, he said it would defeat the purpose if members quit only to join them.

"Our objective to quit is to force Abdullah to step down.

"Once he has quit his positions, then we all shall return to revitalise the party," he told a cheering crowd.

In response to Mahathir's announcement today, Razaleigh said he would remain in Umno to challenge Abdullah's leadership.

Waytha (HINDRAF): Syed Hamid lied about my passport

SOURCE : MALAYSIAKINI

K Kabilan

Hindu Rights Action Force chairperson P Waythmoorthy today accused the Malaysian government of lying over the status of his passport.

MCPX

He said that it was "absolutely ridiculous and a blatant lie" for the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar to claim that his passport was not revoked.

Waythamoorthy was also upset with Syed Hamid in shrugging off the issue by stating that a misunderstanding could have occurred over the status of the passport.

Syed Hamid had earlier said that "probably because the passport had expired".

"How can he lie like this? Aren't his officers briefing him on what's happening to Malaysians abroad?" asked Waythamoorthy.

He said that his passport was to expire in 2010 and that he, of all persons, would know the validity of his travel document.

"The problem started when I returned to London from Zurich on April 21 and was informed by the UK immigration officer at Gatwick Airport that the Malaysian government had revoked my passport," he told Malaysiakini.

"Is Syed Hamid saying that the British immigration authorities are lying?" he asked when contacted by telephone today.

Waythamoorthy had revealed the cancellation of his travel document in a press statement on Friday.

On the same day, Syed Hamid, when asked to comment on the issue, rejected the claims, stating that Waythamoorthy's passport had not been revoked.

Syed Hamid added that the "misunderstanding" was probably because Waythamoorthy's passport had expired and he could have his passport renewed at the Malaysian High Commission in London.

Forcing his return

Responding to the minister's remarks today, Waythamoorthy said Syed Hamid was trying to mislead the public on the matter.

"I'm indeed surprised that the senior cabinet minister would issue a statement based on probabilities without verifying the facts..."

Waythamoorty said he was given a "fresh leave to enter and remain in the United Kingdom for six months" upon his return from India on April 2.

"It is a known fact that no country would admit a person into its territory without a six months' validity period on the passport.

"For that matter, Switzerland wouldn't have admitted me into its country on the April 17, nor would any airline allow me to board the flight, without a six months' validity," he said.

Waythamoorthy, who is in self-imposed exile in United Kingdom since the government's crackdown on Hindraf last November, said the government was seeking to lure him back to this country to detain him under the Internal Security Act.

Five other Hindraf leaders, including the movement's most popular face and Waythamoorthy's brother Uthayakumar, are presently being held without trial since Dec 13.

"It is obvious my traveling to lobby for Hindraf and the ethnic minority Indian community had caused the Malaysian government to revoke my passport to curtail my movement," he said.

Mahathir quits Umno

SOURCE : MALAYSIAKINI

Ahti Veeranggan | May 19, 08 12:45pm

Former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad today announced that he was quitting Umno with immediate effect and urged other members to emulate him.

MCPX

He said he was quitting the party, which he led for almost 22 years until handing over the reins to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2003, as a sign of no confidence in his successor's leadership.

"I will only come back to the party when there is a change in leadership," the ex-premier told a crowd at a forum in his home state of Kedah this morning.He also called on all Umno ministers, deputy ministers and all levels of party leaders to join him in quitting the party.

However, he asked these members not to join other political parties.

"Wait 'till Abdullah quit as the prime minister and party president and then we can return to Umno," he said.

Mahathir dropped the bombshell during his speech at the 'The Position of Malays post-12th General Elections' in Alor Star.

His resignation appears to be part of his strategy in upping the ante in his bid to force Abdullah to step down in the wake of the ruling coalition's worst setback in the March 8 polls.

"I will not ask others to do something that I dare not do.

"I would rather do it myself first before calling on others to quit party," Mahathir, who was the country's fourth Prime Minister between 1981 and 2003, told journalists after speaking at the forum.

Mahathir - Umno Baru No 1 member

Mahathir, 82, joined Umno at its inception in 1946 and in recent years has been Abdullah's most vocal critic.

He entered active politics as a member of Parliament for Kedah's Kota Star Selatan in 1964.

He lost the seat in the disastrous 1969 general elections, and was expelled from the party after attacking then president and prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Mahathir was invited back into the party by second prime minister, Abdul Razak, and re-elected to Parliament in 1974 for the seat of Kubang Pasu, also in Kedah.

Soon after he was appointed education minister. Within four years he was deputy leader of the party, and in 1981, became prime minister.

When Umno split into two as a result of a bitter factional feud and the party deregistered after a legal battle a year later, Mahathir formed Umno Baru and he was the new party's first member.

Meanwhile, rival leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who narrowly lost to Mahathir in the leadership contest, went on to set up Semangat 46.

Razaleigh and his party returned to Umno's fold in 1996 and the veteran Umno leader is now challenging Abdullah in the party polls to be held in December.

Motion on NS trainee's death rejected in Dewan Rakyat

PRAVEEN says : Why reject? Why not urgent? It is urgent!! Those issue suppose to be discussed and come up with a solution immediately. I agree that the government had always seek ways to improve but what is the point since you have trainees dying each time u improve. When ask for motion to debate, the parliament feels not necessary. Dewan Rakyat should approve no matter who brings the issue up. Be fair to everyone, rulling party guys please be more understanding than being ego in parliament. I am sure nobody wants their kids, brother, sister, relative or friend to add up the death toll in National Service. Bertimbang rasalah sebelum anda di timbangkan!


SOURCE : MALAYSIAKINI

The Dewan Rakyat has rejected an emergency motion by the opposition to debate the latest death of a national service trainee on the ground that it was not urgent to be discussed.In turning down the motion from Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidin Tuanku Jaafar said the government has always seek to improve the condition in national service camps.

In her motion, Fong argued that the House should debate the matter as it was of public interest and involved the lives of the current batch of 110,00 trainees nationwide.The latest victim was 18-year-old Too Hui Min, who died at the Slim River Hospital in Perak last Wednesday after complaining of constipation. Too - the 16th trainee to die since the programme was launched four years ago - was assigned to the Geo Kosmo national service training camp in Kuala Kubu Baru.

V DAVID : A PILLAR OF THE MALAYSIAN WORKERS' MOVEMENT BUT MISSING IN MALAYSIAN HISTORY!!

SOURCE : ALIRAN

V. David(born 26 August 1932 - died 10 July 2005) is a Malaysian trade unionist who was fearless and vocal in raising issues concerning the Indian community in Malaysia. In 1958, he was arrested under the Emergency Ordinance and detained under the Internal Security Act in 1964, 1969 (after May 13 racial riots) and 1987.

Born on 26 August 1932 in a squatter settlement at the 3rd mile, Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur, V.David started his life in abject poverty. His father, S Vethamuthu, had a small farm and a herd of cattle for survival. As he grew older, David had to help his father by going to houses around the area delivering milk daily. Despite this, he managed to complete his Senior Cambridge. As the years rolled by, his mother became a widow, burdened with the task of bringing up her only son.

Under the circumstances, it was only natural that mother and son became inseparably close. Even after his mother’s demise, she remained close to his heart until the last day of his life. It is no exaggeration to say that David used to visit his mother’s grave very often — not only every year on the occasion of her birthday, death anniversary, etc but whenever he stood for election, started a union, contested for leadership position and even before embarking on other important event. To him, she was a saint whose blessing he sought before undertaking any venture.

In 1954, he enrolled with the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA for a course in Economics, Political Science and Industrial Relations. At the same time, he also attended a course on Labour Unions organised by the AFL-CIO, the American National Trade Union Centre. Even when he was deeply involved in trade union and political activities, he continued his tertiary education. In 1980, he obtained a Masters in Commerce degree from the University of New Delhi. A few years later his thesis on international relations was accepted by Pacific Western University, California, USA, which awarded him a doctorate.

Compassion for the downtrodden

Even when David was in his teens, he was a hero in his village. The villagers often sought his advice and guidance. David’s compassion for the poor and downtrodden was natural, simply because of the condition in which he grew up. His first venture in 1953 was to form a trade union known as the Selangor Mill Workers Union (SMWU), which integrated with the Selangor Factory Workers Union. In 1955, the union’s name was changed to the National Union of Factory and General Workers (NUFGW). It was one of the “General Unions” that was recognised by the British colonial rulers.

On 31 August 1957, Malaya became independent. The NUFGW became so strong and popular under the leadership of the youthful V David that even the workers in the plantation industry preferred to be members of the new union. The Alliance government of independent Malaya detained David and amended the labour law to ensure the automatic deregistration of all existing general unions at that time. Since then, our 'democratic' government has never granted registration of general unions! David was subsequently released.

He became even more popular - loved by the working masses and disliked by the capitalists. Soon, he was approached by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to be its executive secretary. He travelled by truck and enrolled thousands and thousands of workers in the transport industry. Soon he was elected the General Secretary of the TWU and held on to that position unchallenged even after he had suffered two strokes.

Youngest MP at 26

In the 1959 General Election, David, already a member of the Labour Party, which formed a coalition with other opposition parties known as the Socialist Front, contested and won, becoming a Member of Parliament for Bangsar as well as Selangor State Assembly member. At 26, he was the youngest Member of Parliament – bold, vigorous and committed.

By mid 1960s, the registration of the Labour Party was cancelled. Its leaders like Dr Tan Chee Khoon, Veerappan, Tan Pock Kin, David and others decided to seek the registration of another party. I was then the General Secretary of the Federation of Armed Forces Civilian Staff Union as well as Vice-President of the MTUC and of CUEPACS. Like David, I too believed that trade unions had to involve themselves in politics. It was not an unusual phenomenon but a fact that was visible all over the world.

I was invited by the group to join and help with the formation of Gerakan. It was during this period that I grew closer to David. I am proud to claim that both of us knew what poverty was and that our commitment to struggle for the welfare of workers became a passion. David stood on a Gerakan ticket in the General Elections in 1969 and was elected to Parliament as MP for Datuk Keramat in Penang. However, being a civil servant and father of three young children, I decided to carry on with my job and union activity.

Gerakan became a very popular party and received multiracial support. In the May 1969 General Election, the party captured the state of Penang and formed the government with Dr Lim Chong Eu as Chief Minister. But within two years, it was embroiled in a leadership crisis, resulting in Dr Lim taking full control of Gerakan. Professor Alatas, Dr Tan Chee Khoon, David and other leaders left Gerakan and formed Pekemas, which contested in the 1974 General Election. Out of over 90 candidates, only Dr Tan Chee Khoon retained his seat as the MP for Kepong constituency. Pekemas did not last long. Subsequently, David joined the DAP.

He was elected to parliament on the DAP ticket in 1978 for Damansara and was successfully returned in 1986 and 1990 for Puchong. But in 1995, David did not contest because of health reasons.

Indomitable spirit

While holding the post of TWU General Secretary, he represented the union in the Executive Council and the Working Committee of the MTUC. He was elected as one of its Vice-Presidents in 1971 - a position he held until 1976. Two years later, he was elected the Secretary General of the MTUC. In 1979, he was elected to the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). He held on to this prestigious position and the post of Secretary General of the MTUC until 1992. Apart from the above positions, he was also a Council Member of the International Transport Federation and President of the World Tamil Federation for some time.

David became the “guest” of the government for the fourth time in October 1987 along with 105 others - innocent victims of Operation Lalang under the obnoxious Internal Security Act. This time he had to spend 222 days in the Kamunting Detention Camp. It could not break his indomitable spirit which remained intact. All his life he committed himself to the struggle for workers’ rights, social justice, freedom and democracy. He had been a persistent critic of the government’s capitalistic policies and its unjust refusal to grant citizenship to the Indian plantation workers who were born in this country in spite of their pioneering economic contribution to this nation.

In his final three years, he became bed-ridden. His wife, Grace Sivapakiam, took special care of her husband until the last day on July 10, 2005. Their only son, Norman David 22, who is studying medicine in Bangalore, India, was present at the time of his father’s demise.

V David will be remembered as a pillar of the Malaysian workers’ movement for many years to come. His memory will be cherished and recalled with fondness as someone who had given his best for the workers and who had sacrificed the best part of his life in the struggle to uplift the poor and the downtrodden.

VK LINGAM : Correct, correct, correct, it's Fairuz

Source : Malaysiakini

May 10, 08 12:44pm

A royal inquiry has identified a former Malaysian chief judge as the man involved in a video clip allegedly showing a senior lawyer brokering judicial appointments, reports said today.In a front page headline, the influential New Straits Times newspaper said the inquiry panel identified former chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim as the man on the other end of the line with senior lawyer VK Lingam in the 2001 clip.

The five-man inquiry panel, which submitted a lengthy report to the Malaysian King on Friday after a long hearing, found the clip to be authentic and the conversation to be true, the paper reported, quoting commission sources.Commission chairman Haidar Mohamed Noor has called for the full findings of the report to be made public but Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he had yet to read the report so could not yet decide on its release, the paper reported.

Drunk or bragging

Commission officials could not be reached for comment.Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim unleashed a furore last year by releasing the clip, which apparently showed the lawyer telling a judge over the phone that he would put him forward for a top job.The government then set up a royal commission to investigate the tape, with prominent witnesses like former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a cabinet minister and several former high-ranking judges taking the stand.Lingam has refused to confirm he is the man in the video, and said that if it was him he must have been drunk or simply bragging.The scandal has affected the image of Malaysia's judiciary and questions have been raised over the outcome of legal cases involving figures implicated in the scandal.

Malaysian blogger RAJA PETRA jailed over article allegedly implicating deputy leader in killing

The Associated Press

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A prominent Malaysian blogger was charged Tuesday with sedition for allegedly implying the deputy prime minister was involved in the sensational killing of a young Mongolian woman.

Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, who has not denied that he linked Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak to the slaying, pleaded innocent to the charge, telling reporters that he should have the right to hold the powerful accountable for wrongdoing.

He was taken to prison after he refused to post bail. The court set the trial for Oct. 6. If convicted, he faces up to three years in jail.

"I am not posting bail. See you guys in October," Raja Petra told supporters before police took him away. "I will be out for Christmas. Don't worry."

Dozens of opposition members and bloggers gathered to show support for Raja Petra outside the Kuala Lumpur court where he was charged. They said they would raise public donations to post bail for him later.

"Raja Petra has done a lot to raise people's awareness of issues," said Nurul Izzah Anwar, an opposition member of Parliament and daughter of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"This is an attempt to clamp down on all sorts of freedom," she said.

The sedition charge stems from an April 25 article titled "Let's Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell" that Raja Petra posted on his popular Web site Malaysia Today.

The article allegedly implies that Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, were involved in the 2006 killing in Malaysia of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year-old Mongolian interpreter.

Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Najib, is charged with abetting the murder. Two policemen have been accused of killing her and destroying her body with explosives in a jungle clearing. The trial of the three men began in June 2007 and is under way.

The prosecution contends that Abdul Razak had the woman killed because she pestered him for money after he ended their affair.

Prosecutors said in their written charge that Raja Petra "published a seditious article ... which contains seditious sentences," including allegations that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is covering up evidence implicating Najib in the murder.

Raja Petra said he was not worried by the sedition charge and suggested he had evidence against the leaders.

"I am happy. We bloggers have declared war on the government. We are not scared of the government. The government should be scared of us," he told reporters.

"Is it seditious to influence people against corrupt leaders? There is nothing seditious," he said. "Do you think I do not have evidence?"

Some of Malaysia's most popular blogs offer strongly anti-government commentaries and present themselves as a substitute for mainstream media, which are controlled by political parties or closely linked to them.

Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek estimated Tuesday there are more than 700 Malaysians who blog on social and political issues, the national news agency Bernama reported.

"Laws must be used" against those who break the law, it quoted Ahmad Shabery as saying.

In March, a court ordered Raja Petra to pay 4 million ringgit (US$1.25 million; €800,000) to the state-run Universiti Utara Malaysia and its vice chancellor for publishing a defamatory article. Raja Petra has refused to pay.