PM: Promote racial harmony

The Star, Thursday September 27, 2012

By LOH FOON FONG newsdesk@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has repeated his late father's call for the legal community to dedicate themselves to the promotion of racial harmony.

The Prime Minister, quoting excerpts from Tun Abdul Razak's speech at the first Malaysian Law Conference in 1971, said Malaysian society had unfortunately become fragmented and polarised, therefore a “new synthesis” must be sought.

“To replace the communal groupings of the past, we look to other groups to be the new bridge for greater understanding and cooperation,” Najib said in his opening address at the International Malaysia Law Conference 2012 yesterday.

On this note, he urged the legal community which already possesses multi-racial unity and transcends race, religion and political affiliations “to devote your earnest attention and dedicate yourselves to the promotion of racial harmony to achieve national unity”.

Wait for it: Najib penning his prediction on the general election date as ‘coming soon’ at a booth after opening the law conference. Looking on is Bar Council chairman Lim Chee Wee (right).

Najib reiterated his late father's affirmation of the legal profession and the Malaysian Bar as an important partner in the rule of law and administration of justice.

“When it speaks, we listen. We may not always agree with the views of the Malaysian Bar, but we hear what they say and observe what they do with interest,” he said.

On another matter, Najib said the Government had successfully delivered its promises on law reforms.

Following its promise to the people for a more open and dynamic democracy in Malaysia, it had annulled the three proclamations of Emergency which lead to the expiry of the Emergency Ordinance, he said.

“We promised the rakyat a more human rights-friendly legal environment and we repealed the three controversial laws the Internal Security Act 1971, the Banishment Act 1959 and the Restricted Residence Act 1933,” he said.

For greater freedom of speech and expression, it had amended the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984, he said.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/27/nation/12089355&sec=nation

Bersih: We got funds only once

The Star, Wednesday September 26, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bersih movement had received funds from the George Soros-linked Open Society Foundation only once, which was for an electoral delineation project last year, said Bersih chairman Datuk S. Ambiga.

The group is now “fully supported” by Malaysians, she told a press conference here yesterday.

Present were representatives from five other non-governmental groups the Centre for Independent Journalism, Lawyers for Liberty, Merdeka Centre, Southeast Centre for E-Media and Suaram.

Ambiga said the Open Society promoted democracy and there was “nothing wrong” receiving funds from it.

“All these about him being responsible for the (1997/98 Asian economy) collapse should be looked at again,” she said, in an apparent reference to a report in an English newspaper that blamed Soros for wrecking the Malaysian economy in 1997/98 through currency speculation.

Ambiga said there were many sides to the story, with some saying that locals not Soros were responsible for it.

Ambiga said another English daily had written a “one-sided and irresponsible” report that two global funders and nine organisations were part of a “plot to destabilise the Government”. She has demanded an apology from the paper within 48 hours.

In a statement released at the end of the press conference, Bersih and the other groups claimed that the report in the daily was a crude attack on civil society in Malaysia.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/26/nation/12079383&sec=nation