High prices drive Malaysian shoppers abroad, online

February 25, 2011


A model presents a creation by Gucci at the Milan Fashion Week

February 23, 2011. — Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — Malaysian shopping doyen Mira Abu Bakar, known for her popular blog on shopping, Redmummy (redmummy.com) is a self-professed shopaholic who spends thousands on branded handbags each year. Most of that money, however, is spent in London and Paris rather than in KL handbag boutiques.
Despite government efforts to promote Malaysia as a shopping destination, massive price disparities are driving savvy shoppers like Redmummy overseas and to shopping websites in order to stretch their ringgit and get branded items for far less than what is available in Malaysia.
Redmummy, who makes a shopping trip to Europe every year, said Chanel bags that cost RM10,000 in Paris or London cost RM13,000-RM14,000 in Malaysia.
On a recent trip to London, she said she saved RM5,000 on the purchase of three handbags including a Miu Miu bag that cost RM3,000 (RM5,000 in KL) along with a Mulberry and Chloe bag.
“KL is very expensive,” she told The Malaysian Insider.
“The government really needs to relook at our prices, especially compared with Singapore. Only rich people can afford to shop in KL.”


Shoppers queue in front of the Louis Vuitton outlet on Orchard Road, Singapore July 9, 2009. — Reuters pic
While going overseas to shop may seem like a hassle, many Malaysians find that the savings can pay for the flight ticket and possibly even cover other expenses of a holiday. Finance executive and shopping enthusiast Rizal Omar said he “doesn’t even bother” shopping locally anymore but waits until one of his overseas business trips or planned vacations to do his purchasing.
Rizal last year took an empty suitcase to London where he stocked up on 20kg worth of purchases including Thomas Pink shirts for £29 (RM141) and Timberland shoes for £20 (RM98).
Thomas Pink shirts cost up to RM800-RM900 in Malaysia.
“The savings subsidised my holiday,” said Rizal. “Besides, you can’t get good quality shirts for RM100 plus ringgit in Malaysia.”
On his visit to the famed Bicester outlet mall in UK, he was told by retailers there that they see many Malaysians shopping there — including even members of the Malaysian royalty.
He also bought a Gucci bag for a friend for €380 (RM1,571) on a trip to Europe two years ago. The same bag apparently cost RM3,500 in KL.
Rizal also complained about “sales” in Malaysia, saying he usually only sees price reductions of about 20-30 per cent whereas on his trips to Europe, Singapore or Hong Kong, price reductions of 50-70 per cent are common and he sometimes even sees 90 per cent discounts.
Those who are unable to travel abroad normally place orders with those they know who are going or even with strangers.
Engineer Edward Seah, who made a trip to California last month, brought back 10 Coach handbags and wristlets for friends, family members and colleagues who ordered them before he left.
He also bought towels from the Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren home range for just US$8 (RM24) each and shopped at Armani for clothes at 70 per cent off.
“I have never shopped so much in my life before,” he said, adding that he liked the no questions asked return policy in the US.
In the popular Low Yat online forum, there are Malaysians going overseas who advertise their shopping services whereby they will charge a 12.5 per cent commission for each purchase.
One such advertisement placed in July last year for a shopping trip to UK  drew orders for about 100 items from 23 different forum members including for Ted Baker bags, Nike shoes and La Senza lingerie.


Those unable to travel abroad turned to online shopping. — Reuters pic
Online shopping is also gaining popularity due to their wide range of products and incentives such as free shipping. Student Hana Abu Bakar says that she finds it cheaper to shop online for brands like Banana Republic, and an increasing number of online shopping websites are offering free shipping for purchases above a certain amount.
She added that her friends bought BCBG dresses online for about RM600 while similar dresses cost up to RM2,000 in KL shops.
A check with the Thomas Pink website showed shirts for sale as low as £49.
Malaysia has made moves to make shopping more attractive in the country including abolishing import taxes in Budget 2011. The stronger ringgit should also, in theory, make goods more affordable.
Many shoppers, however, have complained that they have not noticed any reduction in prices.
The director of wholesale and retail at government think tank Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), Ravidran Devagunam, acknowledged that some retailers will maximise profits on luxury items not readily available in Malaysia but said that the government is “unable” to compel them to discount their prices after the abolishment of import duties as luxury goods and apparel are not controlled items.
“However, we believe that market forces and consumer education will eventually force a price reduction of these goods over time,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
He added that some international brands control the price of their products from their principle countries, thus setting arbitrary retail prices for other markets like Malaysia to follow.
“This creates a false ‘advantage’ for their home countries in that European prices of certain brands are artificially cheaper than the prices in the Far East,” said Devagunam.


Foreign brands create price disparities to gain home ground advantage, said Ravidran. — Reuters pic
He noted that, for many years, Malaysia suffered a limited choice of some branded goods because the market was regarded as immature and retailers did not bring in the full range of stock, leading to an outflow of shoppers which in turn resulted in lower economies of scale and less desire to “market appropriately.” The Pemandu director also pointed out that with the opening of the 80-brand Johor Premium Outlet facility in Johor in November this year, Malaysians would get to experience the same level levels of outlet shopping as their counterparts in US and Europe.
Joyce Yap, CEO of the upscale Pavilion mall in KL and the former president of the association for shopping and high rise complexes, said that it was unfair to compare Malaysia to other countries due to prevailing circumstances.
She pointed out that Malaysia has sales taxes of 10 per cent and the fact that the volume of goods sold and cost of logistics also contribute to prices being lower in neighbouring Singapore while Hong Kong and Dubai have no sales tax.
Yap disagreed that sales discounts were better overseas but admitted that due to sheer volume in places like Hong Kong, the probability of finding suitable styles and sizes was higher.
The lack of a service culture in retail outlets in Malaysia is also affecting the industry.
Hana said that she liked shopping in Australia where “the customer is always right” and online where a “no questions asked” return policy is common.
Yap concurred that service in the country needs to be improved.
“Malaysia has great potential to be a top-of-mind shopping destination in 3-5 years,” she said but noted that the range of merchandise, service levels and marketing have to be improved.
Alexis De Laporte, managing director for South East Asia at luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre, said however that the price of watches, which are duty free in Malaysia, are competitive with those in Singapore and Europe.
“We have absorbed some key price increase in the production such as gold price which has been rocketing in the last few months,” added De Laporte.

malaysian insider

Bahrain cancels Formula One race

Crown prince says nation must "focus on issues of national interest" as Grand Prix event is called off amid unrest.
Last Modified: 21 Feb 2011 17:30 GMT
The F1 Grand Prix race, which brings in large numbers of visitors, was set to run in Bahrain on March 13 [File: Reuters]

The season-opening Formula One race in Bahrain has been called off because of anti-government protests, officials say.
Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the crown prince of Bahrain who is the ruler's son, said on Monday that the country must "focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain's Formula One race to a later date".
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The race had been set to run in the Gulf Arab state on March 13.
The event could still be rescheduled but organisers said in a statement that no decision had been taken yet.
"The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) today announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain would withdraw from hosting this year's F1 Grand Prix race so that the country can focus on its process of national dialogue," the organisers said.
Bahrain's king, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, has asked Salman  to conduct a dialogue with all parties.
"At the present time the country's entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain," Salman said.
"Although [F1 supremo] Bernie Ecclestone had graciously made clear that a decision on the race was entirely Bahrain's to make and was not yet required, we felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain's Formula One race to a later date."
Ecclestone said in the statement that Formula One looked forward to returning soon.
"It is sad that Bahrain has had to withdraw from the race, we wish the whole nation well as they begin to heal their
country," he said.

Protesters continue to occupy the Pearl Roundabout, a landmark junction in the heart of the capital, Manama.
Demonstrations began with calls to weaken the Sunni monarchy's power and address claims of discrimination against the country's Shia Muslim majority. They have now escalated their demands to calling for an end to the Al-Khalifa dynasty.
At least seven people have been killed since the protests began on February 14.

Democracy state or police state?

FEB 17 — Only this morning Datuk Seri Najib Razak insisted that Malaysia
should not apologise for its
democracy, and lamented that
perhaps there was too much
democracy due to personal
snipes against him by opposition
leaders and critics using social
media.
Hours later, came the staggering
revelation that Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad had opposed the
Internal Security Act (ISA) and
wanted to scrap it. But the police
held firm and he faltered.
The country’s longest-serving
Inspector-General of Police, Tun
Hanif Omar, backed up Dr
Mahathir ’s claims, saying that he
had also turned down a similar
request from the former prime
minister ’s protege-turned-foe
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Incredibly, Dr Chandra Muzaffar
said the same, although the
trenchant critic of the security
law noted his support that Dr
Mahathir had nothing to do with
the 1987 ISA crackdown was only
limited to the first 60 days.
“The first 60 days of arrest was a
police operation,” said the
former Universiti Malaya
academic.
In the space of a few hours and
nearly 24 years after Ops Lalang,
we find out that Dr Mahathir
wasn ’t as powerful as we
thought.
That the police could resist his
word on scrapping a law once
reserved for communists but
now used in the name of
national security to detain
anyone — from opposition
figures to counterfeiters, radical
Muslims, Shiites and a nuclear
parts salesman.
So who can we believe now?
That we are a democracy where
elected lawmakers hold sway?
That the executive holds the
power together with the
legislative and the judiciary as is
in any democracy.
Which would stand to reason
why judicial review was removed
from the ISA statutes in 1989
when Dr Mahathir was still prime
minister.
Or do the police hold the reins
of power and tell off the
lawmakers? Would that explain
Tan Sri Musa Hassan being the
last to know that his contract as
IGP would not be extended last
year. If Dr Mahathir, Chandra
and Hanif are right that the
police can even stop laws from
being scrapped, would the
government not listen to Musa
to dictate his own farewell?
The question is: is it convenient
to blame the police for the ISA
remaining in our law books? Or
is this another attempt to rewrite
the country ’s recent history?
And really, are we a democracy
where leaders are openly
criticised or a police state where
even politicians whimper when
the top cop twitches his
moustache or flexes his muscle?
It’s Najib’s word against the
stellar cast of Dr Mahathir,
Chandra and Hanif.

Jordan's king sacks cabinet

Monarch asks ex-army general to form new government in the wake of streets protests over prices and reforms.
Last Modified: 01 Feb 2011 13:38 GMT
Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets inspired by the protests in Tunisia and Egypt [GALLO/GETTY]
King Abdullah II of Jordan has sacked his government in the wake of street protests and has asked an ex-army general to form a new cabinet, Jordan's Royal Palace has announced.

King Abdullah's move on Tuesday comes after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets, inspired by anti-government protests in Tunisia and Egypt. Jordanians had been calling for the resignation of prime minister Samir Rifai who is blamed for a rise in fuel and food prices and slowed political reforms.

A Jordanian official said the monarch officially accepted the resignation of Rifai, a wealthy politician and former court adviser, and asked Marouf Bakhit to form a new cabinet. 
"[Bakhit] is a former general and briefly ambassador to Israel who has been prime minister before. He's someone who would be seen as a safe pair of hands," Rosemary Hollis, professor of Middle East policy studies at London's City University, said.
"I wouldn't see it as a sign of liberalisation. With his previous premiership, he talked the talk of reform but little actually happened," she said.
Protests have spread across Jordan in the last few weeks, with demonstrators blaming corruption spawned by free-market reforms for the plight of the country's poor. 
Many Jordanians hold successive governments responsible for a prolonged recession and rising public debt that hit a record $15bn this year in one of the Arab world's smallest economies, heavily dependent on foreign aid.

Bahrain doles out money to families

Latest appeasement comes as activists call for protests to demand political, social and economic reforms.
Last Modified: 12 Feb 2011 06:34 GMT
Egypt Effect: Activists have called for protests to demand political, social and economic reforms [Reuters]
Ahead of protests planned to take place in Bahrain next week, the nation's king has said he will give 1,000 dinars ($2,650) to each Bahraini family.
Friday's announcement on state media came as the latest step that Sunni rulers have taken to appease the majority Shia public.
Activists have called for protests in Bahrain, starting from Monday, to demand political, social and economic reforms. The demonstrations will coincide with the tenth anniversary of Bahrain's constitution.
Although most analysts do not see any immediate risk of revolt after popular uprisings toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt, the small island nation is considered the most vulnerable to unrest among Gulf Arab countries.
The Bahraini government has made several concessions in recent weeks, such as higher social spending and offering to release some minors arrested during a security crackdown against some Shi'ite groups last August.
'Sign of appreciation'
The Bahraini News Agency (BNA) reported that the financial concessions were to mark the anniversary of a national charter for reforms.
"On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter and as a sign of appreciation for the people of Bahrain who have approved it, King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa has ordered 1,000 dinars to be paid to every Bahraini family," Friday's report on BNA said.
Bahrain is one of the few Arab countries where the majority practices Shia Islam.
Tensions between the ruling family and the Shia majority population are usually at a low boil, although there were some clashes ahead of election last October.
It is not yet clear how widespread next week's protests will be, but analysts and diplomats say the Shia opposition group Wefaq will be waiting to see how many concessions the government is prepared to make.
Although Bahrain has a parliamentary system, many Shias feel elections have only served to co-opt them into the political system and did not improve their access to government jobs and services.

Yemen president not to extend term

Pre-empting mass anti-government protest, Ali Saleh vows not to seek extension and not to pass on the reins to his son.
Last Modified: 02 Feb 2011 13:46 GMT
The president's announcement comes ahead of mass protests in Yemen, inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt [EPA]

Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president, has backed down on a plan to rule his impoverished Arab country for life after mass protests demanding his ouster.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Saleh said he plans for elections in April had been scrapped along with constitutional amendments that would have seen him become president for life.

"I will not extend my mandate and I am against hereditary rule," he said.

The move would bring an end to a three-decade rule when his current term expires in 2013.
Eyeing protests that brought down Tunisia's leader and threaten to topple Egypt's president, Saleh vowed not to pass on the reins of power to his son.
"No extension, no inheritance, no resetting the clock," Saleh said during an emergency session of parliament and the consultative council ahead of a "day of rage" organised by civil society groups and opposition leaders for Thursday in all provinces.

'Day of rage'
Activists and opposition supporters have staged several protests in Sanaa, the capital, boldly asking for Saleh's removal and decrying reports he plans to install his son in power.
Yemen's biggest opposition party described the package of concessions by president Saleh as positive  but said a large opposition rally would go on as planned.

"Thursday's demonstration will continue as scheduled," Mohammed al-Saadi, undersecretary of the religious political party, al-Islah (Reform), said.
"We consider this initiative positive and we await the next concrete steps. As for our plan for a rally tomorrow, the plan stands and it will be organised and orderly," he said.

"This is a peaceful struggle through which the people can make their voices heard and express their aspirations."

Mohammed al-Sabri, of the Common Forum opposition alliance, added that Saleh's call to halt protests was "unacceptable".

Tensions soared in Yemen after parliament, dominated by the president's General People's Congress, endorsed the draft constitutional amendment that, if approved, would have enabled Saleh to stay in office for life.

His critics had also suspected him of grooming his eldest son Ahmed Saleh, who commands the Republican Guard, an elite unit of the Yemeni army, to succeed him.

Demonstrations in the country had taken place on a nearly daily basis until last weekend.
Poverty is widespread in Yemen, with 45 per cent of its 21.1 million people living on less than $2 a day, according the UN Development Programme.

Algeria protesters push for change

Pro-democracy demonstrators, inspired by the Egyptian revolution, ignore official ban and march in the capital Algiers.
Last Modified: 12 Feb 2011 20:56 GMT


Algerian security forces and pro-democracy protesters have clashed in the capital, Algiers, amid demonstrations inspired by the revolution in Egypt.
Heavily outnumbered by riot police, at least 2,000 protesters were able to overcome a security cordon enforced around the city's May First Square on Saturday, joining other demonstrators calling for reform.
Earlier, thousands of police in riot gear were in position to stop the demonstrations that could mimic the uprising which forced out Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's long-serving president.
Security forces closed all entrances to Algiers and arrested hundreds of protesters, sources told Al Jazeera.
Elias Filali, an Algerian blogger and activist, said human rights activists and syndicate members were among those arrested at the scene of the protests.
"I'm right in the middle of the march," he told Al Jazeera. "People are being arrested and are heavily guarded by the police."
Officials banned Saturday's opposition march but protesters were determined to see it through.


Peaceful protests
Filali said the demonstrators were determined to remain peaceful, but he claimed that the police "want the crowd to go violent and then get them portrayed as a violent crowd".
Protesters are demanding greater democratic freedoms, a change of government and more jobs.
Many demonstrators in Algeria have been inspired by the events unfolding in Egypt and Tunisia [AFP]
Earlier, police also charged at demonstrators and arrested 10 people outside the Algiers offices of the opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), as they celebrated Mubarak's downfall, Said Sadi, RCD leader, told the AFP news agency.
"It wasn't even an organised demonstration. It was spontaneous. It was an explosion of joy," he said.
Mubarak's resignation on Friday, and last month's overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's president for 23 years, have electrified the Arab world.
Many are left wondering which country could be next in a region where a flammable mix of authoritarian rule and popular anger are the norm.
"The timing is absolutely perfect. [Mubarak's departure] couldn't have come at a better time," Filali told Al Jazeera in the run-up to the protests.
"This is a police state, just like the Egyptian regime [was]."
Filali said Algeria's government was "corrupt to the bone, based on electoral fraud, and repression".
"There is a lot of discontent among young people ... the country is badly managed by a corrupt regime that does not want to listen".


Police on alert
Said Sadi, the RCD leader, had said earlier that he expected around 10,000 more police officers to reinforce the 20,000 who blocked the last demonstration on January 22, when five people were killed and more than 800 others hurt.
Police presence is routine in Algeria to counter the threat of attacks by al-Qaeda fighters. But Filali called the heavy police presence in the capital on Saturday "unbelievable".
At May First Square, the starting point for the planned march, there were around 40 police vans, jeeps and buses lined up, Filali said.
At several road junctions, the police had parked small military-style armoured vehicles which are rarely seen in the city. Police standing outside a fuel station, about 2km from the square, were wearing anti-riot body armour.
The latest rally is being organised by the National Co-ordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), a three-week-old umbrella group of opposition parties, civil society movements and unofficial unions inspired by the mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt.
Demonstrators have been protesting over the last few months against unemployment, high food costs, poor housing and corruption - similar issues that fuelled uprisings in other north African nations.
Earlier this month, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria's president, said he would lift emergency powers, address unemployment and allow democratic marches to take place in the country, in a bid to stave off unrest.
"The regime is frightened," Filali said. "And the presence of 30,000 police officers in the capital gives you an idea of how frightened the regime [is] of its people."


Wider implications
Widespread unrest in Algeria could have implications for the world economy because it is a major oil and gas exporter, but many analysts say an Egypt-style revolt is unlikely as the government can use its energy wealth to placate most grievances.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Amnesty International, the London-based rights group, said "Algerians must be allowed to express themselves freely and hold peaceful protests in Algiers and elsewhere".
"We urge the Algerian authorities not to respond to these demands by using excessive force".
The government said it refused permission for the rally for public order reasons, not because it is trying to stifle dissent. It said it is working hard to create jobs, build new homes and improve public services.
Other Arab countries have also felt the ripples from the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia.
Jordan's King Abdullah replaced his prime minister after protests.
In Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh promised opponents he would not seek a new term as president.
The Bahraini government has also made several concessions in recent weeks, including promising higher social spending. Activists there have called for protests on February 14, the tenth anniversary of Bahrain's constitution.

Algeria prepares for day of protests


Pro-democracy alliance expected to defy ban on demonstrations as euphoria from Egypt and Tunisia spills over
algeria protests
Riot police use their shields during a demonstration in Algiers last month. Photograph: AP
Algeria, the oil-rich, military-dominated north African state, is braced for a day of pro-democracy protests, despite a ban on demonstrations in the capital, Algiers, and a large security presence intent on containing any uprising inspired by Egypt or Tunisia.
A key energy exporter and the biggest country in the Maghreb, Algeria last month used its powerful armed forces to contain several days of rioting, triggered by price rises for sugar and cooking oil. At least five people died and around 800 were injured in demonstrations against youth unemployment, poor housing and corruption, including several people who set themselves alight.
Now a hastily formed umbrella group of civil associations, independent trade unionists and small political parties has called for a national day of protest on Saturday , under the slogan "Changing the system". It is calling for an end to 12 years of authoritarian rule by Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his generals.
In an effort to stop mass protests, Bouteflika said he would use the country's vast oil and gas wealth to lower the prices of key foods. He also promised to allow more democratic freedoms, create jobs and lift a 19-year-old state of emergency that still hangs over the country.
Despite weeks of strikes, including by academics and paramedics, Algeria has not seen the spontaneous, mass uprisings of Tunisia or Egypt. Analysts say people want change but are wary of chaos in a country still traumatised by its violent recent past. More than a million were killed in the fight for independence from France in 1962, while up to 200,000 died during the civil war of the 1990s after elections were scrapped in 1992.
As an important exporter of oil and gas, Algeria has around $150bn (£93bn) in foreign currency reserves, almost no external debt, and forecasts economic growth of 4% in 2011. But the energy wealth has not translated into improvements in people's standard of living. The unmodernised economy and a clunking bureaucracy create too few jobs for a country of 35.5 million, where almost half of the population is under 25. Youth unemployment is thought to be over 35%, with a steady flow of desperate young people trying to escape the country on makeshift rafts.
"Algeria needs a revolution, not just the lifting of the state of emergency," said Hocine Zehouane, chairman of the Algerian League for Human Rights, one of the groups behind the marches.
Mansouria Mokhefi, Maghreb analyst at the French Institute of International Relations, said: "I don't think the Algeria situation will pop in the same way as Tunisia. There isn't the spontaneity of protest. The Algerians live under a dictatorship, but their case is different. It's a much richer country, able to redistribute those riches to relieve some of the worries, frustration and misery.
"Also, the army is much stronger. In Algeria, the army is all-powerful, holding the reins of power, both political and economic. The army has a long experience of repression and they didn't hold back during the protests in January."
She added: "Psychologically, Tunisians were behind an iron curtain, living in fear and terror and with no means of expression: once they took to the street, there was a complete feeling they had had enough.
"Algeria is still very traumatised by 10 years of civil war. They are able to express themselves more or less freely, they can criticise the government and denounce scandals in the press. Since the food prices went down, there has been a kind of calm."

End of Mubarak era as protests topple president

UPDATED @ 01:03:23 AM 12-02-2011
February 12, 2011


Opposition protesters celebrate President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, from their stronghold of Tahrir Square in Cairo today, February 11, 2011. — Reuters pic
CAIRO, Feb 12 — Hosni Mubarak today stepped down as Egypt’s president, handing over to the army and ending three decades of autocratic rule, bowing to escalating pressure from the military and protesters demanding that he go.
Vice-President Omar Suleiman said a military council would run the affairs of the Arab world’s most populous nation. A free and fair presidential election has been promised for September.
A speaker made the announcement in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where hundreds of thousands broke down in tears, celebrated and hugged each other chanting: “The people have brought down the regime.” Others shouted: “Allahu Akbar (God is great).”
The 82-year-old Mubarak’s downfall after 18 days of unprecedented mass protests was a momentous victory for people power and was sure to rock autocrats throughout the Arab world and beyond.
Egypt’s powerful military gave guarantees earlier today that promised democratic reforms would be carried out but angry protesters intensified an uprising against Mubarak, marching on the presidential palace and the state television tower.
It was an effort by the army to defuse the revolt but, in disregarding protesters’ key demand for Mubarak’s ouster now, it failed to calm the turmoil that has disrupted the economy and rattled the entire Middle East.
The military’s intervention was not enough.
The tumult over Mubarak’s refusal to resign had tested the loyalties of the armed forces, which had to choose whether to protect their supreme commander or ditch him.
The sharpening confrontation had raised fear of uncontrolled violence in the most populous Arab nation, a key US ally in an oil-rich region where the chance of chaos spreading to other long stable but repressive states troubles the West.
Washington has called for a prompt democratic transition to restore stability in Egypt, a rare Arab state no longer hostile to Israel, guardian of the Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia, and a major force against militant Islam in the region.
The army statement noted that Mubarak had handed powers to govern the country of 80 million people to his deputy the previous day — perhaps signalling that this should satisfy demonstrators, reformists and opposition figures.
“This is not our demand,” one protester said, after relaying the contents of the army statement to the crowd in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square. “We have one demand — that Mubarak step down.” He has said he will stay until September elections.
The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist opposition group, urged protesters to keep up mass nationwide street protests, describing Mubarak’s concessions as a trick to stay in power.

Reforms too little too late
Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied across Egypt, including in the industrial city of Suez, earlier the scene of some of the fiercest violence in the crisis, and the second city of Alexandria, as well as in Tanta and other Nile Delta centres.
The army also said it “confirms the lifting of the state of emergency as soon as the current circumstances end”, a pledge that would remove a law imposed after Mubarak became president following Anwar Sadat’s assassination in 1981 and that protesters say has long been used to stifle dissent.
It further promised to guarantee free and fair elections and other concessions made by Mubarak to protesters that would have been unthinkable before January 25, when the revolt began.
But none of this was enough for many hundreds of thousands of mistrustful protesters who today rallied in cities across the Arab world’s most populous and influential country, fed up with high unemployment, a corrupt elite and police repression.
Since the fall of Tunisia’s long-time leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, which triggered protests around the region, Egyptians have been demonstrating in huge numbers against rising prices, poverty, unemployment and their authoritarian regime.

Emergency laws
World powers had increasingly pressured Mubarak to organise an orderly transition of power since the protests erupted on January 28, setting off an earthquake that has shaken Egypt sending shock waves around the Middle East.
Mubarak, 82, was thrust into office when Islamists gunned down his predecessor Anwar Sadat at a military parade in 1981.
The burly former air force commander has proved a far more durable leader than anyone imagined at the time, governing under emergency laws protesters say were used to crush dissent.
The president has long promoted peace abroad and more recently backed economic reforms at home led by his cabinet under Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif. But he always kept a tight lid on political opposition.
Mubarak resisted any significant political change even under pressure from the United States, which has poured billions of dollars of military and other aid into Egypt since it became the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, signing a treaty in 1979. — Reuters

Hosni Mubarak resigns as president

Egyptian president stands down and hands over power to the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces.
Last Modified: 11 Feb 2011 16:39 GMT
Pro-democracy protesters in Tahrir Square have vowed to take the protests to a 'last and final stage' [AFP]
Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces.
Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, announced in a televised address that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the armed forces.
Suleiman's short statement was received with a roar of approval and by celebratory chanting and flag-waving from a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, as well by pro-democracy campaigners who attended protests across the country on Friday.
The crowd in Tahrir chanted "We have brought down the regime",  while many were seen crying, cheering and embracing one another.
Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition leader, hailed the moment as being the "greatest day of my life", in comments to the Associated Press news agency.
"The country has been liberated after decades of repression,'' he said.
"Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly [feel they] have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world," our correspondent at Tahrir Square reported, following the announcement.
"The sense of euphoria is simply indescribable," our correspondent at Mubarak's Heliopolis presidential palace, where at least ten thousand pro-democracy activists had gathered, said.
"I have waited, I have worked all my adult life to see the power of the people come to the fore and show itself. I am speechless." Dina Magdi, a pro-democracy campaigner in Tahrir Square told Al Jazeera.
"The moment is not only about Mubarak stepping down, it is also about people's power to bring about the change that no-one ... thought possible."
In Alexandria, Egypt's second city, our correspondent described an "explosion of emotion". He said that hundreds of thousands were celebrating in the streets.
Pro-democracy activists in the Egyptian capital and elsewhere had earlier marched on presidential palaces, state television buildings and other government installations on Friday, the 18th consecutive day of protests.


Anger at state television
At the state television building earlier in the day, thousands had blocked people from entering or leaving, accusing the broadcaster of supporting the current government and of not truthfully reporting on the protests.
"The military has stood aside and people are flooding through [a gap where barbed wire has been moved aside]," Al Jazeera's correspondent at the state television building reported.
He said that "a lot of anger [was] generated" after Mubarak's speech last night, where he repeated his vow to complete his term as president.


'Gaining momentum'
Outside the palace in Heliopolis, where at least ten thousand protesters had gathered in Cairo, another Al Jazeera correspondent reported that there was a strong military presence, but that there was "no indication that the military want[ed] to crack down on protesters".

She said that army officers had engaged in dialogue with protesters, and that remarks had been largely "friendly".
Tanks and military personnel had been deployed to bolster barricades around the palace.
Our correspondent said the crowd in Heliopolis was "gaining momentum by the moment", and that the crowd had gone into a frenzy when two helicopters were seen in the air around the palace grounds.
"By all accounts this is a highly civilised gathering. people are separated from the palace by merely a barbed wire ... but nobody has even attempted to cross that wire," she said.
As crowds grew outside the palace, Mubarak left Cairo on Friday for the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Shaikh, according to sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.
In Tahrir Square, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered, chanting slogans against Mubarak and calling for the military to join them in their demands.
Our correspondent at the square said the "masses" of pro-democracy campaigners there appeared to have "clear resolution" and "bigger resolve" to achieve their goals than ever before.
However, he also said that protesters were "confused by mixed messages" coming from the army, which has at times told them that their demands will be met, yet in communiques and other statements supported Mubarak's staying in power until at least September.


Army statement
In a statement read out on state television at midday on Friday, the military announced that it would lift a 30-year-old emergency law but only "as soon as the current circumstances end".

The military said it would also guarantee changes to the constitution as well as a free and fair election, and it called for normal business activity to resume.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tahrir Square said people there were hugely disappointed with that army statement, and had vowed to take the protests to "a last and final stage".
"They're frustrated, they're angry, and they say protests need to go beyond Liberation [Tahrir] Square, to the doorstep of political institutions," she said.
Protest organisers have called for 20 million people to come out on "Farewell Friday" in a final attempt to force Mubarak to step down.


Alexandria protests
Hossam El Hamalawy, a pro-democracy organiser and member of the Socialist Studies Centre, said protesters were heading towards the presidential palace from multiple directions, calling on the army to side with them and remove Mubarak.
"People are extremely angry after yesterday's speech," he told Al Jazeera. "Anything can happen at the moment. There is self-restraint all over but at the same time I honestly can't tell you what the next step will be ... At this time, we don't trust them [the army commanders] at all."
An Al Jazeera reporter overlooking Tahrir said the side streets leading into the square were filling up with crowds.
"It's an incredible scene. From what I can judge, there are more people here today than yesterday night," she said.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters havehered
in the port city of Alexandria [AFP]
"The military has not gone into the square except some top commanders, one asking people to go home ... I don't see any kind of tensions between the people and the army but all of this might change very soon if the army is seen as not being on the side of the people."
Hundreds of thousands were participating in Friday prayers outside a mosque in downtown Alexandria, Egypt's second biggest city.
Thousands of pro-democracy campaigners also gathered outside a presidential palace in Alexandria.
Egyptian television reported that large angry crowds were heading from Giza, adjacent to Cairo, towards Tahrir Square and some would march on the presidential palace.
Protests are also being held in the cities of Mansoura, Mahala, Tanta, Ismailia, and Suez, with thousands in attendance.
Violence was reported in the north Sinai town of el-Arish, where protesters attempted to storm a police station. At least one person was killed, and 20 wounded in that attack, our correspondent said.


Dismay at earlier statement
In a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Mubarak said he was handing "the functions of the president" to Vice-President Omar Suleiman. But the move means he retains his title of president.
Halfway through his much-awaited speech late at night, anticipation turned into anger among protesters camped in Tahrir Square who began taking off their shoes and waving them in the air.
Immediately after Mubarak's speech, Suleiman called on the protesters to "go home" and asked Egyptians to "unite and look to the future."
Union workers have joined the protests over the past few days, effectively crippling transportation and several industries, and dealing a sharper blow to Mubarak’s embattled regime.

Mahathir Mohamad Say...

Friday, 4 February 2011
The former UMNO president said the party struggle now was only about contracts, APs and licenses. He stressed that the party must return to its roots and help unite a divided Malay community.

"We can unite the Malays if we are willing to work hard and explain that UMNO's struggle is for religion, race and country," he told the audience during a talk on "Malay race and the future" at the Tun Hussein Onn Memorial here.

Finally it has to come out. Dr Mahathir is saying something that I have also been writing about. His voice is of course louder and more impactful. Mine is the voice of an interested observer and also a stakeholder in UMNO's future.

The problem is with UMNO. It's a party for contracts and APs. In other words, self-interests override everything else. It's a party that has lost its bearings. It has dislodged itself from the founding principles- to struggle and push the agenda for race, country and religion. Two, not only it has lost bearings on these founding principles, UMNO hasn't been successful in re casting the principles with the new realities. UMNO has to contend with other stakeholders in this country. These stakeholders have become emboldened partly because they dominate the economy (the Chinese) and because of a more assertive leadership as in the case of the Malaysian Indians. UMNO degenerates because it can't offer competent leadership to contend with these groups. Three, UMNO has retreated from its role as the principled and steadfast spokesman for Malay interests.

In a nutshell, the present UMNO has failed to distinguish itself in a positive way from the rest of the pack. Hence for example, a small but vociferous pressure group such as Perkasa can rattle UMNO. Other NGOs have proven to be persuasive enough to steal the thunder from UMNO in a number of issues such as fighting corruption, abuse of power, decadence of its leaders. UMNO hasn't been nimble enough to seize the initiative in dominating the alternative media. The media companies that it owns have lost credibility not because they churned out untruths, but because they have not been able to win people over to their causes.

Devoid of an appreciation and understanding of its principles, it has spawned a different breed of leadership. On the whole, the leadership is one that's more interested in harnessing the trappings pf power instead of applying that power for the greater good. Hence there is a continuous mad scramble for positions in UMNO.

But UMNO can't attribute its shortcomings to others. UMNO's problems must be sorted out by UMNO people.

Dr Mahathir's recent statements must also be viewed as open criticisms on the leadership of DS Najib. Lee Kuan Yew's characterization of Najib as a rational leader and the attributes that qualify Najib as a rational leader is not exactly placing Najib in a strong position to galvanize the Malay ground. Indeed it can serve to alienate Najib further as he will be seen, as part of the make-up of the rational leader, to compromise many things of interest to the Malays.

I differ slightly as to the causes of the waning influence of UMNO. Dr Mahathir and many other UMNO leaders are not able any longer, to lay claim that UMNO is the absolute and undisputed voice of Malays. As I have written many times, the wisdom of the many and in this case the majority of Malays can't be wrong. Out of the 5.7 million Malay votes in 2008, UMNO got about 2 million votes. Its own members were not convinced of the UMNO leadership.

First we put our own house in order. Second, we reach out directly to the majority of people. We cannot wish PKR or PAS to fade away being our competitors for the Malay ground. UMNO has to offer credible and competent leadership, sound policies, communicate them and win people over to UMNO's cause. UMNO has to distinguish itself from these two in more positive ways.

Siapa disebalik Revolusi Mesir

Revolusi Mesir - Terjawab sudah siapa yang berada di balik revolusi yang bertujuan menggulingkan Presiden Mesir Hosni Mubarak. Pihak itu tak lain dan tak bukan adalah Amerika Serikat (AS). Skenario itu telah disusun Washington dengan bertema “perubahan rezim” selama tiga tahun terakhir. Skenario itu sangat matang hingga meledak setelah kesuksesan Revolusi Melati yang menggulingkan Presiden Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. 

Harian Daily Telegraph terbitan Inggris menyebutkan, AS diam-diam mendukung para pemimpin gerakan revolusi Mesir. Kedutaan Besar Amerika Serikat (AS) di Kairo pernah membantu seorang anak muda anti-pemerintah untuk menghadiri konferensi para aktivis AS.

Nama pemuda itu dirahasiakan agar tidak diketahui polisi Mesir.Kemudian,saat datang ke Kairo pada Desember 2008,aktivis itu menuturkan bahwa para diplomat AS menggaet kelompok oposisi untuk merencanakan skenario menggulingkan Presiden Mubarak dan membentuk pemerintahan demokratik pada 2011. Aktivis tersebut kini telah ditangkap dalam kaitannya dengan demonstrasi yang merebak akhirakhir ini. 

Identitasnya tetap dilindungi Daily Telegraph. Sementara, data kabel rahasia diplomatik AS yang dirilis situs peretas WikiLeaks menunjukkan, pejabat Washington menekan pemerintah Mesir agar membebaskan para aktivis antipemerintah yang ditahan. 

Dalam data diplomatik disebutkan, pada 30 Desember 2008 Duta Besar AS untuk Mesir Margaret Scobey melaporkan bahwa kelompok oposisi sedang menyusun agenda rahasia “perubahan rezim” yang akan dilaksanakan sebelum pemilu, dan dijadwalkan pada September 2011. 

Memo yang dikirim Scobey dikirim ke Kementerian Luar Negeri AS di Washington itu bertanda “rahasia” dan berjudul “(Gerakan) 6 April, kunjungan aktivis ke AS dan perubahan rezim di Mesir”. 
Data kawat diplomatik juga menyebut bahwa para aktivis mengklaim mendapatkan dukungan dari kekuatan oposisi yang menyepakati rencana tidak tertulis untuk transisi menuju demokrasi parlementer. 

Mereka ingin mengubah konsep tataran pemerintahan Mesir dengan memperlemah kekuasaan presiden dan memperkuat perdana menteri dan parlemen. Rencananya, aksi itu akan dilaksanakan sebelum pemilu presiden 2011. Sumber kedutaan menyebutkan, rencana tersebut sangat sensitif dan tidak boleh ditulis. 

Bagaimanapun, dari dokumen tersebut menunjukkan para aktivis telah didekati para diplomat AS.Para aktivis juga mendapatkan dukungan besar atas kampanye pro-demokrasi dari para pejabat di Washington. 

Ya, aksi demonstrasi Mesir kali ini dikendalikan Gerakan Pemuda 6 April, sebuah kelompok di Facebook yang menarik generasi muda dan kelompok terdidik untuk menentang Mubarak. Kelompok ini beranggotakan 70.000 anggota dan menggunakan situs jejaring sosial untuk mengendalikan demonstrasi. Meski akhirnya Mubarak memutus semua jaringan komunikasi di negaranya. Mubarak kini menghadapi tantangan paling berat dalam pemerintahannya selama 31 tahun berkuasa. 

Sebagai sekutu utama, posisi AS pun serbasulit.Tetapi,AS tetap memainkan standar ganda untuk menutupi skenario revolusi. Itu terbukti ketika Obama berkomentar pada pekan lalu mengenai Mesir. Presiden AS Barack Obama dalam reaksi atas demonstrasi di Mesir, menyatakan, “Kekerasan bukanlah jawaban dalam penyelesaian permasalahan di Mesir.” Dia juga menegaskan agar Mubarak menempuh langkah reformasi politik. Bisa dibilang, investasi AS untuk Mesir sangatlah banyak.

Salah satunya adalah militer. AS juga dalam kondisi khawatir karena memikirkan apakah militer Mesir akan berpihak ke Washington atau tidak. Sedikitnya USD1,3 miliar bantuan AS dikucurkan untuk militer Mesir pada 2010.Bantuan untuk pasukan huru-hara dan polisi Mesir berjumlah sekitar USD1 juta. “Hubungan dengan militer merupakan suatu hal yang sangat keramat. Militer merupakan elemen penting dalam hubungan dua negara,”ujar Jon Alterman,peneliti di Pusat Kajian Strategi dan Internasional. Washington telah mengancam militer Mesir agar tidak bertindak keras terhadap demonstran. 

Suleiman, Masa Depan Mesir? 

Revolusi Mesir kini tidak lagi fokus terhadap penggulingan Mubarak.Rakyat Mesir dan dunia internasional mengarahkan perhatiannya terhadap Omar Suleiman. Siapa dia? Suleiman telah dipilih menjadi Wakil Presiden Mesir.Dia pernah menyelamatkan Mubarak ketika diserang teroris di Etiopia. 

Penunjukan Suleiman sebagai wakil presiden pada Sabtu 29 Januari lalu merupakan sinyal bahwa dialah calon pemimpin masa depan Mesir yang direstui Mubarak. Kedekatan Suleiman dengan militer dan dikenal sebagai pemecah masalah adalah harapan bagi Mubarak yang ingin mempertahankan kekuasaan. Kedua orang tersebut merupakan sahabat lama dan sama-sama dekat dengan Washington. Para pejabat AS memandang Suleiman sebagai pemimpin transisi nantinya, setelah Mubarak. Dengan dukungan Ahmed Shafiq, 69, yang ditunjuk sebagai perdana menteri, ditambah dengan Hussein Tantawi yang tetap menjabat panglima militer, maka posisi Suleiman semakin kuat. 

“Presiden (Mubarak) memilih seorang pria yang dia percaya ketika dia (Mubarak) sedang digoyang,” ujar Mahmud Shokry, mantan duta besar untuk Suriah dan teman dekat Suleiman,kepada The NewYork Times.

“Tidak ada keraguan bahwa presiden tidak mengetahui apa yang akan terjadi nanti.” Suleiman, mantan jenderal, menjadi kandidat pemimpin Mesir yang telah diskenariokan kubu Mubarak dan militer. Jika Suleiman tetap maju,maka publik akan marah karena itu tidak dikehendaki oleh rakyat Mesir.Jika Suleiman jadi presiden, maka demokrasi otoriter dengan dukungan militer akan terus berlanjut. 

“Dia (Suleiman) merupakan orang yang keras dan kuat dengan orientasi bisnis. Dia juga merupakan negosiator yang ulung,”ujar Emad Shahin, mantan dosen di American University di Kairo. Menurut Shahin, setelah aksi demonstrasi besar-besaran ini jelas sekali militer akan mengambil alih.Apalagi, sejarah telah membuktikan bahwa rakyat Mesir memang lebih menghormati militer. Itu disebabkan militer yang menyelamatkan Mesir ketika berperang melawan Israel pada 1967 dan 1973.

Mencari Pemimpin Alternatif Mesir 

Jadi, apakah Suleiman adalah orang yang dipandang Barat mampu menggantikan Mubarak? Jawabannya memang sangat sulit.Barat tidak memfavoritkan Suleiman sebagai pengganti Mubarak yang telah 30 tahun berkuasa meski wakil presiden baru itu tampaknya akan didukung AS. Telunjuk Barat sebenarnya lebih terarah pada Mohamed ElBaradei yang dielu-elukan Barat. 

Dia dianggap cocok menjadi pemimpin transisi bagi Mesir.Pergaulan yang luas membuat ElBaradei dihargai banyak pihak. Apalagi, dia merupakan seorang sekuler. ElBaradei menyerukan agar Ikhwanul Muslimin seharusnya menjadi partai politik dan bekerja sama dalam satu payung bersama Koalisi Nasional untuk Perubahan.

sumber : international.okezone.com