Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Lynas: where common sense left us
- Increasing Electricity Tariffs Without Restructuring The Power Industry Is Akin To An Attempt ...
- Make safety culture our own
- Power rates up 7.12%
- Pro-Lynas group bullies protestors as IAEA panel meets
- Ibrahim wields faith to ward off ‘Umno stooge’ claims
- Bigger landslide in the making
- As panel meets, pro- and anti-Lynas groups face off
- Power rates up 7pc June 1, gas prices also hiked
- Perkasa defends Ibrahim Ali, calls Anwar ‘worst politician’
- A ‘snap poll’ in Malaysia? Political surprise, journalistic cliché
- No takers yet for Rolls Royce: M'sian businessman
- HRP eyes six seats in Kedah
- WIKILEAKS: ‘Abu Sayyaf links turned Dr M red’
- ‘PKR failed to pay rent for 30 months’
| Lynas: where common sense left us Posted: 30 May 2011 12:53 PM PDT Why is a foreign country sending all the raw material over here to process and then take back what it wants, leaving behind what it does not want back on its shores? So much has been said about the Lynas project. The anti-Lynas voice is slowly drowning under the pro-Lynas marching on. To give credence to the pro-Lynas propagators and champions, even threats have been hurled at concerned citizens and residents. People have been admonished in no uncertain terms that they may even lose everything else if they boycotted the Lynas project. So many highly intelligent and so-called specialists are also seemingly working hard in the wake of anti-Lynas objections. The goal is to allay the fears, give assurances that all safety measures will be guaranteed and to allow the progression of the Lynas project that was already hatched a long time ago without public consultation. But what happened to common sense? Does anyone want to ask that simple question: Why is a foreign country sending all the raw material over here to process and then take back what it wants, leaving behind what it does not want back on its shores? Whether you are putting in all the safety measures or whether you will see to the ultimate safe disposal of residual toxins, etc is not the issue. Why do it here? - that is the fundamental question that has not been answered. Yet we are so busy debating and arguing with all kinds of scientific and attested benchmarks to keep the Lynas project on. We are refusing to pay homoge to basic common sense. And therein lies the rape of a young nation. If only our leaders put citizens first before profits; if only we put health and well being before economic harvests - we may be poor by Adam Smith's standards, but healthy on all accounts. We are just kidding ourselves. What we are looking for is big money in quick time. Sad but true. And in the final analysis, who cares if the pawns die owing to exposure to contaminants ten, twenty or thirty years from now. By experience we know, the powers that be will in all likelihood cry when the Lynas project goes fowl in the distant future: "We did all we can; but the tragedy is beyond us - it is an act of God. So let us accept the unexpected tragedy in a manner that is consistent with our respective faiths". And that is because if have chosen to let common sense fly out of the window. We forget that without common sense there is no Vision 2020 in the first place. |
| Increasing Electricity Tariffs Without Restructuring The Power Industry Is Akin To An Attempt ... Posted: 30 May 2011 12:47 PM PDT By Tony Pua The Najib administration announced that it will raise electricity prices by an average 7.12 per cent from June 1 this year. According to Reuters, the price charged by Petronas for the sale of natural gas to electricity companies would rise to RM13.70 per mmBtu from RM10.70, and increase by RM3.00 every month. The industrial and commercial consumers will bear the brunt of the tariff hike with an average increase of 8.35 per cent in their power bills. This will inevitably fuel further inflation and reduce the competitiveness of our goods and services. The Government has employed the excuse of the need to reduce subsidy bills as the basis for the tariff hike in order to reduce the "misallocation of resources", which leads to declining competitiveness. However the Government has at the same time conveniently ignored the fact that the source of the "misallocation of resources" lies with the unbelievably lucrative Independent Power Producers (IPPs) power purchasing agreements (PPAs) with Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB). As a comparison, the power industry structure in Malaysia and Thailand are highly similar, with a little more than 70% of the fuel-mix for electricity generation being natural gas. However despite the fact that natural gas prices are more than double that of Malaysia's at RM23.10 mmBtu, commercial electricity tariff in Thailand is only 0.4% higher at RM38.01 kWh, compared to Malaysia's 37.85 mmBtu.. In fact after the latest revision, it has become stark clear that electricity rates for our commercial sector will be significant higher than that in Thailand, despite the fact that natural gas prices for the sector in Malaysia will still be 68.6% cheaper. Using Thailand as a benchmark, Malaysian electricity prices should be 16.9% cheaper based on existing subsidy rates. Instead, the BN Government does the exact opposite to raise the electricity tariffs. This shows clearly that our problem with electricity industry "distortions" as described by Minister in Prime Minister's office, Nor Mohd Yakcop is not with its prices, but with our highly "ineffcient" power producing sector which charges high prices despite lower cost of production. And the key reason for that is the unfair PPAs which results in ridiculously high levels of electricity reserve margins. According to TNB, our reserve margin is 54.6% in 2008 and 52.6% in 2010, which is double that of Thailand and Java, Indonesia, at 25.4% and 26% respectively. The net effect is TNB is forced to purchase electricity which it does not need to the IPPs, resulting in inflated costs for TNB and correspondingly inflated profits for the IPPs. The Government's decision to reduce the subsidies to the electricity sector is a clear attempt to right an existing "wrong" with another "wrong", which will only lead to further distortions in our market, and not reduce it. Our export industries which are already affected by the strong ringgit will be dealt with a bigger blow due to higher electricity prices compared to the region as a result of an inefficient and distorted power sector which profits only the IPPs. The only and proper way to correct the distortions in our power sector is to restructure the lobsided PPAs. In fact by doing so, the Government can kill two birds with one stone, reducing its subsidies and correcting the inefficiencies in the power sector as a result of our super-high reserve margins, while at the same time maintaining our existing electricity rates. The fact that the Government chooses to punish our consumers and industries, without laying a finger on the IPPs only serves to prove that the Najib administration has no political will to carry out the necessary reforms to our economy, contrary to the rhetoric we hear every day.
TONY PUA is DAP National Publicity Secretary and MP for Petaling Jaya Utara |
| Posted: 30 May 2011 12:39 PM PDT By Terence Fernandez, The Sun "WE began with a small group of orphans in a building built from timber we found while clearing the land. We cut the slope to make space for the building." These telling words of Mohamed Noor Ismail illustrate how we take things for granted when it comes to adhering to safety rules. Mohamed Noor is the co-founder of Madrasah Al-Taqwa Al Hidayah in Hulu Langat which was lost to a landslide that killed 16 people, mostly young boys, on May 21. To call it an orphanage is an anomaly, as our reporters discovered when they spoke to Mohamed Noor recently. Many of the children who were killed had parents and relatives. Anyway, we are not going to split hairs over this, as what is important is to prevent further occurrences of such tragedies – which are becoming all too common. I was in two minds over writing about this tragedy. After the landslide in Taman Bukit Mewah, Bukit Antarabangsa, on Dec 6, 2008 buried 14 bungalows and killed five people, the authorities promised to be more pro-active and vigilant in ensuring that developers played by the rules. Unfortunately this had not happened due to the turf war between the Public Works Department (PWD) and the local councils – both of which are pushing the buck to each other. To make matters worse, a declassification exercise by the state government turned into a political tirade as both sides – the past and present administration as well as the federal government started pointing fingers at each other. There were also games of one-upmanship being played as the state government was given the runaround between the police, the PWD and the Housing and Local Government Ministry in getting preliminary reports on the Taman Bukit Mewah landslide. Now, with regards to the latest tragedy, someone needs to be held accountable for not fulfilling safety requirements when setting up the building. The fact that there was no certificate of fitness (CF) puts the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) in the spotlight. It is not enough for council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman to say that the 17-year-old building existed before the council was even formed (in 1997). The fact is the council did not conduct the checks it could have done to ensure that homes and buildings on slopes are safe and issued with CFs. Now suddenly, MPKj realises that all homes in this landslide-prone area do not possess this vital document. That those who ran the centre also did not feel compelled to ensure they got one also makes them culpable. The architects, engineers and contractors must be equally held accountable. If they had breached their professional duties by cutting corners and bending the rules, criminal charges must be brought against them. It is encouraging that the police have opened a criminal negligence investigation. Hopefully this time at least, someone pays for the lives lost. PWD senior director Datuk Ashaari Mohamad had gathered that massive tree-felling had compromised the integrity of the soil, causing it to give way following abnormal rainfall in the days preceding the tragedy. He also said the orphanage building had been erected too close to the hillside. This alone gives one a good head start to find out the cause and the culprits. However, I risk sounding like a broken record. The same points were put forward by many columnists and yours truly after every landslide. These tragedies are often followed by visits by VIPs and politicians who come bearing sombre faces, cheques and strong words. But once the focus of the media shifts to other pressing matters, the promises are forgotten or take a back seat to other issues that need immediate attention. This has always been the case. And the fact that the Highland Towers verdict which absolved the local council from negligence "because local councils cannot be sued", is a slap in the face to those who are campaigning for stricter guidelines or even a ban on hillslope development. That the release of the Taman Bukit Mewah tragedy report is impeded by the Official Secrets Act (OSA) flies in the face of logic and yes, decency. That the authorities want to keep things under wraps in bringing to book those responsible for flouting the law is mind-boggling and does not reflect any sincerity in wanting to put things right. Now with Hulu Langat, there seems to be more urgency in wanting to fix faults of the past, probably due to the 14 young lives that were lost. The announcement of initiatives in this direction by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung while welcomed, begs the question: shouldn't requirements such as submitting plans and the imposition of deadlines be the basic necessities of any development? Even so, it is good that the authorities and the rest of us have woken up. Hopefully these recent positive developments do not get side-tracked by politicking, cover-ups and short memories. |
| Posted: 30 May 2011 12:35 PM PDT By Karen Arukesamy, The Sun PUTRAJAYA (May 30, 2011): Households that use 300 kilowatt hour (kWh) or less of electricity a month will not be affected by the higher tariff effective Wednesday, June 1. This means if your monthly bill is RM77 or less, there's no change. "The average electricity tariff will be increased by 2.23 sen/kWh or 7.12% from 31.31 sen/kWh to 33.54 sen/kWh," Energy, Green Techno-logy and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui told a press conference today. He said all domestic consumers with a monthly consumption of up to 200kWh (lifeline band) and the next 100kWh will not be affected. "Domestic consumers in these bands will continue to enjoy the subsidised unit rate of 21.8 sen/kWh and 33.4 sen/kWh respectively. "Domestic consumers in the 301 to 400 kWh per month band will experience minimal electricity bill increase (0.1%-6% or 7 sen-RM6.60)," he said. Consumers whose monthly power bill is RM77 and below form 75% of the population. The other 25% will have to pay RM6 more (see table).
The 7.12% increase comprises: * 5.12% or 1.60sen/kWh due to higher natural gas price to the power sector from RM10.70/mmBTU to RM13.70/mmBTU in line with the increase in global energy prices; and * 2% or 0.63sen/kWh for Tenaga Nasional Bhd to partly recover the increase of electricity supply cost since the last base tariff revision in June 2006. "There will an additional 1% imposed on the monthly bill as the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) to promote renewable energy fund to bear the additional cost. However, domestic consumers who use less than 300kWh/month will be exempted," he said. The tariff review package also provides the following special rates and discounts: * 10% discount on electricity bills enjoyed by local schools and higher learning institutions, places of worship and welfare homes registered with the government; and * 10% discount extended to partially government-funded educational institutions. Industrial consumers will experience an average increase of 8.35% (ranging from 6.2% to 10.3%), he said. Chin said the main rationale for the tariff revision was the higher price of natural gas supplied to the power sector effective Wednesday. "The increase in natural gas price is unavoidable due to the increase in global energy prices since 2009 and is based on the government natural gas pricing mechanism in which the price is periodically reviewed in tandem with market price trend. "Since natural gas cost constitutes around 54.2% of the total fuel cost mix (FY2010), the additional fuel cost incurred due to the gas price revision is reflected via the increase in end-use electricity tariff," he said. Announcing the increase in the natural gas price earlier at the same press conference, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said gas prices were determined based on their alternative fuel pricing. "For example, if fuel oil is used in power generation and if gas is used to replace fuel oil as an energy source, then the price of gas will be the same as that of fuel oil. The practice of pricing gas relative to its alternative fuels has been adopted in all countries in the region," he said. |
| Pro-Lynas group bullies protestors as IAEA panel meets Posted: 30 May 2011 12:34 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUANTAN, May 31 — For the second day in a row, demonstrators supporting the controversial rare earth plant forced anti-Lynas protestors to leave the Hyatt Regency here. The group of about 100 men confronted a group of residents from Beserah, where the plant is located, just as they finished their meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency-led (IAEA) team that is here to meet local stakeholders. After a scuffle, the Beserah group led by their assemblyman Syed Mohammad Lonnik and community leader Andansura Rabu had to be escorted by police light strike force officers to their car. Earlier in the morning, protestors wearing "Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas" T-shirts were also chased away from the beach in front of the hotel by the pro-Lynas group. Many of the pro-Lynas group were those here yesterday holding up banners supporting the IAEA and also Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob. Two reporters from Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau were also confronted by men who demanded they stop taking pictures. One of the reporters said a man threatened to punch her if she did not stop. "You want to report good or bad, think properly first. The government has already brought in a panel of experts. "I am from Balok. We are more concerned than these people who come from Ipoh, Seremban and KL. Why do we want to chase away investors?" said members of the group to reporters later.
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| Ibrahim wields faith to ward off ‘Umno stooge’ claims Posted: 29 May 2011 08:39 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Ibrahim Ali declared today his willingness to swear on Allah's name that he acts of his own free will and has never been influenced by Umno. In saying so, the fiery Perkasa president belittled Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for refusing to do the same to prove his innocence in the sex video scandal and Sodomy II case. "You, Anwar, were not brave enough to swear with (Mohd) Saiful (Bukhari Azlan) and Datuk Trio. Who is the real comedian here, if not yourself?" he asked. The Pasir Mas MP was responding to Anwar's criticisms of him over the weekend where the PKR de facto leader called Ibrahim the "worst example of Malaysian politics". Ibrahim's Perkasa has also often been accused of being an offshoot of Umno and part of the Najib administration's strategy to draw support from the hard-line Malay electorate. But Ibrahim insisted today that by levelling such accusations against him, Anwar was merely adding to his already growing list of sins. "O' my old friend, I am not as bad or as evil as you. I have never been anyone's stooge, or what's worse, your stooge for life," he said. Ibrahim accused Anwar of destroying Umno as well as PAS and its spiritual advisor, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, with his support for pluralism and attempt to spread disunity among the Malays. He further claimed Anwar was insincere, pointing to the latter's days in Abim, when he had been critical of Umno and later supported PAS, before shifting allegiances to Umno until he was sacked and entered PKR. "Your story is long, Anwar. You are rotten to the core and you are the worst... but you are good at acting. So go ahead and act. You can cheat your family and your friends who are blind all the time but you cannot cheat me all the time," he said.
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| Bigger landslide in the making Posted: 29 May 2011 05:51 PM PDT
By Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today KUALA LUMPUR: Double landslides occurred side by side in Bukit Antarabangsa, Hulu Kelang, Selangor, 10 days ago but escaped public attention for both struck on the same day as the Hulu Langat tragedy. As rescue personnel and the media rushed to the Madrasah Al-Taqwa Orphanage, business owners and employees watched mounds of wet earth sliding down the slope behind their commercial centre in Taman Ukay Perdana. Unlike Hulu Langat, however, no property damages or injuries took place in the Bukit Antarabangsa incident. The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) moved swiftly in dispatching a team from its hillslope division to begin immediate work in containing the situation and repairing the slope. MPAJ is currently the only authority with an existing hillslope division which was formed after the 2008 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide, which claimed five lives. When FMT visited the site last Friday a large tarpaulin sheet blanketed the landslide on the left. There had been a downpour that morning and workers swarmed the top of the slope hauling the sheet higher to better secure its position. The other landslide, however, remained exposed. The slope face had previously been protected by a concrete structure which had gradually disintegrated over time. The rain had now rendered this raw surface slick once again. Of greater concern was the row of small businesses fronting both landslides. None of them had been instructed or were compelled to temporarily cease operations. Cars still filled the corner workshop and lined the affected roads. People continued patronising the outlets along the stretch. Personnel at the Ukay police station, directly across the covered landslide, were equally unperturbed. The Public Works Department (PWD), meanwhile, has assured that the situation is under control and that there is no cause for alarm. "This is just a small erosion and small debris flow," Professor Ashaari Mohamad, director of PWD slope engineering branch, told FMT. "Once repair work has started it will not pose any danger to the shop houses."
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| As panel meets, pro- and anti-Lynas groups face off Posted: 29 May 2011 05:47 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUANTAN, May 30 — The situation at the Hyatt Regency here threatened to turn ugly this afternoon as both pro and anti-Lynas Corp groups gathered while the review panel began meeting stakeholders this afternoon. Several demonstrators, including three Umno assemblymen, rushed to confront Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh as she arrived to meet the International Atomic Energy Agency-led (IAEA) team at 3pm. They demanded the PKR vice president, who has been leading protests against the controversial RM700 million rare earth plant, not be allowed to bring in signed petitions into her half-hour session and that those accompanying her remove their anti-Lynas T-shirts. As police also pressed Fuziah to meet the demonstrators' demands, her team complied before entering the building where the meetings are to take place. The demonstrators were part of a group of about 100 who arrived at 2pm, holding up banners supporting the IAEA and also Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob. About half as many wearing "Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas" T-shirts also made their stand here until police told both groups to leave the hotel. However, both groups refused to leave outright and loitered outside the hotel premises until 4pm. About ten light strike force officers were also deployed until the protestors left. Earlier, pro-Lynas demonstrators had also confronted Indera Mahkota MCA Youth chief David Choi. Choi, who has not been supportive of the project, told reporters later that he was kicked by some of the protestors. The three assemblymen leading the pro-Lynas group included state executive councillor Datuk Mohamad Sahfri Ab Aziz as well as Norolazali Sulaiman and Mohd Zaili Besar, Guai and Panching representatives respectively. |
| Power rates up 7pc June 1, gas prices also hiked Posted: 29 May 2011 05:41 PM PDT
(Reuters) - PUTRAJAYA, May 30 — The Najib administration today said it will raise electricity prices by an average 7.12 per cent from June 1 in an effort to cut down on subsidies. Officials said natural gas prices would also rise by RM3.00 per mmBtu each six months until it reached market levels. Power prices would rise by as much as 2.3 sen per kilowatt hour. The price charged by state oil company Petronas for power generation would rise to RM13.70 per mmBtu from RM10.70, they said.
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| Perkasa defends Ibrahim Ali, calls Anwar ‘worst politician’ Posted: 29 May 2011 05:12 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa defended Datuk Ibrahim Ali today as a man of integrity who has earned both the trust and confidence of professionals as well as politicians. Syed Hassan Syed Ali, the group's secretary-general, also launched a broadside against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for calling Ibrahim the worst example of Malaysian politics. "Even when Ibrahim Ali was in Semangat 46... the government then could not find one fault against him because Ibrahim is well known to be a man of integrity, he would not do what is not right and he would cause trouble for those in the wrong even though they were his close friends," Syed Hassan said in a statement today. He charged that it was Anwar who should have admitted that he was the "worst politician", pointing out that in all the years of Ibrahim's political career he had never been slapped with charges in court like Anwar. Syed Hassan said that unlike Ibrahim, Anwar was always abandoned by his friends as soon as they "found out who he really was." "Malay professionals are always approaching Ibrahim Ali, even in Perkasa's supreme council there is no shortage of professionals. Many people know Ibrahim Ali, and those in Perkasa and also outside Perkasa support him," he added.
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| A ‘snap poll’ in Malaysia? Political surprise, journalistic cliché Posted: 29 May 2011 05:07 PM PDT
Election campaigns in Malaysia — from the announcement of the poll, the proroguing of Parliament, the nomination of candidates, the campaign, the vote, and the declaration of the result of the poll — can accordingly be completed, from start to finish, in about 10 days. The whole business is usually "done and dusted" within two weeks. Clive Kessler, The Malaysian Insider Once again there is talk of an early or imminent election in Malaysia. No surprise, nothing unusual in that. And once again the commentators are considering the likelihood of a "snap poll." Again, no surprise, nothing unusual in that. Just silly. The expression "snap poll" a cliché. And, as ever, hasty recourse to the irresistibly available cliché is a sure sign that clear, fresh and direct thinking about the matter at hand has been avoided, short-circuited. That an "end-run" (to use a cliché!) had been made around the moment of analysis, the need for thought. What is, or was, a snap poll? The term was coined to denote an election that is called suddenly, at an unexpected moment, to take advantage of the element of surprise. The snap poll is to political life, to electoral politics, what Pearl Harbor was to naval warfare. Suddenly, early one morning, unannounced, out of a clear blue sky... It is an encounter, a contest, that is pretty much over before it has begun. It is a fight — and this is the whole point of the manoeuvre or stratagem — that is as good as over from the outset: before the back-footed adversary, here the political opposition, has a chance to get up from its chair, onto its feet, and into action. One has only to think about that for a moment and one thing becomes clear. That the idea, and use of the term, "snap poll" in Malaysia is quite ridiculous. Not just strange, oddly inappropriate, but altogether ludicrous. It is absurd for two reasons. First, all Malaysian elections are in effect snap polls. In 1969 the national election campaign period was a long one. The Tunku wanted to give the people plenty of time to consider the issues, to weigh the choice that they faced. Never again. Since then, all election campaign periods have been brief. Reform of election legislation has made this brevity, this compression or "telescoping" of the political season — a concentration of pressure and, some would say, enforcing an unreflecting rush to political judgment — possible. Election campaigns in Malaysia — from the announcement of the poll, the proroguing of Parliament, the nomination of candidates, the campaign, the vote, and the declaration of the result of the poll — can accordingly be completed, from start to finish, in about 10 days. The whole business is usually "done and dusted" within two weeks. That kind of concentration and rapidity of electoral procedure falls fully within the ambit of the term "snap poll." These are not elections that run for weeks, whose date is announced months ahead or else are calendrically set by law (as in the US) for the election of candidates to a fixed term of office, say four years. You don't need to speculate in Malaysia whether there will be a snap poll. There always is. Every election is sudden and a "quickie", fast to come and fast to be over and gone. The only question is when. When will the government decide to call it? When will it exercise its discretion, avail itself of the incumbent power's prerogative, to "pull the trigger" (another cliché!) or (yet another) to get the contestants to the line and "sound the starter's gun"? That is one reason why the term "snap poll" in Malaysia is a silly misnomer. There is a second. Invariably in Malaysia, once the country is about two to three years further on from its previous election, and the next is felt approaching in two to three years' time, incessant election speculation begins to develop, mount and inexorably intensify. How does this happen? Quite simply, there is a popular interest in the matter. Why not? The citizen wants to know. As a stakeholder in the political community, the citizen wants to be part of, and informed about, the process of deciding the community's common fate — not just a spectator. Always politically adept, the government caters to and assiduously "plays upon" this interest. It does so constantly and continually, raising and lowering the intensity of its hints, feinting and parrying this way and that, as in some exotic sword-dance or wrong-footing silat routine. In doing so (to change our metaphor, or flee into a different cliché), it "plays the rakyat" the way a maestro plays a violin. Its objectives in doing so are several. It wants to "whet and feed" the rakyat's "political appetite." If elections are eventually to be held, the enthusiasm of party workers must be sustained, the political attention of voters must be activated and focused, and people need to be reminded of their political obligations (especially, as the powers of the day in every country see the matter, to acknowledge gratitude for benefits already and most recently received). Governments, by toying with speculation about imminent elections, also seek to "test the waters" (what, another cliché!) concerning their own popularity. They raise the hypothetical possibility of a snap poll to measure their own situation and prospects, "to see how they are running." They also use the measured and very controlled encouragement of election speculation to "fly various kites": in other words to assess likely public reaction to certain provisional policy initiatives, as well as the popular acceptability, persuasiveness and effect of possible campaign stratagems and rhetorical innovations, such as new slogans. Not least of its purposes in toying openly with ideas of an imminent poll is to dismay, disorient and "bamboozle" the opposition: to keep its strategists preoccupied with the short-run possibility, however unlikely, of having soon to face the polls and so force it to redirect and consume large amounts of its scarce energies and time. Election speculation, no matter how fabricated or implausible, usefully distracts the opposition. It diverts the government's opponents from pursuing necessary longer-term tasks, such as the development of defensible policies and from necessary, and necessarily time-consuming, political planning. Talk of early elections forces the opposition to operate in "rush mode", even "panic mode", not "thoughtfulness mode." It keeps the opposition "tied in knots." By this logic, there may be an "inverse" relation between election speculation and the likelihood of an imminent poll. The louder the talk of a "snap poll", the less likely an early election may be. Until, of course, the last indulgence in such talk, the last tactical flirtation with the idea before the election is finally called. But by then the clock has largely run down, time is running out, and the calling of the election usually comes as no surprise... After years of keen anticipation and bated breath, what you hear in the end is often just a sigh of relief. So in sum, every Malaysian election is both, in one sense, a "snap poll" and, in another, not, since no Malaysian election ever can be. Every election comes at the end of a two-to-three year-long cycle, or barrage, of election speculation. A snap poll, a surprise, beyond all expectations, out of a clear blue sky? Hardly!
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| No takers yet for Rolls Royce: M'sian businessman Posted: 29 May 2011 04:53 PM PDT
(The Straits Times) - BUSINESSMAN Zamil Ibrahim is still waiting for someone who can find a Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim 'lookalike' to take up the offer of a vintage Rolls Royce and RM10,000 (S$4,080). Mr Zamil, who is the Kedah Kita chief, had made the offer on Friday in connection with the sex video implicating the PKR adviser. 'The Rolls Silver 111 6700cc is mine, and the cash offer is made by someone who wants to remain anonymous. 'Anwar has been saying he was told the man looked like him but that he (Anwar) did not have a belly,' he said. Datuk T, comprising businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, and former Perkasa treasurer Datuk Shuaib Lazim, had on March 21 exposed the existence of a video of a man resembling Anwar having sex with a woman believed to be a foreign prostitute. Anwar then lodged a police report claiming that he was not the man in the video. Zamil said he had decided to make the lucrative offer 'to help ease the confusion'. 'The public are confused. I believe Anwar can finally clear his name if we can help him find a man who looks like him, walks like him, and even smiles like him,' he said. Zamil also added that he would invite Shazryl, Kita president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Senator Ezam Mohd Noor to sit in a panel to identify the Anwar lookalike. 'The three of them were very close to Anwar. They can tell if someone looks exactly like Anwar,' he said. Several bloggers have also promised to run naked around KLCC if a man resembling Anwar could be found.
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| Posted: 29 May 2011 04:21 PM PDT
Of the six, five are state seats. The sole parliamentary seat targeted is Padang Serai, held by N Gobalakrishnan. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Human Rights Party (HRP) plans to contest in five state seats and one parliamentary constituency in Kedah which have 20% and above Indian voters. The party's secretary-general P Uthayakumar said the five state seats were Bukit Selambau (29.5%), Lunas (22.5%), Merbau (22%), Sidam (20%) and Gurun (18.4%). The sole parliamentary seat was Padang Serai, currently held by former PKR strongman, N Gobalakrishnan. "PAS is ruling by a majority of a mere two seats when compared to 14 seats held by Umno/BN and PKR having five seats, DAP one seat and one Independent in the 36-seat Kedah state assembly. "So if HRP wins in these five state seats, they will be the real 'kingmakers' and can seriously push for change vis-a-vis the Kedah Indian poor at the highest political level," said Uthayakumar. He added that the Indian poor have to be politically empowered to effect changes at the highest political level as both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat have refused to address the pressing Indian problems.
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| WIKILEAKS: ‘Abu Sayyaf links turned Dr M red’ Posted: 29 May 2011 04:00 PM PDT
However, his attack against the Time magazine over the article was moderate as he was not personally mentioned and wanted to keep a lid on the possible links, said US diplomats. The Time article appeared in its April 10, 1995 issue, alleging that Southern Philippine Muslim extremist group Aby Sayyaf was receiving arms, money and training for Islamic groups in various countries, including Malaysia. K Kabilan, Free Malaysia Today Dr Mahathir Mohamad was unusually moderate in his attacks against two articles which appeared to criticise his government in the Time and Fortune magazines in early 1995 as he was "not personally mentioned in the stories". Also, Mahathir was not keen to pursue his attacks against the Time magazine article in particular as it involved his government's alleged links with the Abu Sayyaf movement from the Philippines. "Given the murky general history of Moro-Malaysian dealings, he may feel it best not to go into too many details," wrote US diplomats based in the US embassy here in their confidential cable to the US State Department in Washington. The confidential cable was dated April 13, 1995. The cable was leaked by whistleblower site WikiLeaks and handed over to FMT today. The US diplomats felt that Mahathir was quick with his anti-West attacks when the two articles were published, especially since the general election was imminent then. However, they noted his reaction was "moderate and apparently shortlived". The US diplomats felt the main reason for Mahathir's muted attack on Time and Fortune was largely due to the fact that he was not personally targeted in the two articles. The diplomats also mentioned that Mahathir could have been mindful that his recent anti-British and anti-Australian outbursts had not given him clear-cut victories. They said that they felt that the Malaysian government did not wish to make an issue of the Time article, especially considering the historical ties between the Moro movement and Malaysia. The Time article appeared in its April 10, 1995 issue, alleging that Southern Philippine Muslim extremist group Aby Sayyaf was receiving arms, money and training for Islamic groups in various countries, including Malaysia. The article further claimed that Abu Sayyaf used training camps in Malaysia and was expecting arms shipments from Malaysian supporters. Western media campaign Mahathir's reaction to the article was to immediately label it as "part of a campaign by the western media to discredit Malaysia" to deter investment and tourism. The Time article came just after another article in the Fortune magazine which had said that the Malaysian currency was facing risk. ***************************************** C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 001919 |
| ‘PKR failed to pay rent for 30 months’ Posted: 29 May 2011 03:54 PM PDT
Party leaders are accused of lying in saying that they had been prompt in paying RM20,000 per month to the landlord. (Free Malaysia Today) - New details have emerged that PKR may not have paid rental for its party headquarters in Merchant Square here for almost 30 months, owing arrears of about RM600,000 to the landlord. The party had entered into a five-year lease with the landlord beginning July 2008 for RM20,000 per month. FMT learnt that the party paid rental only until November 2008. "Since then, not a single payment has been made," said a party insider today. "And the party's top leaders are lying in saying that they had been prompt in paying rents," he said. PKR leaders revealed last week that the party faced possible eviction from their party headquarters because the landlord failed to service the bank loan. As a result, Affin Bank has initiated an auction to be held on June 9 to recover its money. Playing the blame-game Laying the blame squarely on the landlord, party leaders like treasurer William Leong, vice-president Tian Chua and secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said that the party had never failed to pay the rental to the landlord. "It is the landlord, the banks are going after them. A lot of people have the wrong notion that we are the owners. We are just the tenant and not responsible for the loan. We have never failed to pay the monthly rental," Leong had said. Tian, meanwhile, said he did not know why the landlord failed to service the bank loan but speculated that the landlord could be facing financial difficulties. Saifuddin denied that the party was in a financial quandary, adding that the party has been prompt in paying rent. "We are not in any financial problem. It is the owner who has a problem with the bank as we have been paying rent without fail," he told FMT. Leong said that the party was now planning to buy the premises when the bank auctions it next month, failing which it would seek to rent it from the new owners. But if that does not work out, then PKR will find itself another office. Lies, half-truths The party insider said these leaders were "talking rubbish". "They didn't even pay the rentals… perhaps they did not have the money to do that… and now they are talking about buying the premises at the auction," he said. He also chided them for making statements without proper checking, especially when they even got the name of their supposed landlord wrong. When the PKR leaders spoke to the media on the auction, they mentioned that the landlord was a company named Ainb-Tech Sdn Bhd. However, FMT learnt that the lease agreement had named another company as the landlord. "They don't seem to have a clue on the lease details of the premises they are occupying. I don't think they know who owns the building and even how much money they have to pay for rental. "They are jumping now after seeing the auction notice as they have been caught with their pants down… and have resorted to lies and half truths," added the insider.
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