Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Reveal blueprint, Koh tells Guan Eng
- Anti-Islam Bersih using Malays, says Zul Noordin
- DAP agrees with Ku Li on power deals RCI
- Utusan says Bersih dirty, calls for boycott
- Bersih rally goes on, says Ambiga, PAS
- Nauru better option than ever: opposition
- Experts to gather ideas from online community
- Najib ‘uncivilised’ for seeking Selangor at any cost, says Azmin
- Malaysia Not Target Of Attack By Militants, Says Hishammuddin
- None of Yayasan Selangor’s business
- Voter registration continues as EC prepares for snap polls
| Reveal blueprint, Koh tells Guan Eng Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:59 PM PDT By Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Former Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon today challenged his successor Lim Guan Eng to officially unveil his promised Penang industrial blueprint.
Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Koh recalled that Lim announced before an international business community in Singapore in June last year that the state Pakatan Rakyat government had readied a blueprint for the state industrial development. "But it has been a year now and we can't even see its shadow. He (Lim) is good in politicking before an international audience. But until today he is yet to produce the master plan that he said was ready. I'm urging the state government to officially produce and unveil the blueprint for the sake of Penang and its people. "Penangites need to see the blueprint to gauge the state government's performance," said Koh in his official address at the BN state convention here. He likened Chief Minister Lim to a person who would make a lot of noise before a large audience but cannot produce anything productive for the people. He also rebuked Lim for always being quick to claim credit for successes nurtured from project plans laid out by the previous BN government. "He must come up with own (ideas) and produce own success," he told some 1,000 members from all BN component parties. He said unlike the previous BN government, the current state government was yet to build a single low or low-medium cost house for the urban lower income population. He said the only low-cost housing project going on was under the Jelutong project on a reclaimed site. "But then it was the previous BN government's project plan not his," said Koh. He also called on Lim to explain the exorbitant leap in housing prices in Penang over the past three years. 'Can't live without mentioning my name' Since BN's defeat in Penang in the 2008 general election, said Koh, not a single day has passed without Lim slamming him on various issues.
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| Anti-Islam Bersih using Malays, says Zul Noordin Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:56 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Independent lawmaker Datuk Zulkifli Noordin said today that Malays will weaken themselves if they are used by anti-Islamic leaders organising next month's Bersih rally to call for free and fair elections. His column in the Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysia today — which also carried front-page reports warning against the July 9 gathering under a headline "Prevent the Bersih rally" — added that Malays in fact had absolute power in Malaysia and it should be used instead to defend and empower them. "Some Malays are willing to be used by this illegal gathering that is led by former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreevanasan. This is despite knowing the organisation has fought strongly against Islam, organised the interfaith council and supported Lina Joy's apostasy. "But to fulfil their lust for power, these Malays are willing to become insects blinded by the false light of power. Malay-Muslims will become weak and damaged due to their own dirty hands," the Kulim Bandar Baharu MP wrote in the weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 where up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas launched by the police. PAS has promised to bring 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in a general election expected within the year. The 2007 rally was said to play a big role in bringing record gains for the opposition electoral pact in Election 2008, where it swept five state governments and won 82 parliamentary seats. The former PKR member, who was sacked last year after filing a police report accusing PAS's Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad of being anti-Islamic, also pointed out that if all 130-plus Muslim MPs joined together, they "can form a federal government without other races."
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| DAP agrees with Ku Li on power deals RCI Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:53 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — The DAP threw its support behind Tengku Razeleigh Hamzah for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate Tenaga Nasional Berhad's (TNB) contracts with independent power producers (IPPs). "The RCI would determine how severely the lopsided deals are burdening consumers with the rise in electricity tariffs and introduce measures to either reduce or remove this huge financial burden on the people," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today. Tengku Razaleigh, who is the Gua Musang MP, said recently that it was crucial to tackle the issue of rising power prices before the effect begins to take bigger bites out of the average consumer. The Cabinet raised power tariffs by an average of 7.12 per cent effective June 1, in a bid to trim a growing subsidy bill and widening fiscal deficit. But the move has also thrown the spotlight on the purchasing power agreements that TNB is engaged in with the IPPs. "Up to end 2010, Petronas has extended about RM131.3 billion in gas subsidy to both the power and non-power sectors," said Lim. "The greatest beneficiaries of the RM131.3 billion gas subsidies are IPPs, who also benefit from a guaranteed buyer through the compulsory power purchase agreement signed by TNB," added the Penang chief minister. He pointed out that YTL Power made a profit last year of more than RM1.6 billion, while Powertek and Malakoff snagged profits of RM450 million and RM380 million respectively. "There is no logic or reason why the Barisan Nasional (BN) government should be so concerned about annual savings of RM226.8 million from the reduction of diesel subsidies or RM116 million from the reduction of sugar subsidies or electricity tariffs that will save a total of less than RM1 billion, but are not concerned by the huge gas subsidies given to the IPPs," said Lim. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also slashed diesel subsidies effective June 1, a move that recently sparked a strike among fishermen and trawler boat operators in Kuantan.
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| Utusan says Bersih dirty, calls for boycott Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:51 PM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has called on Malaysians not just to boycott next month's Bersih rally, but also to gather against the movement that calls for free and fair elections. The paper's Mingguan Malaysia weekend edition also told Malaysians "who love peace and reject hypocrisy" to gather on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on July 9 "with banners of the opposition leader's scandals" in reference to sodomy and sex video allegations against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "Display also newspaper cuttings of the sodomy victims. They are the ones that should be defended if we support a clean culture. Awang believes the gathering will be a senjata makan tuan (backfiring weapon) for the opposition. "This gathering is dirty," it said in its Awang Selamat — the nom de plume of the newspaper's editors — column today. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 where up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas launched by the police. PAS has promised to bring 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in a general election expected within the year. The 2007 rally was said to play a big role in bringing record gains for the opposition electoral pact in Election 2008, where it swept five state governments and won 82 parliamentary seats. In today's edition, Mingguan Malaysia, where it front-paged calls to "prevent the Bersih rally," also said that the protest was organised by anti-Islamic NGOs and the opposition would use the protest to "incite tension to profit politically. With the opposition's failing image, it needs Bersih to revive itself." "The gathering is masterminded by NGOs who are anti-Islam in their thinking and actions. PAS's involvement is only as pak turut (yes-men) as the pro-Anwar faction now controls the party. "Meanwhile, DAP leaders like Lim Kit Siang will be smiling because most of those joining Bersih will be Malays. That is how shallow Malay politics is, those that benefit are other races," it wrote.
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| Bersih rally goes on, says Ambiga, PAS Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:49 PM PDT
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and PAS leaders have dismissed opposition towards next month's Bersih rally and maintained plans to proceed with it. Umno daily Utusan Malaysia today urged Malaysians to boycott the protest and quoted Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein's warning that "it will be chaotic when those for and against the street demonstration clash." "Opposition is normal. It is a democratic country," Ambiga (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today. "My own reading is that a lot of people are very supportive of the demands we are making. There's unhappiness...like example in the Sarawak (election), unhappiness about corruption, (and) unhappiness about the independence of our institutions," added the election watchdog chief. Ambiga, a former Bar Council president, called the protest a "peaceful citizens' rally". When asked how Bersih 2.0 will face a possible police crackdown on the rally, she said: "Our plan is not final yet...we want to urge the authorities to change the way they see rallies." PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said people will support the Bersih rally as the government has yet to fulfill the NGO's demands during its first protest in 2007. "When elections are not run fairly, it will be like what happened in the Middle East. I don't want what's happening in the Middle East to happen here," Mohamad told The Malaysian Insider. Popular uprisings throughout the Middle East have recently toppled autocratic governments in Egypt and Tunisia that were accused of widespread corruption. Mohamad pointed out that other countries like Singapore had acceded to people's demands for fair election practices. "Change happened in Singapore...they (the opposition) got access to media," said Mohamad, referring to the recent Singapore election.
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| Nauru better option than ever: opposition Posted: 11 Jun 2011 11:03 AM PDT "My understanding from Scott - who has visited the island before - is that it could be up and running again within a matter of weeks at relatively low cost and the point I keep making is that this is a much smarter option than Malaysia when it comes to the processing of boat people," Mr Abbott said. The West Australian Nauru is a better option for detaining asylum seekers now than it was when the detention centre was established a decade ago, the federal opposition says. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and his immigration spokesman Scott Morrison are in the tiny Pacific Island nation to meet president Marcus Stephen and examine the former detention centre. Mr Abbott wants to reopen the facility there - first set up by the Howard government - as an alternative to the government's Malaysian refugee swap deal. Before touring the centre on Sunday, Mr Abbott said he was looking forward to having "a good, long, hard look" at the processing centre.
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| Experts to gather ideas from online community Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:53 AM PDT (Bernama) KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is looking forward to the online 1Malaysia Roundtable going live tomorrow to get fresh ideas and potential solutions from the people. "I hope all of us will take this opportunity to come together and produce ideas and creative solutions. Do inform your family and friends so that we can get as many suggestions as possible," he said in his latest blog posting, "Take a seat at the 1Malaysia Roundtable". Najib said the online 1Malaysia Roundtable, on the website http://www.1malaysia.com.my, would allow all Malaysians, regardless of geographic location, profession or age, to provide fair and constructive comments, suggestions or ideas to better the lives of the people.The areas to be discussed include the economy, national unity, health, youth activity and sports. The roundtable would be moderated by some of the most respected and celebrated individuals of the nation, Najib said. "These SMEX are committed to shed some light on issues, share their time and experience to help you shape your ideas, and finally present to me the key highlights of your discussion for further study or consideration for implementation." |
| Najib ‘uncivilised’ for seeking Selangor at any cost, says Azmin Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:43 AM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider PKR deputy president Azmin Ali called Datuk Seri Najib Razak "uncivilised" today for urging Umno to recapture the country's wealthiest state, Selangor, with whatever "weapon was at their disposal". The prime minister said last month that Umno must forget it lost the central state to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in 2008, but rise to win it back. "I want to ask Najib, what does he mean 'at all cost'?" said Azmin at the launch of PKR's "Jelajah Selangor Tawan Putrajaya" (Jelas) campaign here today. "Kill? C4 (bombs)? Rob? Snatch? Blow up? Bribe? This is a statement of an uncivilised prime minister who doesn't believe in democracy," he added. Azmin also pointed out that PR only needed swing votes of 2.8 per cent in Sabak Bernam and 3.1 per cent in Pandan to win the parliamentary seats. Umno's Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri is the Sabak Bernam MP while MCA's Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is the Pandan MP. Azmin said PR was ready to wrest the Tanjong Karang parliamentary seat from Selangor Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar in the next general election that is expected to be called within a year. "Even though Tanjong Karang is not represented by Keadilan but PAS, we want to tell Najib that our ties in Pakatan Rakyat are strong enough," said the Gombak MP at a hall packed with some 200 PKR members. "Our goal is one: Umno must be buried in the coming election," he added. Noh, who is the minister of agriculture and agro-based industry, retained the Tanjong Karang constituency by defeating PAS's Mohamed Hanipa Maidin with a 3,820-vote majority. Umno won the Sungai Burung and Permatang state seats in the Tanjong Karang constituency.
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| Malaysia Not Target Of Attack By Militants, Says Hishammuddin Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:42 AM PDT (Bernama) - PENDANG -- Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on Saturday gave the assurance that security in Malaysia was under control and it was not a target of attack by militant groups despite some of their members having been found in the country. He said Malaysia had close contact with international intelligence agencies in the matter. "Actually, Malaysia is not their target. They may be in the country, but it is not a target, at least for now. "We have taken proactive and preventive measures. Our information is derived not only from domestic organisations but also international agencies," he told reporters after opening the Pendang Umno Division delegates meeting, here. The police yesterday confirmed the arrest of Indonesian terror suspect Agus Salim, 34, on Monday after he had slipped into the country under a new name following his deportation in 2009 to Indonesia for allegedly harbouring another terror suspect Mas Selamat Kasturi, suspected to be the leader of the Singapore cell of Jemaah Islamiah (JI). "That is the reason for the recent introduction of the biometric fingerprint scanning system. There are two or three other systems we can use to vet so that we can identify their location, whether they (foreigners) are here legally or are involved in something more serious," he said. On the plan by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 to hold a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on July 9, Hishammuddin said the move could undermine security as those opposed to the action could also demonstrate to show their displeasure, thus possibly sparking clashes. This would disrupt the daily activities of the people as they would be unable to do business, go to work or send their children to school, he added. On the Obedient Wives Club said to be linked to the banned Al-Arqam movement, he said the preliminary report on the police and ministry probes indicated that it did not undermine national security, other wise the police would act. He also said that the National Registration Department should look into the security features of the MyKad to prevent cyber criminals from extracting the confidential information within. Hishammuddin, who is also an Umno vice-president, advised Umno divisions to be prepared for the next general election regardless of when Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would seek the dissolution of parliament. He also said that Umno members should strive to increase the party's membership and ensure that more people registered as voters, like what the opposition parties were already doing. "Better late than never. There is still time (to register new voters)," he said. (Bernama) |
| None of Yayasan Selangor’s business Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:40 AM PDT The foundation should learn to run itself first before telling others how to run their business. By Wong Chun Wai, The Star JUST think. Why should Yayasan Selangor – a state education foundation that was set up to bring needy rural students to hostels in urban areas – be given prized land in a prime location that would eventually be worth hundreds of millions of ringgit? Have we become so politically partisan that we have refused to ask how this foundation, which has a horrible reputation for mismanagement, could possibly be able to utilise these lands properly and efficiently? There are now suspicions, rightly or wrongly, that the land currently being used by nursery operators would be passed on to crony developers once it has been acquired by the state. Yayasan Selangor is not in the business of developing land. It cannot even run itself properly. We are now suddenly being told that the land where the nurseries are located have underground water pipes and that, for security reasons, the nursery operators have to move out. But Yayasan Selangor will get the land. We should then be demanding to know why Yayasan Selangor would want the land with all these "dangerous" water pipes. The fact is that these 50 nursery operators are sitting on land that is next to the over 1,300ha of land belonging to the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia which has been earmarked for redevelopment. The development in the area comes under the Greater Kuala Lumpur Strategic Development Project initiative which is under the 10th Malaysia Plan. Of the present total land area, rubber plantations take up about 939ha (2,320 acres) while the remainder includes the nurseries and other buildings. So who can blame them if they are suspicious of the motives of the state government? Even if we accept the argument that the state has the run to take over this land, we should be looking at the track record, or lack of it, of Yayasan Selangor. Financial mismanagement has caused Yayasan Selangor to chalk up RM7.41mil in deficit from January till November last year. In normal circumstances, the financial state of the foundation would have been called a scandal and there would have been a demand for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up to investigate it. But it looks like many of the Barisan Nasional state assemblymen are still not thinking, acting and functioning like aggressive opposition leaders. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim himself has revealed that "expenditure that is not transparent, prudent or reasonable had caused the cost of Yayasan Selangor's 40th anniversary celebration to reach almost RM1mil". The audit on Yayasan Selangor was done from Nov 29 till Dec 1 last year after the Selangor of Sultan snubbed the foundation's 40th anniversary luncheon, which was scheduled for Nov 15, over its exorbitant cost. The luncheon was subsequently called off. First, the state government said the luncheon was billed at RM300,000 but Selangor Umno claimed that the event would have cost RM800,000. The audit report showed that the foundation actually spent RM996,472 on the overall celebration. The luncheon may have been cancelled but Yayasan Selangor still had to pay RM387,232. The other costs included RM225,000 for copies of the Quran, RM206,040 on souvenirs and clothes, and RM178,200 on a fishing competition. Can someone shed some light over this fishy event involving public funds? The audit report also stated that Yayasan Selangor could recover an estimated RM148,500 from the company in charge of the luncheon, but it had yet to do so. The fiasco, however, did not stop the Yayasan Selangor board of trustees from paying themselves bonuses of RM5,000 last year – a violation of the foundation's memorandum. Yayasan Selangor's board of trustees includes Khalid, who is chairman, former state secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud, Selangor executive councillor Dr Halimah Ali, Ilham Marzuki, Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman, Sulaiman Wak and Haji Mohd Adenan Deraman. The only saving grace is that the Mentri Besar has taken action and revealed the contents of the audit, and a former deputy general manager has been charged in court on three counts of graft involving RM45,000 in connection with the anniversary celebrations. The nursery operators who have been toiling the land for over 22 years are now being shown a grand plan submitted by Yayasan Selangor. It supposedly involves converting the land into an expo area with plans for flower shows, 24-hour security and proper lighting. Who are Yayasan Selangor to tell these operators how to run their nurseries when they have no experience whatsoever in this business? And if they buy the Yayasan Selangor idea, what about the security of the water pipes claim that has been bandied about? The story doesn't seem to tally at all. Would the water pipes/security claims suddenly vanish? It's just like the pomelo farmers in Tambun, Perak, who have finally been given a 99-year land lease after having to fight their case for years. Then there are the ornamental fish rearers in Gopeng who are still fighting for their land despite bringing in millions of ringgit for the country. These people truly deserve our support. They have toiled on their land for decades while contributing to the nation's economy and no one should grab the land from them. Certainly, in Sungai Buloh, Yayasan Selangor should learn to run itself first before telling the flower growers how to run their business. It's really none of Yayasan Selangor's business. |
| Voter registration continues as EC prepares for snap polls Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:39 AM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — The Election Commission (EC) has begun to prepare for the 13th general elections as parliament enters its fourth year of the Barisan Nasional (BN) mandate from Election 2008. But EC deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said voter registration will still continue all year round with electoral rolls being gazetted every three months, dismissing speculation the commission will stop signing up voters this month. "Usually, when we enter the fourth year after the previous general election, preparations will be made ... we make early preparations in Year 4 and use that as a sign," Wan Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider. He also pointed out that the three-year period for by-elections to be held under the Elections Act had passed and the EC could now prepare for the general election. "We have done all sorts of preparations ... early preparation like logistics, determining polling centres, printing guidelines, all kinds of preparation," said Wan Ahmad. "Other forms of preparation like the training of workers and election officers will be done about one or two months before (the election)," he added. The last general election, the 12th since independence in 1957, was held in March 2008 or at the end of the fourth year of that term by then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He was succeeded in April 2009 by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, whose coalition mandate ends in April 2013. State elections must also be held between the end of April and May 2013. Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim predicted recently that Najib will call general elections before August this year. Political analysts, however, are speculating that the prime minister is likely to delay snap polls until the end of this year or early 2012 as he and his cabinet tour the country to assess conditions on the ground and also work on getting more support in states held by Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact. The Najib administration recently embarked on its latest round of subsidy cuts on essential goods like electricity, a move that could rouse voter unhappiness. But the prime minister has also initiated various projects under his New Economic Model (NEM) with a view to making Malaysia a high-income nation by 2020. |
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